March 10, 2005

STREET SCENEPaso Los Cerritos

Years ago, Meridian Avenue ended at Paso Los Cerritos where Pierce Ranch cows wandered free.

Since then, residents have seen a number of changes on the street.

Original owners Katy and Dennis Horn moved to their new home on Paso Los Cerritos more than 32 years ago. The west entrance to Camden Avenue hadn’t opened and Meridian didn’t pass Redmond. The Almaden Oaks Plaza was a venture capitalist’s dream and bovines roamed the dairy farm that would become another tract of homes.

“I believe there’s only one original neighbor from back then,” said Katy Horn, a recently retired math teacher who taught at Bret Harte and Leland. “We raised our two boys here. This area was the Almaden Vineyard but they cleared it to build houses.”

Horn relates that the best thing about the area is the neighbors, though many have since moved away. The second is the large lot their house occupies, which affords magnificent views from their backyard.

“On July Fourth, we watch fireworks in downtown San Jose, Los Gatos and all the way to Shoreline,” she added. “My husband has put in 96 stairs going up the mountain. It’s going to be hard to leave here.”

White-tailed rabbits, skunks and raccoons are still seen on the property, and Horn remembers when her sons were young, they were intrigued with garter and king snakes. But the encroaching building over the years ended the boys’ reptilian adventures.

“When we moved here, Castillero and Los Alamitos weren’t open yet,” said Horn. “We moved to Almaden because it was so rural after living in Cupertino.”

David and Dianne Angel moved to Paso Los Cerritos 22 years ago with two boys to raise and have enjoyed every year.

“I love it here,” said Dianne. “I always felt perfectly safe here with David traveling so much.”

David Angel, a retired CEO, remembered when Camden Avenue didn’t go through at the west end of Paso Los Cerritos.

“There were block parties then,” related David. “It was much more communal. Now we’re in the third generation of families living on the street.”

Peter and Irene Groot have lived on Paso Los Cerritos for many years enjoying the spectacular view.

“It really is a beautiful view,” said Irene. “And Blackwell [the builder] did a good job building the houses. We have no complaints though we do miss Our Daily Bread bakery. I kept one of their pink bakery boxes. I wish they were still here.”

Our Daily Bread was a bistro at the Almaden Oaks Plaza. With the expansion of Albertsons Supermarket, the owner chose not to move the restaurant and bakery leaving many in the neighborhood saddened by the loss of good food and a friendly neighborhood meeting place.

The homes on Paso Los Cerritos range from 1,650 to over 2,600 square feet. The street winds up the hill affording spectacular views of the valley from the Camden entrance. Most recent sales have ranged from $750,000 to over a million dollars. Many of the single, two-story and tri-level homes are on large lots with mature landscaping and most have been remodeled.

Paso Los Cerritos will soon have new neighbors moving in. The Angels will live in Tahoe City full time. The Horns will relocate near their sons, splitting time between Hermosa Beach and Phoenix, Ariz. But as Almaden loses some longtime residents, new people will move into their homes, enjoying the beauty of Paso Los Cerritos and the good neighbors that call it home.

—By Jeanne Carbone Lewis