December 25, 2003


Street Scene: Sterling Gate

Every family has its own special holiday home tradition that the members look forward to each year. For many, it’s that one special event that so beautifully captures not only the spirit of the season, but the spirit of those celebrating as well.

Now imagine if that tradition included not just one home, but nearly an entire neighborhood—and was just as anticipated and beloved as any family event.

What you would have is a pretty accurate picture of the annual luminaria display and caroling party in Almaden’s Sterling Gate community.

According to Dr. Meng Syn, whose family has lived on Sterling Gate since the homes were built in 1992, the luminaria tradition has been around just about as long as the neighborhood itself.

“We’ve been doing this since we first moved in,” said Syn. “One of our other neighbors is from the Southwest and had this tradition. They came here and thought that it would be neat to start the luminaries here.”

The luminaries themselves are white lunch-sized paper bags with a few inches of sand on the bottom and a small votive candle for lighting after dark. As simple as this sounds, once lit, it makes a softly glowing rectangle of light that is as charming as it is beautiful.

And while a few dozen luminaria can be enchanting, the sight of several hundred little bags lighting the street is truly inspirational.

While the neighborhood, which was developed approximately 12 years ago in 1992, has more than 30 families, only a couple of them have moved away—an anomaly that truly speaks to the satisfaction of the homeowners with their community.

“I grew up in the Almaden area,” said Syn. “And I knew that I wanted to come back because it’s a good place to raise kids. What appealed to us was the proximity of Williams Elementary and Quicksilver Park. As an adult, you think that it would be great to live in a house on a hill, with lots of privacy and space. But boy am I glad I decided to move into a neighborhood instead! When you’re a kid, having friends, good friends close by to play with is so important.”

In the Sterling Gate community, which is actually made up of a street and a couple of small courts, there is only one way in and out, making it feel like one big neighborhood family, a feeling that is emphasized each year when the luminaria are distributed.

“Every year [the luminaria] has gotten bigger,” said Syn. “Now it goes beyond our neighborhood, and there are even other neighborhood groups that want to start in their community and eventually join up with ours. Now that time has gone by, we are seeing the older kids, home from college, and they’re still participating right along with the next wave of kids.”

Following the luminaries placements, which begin at about 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, about 20 or so of the families gather to go door to door for caroling and end up at the home of Fred and Gaye Leonard for an after-event party.
“This is just incredible,” said Gaye Leonard. “I’m from England, and would often go back to London for the holidays, but now I wouldn’t miss this event for anything.”

The Leonards, who have hosted the after-party for a number of years, say that it’s the party that really comes to them, not them hosting a party. “It’s funny because everyone says how nice we are to host this [party], but we really only provide the house,” said Leonard. “All of the food is brought over—they bring the party to us!”

For Mary Johnson, a neighbor with two young daughters, the anticipation of this special event is almost a tangible thing that she has seen pass down through the ranks of Sterling Gate children. “I used to see the older kids, so anxious to start with the luminaria, they would come over asking ‘Is it time yet?’ hours in advance,” recalled Johnson. “Now, I watch my own kids, and they are just as excited, wanting to start up first thing. Everyone really looks forward to the whole day.”

Although the luminaria and caroling festivities of the holidays are the signature event in the Sterling Gate community, it is not the only time that the neighborhood interacts.

A perfect example is the Syn family and their neighbors. Instead of walking all the way around to the front door for a visit, the two families have a backyard gate that they regularly use. “We have a very tight neighborhood,” explained Syn. “The feeling of family values is wonderful. Many of our kids are close in age, and the families have been so helpful. I’ve learned things about parenting from other families, watching them as their children grew, and what they’ve shared with us. These are caring families.”

According to the Leonards, “It’s not like we enjoy each other’s company for one day a year and just ignore everyone the rest of the year,” said Gaye Leonard. “Everyone looks out for each other year round. It’s a wonderful, diverse neighborhood, with people from every continent, every culture. The spirit is incredible and I’ve never known anything like it anywhere I’ve lived.”

Homes in the Sterling Gate neighborhood range from 3,000 to 3,500 square feet and occupy 8,000 to 10,000 square-foot lots. The schools nearby are Williams Elementary, Bret Harte Middle School and Leland High School.

–By Candy Richter