The Bellgrove neighborhood in Saratoga

The Bellgrove neighborhood in Saratoga, California, is an attractive, newer subdivision in a convenient location with Saratoga schools. It is highly sought after for all of those reasons.

Bellgrove neighborhood houses

Most homes and yards are very well tended, even pristine. Only a couple looked like they could use a little paint or get their front yards tidied up a little. This community is really quite beautiful.  Often when communities look this good it’s because of the HOA’s enforcement and the HOA dues. There’s no Homeowner’s Association (HOA) enforcing aesthetics, it’s just the pride of ownership at work.

What will you find at Bellgrove? Here are some key features in this luxury neighborhood.

Quick facts:

• There are 94 homes in this subdivision
• The homes were build by Greenbrier in 1996 (date per county records)
• All of the houses provide 5 bedrooms
• All of them have 3 full bathrooms
• All enjoy 3 car garages
• All are 2 stories – no single story homes available
• There are 3 floorplans, with the smallest offering 2900 SF and the largest 3139 SF
• Lots run from 5803 SF to 11,154 SF (the older house, not part of the tract, has just over 18,000 SF)
• The neighborhood includes a large greenbelt area, a playground, and a par course up against the freeway
• The Bellgrove neighborhood is within the boundaries of highly desired school districts: the Saratoga Union School District (K-8) and the Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District

Most homes do not have pools – just 11 of the 94 do.

Most homes are owner occupied – only 7 are rented out.

Bellgrove Park

The 1.7 acre park is city run and maintained. It includes a large greenbelt area, lots of trees, a par course, a playground, and picnic tables (first come, first served, per the City of Saratoga’s website).

And some of the greenbelt:

History and location of the Bellgrove neighborhood

The Bellgrove neighborhood is adjacent to Highway 85 on the south, Saratoga Avenue on the west, and McFarland Avenue on the north. Houses along McFarland on the east form the last border. The zip code is 95070.

Long before Highway 85 was constructed, and before houses were built there, this large parcel of land belonged to the famous winemaker, Paul Masson, and was the site of his popular Champagne Cellars. The architecture  was mid century modern, with a round, sweeping ramp to the 2nd floor and an oversized, iconic Champagne Fountain in front. You can read a little about it and see a few photos on this site.

Paul Masson shut down his operation there, sold the land, and it was developed by Greenbrier homes in the mid 90s. The Greenbrier houses are all said to have been built in 1996, but it’s possible that some of these were completed in 1997. One house at the intersection of Bellgrove and Saratoga was built around 1930, predating both the Greenbriar development and Paul Masson’s Champagne Cellar. I suspect it was a farmhouse when the larger parcel was vineyards or orchards or other farm space, but don’t know that for a fact.

That 1930 home is not part of the Greenbrier subdivision, Tract # 8700, as shown in the map above (the notch on the left side).

Considerations

What are some other things to know?

• These homes are close to both Highway 85 and Saratoga Avenue, and it’s known that there are health risks associated with living adjacent to busy roads.
  • The closest houses are about 250 feet from the freeway, and the furthest are about 1327 feet, which is 1/4 mile
• Just a little further, on the far side of Hwy 85, is the train track line and high voltage power lines. The power lines are far enough that most consumers would not consider the proximity to be an issue, but for some it may be.
• By car, there is only one way into or out of the neighborhood (Bellgrove Circle at Saratoga Avenue). Pedestrians, cyclists, and others can exit the neighborhood next to the fire gate where Afton meets Bellgrove Circle’s ending on the far east side. There’s a second footpath exit to McFarland from that same road on the north end.
• A traffic signal at the main entrance is helpful in getting out of the subdivision, especially during rush hour, but there may be backups due to no alternative road exits.
• The par course, playground, and a great deal of open space sits next to the freeway sound wall. We have seen that with other parks nearby, such as the Kevin Moran Park next to Pride’s Crossing, also in Saratoga. Depending on the weather, these spaces can be filled with what feels like “white noise”, or they can be unpleasantly loud.
• The streets are a little narrow, so parking is restricted to just one side of each street.

Bellgrove homes for sale or sold recently

What do homes cost in this part of Saratoga? In recent years these homes have all sold for more than $3 million. The highest one, to my knowledge, was a couple of years back for about $4.3 million. Depending on the size, location, and condition, homes could run anywhere between $3.5 and $4.5 million. Pending sales don’t always show up in the feed below. As of this writing, there’s a home pending on Bellgrove Circle that was listed just a little under $4 million and went into contract in under a week.

See all Bellgrove in Saratoga.
(all data current as of 9/24/2023)

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in this neighborhood or anywhere in Santa Clara County, and you appreciate detailed information so that you can make a well informed decision, please reach out to us! The best starting point is email: mary@popehandy.com. We look forward to hearing from you!