The Elder House is wooden everything...lol...

Sadly, alot of the groves are gone...root rot disease, cost of water, land is more valubale for houses, and fires....

Unfortunately, California is losing so much of the great agricultural land that can never be regained.

this makes me sad to hear of that!

Well, it certainly makes me sad. There is not any part of California that I don't have nostalgia for. The tiny town where my Dad lived is now just one huge mess of traffic. I see almond, peach, apricot orchards gone and these odd housing developments plunked down in the middle of them.

Sherry, I dove by the house I grew up and was shocked! It was a beautiful ranch house, sprawling with redwood and brick and trees. The new owners stuccoed the entire thing and took out plantings.

I am glad I remembered the wood of granny's. I am not craving avocados though.

that is so sad

It is just amazing...one of our favorite houses a couple of miles from here. Wonderful sprawling shingled house, big sycamores...they stuccoed it peach, put in cheap vinyl windows and hacked the sycamores. I'm sure it now meets the bank requirements for a loan or something. Another charming little house on a busy street...small, pinkish-tan color with a wine colored front door, front yard was Pride of Madeiras and the Mexican Bird of Paradise shrubs. Somebody bought it, painted the trim and door white, tore out the shrubs leaving all bare dirt and put up and chain link fence and made it a rental....sigh...

This discussion is making me change my perception of our pesky, and picky 'Design & Review Committee' here. because we are in the 'scenic corridor' ANYTHING we do to our property here (including my new garden) has to have a county permit, then go to our design review committee for approval. They approve house colors, decks, gardens, fencing (most fencing is denied!) etc. If they dont like your mailbox, you get a letter from them

But since you all are describing how much Fallbrook has changed...well I think my perceptions have changed a bit

Boo, this is what Granny's / The Elder House looks like today. It was always blue before and has lost the charm, but that's probably because I like things that lean a tad toward 'shabby'. Also saddens me that they took out a couple of large trees...

I do like very much the fountain that's been put in out in front by the sidewalk...



Since you do murals, you may like this one. It's right across the street from the old Elder House and done by Brett Stokes,one of our local artists. It's one of my favorites....

Sherry, This is how I remember it and I wish I had described it to you...well, the steps going up and the charm is still showing but I know what you mean. I lean towards shabby also..

Thank you so much for taking the photos....your are so generous with your time to do that for me.

I like that fountain too! And the mural is so much fun...so bright! Love it!!!!

I'm so glad I spoke up about Fallbrook.

I was born in Palo Alto CA and spent 47 yrs in CA ... mostly the S.F. Peninsula. I'm old enough to remember a drive from Palo Alto to San Jose and seeing only farm houses and apricots. There was one or two roads. El Camino Real being The One. When you think about it... Silicon Valley was almost a mistake. Granted Stanford/research/brains/$$$ and the Perfect Place To Live enticed people from all over the world to go there (I used to work in V.C.) but look what happened. I lived at Alameda de las Pulgas and Sand Hill Rd for years. Worked in San Jose for a spell. 13 miles. I took me 1 1/2 hrs to get to work during commute. So much for paradise.

RE the historical or architectural committees in our towns engaged to monitor renovations and just about anything else. What qualifies these people to do this job? What happens when there is a "turnover" like someone on a committee dies.. . how do they vet the replacement? They are much like HOAs. Unless they have a strict policy based on timeless research for style and materials etc. they are worthless.

Susie, My husband also grew up in Palo Alto, I wonder if you would have known each other... I had to laugh at your comment about the 1 1/2 hr 13 mile commute. I commuted 22 miles from fremont to campbell for 10 yrs and it took me 1 1/2 hrs on a good day, most days were longer than that The last week I commuted, they FINALLY added 2 more lanes to 880. Figures they would open those lanes once I no longer needed them

Our Design committee is separate from our HOA who also has rules. The design committee here only pertains to those of us who just so happen to be lucky enough to be in the 'scenic corridor' *smirk* It was started because they didnt want any purple or neon green houses on the scenic route, but once all the bylines were approved it came down to size and color of decks, size and architectural designs of homes, and a few years ago I guess someone fenced in a portion of their yard (forest) which caused new regulations and rules on fencing. We wanted to add a fenced dog run near our house but it doesnt look like even those get approval

My last job down there was in Fremont, I lived in Santa Clara. That 880 commute almost killed me, I worked farther east than the Toyota plant that had the day shift end at 3:30, so we were behind them. I did a deal that my group worked through the last break to leave at 3:15. There was nothing that could delay us on the way out the door. On the weekends it was a 20 minute trip, sometimes it would take over 2 hours if there was an accident. And when it was clear in the mornings, I do remember going 85 and not even being in the fast lane. If I had been living in Campbell I don't think I could have done it. Sometimes when we go somewhere Lanny is in a panic about not being in heavy rush hour traffic. I have never really seen "heavy" traffic here in Oregon. Down there you learn what gridlock means.

Everyone here is complaining because they are redoing the roads. Sometimes the delay is 20 minutes. I sit in my car on the 2 lane highway and look at the ocean, watching the waves hit the rocks and listening to the surf and I am one of the few who does not complain. There is a seagull that is trained now, lots of us take bread and snacks for him and he flies by the windows checking for his feeder friends.
I still think I live in paradise.

I learned to ride a motorcycle while commuting 880, just so that I could split lanes and get to work a little faster I too got stuck behind Nummi's traffic, it was horrid!
i dont miss the traffic at all Up here, we only get traffic on the weekends in the summer months...thats when all the flat-landers come up for their mini vacations. Friday Evening and Sunday Evening, we just stay home

Small world! I lived in Palo Alto from 1959 to 2004!

Commuting stories in the Bay Area are always fun. I had a friend who lived in Grass Valley and commuted to Palo Alto nearly daily. Books on Tape and all that! My favorite commute was Menlo Park to BART into the Financial S.F.

I was born at Stanford Pavilion- the old hospital.... 1947 Lived in P.A. Menlo Park, Los Altos and again in Menlo Park until 1993 >Phoenix. A few years in Encino CA, too.

I went to private school most of the time so didn't get to know a whole lot of kids. Woodside and Menlo Atherton mostly. CSM for college.

My hubby lived in Palo Alto from '57 until '83 his father was a policeman there until about '90

Okay, Aguane, let me guess what school: Castillega or Sacred Heart? I work in Menlo Park... Wow, Grass Valley to PA is a crazy commute! I was born in SF, but moved to PA, when I was in first grade. They're going to renovate the Stanford Pavilion & put it back into use as private dr.'s offices.

Anjl, where did DH go to school?

Liz

Yep, you guessed it Lizzipa! Went to Casti. So did my mom (but later transferred to Paly) and grandfather (when it was a day school for B's and G's). I lived on Santa Cruz Ave. near Hillview School. Sold my mom's house last year... you know what that's like. I lived in Los Altos near L. A. CC. for about 5 yrs. You live in Emerald Hills area... very nice. I like to weather (fog) you can get up there. Where do you work in Menlo Park?

I did know one Palo Alto police officer but I can't remember his name. He lived hear Matt Hazeltine (player, John Brody 49er's days). A gal I went to Casti with became a P.A.P.D. rape victim's advocate (a first, I believe) around 1970's early. Annmarie, did your husband go to Paly? My German teacher at CSM taught there long ago.

I love the area, the weather, the people etc... but it sure has grown... and FORGET buying a house! I used to work in Venture Capital on Sandhill Rd. All of my partners at the firm live in $20 million houses (estates, really) The wealth is unbelievable. It's my home and I miss it.

Liz he was at Cubberly class of '75
Susie, whats Paly?

Sorry, Palo Alto High School.
I was class of 1965 at Castilleja.