August 19, 2004

STREET SCENECrimson Drive

Crimson Drive is a two-block street running from Red-mond Avenue to T. J. Martin Park on Oakglen Way. Frank and Jeannie Carbone are original owners and have seen families come and go.

“There are still about five of the initial owners here,” Frank said about the tract of homes built in 1973. “It’s pretty quiet except for maybe some of the kids playing basketball on the street.”

The couple has even kept pictures of the building of their home and brochures of the models. Leveling the ground for the foundation, the builder, T. J. Martin, bulldozed dozens of huge boulders that needed to be removed. The park wasn’t there, just the power lines. And where the Villas are was just a cow grazing mountain range.

“We’ve made a lot of changes,” Frank commented on his two-story home that he has lived in over three decades. “We landscaped the front and back yards with reflector pools and statues. We added on a bedroom and patio room, too. Now the house is about 3,000 square feet.”

The original home was approximately 2,114 square feet and the prices in T.J. Martin catalog reflect the 1970s values with a range of $39,500 to $44,950 for the different models. Apparently, owners are content on the serene street as the last sale date was August of 2003, selling for $739,888, boasting four bedrooms, two and half baths, with 2,008 square feet.

“I’ve lived here 10 years and am very happy here,” Ann, born in Los Gatos and known for her scrumptious chocolate bundt cake with her neighbors, said about living on Crimson Drive. “People are friendly and look out for each other. I remember driving out here when it was just orchards of fruit trees. It’s really changed through the years.”

“Rich in historic charm, the lush, green expanses of the beautiful Almaden Valley have made this area the place to live in Santa Clara County,” the T.J. Martin brochure from the 1970s declared. “…Almaden Valley is the ideal community in this area of rolling hills, tree covered knolls and grassy plains, all dramatically framed by the majestic Santa Cruz Mountains.”

The mountains are still there but Almaden has witnessed phenomenal growth during the ensuing years. And through the decades many changes have been made on the homes on Crimson Drive. One house has new columns replacing the original two by fours holding up the front entryway. A couple of owners have added statues.

Another house sports intricate wrought iron fencing. Landscaping is mature and manicured. There’s even a southwestern garden of drought-resistant plants.

“We are very happy here,” Pete Shaheen said about living on the idyllic street with his wife Julie. “We’ve lived here 29 years and everyone helps one another. We’ve done lots of improvements to the house and the landscaping. We even have a bird aviary in the backyard.”

“I bought the house from my parents in 1995,” Dave Schultheis said. “They were original owners. My father passed away in 1985 and some years later my mom said ‘do you want to buy the house?’ and I said ‘sure.’ Every once in a while when we’re out for lunch, we run into the Carbons across the street. On summer afternoons people still sit out in their front yards and discuss the day’s events.”

Crimson Drive. Where people are friendly, everyone takes care of their homes and being a good neighbor counts. It’s a good place to live in Almaden.

—By Jeanne C. Lewis