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Rex Manor, built by William Blackfield on 74 acres off Central Expressway (then Alma) in 1950, is a classic post-World War II suburb. On identical lots (50 feet by 115 feet), the two- and three-bedroom homes featured 24 different exteriors, one-and-a-half-car garages, tiled bathrooms and kitchens with metal furnishings. They sold for $6,975 to $7,575.

On quiet tree-lined roads, many of the homes still look like the originals. "My daughter was already going to school there and we fell in love with the house," Lesley Ruzon said of her move to Rex Manor in 2005. She says she likes the area because "there's great schools, great parks and it's close to downtown."

The area is only minutes from downtown and situated in the Mountain View-Whisman school district. There are several parks and shopping places to enjoy as well.

The neighborhood seems to be mostly occupied by original owners "and they're all very nice," said Ruzon.

Rex Manor Park, an 80-foot strip along Farley and near Beatrice, raised concerns about becoming a noise nuisance factor when it was proposed in 1952. These days, toddlers and children are often seen playing in the sand with parents and caretakers enjoying the afternoon on a nearby park bench.

Rex Manor does have a slight age gap right now. "There aren't many families with young kids so because of that it's harder to get to know the neighbors," said Ruzon.

On the other hand, the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, which is sometimes confused with Rex Manor, has plenty of younger families. The main differences in the houses between the two neighborhoods are that the homes in Mountain Shadows are larger and newer, said Diane Carver who said she has lived in the area since 1966. These homes were built in 1964 and later.

Homes range from three to five bedrooms, have two-car garages and some are two stories, Carver said.

Vaquero Drive, Ormonde Drive, San Clemente Way, San Pierre Way, San Luis Avenue and San Marcos Circle all define Mountain Shadows, according to Carver.

In 2006, both neighborhoods joined the same neighborhood association.

Jane Schaeffer and her husband have lived in Rex Manor for the last 40 years. Schaeffer says she has "no complaints" about the neighborhood although she does think that "some of the sidewalks should be taken care of."

Schaeffer has watched younger families, like Ruzon and her family, gradually move to the area with small children. "We're in our upper 60s and 70s. There's a whole new younger generation moving in and that's great," Schaeffer said.

Ruzon does think that on San Pierre Way, close to the elementary school, the speeding is an issue. "They don't seem to slow down for the kids," she said.

Now, Rex Manor is bordered with beautiful, large trees and perfected lawns. Old houses are beautifully maintained along with the updated, some with quaint picket fences. The edges of the sidewalks are landscaped, along with the roundabouts, added in the 1990s on Farley Street, to slow down the cars while children are bicycling up and down the streets.


FACTS


CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS: YMCA of the East Bay/Mountain View Child Development Center,750B San Pierre Way; YMCA — Theuerkauf,1625 San Luis Ave.

FIRE STATION: No. 3, 301 N. Rengstorff Ave.

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Jo Anne Yee, chair, shingsrus@gmail.com

PARKS: Rex Manor Park, Farley Street and Central Expressway; Stevenson Park, San Luis Avenue and San Pierre Way

POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mtn. View-Whisman School District — Theuerkauf Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Los Altos High School

SHOPPING: Bailey Plaza, Shoreline Boulevard; strip shopping at 112 Rengstorff Ave.†and 580 Rengstorff Ave.

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $712,000 ($630,000-$898,000)

HOMES SOLD: 13

MEDIAN 2008 CONDO PRICE: $625,000 ($490,000-$670,000)

CONDOS SOLD: 7

— Nicole Baldocchi