May 27, 2004

STREET SCENEVia De Los Reyes

Most people on Via De Los Reyes feel that although the neighbors on this street aren’t that close, it is still a very friendly place. More than anything, it’s a cozy and quiet place to call home.

Jennifer Coelho has lived on Via De Los Reyes for five years and says she moved here for the seclusion and the feeling of being nestled against the hills of Almaden.

“We’re so close to the hills and we have some great walking opportunities. It’s great to walk with a stroller or a friend,” says Coelho, who has a 1-year-old. “That’s really one of the things that drew us to this area.”

Rebecca LaRussa has lived on the street for 10 years. She and her husband Leonard moved to the Almaden Valley from Morgan Hill because of the schools in the area. “I had four kids go through Los Ala-mitos. My young-est is going to Castillero, and it’s the best, and I have one that is playing football at Pioneer. The parent involvement here is absolutely amazing; it’s what makes the schools so great,” says LaRussa.

Coelho also points out that the street has a great mail carrier. “His name is Armando and he’s amazing. He’s the nicest, most caring person. He goes about his route and he’ll stop to talk to everybody. He knows about our families. He’s just the nicest guy and we all think so,” she says.

Coelho enjoys the fact that the houses on Via De Los Reyes aren’t all the same. They sell from $800,000 to about $900,000. She emphasized that she enjoys seeing the beautiful hills behind her house every day. “It’s nice to be able to look out and see green hills, it’s a really happy place to be,” she says.

Kathy Stagnaro is a first grade teacher at Los Alamitos and has lived on the street for 32 years. “When we first moved here, it had all of the original owners for about 25 years. Now, even though we have had a pretty quick turnover rate, there’s a great mix of ages on the street,” she says.

All three women say if they ever needed anything, they feel they could go to a neighbor and ask. There is trust and respect within the neighborhood, they say.

“We aren’t attached at the hip,” says Coelho. “But we all know each other, we wave when we drive past, and it’s comforting without being intrusive.”

LaRussa says, “I would tell anyone that they would be very happy on this street.”

She pointed out that they probably have the best July 4th party around. “My across-the-street neighbor has the most amazing fireworks show. We also have a cop that lives on this street so he validates everything for us. We kind of hang out all day, then when it’s dark is when the fireworks begin. They probably last for a couple of hours. The kids sit there speechless.”

Coelho enjoys the serenity, LaRussa loves the schools and Stagnaro loves the freshness that is brought in by new families with young children. In a unanimous decision, all three women say, “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

—By Miranda Schultz