The Strathmore Neighborhood of Los Gatos

The scenic Strathmore neighborhood of Los Gatos lies close to the foothills, including both Blossom Hill and the coastal range rising behind it.  Homes here in east Los Gatos enjoy that very beautiful backdrop and access to the park and trails, but many other benefits too.

Enduring qualities that make this area highly favored include:

• scenic area with close proximity to the foothills plus tree lined streets
• community pool & nearby park
• strong public schools
• good location for commuting, shopping, and easy access to downtown Los Gatos

It’s a pedestrian friendly area with sidewalks and tree lined streets, so it is not uncommon to see people out enjoying a stroll, a jog, a bike ride or otherwise taking in the peaceful region.

Additionally, Strathmore residents share a community pool (or cabana) with a neighborhood swim team. As of 2022, dues for the HOA are approximately $400 per year.

One of the biggest draws of all is that on top of these features, kids in Strathmore get to attend highly rated public schools too. The profile on this neighborhood is overwhelmingly positive!

Where is the Strathmore neighborhood?

As you can see in the map below, the borders of the area are anything but a simple square or rectangle.  Homes in  immediately adjacent streets, such as Panorama or parts of Cambrian View Way that do not belong to the HOA will still identify themselves as being in the Strathmore area since it’s a geographic target. If the community pool is important to you, make sure to double check that status.

Located in east Los Gatos, Strathmore is just off of both Blossom Hill Road and Union Avenue. The main road through the neighborhood is Anne Way. The Strathmore area appears to coincide with Tract 2869, and that is what I used for the boundaries in the map, above.

It’s a quick trip, less than a mile, to the on ramps at Highway 85 (and less than that to the nearest grocery store, Safeway on Union Avenue). It’s about 2.5 miles to Vasona Lake County Park and just a little further to downtown Los Gatos. So this is a wonderfully convenient location.

In those nearby hills, Belgatos Park and the Hines Open Space Preserve offer trails just a few blocks away.

Highly Regarded Public Schools

The Union School District has the Strathmore area children assigned to the following public schools (link to the school’s map for this area) – please verify with the Union School District in case the boundaries have changed or the schools are impacted):

• Alta Vista Elementary School
• Union Middle School
• Leigh High School

What are the homes or houses like in the Strathmore area?

There are 111 houses in Strathmore, primarily single story ranch style homes but there are some two story homes as well. They were built between 1962 and 1965., are on 8000 square foot lots (some a little bigger) and the living area runs between 1500 and 2500 square feet in most cases.

Many of the single story homes have a step down living room in front and the kitchen and family areas facing the back yard. All were built with a master suite – that is, the master bedroom has a private bath. Virtually all which were built in the 60s or 70s are what some would call a 3/4 bath, meaning there’s a shower but not a tub in the master bathroom.

Most, if not all, have (at least) a two car, attached garage.

While not young homes, most of these properties include hardwood floors and good layouts or floor plans.

Some of the two level houses enjoy really lovely views from upstairs, also.

I should mention that this is a very tidy area where home owners keep up their houses and yards. (In the trade we call it “pride of ownership” and it’s fabulous when you can find it throughout a neighborhood!)

The area does include sidewalks, curbs, and gutters (not all of Los Gatos has these). The street shown below is seen from Anne Way within Strathmore, but shown is Panorama Way, which is not part of this community as far as I know (it has a different tract number).

Are there any special concerns, issues or problems in the Strathmore neighborhood?

High Voltage Lines

Running behind Anne Way are high voltage power lines and, of course, the occasional tower. The proximity can and does impact resale value, particularly to the homes closest to the lines (and even more so if they’re close to the towers).

I have met clients who don’t really care and others who don’t want to be anywhere they can even see high voltage lines and everything in between. Most home buyers want to be far enough such that if the towers fell, the lines would not touch their land. As I understand it, this amount of distance is required by FHA backed financing also (and probably for the same reason).

In terms of the impact on home values, it depends on market conditions generally. When inventory is low and demand is strong, having the high voltage power lines nearby will be a smaller economic impact than if it is a deep buyer’s market and there’s tons of inventory with little demand.

Damage to homes from hillside water runoff

The other concern in the area is damage which can be caused, especially to foundations and other concrete, from water running off the nearby hills and not being diverted away from the structure. This is not a Strathmore issue but one for all the communities close to the foothills in Almaden, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Altos etc. – if you are on a hill or near to one, water is very likely an issue that you need to address to keep your home from harm.

A newer concern, or more newly on everyone’s radar, is the fire risk that comes from being close to the hills. This area is NOT in the Cal Fire Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, but it’s close. Insurance companies use their own maps, not the Cal Fire maps, so insurance costs could be higher here depending on your insurer.

If you click on the fire map to the right you’ll go to the CalFire site.

Everywhere in Los Gatos, and especially close to the hills, it’s a good idea to do some preventative work make make our homes more fire hardened.

Here are a couple of related articles on this blog that you will find helpful if interested in any of these beautiful hillside zones:

What To Consider When Buying a Hillside Home in Silicon Valley

Cracked Foundations, Adobe Clay Soils and Water in Silicon Valley

What do homes cost in the Strathmore neighborhood of Los Gatos?

The best way to understand home values is to view and study the inventory. Please see that info below.

Strathmore homes for sale and sold in the last year

If there are any homes for sale in the Strathmore neighborhood of Los Gatos, they will show up here together with sold properties from the last year.

See all Strathmore neighborhood Los Gatos, California Real Estate.
(all data current as of 9/30/2023)

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

Want more Strathmore info?

Please reach out to me if you are interested in buying or selling a home in or near Strathmore!