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.
Today we’ll share with you the Saratoga California neighborhood map! Saratoga is home to some stunning neighborhoods and subdivisions and is one of the most sought after areas in Silicon Valley.
Within this pretty city, have you ever wondered what neighborhood is where? Perhaps you’ve heard of Saratoga Oaks, The Golden Triangle, Parker Ranch, Prides Crossing or The Platinum Triangle and had no idea where they were. While there is some disagreement on select boundaries, the general areas can be identified fairly easily. The tricky thing is that some of the boundaries are “messy” and at times, that there’s more than a little overlap!
I have created and been updating Google map where I hand drew in most of the residential areas’ approximate borders in Saratoga. I hope that you find it helpful! Click on the map image to the right or use this link to see the live map on Google (you will be able to click on an area and see the neighborhood name, and in some cases, a little local information on it too).
Saratoga neighborhoods and subdivisions mapped and described include The Golden Triangle, Blue Hills, Prides Crossing, Fruitvale, Platinum Triangle, Bellgrove, The Vineyards, Saratoga Oaks, Austin Corners, Montewood, Parker Ranch, Les Chateaux de Notre Dame, Squirrel Hollow, Saratoga Village, Brookview, and several more.
Interested in the Saratoga real estate market statistics? See the most current data here:
The Prides Crossing neighborhood in the northern part of Saratoga has a lot to boast about: a sense of community, easy access to commuter routes and many amenities, and laid-back California luxury. We’ll go into more detail below, but here is a profile of the neighborhood in bullet points:
The average home is ~2,400 SqFt on ~12,500 SqFt lot, built between the early 1960s-70s
Homes are in the attendance area for either Saratoga or Cupertino schools
Expect to pay between $3 – $4M for most homes, possibly a little less for a small home near a busy street, and more for a larger, centrally located home
The neighborhood is home to 2 parks, a member-owned pool and racket club, and has easy access to commuter routes, shopping, entertainment, and places of worship
There are few hazards, but keep an eye out for Zinsco panels
Where is Prides Crossing?
Click to view full size – Prides Crossing map with markers
North of 85 near the Campbell and West San Jose borders, boundaries of the neighborhood include Prospect Rd to the north and Cox Ave to the south, with 85 and Saratoga Creek at the southern corners. To the west, Scully Ave and to the east Titus Ave border what makes up the majority of the neighborhood, although they are not exact boundaries (the map paints a better picture). Miller Ave is the main thoroughfare through the community with a brick and brass sign marking it’s entrance at it’s intersection with Cox Ave.
While not technically part of Prides Crossing, I did include a corner of the Summerplace subdivision (built 1973) in the neighborhood map as it might easily be mistaken as such. There are 46 homes in the Summerplace tract (5233), but 37 are only accessible through the Prides Crossing neighborhood, touching the south end of Kevin Moran Park, while the other 9 are on the opposite side of highway 85!
The Parker Ranch neighborhood is found in the low western foothills of Saratoga along the Cupertino border, making it a fantastic commute location for many high tech workers. With larger homes and lots, it’s easy to stretch out! The rolling hills make a pleasant vista, or, if you’re in a higher elevation provide beautiful valley views. The Parker Ranch subdivision boasts highly acclaimed Cupertino schools. There are many reasons why this is a much beloved area of Saratoga.
There are just shy of 80 houses and luxury homes in Parker Ranch, so it’s not a hugely populous area, but it is fairly large. Here are a few quick facts on this scenic subdivision:
Range of home size: 2,797-7,500 SF
Average SF: 4,517 SF
Range of lot size: 22,000-146,361 SF
Average Lot: 70,786 SF
Years Built: 1900-2013, lots of development in the 1980s
Side note for history buffs: this land was once owned by “Painless Parker“, the famous – or infamous – dentist. Click on the link to learn more!
What do homes cost in the Parker Ranch area?
Because there’s an incredible variety in home and lot size, as well as age and condition, it’s not easy to pinpoint the likely price of the neighborhood. However, as a very broad rule, most homes will currently sell north of $3.5 million. (more…)
The exquisite Saratoga Oaks neighborhood is nestled between downtown Saratoga and the beautiful coastal foothills, close to the famed Hakone Gardens. With both pools and tennis courts and a location just a block or so from tony Saratoga Village (click to see slide show), it is resort living in Silicon Valley at its finest. But this is not just a place for retirees who want to downsize, though they are also drawn here – families with kids also move to Saratoga Oaks to make use of the top rated schools.
Which public schools serve this neighborhood?
Saratoga Oaks is within the very highly regarded Saratoga Union School District. Although many other school districts in Santa Clara County assign children in homes to particular schools, Saratoga does not – it is an “open” school district. If there’s space and if the home is within the district, you may be able to chose which of the excellent Saratoga schools you wish for your student to attend. The nearest public school is Saratoga Elementary on Oak Street, but you may find enrollment instead at Foothill Elementary or Argonaut. The higher level schools are Redwood Middle School and Saratoga High School. California has transitioned to new school assessment, away from the old 2010 API scores, but you can check the new Saratoga Union School District “Report Cards” here. Additionally, there are two excellent private elementary schools nearby: Sacred Heart (Catholic) and St. Andrew’s (Episcopalian).
Where is Saratoga Oaks?
The Saratoga Oaks community is within the city of Saratoga, California, and is a part of Silicon Valley and what’s locally referred to as “the south bay” area. It can be reached either via Springer Avenue, off of 4th Street in Saratoga or from Springer off of Big Basin Way (aka Hwy 9 or Congress Springs Road). This townhouse complex is literally where the town meets the hills – so it is not at all uncommon to find deer in the open spaces! Click on the map image to go to the live, interactive Google map. (more…)
Saratoga Parkside is a tidy community of 77 townhome style units adjacent to El Quito Park. These homes are held in condo ownership and the private road, Sara Park Circle, is directly off of Saratoga Avenue. Homes in the back, shown below, are a little smaller and have garages behind them. Closer to Saratoga Avenue, the design is different, and properties feature a 2 car garage in front.
Here’s the greenbelt and building opposite these homes:
At the center of the complex is a good sized pool and spa. At the back end of the campus, there is a large greenbelt area between two of the buildings. Beyond that, accessed by a locked gate, is beautiful El Quito Park. It’s close to a number or shops and stores on nearby Cox Avenue. Overall, it’s a fantastic location. All homes have an address along Sara Park Circle.
Saratoga Parkside history
Saratoga Parkside was built in the 1980s by Jerry Lohr of J Lohr Winery fame. From MLS comments of sales 20+ years ago, it seems that this pretty community was begun as a senior housing tract, which converted to use for residents of all ages use sometime before 1998, at which point some Realtors added in their MLS notes “no age restrictions”.
The Saratoga Foothill Club, designed by Julia Morgan, is a Silicon Valley architectural landmark. It is located in a residential neighborhood near the Big Basin Rd and Sunnyvale-Saratoga Rd intersection, a block away from the downtown area. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a trip! Go for a couple of hours and enjoy lunch in downtown Saratoga Village, too.
Basic Info
Saratoga Foothill Club
20399 Park Place
Saratoga CA 95070
info@foothillclub.org (408)867-3428
Availability: Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 AM – 10:00 PM (per this writing)
I’ll post a very detailed history below. Generally, though, this club was part of a trend of women getting involved in their communities to both improve the places where they lived but also to improve their influence. This took place before women were permitted to vote and can be seen as part of the broader, growing civic influence of women.
The Building and Grounds
The architect: Julia Morgan
Today what may be more compelling than the movement behind the building is perhaps the building itself. Fittingly, it was designed by the most prominent female architect in California, Julia Morgan, an graduate of the University of California (Berkeley – it was the only UC at the time) and the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Art in Paris. She was a sorority sister with Grace Fisher Richards, one of the founding members and the then-current president of the Club. She was also the first licensed female architect in the state. (She is best known for her gorgeous work at Hearst Castle.) This certainly was not lost on the women who hired her! Nor on many other clients – “Of the 480 Morgan projects listed in Boutelle’s Julia Morgan Architect, 1995, from 1896 to 1946, more than one third were for women clients or for women’s organizations…. Even more impressive is the fact that Morgan also hired-women professionals. By 1927, six of her fourteen employees were women, a remarkable number for an established business.” (Per the register)***
The Saratoga Foothill Club was built out of redwood (outside and in, though the floors are hardwood) with a wood shake roof in the Craftsman or Arts and Crafts style in 1915. As with many of her designs, it is simple, understated, and made ample use of natural materials. Julia Morgan was inspired by the local Bay Area School of design. The bungalow feel fits in nicely with the neighborhood.
The structure itself is a one story building that’s 74′ wide across the front and 60′ deep, plus some pop-out areas around the sides. Inside there’s redwood paneling (redwood is a soft wood), hardwood floors in most of the area (carpeting in the entry). The kitchen has sheet vinyl and paster walls – more practical. In addition to the kitchen there’s a main room measuring 33’9” x 40’3 and a dining room with an open fireplace – the last two are joined by two sets of accordion doors. There’s a storage room and also a projection room. And of course there are restrooms. The building is set on a 7409 SF lot, nearly level, with a beautiful courtyard and pergola. (More info below image gallery.)
Historic landmark for the Saratoga Foothill Club.
Front doors to the Saratoga Foothill Club
This beautiful building and courtyard can be rented for events today.
Build largely out of redwood, the Saratoga Foothill Club is warm and inviting
Set near downtown Saratoga, this site fits in nicely with the residential neighborhood.
Historic Saratoga Foothill Club grounds, designed by Julia Morgan
If you are thinking of relocating to Silicon Valley, perhaps you are looking for a great part of Santa Clara County with exceptional schools, community involvement, a fabulous library, beautiful parks, unique shopping and dining. Saratoga offers all of that and much more. Today I took a few minutes to photograph the downtown area, which is known as “Saratoga Village” or just “the village” to locals.
This is just a small introduction to one part of town. I hope you will enjoy it. Find more Saratoga articles (including regular market updates) here on my blog!
Wildwood Park is downtown Saratoga’s quiet getaway spot. Situated on Fourth Street, just off Big Basin Way in Saratoga Village, it’s a stone’s throw to great dining and shops, but borders a pleasant residential neighborhood too. For people fortunate enough to buy or rent a home in the downtown area, the park is a wonderful plus.
What makes Wildwood Park in Saratoga so special? In addition to a nice play structure and an open, grassy area (which you might expect in any city or town park), Wildwood offers a sandy volleyball court, restrooms (many smaller parks don’t) and perhaps best of all, Saratoga Creek. Tall Eucalyptus and Sycamore trees grace this downtown retreat too, so there’s no shortage of shade on warm days.
As a teenager, I attended Saratoga High School (class of 1977) and visited the park with friends or to work on my photographic skills. This is a great location for shooting pictures. What could be cuter than a child or pet by the creek? [Sometimes my girlfriends and I used to watch old movies in the quonset hut theater, The Vitaphone (it was at Big Basin Way and Third) that was then a part of downtown Saratoga’s charm. I wish I had thought to take pictures of that theater when I was downtown – it’s long since gone. Happy downtown Saratoga memories.]
Recently I stopped in to try videotaping the park since I was in the neighborhood on the real estate broker’s tour and literally was on 4th Street already. About 2 weeks ago I got a Flip Video so am learning (critics be gentle!) and hope that these couple of clips give you a sense of the tranquility and beauty of the park if you have not had the pleasure to visit it in person yourself. If you live elsewhere in Silicon Valley, perhaps next time you dine in Saratoga, you can make a side trip to see the quaint little park nearby. It’s a worthwhile visit, especially if you have a camera in hand!
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos, CA 95030 408 204-7673 Mary@PopeHandy.com License# 01153805
Clair Handy, Realtor
GREEN
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 214 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd Los Gatos, CA 95030 ClairHandy@sereno.com License# 02153633
Mary & Clair sell homes throughout Silicon Valley: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County. with a special focus on: San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park.
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The exquisite Saratoga Oaks neighborhood is nestled between downtown Saratoga and the beautiful coastal foothills, close to the famed 
