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Bruce England, Whisman Station resident since 1998, called the neighborhood "the future of housing for Mountain View."

Bounded by Highway 237, Central Expressway and Whisman Road, the area got its name from the Valley Transit Authority Light Rail station it encompasses. It's this focus on transit that makes the neighborhood a model for high-density living.

"I wanted to take public transit to work, and there aren't a lot of neighborhoods in the south bay where you can do that without a bicycle," said Anthony Moor, who moved to the neighborhood with his wife and their two daughters in 2010.

And if the light rail won't work for a particular trip, Moor pointed out, the neighborhood has great access to freeways.

"We're not completely centered on the car," he said. "We have options, which is unusual for suburban life."

Ease of commute also attracted Monica Lipscomb, who moved to the neighborhood with her husband in 1997. They were some of the original residents in the neighborhood and have continued to make friends as new people move in.

"We meet a lot of friends at the pool," she said, referring to one of the neighborhood's common spaces maintained by homeowners' dues she called "reasonable."

Various homeowners associations and committees -- England says there's talk of unification -- host a variety of events throughout the year, said Lipscomb, who used to be on one of the entertainment committees. Events include an annual picnic, Fourth of July parade and Easter egg hunt.

Residents agree that these events are a great way to meet neighbors -- and the neighborhood is home to a lot of diverse groups, even for Mountain View. Singles and young couples mainly occupy the townhomes, while small families live in houses.

"The houses here are on the smaller side, so they don't have room for too many kids," Lipscomb said. "Once you hit three and above people start moving out."

"There's a house full of these Google people, so a lot of technology folks," she added. "A lot of the original people are not here anymore, but a lot of good new neighbors have come in, that's for sure."

Moor -- one of those new neighbors -- agreed.

"It brings different people together," he said. "People of different age groups, ethnicities, times in their life. It was the whole package."

The only thing missing, for Moor, is a coffee shop right in the neighborhood.

"For high-density living, having a little commercial presence in the community is better," he said. "It shouldn't be completely zoned for residential -- more mixed use is better."

England, who is a member of a community group in Mountain View called the Coalition for Sustainable Planning, is seeking to accomplish just that.

"Providing housing where communities already exist is best from a sustainability perspective, and city planning can help to make this happen, while ensuring that quality of life and access to transit and services are well accommodated," he said.

-- Emma Trotter

FACTS
CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (nearby): Kiddie Academy, 205 E. Middlefield Road; Building Kidz, 250 E. Dana St.; German International School of Silicon Valley, 310 Easy St.; Yew Chung International School, 199 E. Middlefield Road
FIRE STATION: No. 4, 229 N. Whisman Road
LOCATION: Central Expressway, Ferguson Drive, streets off Kent Drive, Snyder Lane, N. Whisman Road
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Michael Jones and Brian Emery, managers, Community Management Services, 650-961-2630, ext. 120 and ext. 150
PARKS: Magnolia Park, Magnolia Lane and Whisman Park Drive; Chetwood Park, Chetwood Drive and Whisman Station Drive, Stevens Creek Trail
POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS (nearby): German International School of Silicon Valley, 310 Easy St.; Yew Chung International School, 310 Easy St.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mtn. View-Whisman School District -- Landels Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District -- Mountain View High School
SHOPPING: El Camino Real, Downtown Mountain View
MEDIAN 2012 HOME PRICE: $1,025,000 ($885,000-$1,284,000)
HOMES SOLD: 7
MEDIAN 2012 CONDO PRICE: $675,000 ($565,000-$842,500)
CONDOS SOLD: 23

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