Jan 15, 2004

StreetScene: Corte De La Reina

Looking at the Corte De La Reina of today you see a well-groomed suburban neighborhood, conveniently close to shopping and schools, while offering the safety and quiet of cul-de-sac living.

But the key component to truly appreciating what this neighborhood has to offer lays not only in its present, but also in the richness of its history. And with about half of the neighborhood’s residents being original owners, it is a history that many still share and in some cases, have passed on to successive generations.

According to Bea Macina, a recently retired teacher from near-by Los Alamitos Elementary who came to the tract 33 years ago as one of its first residents, Corte De La Reina was very different back in the day.

“We came from the East Coast and started looking [for homes] in Cupertino and kept moving south. Back then, Redmond Avenue was only two lanes, it was almost a dirt road. I remember there was one other development besides this one, but when I came in [our house] I knew that this was the house.”

Transplanted from New York, the Macina’s came to the Almaden Valley without friends or family. Driving out from the airport on that rainy January to finally see their new home, they were met with quite a surprise.

“There were only four families that were part of that initial group to move in,” explained Macina. “Although our house was supposed to be finished by the time we got there, it wasn’t. We had no electricity, but some of the houses had no windows! We spent two months in [a] hotel waiting. Other families brought campers, and one [family] even brought sleeping bags to camp out in the house.”

Eventually, after many calls to PG&E, the Health Department and the builder, the homes were ready for full occupancy. But the common experiences shared by those first families cemented their friendships and set the tone for Corte De La Reina’s “personality.”

“It brought us closer,” said Macina. Back then, if you wanted to have a dinner party, you invited the whole neighborhood.”

Because the builder ended up in bankruptcy, the housing development was basically put on hold, with many of the homes vacant.

“For the first 18 months, we were the only families in the neighborhood,” recalled Macina. “When others finally moved in, we tried to be very welcoming. As someone who left family behind, I know it was a great way to begin [in a new neighborhood.] It was always really important to make everyone fit in and feel like they belonged. People who lived here [and moved away] come back to visit. I think that says a lot.”

Although Lola and Tom Fahler, a young couple with three young children may seem like one of the “new kids on the block,” for them, or more specifically Tom, the analogy is more fact than fiction. Tom is a second generation Fahler, living in the house that he, himself grew up in.

“We both came from this area,” said Lola Fahler. “I lived on Wilhel-mina Hill, but we both went to [Archbishop] Mitty, and both went to Chico State. When we got married, we lived on and off here, at my in-laws.’
Fahler recalled how after a five-year stint in Iowa, where Tom pursued a graduate degree, they returned to the Almaden Valley at the height of the real estate boom.

“My in-laws had a cabin in Bear Valley for years and had the idea to build a retirement home in that area,” said Lola.

“They didn’t want to sell the house to just anybody, so my father-in-law thought that we could buy it from them.”
The plan worked, and now a new generation of Fahlers has put down roots on Corte De La Reina.

Macina recalled that Ted Fahler was known as the street’s “Social Director,” always organizing block parties, volleyball games, and even square dancing with a live caller in the cul-de-sac.

“At one point, we actually had a volley ball court painted on the cul-de-sac,” said Macina. “Volley ball used to be almost a weekly event – the adults played each other and then the kids started. Eventually we had the kids playing the adults. As time went on, and families grew up, the games became more holiday events.”

The bonds that were forged on Corte De La Reina have withstood the test of time and long distance moves. “That’s why we’ve stayed,” said Macina. “The families have remained so close. Though the kids have grown up and moved away, they still come back for weddings and christenings.”

As a Los Alamitos teacher living in a neighborhood of potential students, Macina has had just one caveat over the years; none of her neighborhood children could be students in her classroom.

“The children were all so wonderful, but I had to say no. I wanted to keep our relationship as neighbors, and let someone else have [the teacher] relationship. Now that I’m retired, I sometimes go back as a substitute [teacher] for a class that has neighbor children, and that’s just fun. They are so excited to see me.”

Having seen firsthand the benefits of living on Corte De La Reina as both children and parents, the Fahler’s wouldn’t think of living anywhere else.

“When I was young, I always thought it was so neat that you couldn’t drive down the street without someone stopping to talk or say hello,” said Fahler. “We were so pleased to be able to squeak into this neighborhood. I’d say the best thing about living here is that everybody knows each other. Put that together with [the kids] being able to walk to school, play outside safely and the friendly people and I think this is definitely the best place to live. It’s home.”

—By Candy Richter