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An outsider wouldn't know the neighborhood was so conveniently located and social from wandering down the peaceful streets of Sylvan Park.

Located nearby 280, 101 and 85 freeways, as well as shopping centers, the winding side streets off of Sylvan Avenue boast one- and two-story homes, two well-kept senior mobile-home parks and a few apartment complexes, all centered on a spacious park.

"There is an outback feel, but a connection to where you need to go quickly," said Linda Holroyd, who moved to the neighborhood in 1999.

"(The neighborhood has) unique homes with high ceilings, a rustic, homey feel and also an Eichler feel" with big windows and lighting," she said.

Sylvan Park is an evolving community and they like to include new neighbors, said Holroyd, who lived in Fremont and moved to Mountain View to avoid traffic when crossing the bay for work.

Neighborhood traditions include an annual Fourth of July parade in the park and a potluck every six weeks, which a different neighbor hosts each time. They also have an annual ping pong tournament, a monthly ladies night out, and the men occasionally play poker together.

Neighbors meet at one house and serenade each other with carols at a Christmas-caroling event every December. "We're pretty active in maintaining the quality of life in the neighborhood," she said.

The neighborhood uses both traditional ways of bonding and technology to get together. They use Yahoo! groups to exchange events and security information.

"I wanted to be in a neighborhood that wasn't commercial," said Marty Brewer, who has lived in Sunset Estates senior mobile-home park since 1996. "Driving down Sylvan Avenue, I would not have known there was even a mobile-home park there."

Brewer said Sunset Estates is very convenient, with freeways and shopping close by.
"It's a small park with only 144 spaces and people are really friendly," she said. She added that the park has good management and is kept up nicely.

There are regulations so that people keep up their property. Brewer said she is having her tree in the front trimmed because it can't be higher than the roof.

Everyone is allowed one pet. The park holds a meeting every year to plan events and potlucks, so that every month there is something, and the manager hosts a Christmas party. The park also has a monthly magazine, which Brewer edits.

"The magazine has birthdays for the month, a calendar, the 'Grapevine' blurbs, jokes and stories of interest," she said. "I can't think of anything I don't like about the park. It's social and friendly," she said.

The park has many groups that meet; multiple card games, a book club, crafts and knitting, which knits caps for newborns at El Camino Hospital, she said. The other Sylvan Park senior mobile-home park, New Frontier, is located right next to Sunset Estates.

-- Sally Schilling

FACTS
CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Western Montessori Day School, 323 Moorpark Way; YMCA -- Slater, 325 Gladys Ave.
FIRE STATION: No. 4, 229 N. Whisman Road
LOCATION: bounded by West El Camino Real, Highway 85, Highway 237 and the Sunnyvale border
PARKS: Sylvan Park, Sylvan Avenue and DeVoto Street
POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS: St. Stephen Lutheran School, 320 Moorpark Way
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mtn. View-Whisman School District -- Landels Elementary School, Graham Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District -- Mountain View High School
SHOPPING: Americana Shopping Center -- Lucky Stores
MEDIAN 2012 HOME PRICE: $1,250,000 ($750,000-$1,655,000)
HOMES SOLD: 9
MEDIAN 2012 CONDO PRICE: $727,886 ($662,800-$872,000)
CONDOS SOLD: 16

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