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On a typical Wednesday night in the Springer Meadows neighborhood, children may be playing basketball with their neighbors in the backyard. Weekend afternoons can be peaceful with residents trimming shrubs and people chatting in their driveways.
These are just a few of the things residents of the Mountain View neighborhood like about the place they call home. The community is a subset of the Blossom Valley area, located between Marilyn Drive, Barbara Avenue, Marilyn Place and Fordham Way.
Heather Quick has lived in Springer Meadows for six years and she couldn’t be happier.
When she and her husband, Andrew Davidson, were looking for a home, they targeted areas with nice housing and good school districts. As luck would have it, they found Meadow Lane, a cozy, curved street with trees, well-kept lawns and ranch-style homes. Just around the corner is Marilyn Drive, a street including several cul de sacs and multi-story homes.
“It’s a great pocket of Mountain View,” she said. “It’s very quiet. We really like that.”
What the mother of three enjoys the most about Springer Meadows is the connection to her neighbors. Just recently, one of her neighbors alerted her via text: “big skunk just went over the fence.” The neighbor wanted to warn her and her family not to let their pets out.
“It’s kind of nice people are looking out for one another,” she said. “We’re really fortunate to have that in our neighborhood.”
“It really has a nice community feel. Our neighbors are friendly,” she said.
Some families have lived there for many years; others are new and have small children, Quick said.
While everyone has busy lives, neighbors still find time to come together. Every September, the neighborhood association hosts a block party. They close off the street, refreshments are provided and children enjoy games and activities, including relay races.
If you ask Quick’s children what they like most about their neighborhood, the decision is unanimous: the block party. It’s their second-favorite day of the year behind Christmas, Quick said with a smile.
In addition to the block party, other neighborhood events include a Halloween parade and an Easter egg hunt.
The only thing she would change is the expensive housing market that limits who can become her neighbor. The price is a huge barrier for families, she said. Another downside is the speed of traffic on Meadow. Drivers on Springer Road often cut through Meadow to get to Miramonte Avenue.
“Sometimes cars are coming through a little too fast when children are out,” she said. “That’s a bit worrisome.”
Kara Jariwala agrees that her neighbors are what makes Springer Meadows special. In a world where many work a lot and are attached to screens, she said it’s uncommon that people actually know each other.
“People don’t go outside enough,” Jariwala said. “It’s pretty rare we know all of our neighbors. We’re really grateful to live in the area we live in.”
For Jariwala, a Spring Meadows resident for nine years, her neighbors have become more than simply the people who live next door. Some have become so close of friends that they vacation together.
“We have a personal tradition of meeting with our neighbors to have social events,” she said. “They’re our real friends.”
Another aspect of the community that the technology marketing consultant likes is the location. What stood out to her family most was the schools. They liked access to the Los Altos school district, she said. She is also pleased with the close proximity to shopping in the nearby Blossom Valley Shopping Center, convenient access to downtown Mountain View and parks.
“It’s a nice walk to downtown and nice access to Blossom Valley if you need to grab something quick,” Jariwala said.
When it comes to parks, both Quick and Jariwala visit nearby Varsity Park at Duke Way and Jefferson Drive. They sometimes walk to the park with their children as it’s less than one mile from Meadow Lane. As an added bonus, there are a lot of children to play with, they said.
FACTS ABOUT SPRINGER MEADOWS
• CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (nearby): Children’s House of Los Altos, 770 Berry Ave.; Little Acorn School, 1667 Miramonte Ave.; St. Timothy’s Nursery School, 2094 Grant Road
• FIRE STATION: No. 2, 160 Cuesta Drive
• LOCATION: bounded by Marilyn Place, Marilyn Drive, Fordham Way and Barbara Avenue
• NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS: Springer Meadows Neighborhood Association, Carole Stepp, president, carole@orner-stepp.com
• PARKS: Varsity Park, Duke Way and Jefferson Drive; Bubb Park, 680 Barbara Avenue; Cuesta Park, Cuesta Drive
• POST OFFICE: Mail All Center, Blossom Valley, 809-B Cuesta Dr; Grant Park Plaza, 1250 Grant Road (inside Nob Hill Foods)
• PRIVATE SCHOOLS (nearby): St. Joseph Catholic School, 1120 Miramonte Ave.; St. Francis High School, 1855 Miramonte Ave.
• PUBLIC SCHOOLS: (Eligibility for school districts depends on resident’s address) Los Altos School District — Springer Elementary School, Blach Intermediate School; Mtn. View-Whisman School District — Bubb Elementary School, Graham Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Los Altos and Mountain View high schools
• SHOPPING: Blossom Valley Shopping Center, Miramonte Avenue and Cuesta Drive; Rancho Shopping Center, Foothill Expressway and Springer Road; Grant Road Plaza Shopping Center, Grant Road and Phyllis Avenue
