A steady stream of people come and go, some on bikes, some on foot, and some stopping to take a rest on a park bench just outside the stores and businesses, which sell everything from jewelry to pizza and ice cream, to physical fitness and flowers. Andronico’s market anchors the shopping center that has been around since the early 1950s when Christian Wilder developed the area.
Given its age, the shopping center looks pretty fresh, upgraded over the years, with tenants changing over time. The same thing could be said for the Rancho neighborhood, bordered by Foothill Expressway, Parma Way, Riverside Drive and Springer Road.
A century ago, when the 150-acre Campbell ranch that was once filled with fruit trees changed hands, a real estate brochure described Los Altos as the “Crown of the Peninsula.” The arrival of the railroad and subsequent subdividing turned what is now called Rancho into mostly quarter-acre lots.
FACTS
CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Children’s Center of Los Altos, 770 Berry Ave.
FIRE STATION: No. 16, 765 Fremont Ave.
LIBRARY: Los Altos, 13 S. San Antonio Road
LOCATION: bordered by Foothill Expressway, Parma Way, Riverside Drive and Springer Road
PARKS: Rosita Park, 401 Rosita Ave.; McKenzie Park, 707 Fremont Ave.
POST OFFICE: Loyola Corners, 1525 Miramonte Ave.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS (NEARBY): Pinewood School, 327 & 477 Fremont Ave.; Los Altos Christian School, 625 Magdalena Ave.; Canterbury Christian School, 101 N. El Monte Ave.; Saint Francis Catholic High School, 1885 Miramonte Ave., Mtn. View
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Los Altos School District — Loyola or Springer elementary schools, Blach Intermediate School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Los Altos or Mountain View High School
SHOPPING: Rancho Shopping Center, Loyola Corners, Downtown Los Altos
CLICK HERE to view current Rancho Listings