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A time of crisis is sometimes a better testament of a neighborhood than remodeled doors and sparkly bay windows.

When the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake disrupted power in St. Francis Acres, Dudley and Carla Kenworthy huddled outside with 20 other Gilmore Street neighbors. The group cooked spaghetti on camping stoves and watched the news on Dudley's portable nine-inch TV.

"It was a great gift that everybody came out and came together and felt safe," Carla said.

Besides Gilmore Street, this patch of Mountain View is bordered by El Camino Real, Permanente Creek and El Monte Avenue. A mile from the active downtown, St. Francis Acres continues to be a popular pit stop for first-time homeowners. Demonstrating suburbia's circle of life, the neighborhood mainly consists of young families and empty-nesters.

Pre-WWII, however, St. Francis Acres was mostly prune orchards. Rosalie Mattevi remembers cutting down five lots' worth of prune trees with her husband, Al. In 1952, they were the first to arrive on Lloyd Way and snapped up lot 32 from the McElroy Lumber Company. Her father, a seasoned builder, constructed their home at a cost of $12,000. Today, the house is worth more than $1 million. However, the widow has no plans to leave the home with so many neighborly memories attached.

"It's changed because of so many new families and children moving in. It (the neighborhood) is starting all over again," she said, adding "the neighbors call me the mayor the street."

While her husband joined other men five doors down for regular poker parties, Mattevi would linger with the wives on a neighbor's porch. The ladies would "hold court, sit there and talk, and drink a glass of port."

She still keeps in touch with families who have come and gone. "I'm still getting Christmas cards from the people who moved," Mattevi said.

The proximity to the Los Altos School District has also made houses here a hot commodity. Hilary Burcell, a resident since September 2004, had no idea about the school district's high-ranking for academics. She and her husband were surprised by the numerous inquiries they get about their house, even by non-Realtors.

Although near El Camino, traffic noise has never been a big issue. However, there are concerns about drivers using their quieter streets to cut back and forth between Mountain View and El Monte avenues. Mattevi said residents are cautious during rush hour. A few streets have speed bumps but residents are interested in working with the city to find other ways to handle traffic.

Children populate the streets, especially during summer. Both kids and adults on Gilmore Street look forward to the annual Fourth of July block party, a tradition since 1988. The city permits the street to be blocked off. Highlights include a potluck, pinata and children's bike parade.

"We've had a lot of great memories with that block party," said Carla, who shares party-planning duties with other neighbors. "It's just been a great neighborhood to have raised our kids in. We bought our house in 1979. It was just going to be a 'starter house' for us. Many times we thought of moving, but every time we've just remodeled."


FACTS


CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Mountain View KinderCare, 2065 W. El Camino Real; St. Paul Lutheran CDC, 1075 El Monte Ave.

FIRE STATION: No. 1, 251 S. Shoreline Blvd.

PARKS: McKelvey Park, Park Drive and Miramonte Ave.

POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS (NEARBY): Canterbury Christian School, 101 N. El Monte, St. Joseph Catholic School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., St. Francis High School, 1885 Miramonte Ave.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Los Altos School District — Almond Elementary School, Egan Junior High School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Los Altos High School

SHOPPING: Downtown Mountain View, Longs Shopping Center, Gemello Village, Clarkwood Center

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $1,055,000 ($808,000-$2,000,000)

HOMES SOLD: 11

— Terry Tang