May 13, 2004

STREET SCENEHampswood Way

Tucked away at the south end of Almaden Expressway, Hampswood Way features happy parents with children attending good schools, and a whole bunch of friendly neighbors.

The long street seems to have its own sunny and comforting disposition as the valley of Almaden looms below.
“The neighbors really make the living great on this street,” says Patti Rottjakob, who has lived on the street for six years. “We are also centrally located for the greatest public schools. We chose to live in Almaden because of the schools.” Rottjakob and her husband Steve have two daughters, one attending Bret Harte Middle School and one attending Graystone Elemen-tary.

Besides the excellent public schools, many of the neighbors have lived on the street for quite some time. Linda March has lived on Hampswood Way for 18 years, and Joyce Woodruff for 13.

“We have kind of a mix of families here,” says Woodruff. “It’s a great neighborhood. It has children of all ages and people from all different kinds of work environments,” she says.

All three women say there isn’t really anything to complain about. Maybe a speeding car every now and then, or a little school traffic, but nothing else, “The school traffic hasn’t been bad this year, there is only a little on occasion,” says Woodruff.

March and Woodruff enjoy the peaceful, almost country environment they encounter every day. “We are close to town, yet I have a touch of country in my own backyard. That is one of my favorite things,” says March.

Woodruff moved to the area from Willow Glen and has a son at Leland and a daughter at West Valley College. “It’s a little more country than Willow Glen. You go one stop light and you’re surrounded by horses and cows,” she says.

It almost seems like a neighborhood out of the 1950s with neighbors enjoying potluck dinners, exchanging Christmas cookies, an annual New Years Day party, the annual Halloween celebration. “No one can ever have enough candy,” says Rattjakob. The children can play football and ride their bikes in the street. “There isn’t a lot of worrying around here. We’re tucked far enough away from Almaden Expressway to avoid the traffic or the noise, but it’s very easily accessible as well,” says Rattjakob.

Neighbors watch pets and driveways when their owners are out of town. “We make sure we count how many cars are in the driveway,” says Rattjakob with a laugh, referring to the teenagers in the neighborhood.

March is especially impressed with the life her daughter has been able to enjoy. “My daughter attends Leland now. She has had a very happy and delightful career going to the public schools,” she says.

The large houses on this street sell for about $1.3 million. “Since we’ve lived here, the street has really taken on a personality. When we first moved here, there were barely any trees. It’s really grown up a lot,” says Woodruff.

—By Miranda Schultz