Adobe Meadow in Palo Alto is a friendly place where once neighbors move in, they tend to stay put.
In fact, most neighbors only move out literally when they die, said 30-year resident Arthur Keller, with no irony in his voice.
“There aren’t that many people who move out otherwise,” said Keller, who bought his house on Corina Way 30 years ago. “It’s actually a very stable neighborhood.”
Keller founded the Adobe Meadow Neighborhood Association in 2005.
The neighborhood’s proximity to schools, whether it’s Fairmeadow or JLS middle school or Gunn High, also contributes to people’s long-term stays, he said. Students can take the 88L bus to Gunn for only $1 each way, Keller said.
Adobe Meadow is surprisingly walkable, said Mary Ann Norton, who lives on Ross Road at East Meadow. There are two parks, two schools, the YMCA, the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center, the library and shopping in Midtown and Charleston Center, she said.
Neighbors are friendly and look after one another, Keller said. Adobe Meadow pioneered a block captain system that also doubles as an emergency preparedness program, he said. During the October 2017 wildfires in wine country, the neighborhood ordered M95 masks in bulk for neighbors struggling with the poor air quality, he said. The neighborhood also keeps a stash of emergency supplies and a roster of neighbors’ names and contact information.
Before the neighborhood was built out, Adobe Meadow consisted of rural lots, according to the Adobe Meadow Neighborhood Association literature.
In the late 1940s, residents on Charleston and Grove Avenue crossed to Piers Dairy on Louis Road.
In December 1955, a rainstorm created a lake east of Middlefield Road, leaving the dairy cows knee-deep in water. That spring, developers began building homes on the dairy site. Eichler homes sprung up in 1956 on the south side of the new Adobe Creek flood channel.
Grove Avenue and Corina Way started hosting block parties in the 1980s, and now there’s an annual neighborhood party in Ramos Park in the fall, Keller said. There are other neighborhood parties throughout the year, too, he said.
Residents acknowledge that the neighborhood is struggling more with parking now, Keller said. For example, there’s been a shortage of spots on weekdays when various company employees park at Mitchell Park to catch their shuttles to work.
Despite the changes and parking concerns, Norton still loves her neighborhood’s vibe. “We have an active neighborhood association and very friendly residents.”
Angela Swartz is a reporter for the Almanac. She can be emailed at aswartz@almanacnews.com.
FACTS
Child care and preschools (nearby): Covenant Children’s Center, 670 East Meadow Drive; Sunshine Preschool Montessori, 3711 Ross Road
Fire station: No. 4, 3600 Middlefield Road
Library: Mitchell Park branch, 3700 Middlefield Road
Location: East Meadow Drive to Adobe Creek, Middlefield Road to Louis Road
Neighborhood association: Adobe Meadow Neighborhood Association, info@adobemeadow.org, adobemeadow.org, president: Chip Wytmar
Parks: Don Jesus Ramos Park, 800 E. Meadow Drive; Mitchell Park, 600 E. Meadow Drive
Post office: Main, 2085 E. Bayshore Road
Private school: Challenger School, 3880 Middlefield Road
Public schools: Fairmeadow Elementary School, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, Gunn High School
