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Once the location of the Old Mill shopping mall, The Crossings was built in 1994 into a 540-unit neighborhood, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's "Smart Growth" website. It now boasts a close-knit community that was awarded the Outstanding Planning Award by the American Planning Association in 2002.

"The neighbors are nice, there's diversity and it's safe with close access to grocery stores," said Kenneth Salisbury, who has been living at The Crossings with his family since 2003.

The community even has three of its own "parks," as homeowner Yalena Marino, who lives at The Crossings with her husband and two kids since 1996, calls them. They are really just large strips of green lawn areas; one has a gazebo and the other a playground structure for neighborhood children to play on. Residents take their dogs to play together in these areas as well.

This comforting, "just ask next door for some sugar" atmosphere is what Marino likes most about The Crossings.

"(The Crossings) isn't spread out, it's very close knit, the people are very nice," Marino said, "You don't need a large home when they are efficient and there's lots of commons areas."

Marino's children used to play with the other kids in The Crossings; the younger children can be seen riding scooters or bicycles up and down the blocks. Salisbury says the diversity in the area is good for the children.

Salisbury and Marino say the interaction at The Crossings doesn't stop with the dogs or the children. The community holds monthly housing-association meetings and co-coordinated garage sales, and many houses display Neighborhood Watch markers.

"The Crossings was designed as a commuter-oriented place; ideally people wouldn't have to use their cars," Salisbury said. But if the station closes, they might have to, which may in turn exasperate the already tight parking or even drop the value of the homes, he said.

-- Peter Maxwell

FACTS
CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (nearby): Oak Tree Nursery School, 2100 University Ave.
FIRE STATION: No. 3, 301 N. Rengstorff Ave.
LOCATION: between San Antonio Road, Showers Drive and California Street
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Separate associations for condominiums, townhouses, row houses and single-family homes; all run by Nagi Chami, CEO of Tri-State Enterprises; 650-210-0085
PARKS: Concord Circle and Sondgroth Way, Beacon Street and Laurel Way; nearby: Klein Park, Monta Loma Park
POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS (nearby): Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, 450 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Los Altos School District -- Covington Elementary School, Egan Junior High School; Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District -- Los Altos High School
SHOPPING: San Antonio Shopping Center, strip shopping on California Street
MEDIAN 2012 HOME PRICE: $1,168,000
CONDOS SOLD: 1
MEDIAN 2012 CONDO PRICE: $743,000 ($618,888-$916,000)
CONDOS SOLD: 8

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