University South University South (November 12, 2004)

Historic neighborhood is close to all the amenities

by Jocelyn Dong

Transformation has always been a part of the University South neighborhood's DNA.

In 1890, the first new house in not-yet-incorporated Palo Alto was built on Homer Avenue. (Incorporation happened four years later.) In 1938, David Packard and William Hewlett began their groundbreaking technology work, which changed the entire valley, out of a garage on Addison Avenue.

Meanwhile, the precursor to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation made its home in University South in 1932, only to move to a brand new facility on El Camino Real some six decades later, in 1999.

So perhaps it's no wonder that the neighborhood, bounded by University Avenue, Middlefield Road, Embarcadero Road and Alma Street, is now the epicenter for the biggest transformation of any city neighborhood in recent years.

Drive down the streets, and along with the Craftsman and Queen Anne-style homes, you'll see another frequent sight: contractors' trucks and workers in hard hats.

Much of the change is taking place in a three-square-block area, where SummerHill Homes is developing nearly 100 new houses, condominiums and apartments. When the project is completed, hundreds of new residents are expected to move into the area.

In addition, old homes are also undergoing renovation, or outright replacement.

Elaine Meyer is the president of the University South Neighborhood Association and has lived in the area for 24 years. Unlike many in town who complain about the so-called "monster" homes being built on their blocks, Meyer approves of her neighbors' taste.

"I'm pleased the new houses being built are attractive and fit into the scheme of things. The houses are tasteful. They're compatible," she said.

Part of the reason for her approval may be the fact lots in University South are large, allowing plenty of room for bigger abodes. Many properties boast generous front yards, elegantly landscaped with towering magnolias, oaks and pines.

University South residents are also looking forward to their new 2-acre park, Palo Alto Heritage Park. The grassy area, they say, will be a much-used outlet for kids, seniors, dogs and others who need an oasis in the midst of suburbia.

Meanwhile, next to the park, a nonprofit group is planning to renovate the historic Roth Building, the original home to the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, and turn it into a history museum.

One of the most dramatic -- and most talked-about -- change taking place in University South is the cost of housing. When Bill and Barbara Busse moved to the neighborhood in 1976, they paid about $60,000 for their four-bedroom home. Now, the new SummerHill Homes on their block are going for about $2-3 million.

Cindy Roberts, a mother of two small children, laments the high price of housing. She bought their two-bedroom home 11 years ago, before the skyrocketing costs. Now, she'd like to upgrade to a bigger house, but feels priced out of the market.

"It's not the ideal size for the people we have," she said, "but it's the ideal location."

That's one thing that hasn't changed: residents' affection for the local amenities. Roberts' children take classes at the Lucie Stern Community Center, visit the Junior Museum and Zoo, take in a show at the Children's Theatre, visit the libraries and romp in Rinconada Park -- all within walking distance of their home. In addition, the Learning Center preschool and Addison Elementary School are nearby.

"Most friends are driving their kids all over the place," Roberts said. "In this neighborhood, you're fortunate you can walk everywhere."

It was for exactly the same reason that the Busses located to University South. They have developed a reputation among their neighbors for their walking habits, departing from their porch every day, destined for parts well-known: California Avenue, Town & Country Village and downtown Palo Alto.

In fact, for most who live in the stately neighborhood, the restaurants, shops and services of the University Avenue area have always been a big draw.

Residents have also developed a sense of community by walking along their tree-lined streets. Meyer loves to work in her garden out front and enjoys talking with neighbors who are out walking their dogs.

Roberts, meanwhile, appreciates how the families on her block can count on one another for emergency babysitting. The close-knit group also hosts a block party every summer, and gets together throughout the year for other reasons, like Roberts' recent pumpkin-carving party.

Another thing that hasn't changed: the neighborhood's rich history. In addition to building the first new house here in the 1800s, Anna Zschokke also opened the city's first high school in her second house. The area was home, too, to radio pioneer Lee de Forest, who invented the vacuum tube amplifier and oscillator, which became the foundation for the electronics industry.

The St. Thomas Aquinas church, an example of carpenter Gothic design, was built in 1901 and is a defining feature of Homer Avenue. A scene from the movie "Harold and Maude" was filmed in the church.

Celebrating the history of early inventions, the Museum of American Heritage is also located in University South, across the street from the proposed Palo Alto History Museum.

In a way, the neighborhood is one where progress is a constant refrain, yet preservation-minded citizens have also been able to keep alive the history that made the city and the valley what they are.

The changes have come with a price, however. Discussions and debates with city officials in recent years about how to develop the area south of Forest Avenue have left those in the neighborhood "exhausted," Meyer said.

A battle over how to develop the property at 800 High St., now slated to become condominiums and retail, turned particularly rancorous.

"We're catching our breath (now)," she added.

Although she would like to mount an effort to welcome the new residents, Meyer said that might take some time.

But exhaustion or no, progress marches on. One issue occupying her attention is the possible closure of the downtown branch of the library. Library Director Paula Simpson is floating the idea of eliminating some branch libraries and consolidating most of the collection into one main facility.

"It's a real asset in the neighborhood," Meyer said, who is fighting to keep the branch open.

But life in University South, despite its ever-changing nature, is fundamentally not about political battles. For residents like the Busses, Roberts and Meyer, it's about having a place to call home -- and neighbors to call a community.

Senior Staff Writer Jocelyn Dong can be reached at jdong@paweekly.com.
University South facts:
Child care and preschools: Downtown Child Care Center, 848 Ramona St.; Downtown Children's Center, 555 Waverley St.; First School, 625 Hamilton Ave.; The Learning Center, 459 Kingsley Ave.; Addison Kids' Club, 650 Addison Ave.
Fire station: 301 Alma St.
Library: Downtown, 270 Forest Ave.
Neighborhood association: Elaine Meyer, (650) 325-8057
Parks: Scott Street Mini Park, Scott Street and Channing Avenue; Palo Alto Heritage Park (under construction at Homer Avenue and Waverley Street)
Post office: Hamilton Station, 380 Hamilton Ave.
Public schools: Addison Elementary School, Jordan Middle School, Palo Alto High School

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