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Before Pam Miller moved to the Cuesta Park neighborhood in 1998, she and her husband were exploring the 25-acre park from which the neighborhood takes its name. "We didn't realize how big it really was, and we thought it would be wonderful to live nearby."

"It's a great resource for the whole city," Mary Dateo, president of the Cuesta Park Neighborhood Association and a resident since 1997, said. She pointed to the park's recently redone children's play area as an attraction.

"There's a great sense of peace going into the park and enjoying the old oak trees and the mountains," she said.

But the neighborhood is the happy home to all kinds of people, according to Mountain View former vice mayor Greg Perry, who moved to his Boranda Avenue home in 2005. As well as newer houses and a few apartments housing young professionals and budding families, there are many older homes with residents who have lived in the neighborhood for decades. "And everyone's been very welcoming," Perry said.

The Cuesta Park Neighborhood Association was organized in 2001 to extend just such a sense of welcome to the whole neighborhood.

"We have an annual family picnic in summer or early fall," said Miller, treasurer of the neighborhood association. "We've had a couple of safety fairs, several garden tours and holiday activities in December. We try to have these small events and big events throughout the year, so everybody can have fun and get involved."

"Since the association came into being, I've really seen people getting more involved in the neighborhood. It brings us together on issues," said Miller. An ongoing concern has been the future of the Cuesta Park Annex. The annex is an undeveloped remnant of the Bubb family orchards that covered much of the area from 1850 to 1950. A recent city council vote dismissed proposals to build playing fields in the annex, and preserved the land for future use as a historical site that may include a small heritage orchard to commemorate the city's agricultural roots.

Although residents do occasionally come together on issues such as the annex, the residents seem to be largely at peace.

"There's a lot of bicycling and walking," said Miller. "A lot of people walking their dogs through the neighborhood, on their way to the park and the annex. It's pretty quiet. Part of that is because there's not a lot of through streets. There were traffic issues, but the city has been very responsive to neighbors' concerns."

"I've always been very thankful for what we have," said Glenn Murata, who's lived on Nilda Avenue since 2002. "I once had a tree branch that fell down, must've been 20 feet long, and the street sweeper stopped by and asked if I wanted it cleaned up. And it was gone within the hour. It's the little things, things I hadn't expected I'd need, but found out that I did. And I appreciate them."


FACTS


CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Little Acorn Preschool, 1667 Miramonte Ave.; St. Timothy's Preschool, 2094 Grant Road; YMCA Kid's Place, 525 Hans Ave.

FIRE STATION: No. 2, 160 Cuesta Drive

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Cuesta Park Neighborhood Association (CPNA), Mary Dateo, 650-968-5465, cpnatalk@yahoogroups.com

PARKS: Bubb Park, Barbara Avenue and Montalto Drive; Cuesta Park, 615 Cuesta Drive

POST OFFICE: Blossom Valley, 1768 Miramonte Ave.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: St. Joseph, 1120 Miramonte Ave.; St. Francis High School, 1885 Miramonte Ave.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mtn. View-Whisman School District — Bubb Elementary School, Graham Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Mountain View High School

SHOPPING: Grant Park Plaza, Grant Road at El Camino Real; Blossom Valley Shopping Center, Miramonte Avenue at Cuesta Drive; Downtown Mountain View

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $982,500 ($750,000-$1,269,000)

HOMES SOLD: 18

MEDIAN 2008 CONDO PRICE: $813,000 ($548,888-$880,000)

CONDOS SOLD: 3

— Dan Shilstone