Monte Sereno

West Los Gatos offers a walkable village lifestyle with highly rated schools and hiking trails through the Santa Cruz Mountains. “It has so much character and maintains a very small-town feel,” says Ducky Grabill, a Realtor with Christie’s International Sereno who’s lived here for over 40 years. “It's got an extremely wonderful sense of community. There are always town fundraisers and events like the Wine Walk and Music in the Park.” The mix of community and nature has made West Los Gatos (pronounced loss GAT-ohs) a popular place for Silicon Valley’s tech executives to settle down. Netflix is headquartered in the neighborhood’s north, and Highways 17 and 85 provide convenient access to the rest of the Bay Area. “It’s a charming little European-like village tucked up against the foothills,” says Kim Richman, a Realtor with Compass who’s lived in the area for 30 years. “Rich people from San Francisco used to come down to vacation and get out of the fog. That’s when downtown was built with all these little cottages. Now it’s very high-end.” Along Santa Cruz Avenue in West Los Gatos’ “Old Town,” local shops like She She Boutique sit next to national brands like Anthropologie. The area is packed with restaurants, including the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company, a local institution since 1982. This cozy coffee shop’s location near the St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve trailheads makes it a popular spot for cyclists and runners to refuel. “You see everybody there in their spandex and running shoes,” Grabill says. Residents can spend their evenings enjoying a taste of New Orleans at The Bywater, a casual Big Easy-inspired bar that earns the Bib Gourmand rating from the Michelin Guide. The upscale Forbes Mill Steakhouse serves high-quality steaks and seafood; their wine list won Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence in 2023. Residents can shop for fresh veggies each Sunday at the Los Gatos Farmers Market downtown; grocery options include Safeway and Lunardi’s. Each December, the annual Los Gatos Children’s Christmas Holidays Parade draws thousands of people downtown to watch holiday-themed floats, marching bands and Santa Claus amble down Santa Cruz Avenue. Downtown is also home to smaller year-round events, including the free summer concert series Jazz on the Plazz and Wine Walks in spring and fall. Near downtown, early 20th-century Craftsman and Queen Anne bungalows sit on tree-lined streets lined with picket fences, colorful gardens and manicured lawns. “The building department is very sensitive to maintaining the exterior period of the original architecture,” Grabill says. “You can’t just do whatever you want.” In May 2024, the median home price was $2.9 million. A two-bedroom Craftsman bungalow downtown can start at $1.7 million, while a five-bedroom Craftsman can cost $5 million. Further west, early 20th-century Spanish Colonials and 21st-century Craftsman-inspired homes are set further back from the hilly streets, which trade sidewalks and picket fences for driveways and privacy hedges. Prices range from $1.6 million for a three-bedroom to $7.6 million for a five-bedroom. Townhouses are available in the neighborhood’s north; a two-bed can start at $1.2 million, while a three-bed can cost $2.8 million. The overall CAP Index Crime Score is 3 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4; violent crime receives a score of 1 out of 10. According to both Grabill and Richman, the schools are one of West Los Gatos’ biggest draws. Local kids can start at Daves Avenue Elementary and then attend Raymond J. Fisher Middle; both earn an A from Niche. At the A-plus-rated Los Gatos High, students can get involved in over 100 clubs and nearly 30 sports. The Los Gatos Wildcats football team is a highlight, winning championships as recently as 2023. “It was magic,” Richman says of the team’s 2023 season. “The whole town rallied behind the school.” The 152-acre Vasona Lake County Park, just north of downtown, is a community gathering space where residents can paddleboat in the lake and stroll along 2 miles of trails. To the south, hikers and mountain bikers can have their pick of trails in the 1,614-acre El Sereno Open Space Preserve and the 270-acre St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve. The private La Rinconada Country Club’s par-70 golf course and swimming pool provide alternative ways to get outside. The CineLux Los Gatos Theatre downtown shows the latest blockbusters in a restored Art Deco movie theater. Nearby houses of worship include St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Highway 85 passes through West Los Gatos’ north, and Highway 17 in the east connects to the beaches of Santa Cruz, 21 miles south. According to Richman, summer beach traffic on Highway 17 can cause congestion throughout the neighborhood. “Waze sends people through the residential streets downtown to try to avoid the traffic on 17,” she says. “Every little street can get completely jammed on a three-day weekend.” Residents can get around the neighborhood on the Valley Transportation Authority bus. Bike-friendly residential streets and sidewalks make the area convenient for cyclists and pedestrians. The Good Samaritan Hospital is 3 miles away, and the San José Mineta International Airport is a 12-mile trip. Homes south of Saratoga-Los Gatos Road are in the wildland-urban interface, an area of increased fire risk. Residents here are advised to have an emergency plan in case of a wildfire, and they may experience smoke and ash during fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south.