July 22, 2004

STREET SCENEDe Palma Drive

De Palma Drive is an attractive street, nestled in the Almaden hills, where the neighbors live in a friendly environment. The average price for a house on the street is $800,000, a small price to pay for the community of caring and generous people who have made their home here, its residents say.

Sally Duke, Kristin Ballard and Julie Moore are fairly new to the street; Duke has been there the longest, four years. The three each have two children close in age. The moms met at Guadalupe Elementary where their children went to school. Moore, the newest addition to the street, says that Guadalupe is really the reason she and her husband moved there from the Cambrian area a year ago.

“We moved to this neighborhood for the schools. It has wonderful community support, parents and grandparents come and help out. It is a much more supportive neighborhood from where we were,” she says. “It’s a great family environment.”

Moore says that when her family of four moved to De Palma Drive, the neighbors made her feel welcomed immediately. “The neighbors, even the original owners, welcome newcomers with open arms. I’ve only lived there a year but I feel like I’ve lived there for 10,” she says. “It’s a very social street.”

Moore says she likes the small size of the street, with about 14 houses. “We’re the smallest street in the Montevideo neighborhood, and I think it’s great that way. I know about 80 percent of the people who live on this street.”

The residents of De Palma Drive have annual progressive dinners at Christmas and a Fourth of July parade, and the entire neighborhood participates and each street builds a float in which to display in the parade. “We haven’t made a float yet,” says Moore. “But next year will be our first.”

Putting the friendliness aside, the neighbors on De Palma also watch out for each other. Ballard explains a time where she felt her neighbors really cared.

“We don’t have many problems on this street. One time, a man was knocking on doors asking if he could wash some of our neighbors’ windows and he didn’t even have a ladder in his truck. My neighbors made sure to call me and tell me not to answer the door. I wasn’t home, but I still appreciate things like that,” she says.

Ballard says that the mix of young and old is another thing she enjoys about living on the street. There are little kids, medium kids, big kids, young parents, middle age parents and senior citizens who basically adopt the younger children as their grandkids. There are even a few babysitters in the mix. They also have the Montevideo Cabana Club, which is definitely a plus on these hot summer days.

Duke, Moore and Ballard are currently training on a team of five for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk that takes place in San Francisco. Ballard and Duke often walk together in the mornings. “Kristin will see newspapers lying on the driveway and she’ll pick them up and toss them by the front door,” says Duke. “We’ve gotten so lucky by moving here.”

Duke, who has a teenage son, says, “I just call down the street and ask someone if they’ve seen my son. Everyone sticks together and watches out for one another’s kids.” Duke and her husband Dave moved to the street after they were married. She came from San Jose and her husband from Sunnyvale about five years ago.

Duke says that her only complaint has been the pocket bikes, which are about 22 inches tall and, “louder than a Harley without a muffler.” Fortunately, the bikes have quieted down. “Those bikes were probably my only complaint ever.”

When moving to De Palma Drive, one can expect a few things: A community of friendly people to welcome them; schools like Guadalupe Elementary, Dartmouth Middle School and either Leigh or Branham High Schools; and an occasional pocket bike driving by.

—By Miranda Schultz