When I was 13 years old, my parents moved from Santa Clara to Saratoga, where our newly built George Day home had been constructed against a pastoral backdrop of orchards plus one small horse ranch directly behind us. In winter, when many trees lost their leaves, we could see past Fruitvale Avenue and glimpse the towers of the old Odd Fellows Home. I always wondered what that was about and who those odd fellows were who seemed to retire there, in that stately old building away from the main drag. It was a mystery to me.
Today that same campus is home to the Saratoga Retirement Community, a continuing care facility. The International Order of Odd Fellows still owns this senior living site, but it’s managed by Pacific Retirement Services. Best of all, it is open to everyone, and you don’t need to be a member of the IOOF to live there. And, in fact, in the early 2000s my grandfather rented an apartment in the Assisted Living area for a few years – and loved it. That was before the Manor House was totally rehabbed and again the pinnacle of the community.
Because it’s tucked back, away from the street down a long private road, it would be easy to live in most parts of Saratoga and not be aware that this is here at all. But this place is a gem – so today I’ll share some photos of it with you, and hope you enjoy them.
What’s back there? Set in some very gently rolling hills off of Fruitvale Avenue and bordering West Valley College, this 37 acre site is a continuing care facility, offering independent living, assisted living, nursing care, and memory care.
The historic, 1912 Manor House is strikingly beautiful (and the renovation work done inside is, too).
The grounds are a wonderful place to walk, and also feature a bocce ball court and a putting green outdoors as well as a fitness center, pool and spa indoors for those looking to be active. (Many other amenities too, such as a library.)
Here’s a broader “pan” of the putting green area:
There are many lovely vistas outdoors, and plenty of charming architecture in and around the old manor also.
For more information, please contact Saratoga Retirement Community directly:
http://www.retirement.org/saratoga/contact-us/
Related reading:
Google satellite view of this campus
Saratoga Village: Downtown Saratoga, CA
Online trail maps in & near Saratoga, California
