January 1, 2004


Street Scene: Lone Pine Lane

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Lone Pine Lane sweeps in a gentle arc between Trinidad at one end and a court at the other. Just before the court, the lane branches off to the right, where it meets Old Oak Street. The street is quiet and peaceful with well-maintained homes set back upon landscaped lawns. Lone Pine Lane is a friendly place, where people stop to chat as they walk, and children race back and forth between each other’s front lawns.

Graphic designer Gary Addiego is the honorary mayor of Lone Pine Lane and founder of its block parties. He and his family have lived here for about seven years, and appreciate the community feel of the neighborhood. “We know all of our neighbors,” Addiego enthuses. “That’s the way I believe it should be—to know who lives around you and to create an open, welcome feeling.” The family-oriented accent of Lone Pine Lane is no accident. Besides coordinating an annual block party, Addiego organizes Christmas gatherings and a children’s Halloween party, complete with a costume parade, jumpy house, and snow-cone machine. This year, they’ve added a “you’ve been boo-d” element to their Halloween celebration. Someone leaves a basket of goodies on a neighbor’s door, along with a sign showing that they’ve “been boo-d,” and they have to anonymously “boo” someone else and so on, until the entire block is included. Neighbors also enjoy impulsively getting together. “If we’re out doing yard work in the evenings, one of us will bring out a bottle of wine and we’ll sit out and talk,” comments Addiego. Reflecting upon why he loves living on Lone Pine Lane, besides the inherent sense of community, Addiego values the pride the neighbors take in their homes and properties. “There’s a team effort to make everything look nice,” he observes.

For original owners Margie and John Lallo, a lot has changed since they moved here in 1967. Back then, Almaden Expressway was two-laned Almaden Road, and Trinadad didn’t go through. Instead of traffic, there was an orchard and a farm with horses across the street from their house. Together, they raised four children on a street that used to be even more populated with kids. “There were a lot of small children here,” John notes, “but everybody’s grown older and a lot of young families can’t afford to move here now.” Margie agrees. “We’ve seen a lot of people go,” she sighs. “Only three original owners remain.” Still, the Lallos like the current neighbors and enjoy catching up with them at the annual block parties, where everyone sets up canopies, tables and chairs, and brings a dish to share. Although they consider the neighborhood a safe one today, that wasn’t always the case. “We had our home broken into three times 10 to 15 years ago,” John reports. “One time, Margie had just left to go to the doctor’s. She was only gone for a little while, and when she came back, the person who was robbing (our home) jumped out the front window!” The robberies, however, did not deter them from living on Lone Pine Lane. “I just love it here,” Margie quips. “I like the nearness to the shopping center, my beauty shop, the medial clinic—everything is close. I don’t drive and I’ve been able to walk to all these places.”

Resident Joanne Escobar has enjoyed living on Lone Pine Lane for about 30 years. She raised her two children here, and today her granddaughter often spends weekends with her. Joanne loves that her granddaughter has children to play with here, as well as the diversity of the neighborhood. “There are retired couples, couples with teenagers, and couples with small children,” she notes. “There isn’t a lot of (turnover) in the neighborhood. People who come here live here for a long time.” Just then, Gary’s boys and her granddaughter come racing up to her front porch. “Would you like to buy some rocks?” they hopefully inquire. “Not today, honey,” she replies. “They’re just pretend,” they explain. “That’s good,” she answers with a laugh, “because I only have pretend money.” As she watches the children run off to play, Escobar smiles. “What’s great about this neighborhood too, is that everyone watches out for everybody,” she says. “Gary and another neighbor helped me put my Christmas lights up. I have a neighbor on Old Oak Street, who’s 75-years-old, and I visit her all the time, and she comes by to visit Margie. I’ve gotten to have a close relationship with her.” Escobar observes that Lone Pine Lane has developed into a great neighborhood over the years. “Probably the most characteristic aspect is that people get to know their neighbors and don’t want to move away,” she says. “It’s home.”