This beautiful 4 bedroom 2/1 bath home on De Soto drive in Palo Alto CA was remodeled by a Japanese Architect who honored the original home but improved on it with gorgeous designer touches. If I were remodeling an Eichler home, I would hire this architect. There is so little inventory in the Palo Alto Real Estate market that anything that is nicely updated and does not have any location defects flies off the market. This Palo Alto CA Eichler home sold in 10 days. I would use this video as a means of getting ideas for how to successfully update a Palo Alto Eichler home or a Mountain View Eichler home.
Archive for the ‘Eichler Homes’ Category
Sep
9
Eichler Homes in Palo Alto: Ideal for Today’s Buyer
REFLECTIONS ON AN EICHLER UPBRINGING: WHAT MAKES EICHLERS IDEAL FOR TODAY”S SMART BUYER
“I remember waking up in the Eichler after we moved. I remember waking up in a white bedroom and walking out into light,” says Nick Fodor. Now 25, Nick grew up in Palo Alto near the border between the Meadow Park and Adobe Meadow neighborhoods. He was four when his parents moved in. When asked about his childhood home, it is clear from the way his eyes light up that his family’s Eichler is still a cherished memory.
Eichler Brochure showing the Eichler lifestyle for young Palo Alto family
The home, off of Ross Road, backs up to Adobe Creek and is an earlier model than the E-21 at 728 Gailen Ave. Fodor’s house did not have an atrium, instead opening into a large room with a fireplace, but much of what he recalls of the home are Eichler characteristics that make the models ideal for young buyers and families.
Perhaps the most memorable feature of the home, Fodor says, were the huge windows in the kitchen and great room. The east-facing windows filled the kitchen with golden dmorning light and warmth. “It really woke you up before school,” Fodor laughs. These large windows, also seen at 728 Gailen Ave., are an Eichler trademark, blending indoor and outdoor living.
The oldest of three boys, Fodor recalls the Eichler as being a great place to play, a quality undoubtedly bolstered by the home’s multi-functional rooms. A bedroom became a playroom for Fodor and his brother, and ultimately a nursery when the youngest joined the family. Similarly, a divided great room became two separate rooms for “quiet time,” and also functioned as large play space, as the boys could chase each other around the division.
Beyond functional adaptability, Eichlers enjoy physical adaptability as well. “The owners before us had added a room, we added a deck and a tree house, and the owners after us made further modifications,” Fodor says of his home. “The house has changed significantly to fit the needs of the people who move in.”
Large lots, such as those in Meadow Park, allow owners to adjust their homes as needed, and make the neighborhood feel spacious and relaxed. In combination with the attention to layout, Eichler developments strike a unique balance of privacy and community.
Cul-de-sacs punctuate Meadow Park, creating pockets of homes. Neighbors in cul-de-sacs feel connected, Fodor says. Sleek exteriors marked by landscaping with hedges allow the Eichlers near Fodor’s home to preserve privacy as well. This balance appeals to those who want to know their neighbors and be part of a community, but also feel secure in a private space. Fodor remembers playing with children in the neighborhood, racing his brother on bikes up and down the street and playing hockey in the cul-de-sac. “There was absolutely no traffic,” he says. “We had the street all to ourselves.”
This “just for us” feel is reinforced by nearby parks and schools. “My mom didn’t want us crossing busy streets, and there were a few parks in range where we didn’t have to,” Nick says. “We went to Don Ramos Jesus Park and Palo Verde all the time.”
Still, Fodor thinks about returning to an Eichler in the future. “Looking back it seems like it would be good for kids, especially if you’re starting a family.” Nick remembers feeling at home the first morning he woke up in his new bedroom. Because of their mid-century charm, Eichlers still feel lived in and loved; they are welcoming and effortlessly warm.
This series of posts is intended to highlight the many characteristics that make Eichlers ideal homes for today’s buyer. The Meadow Park neighborhood combines the best of Palo Alto, with tranquil streets, proximity to acclaimed Palo Alto schools, and the timeless style of one of the Bay Area’s most influential designers.
Sep
9
The Eichler Subdivision: Designed for Neighborhood Connection, Recreation and Community Enjoyment
THE EICHLER SUBDIVISION: DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY ENJOYMENT
It is easy to lose yourself in Meadow Park. It is easy to be absorbed by its tranquility and atmosphere of absolute safety and walk the neighborhood streets with the sense that this place could be home.
Neighborhoods like Meadow Park are Palo Alto gems because they preserve the connectedness of a visually unified neighborhood, a feature of tract housing, but also have a personality and spirit that comes only from families growing and shaping the community over time.
Although the streets are often quiet, Meadow Park is a close-knit community. “We found everybody very friendly from the beginning,” says one Grove Ave. resident. “It felt warm, welcoming.” She moved from Cupertino six years ago with her husband and three kids, aged 5, 7 and ten.
Young families view Meadow Park favorably in part because of its proximity to Palo Alto schools (see previous post). Indeed, the schools have always been an attraction, according to Eichler Homes’ original brochure.
Many residents are original owners of their homes, having settled in the development in the late 1950s and 1960s. “The neighborhood is more diverse now than it used to be,” says Faith Hastings, secretary of the Meadow Park Neighborhood Association, of the influx of younger residents. “We’re getting a better mix of people now.” As a resident of 45 years, Hastings has certainly seen the neighborhood change.
The Meadow Park Neighborhood Association organically unites the community, tackling issues that affect all residents, such as the impact of nearby developments. Meadow Park residents look out for each other and are invested in keeping the community safe; the Neighborhood Association is currently recruiting residents to participate in City-sponsored preparedness trainings.
Meadow Park’s small size allows the Neighborhood Association to organize inclusive events. The annual 4th of July barbeque is perhaps the most notable effort. “We got about 50 people to come last time,” Hastings says. The Neighborhood Association is naturally resident-driven, and its successes bring to light another feature of Eichler developments: the importance of community.
Developer Joe Eichler wanted his developments to feel cohesive; something he achieved in part through the unifying design elements of his homes. The idea of community was important, and the designer made efforts to encourage connections among residents.
One method through which Eichler achieved community interaction was incorporating parks and green spaces into his developments. Although neighborhood lines have changed over time, Meadow Park continues to enjoy easy access to a number of recreation areas (see previous post).
A short distance across the creek and down Adobe Meadow’s winding streets is Don Jesus Ramos Park, a 4.4-acre area with basketball hoops, picnic tables and playgrounds, encircled by a paved path. The park was originally the playground for Ortega school, now Ortega Court, and first known as Meadow Park when converted to reflect its position on the housing tract. Ramos, as residents affectionately call it, was built in 1958, the same year as the Meadow Park subdivision.
Eichler Swim and Tennis Club on Louis Road is also nearby. The club, also built in 1958, was designed by Eichler and specifically intended for use by residents of the surrounding area. Today the club continues to fulfill its original designation, drawing adults for afternoon tennis matches and children for competitive swim teams.
Beyond recreational areas, Eichler development layouts are another means of encouraging community interaction. 728 Gailen Ave., an excellent example of a preserved and tastefully updated home, sits on one of four cul-de-sacs clustered in Meadow Park. The significance of this layout will be addressed in the next and final post,; one Palo Alto resident’s reflections on growing up in an Eichler.
