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tad brunton's review of Los Gatos California
Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Los Gatos, California? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Los Gatos?
| Weather | | Safety | | Neighborhoods | | People | Los Gatos has an ideal Mediterranean climate: not too cold, not too hot. Snow and frost are rare here, although there is a healthy dose of rain occasionally. There are a lot of vineyards in the area, and they chose this land because of the constant good weather, which is imperative for producing grapes on a commercial scale. There aren't any tornados or hurricanes here and the temperature hardly ever drop below 40' or go beyond 90'.
| | Los Gatos is definitely not a major crime area, no matter how you look at it. It does have thefts and burglaries though, but those are about the most serious any crime wave gets in this rustic little village. Bike thefts occur usually because people don't lock their bikes with a good Kryptonite type lock, and opportunity thefts happen when someone leaves a somewhat valuable item alone for more than 30 seconds, either in their unlocked vehicle or in a public space. No bank robberies or murders happen here, and the residents just love it. | | This is an affluent community and single-family homes in nice neighborhoods are quite expensive. Well-kept and gated communities are in every corner of Los Gatos and these places are the nicest and safest areas to live. South of Shannon Road, off of Wooded View Dr., is an example of some of the newer luxury homes Los Gatos has to offer. You can find them, and indeed, build them in any style you want, from Tudor and Victorian, to simply modern. Los Gatos also has some, (very few) areas that are not so expensive and it shows. There are tons of apartment complexes running north and south along the 17 up to the 101 and beyond. Apartments are fine and they allow people to get a good affordable start in life, but many times, apartment dwellers don't have the same vested interest in the community as homeowners. | | This is a small cozy community that is also a tourist haven because of its uniqueness and artistic spirit. Los Gatos is mostly white and educated. If you are a professional or simply an intellectual or an artist, you are definitely going to fit in. The people will love you and possibly admire you, but on the other hand, if you are homeless, jobless and appear unkempt with no future in your eyes, you may not feel all the love that this town really has to offer. This is a city of educated professionals and underneath the exterior of warmth and openness, there is little patience for people who appear to have no ambition or the lack of any prospects. | | Downtown Area | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life | | You can't get any better than Los Gatos for shopping and just spending the day walking around downtown. This is actually a destination area that people travel to from hundreds of miles away. There are innumerable shops and boutiques to please everybody. The atmosphere is one of the most friendly and inviting in the whole country. | | Los Gatos Bar & Grill Restaurant is a great place to get a feel of this great town. Cin-Cin Wine Bar & Restaurant is another good choice for fun and night life. | | The public schools in Los Gatos are some of the most highest rated schools in the country. This is a great place to get a K-12 education. | | Plenty of night life in Los Gatos. Check out Santa Cruz Ave., Main St. and College Ave. for some great food, drink and music. | | Noise | | Compared to other places | | Best hospital | | Tourist attractions | | Stay away from Santa Cruz Ave., College Ave. and Main Street after dark if you don't want to hear loud music and people having a good time. That's pretty much the only sound pollution you'll ever encounter in this neck of the woods. | | Monte Sereno is right next door to Los Gatos and although it's a lot smaller, it's also a lot richer than Los Gatos. Bigger and more expensive homes and bigger and more expensive cars. It's a bedroom community for sure, and there aren't a great deal of community amenities for its citizenry, but they do get to come home from work to their big mansions. Los Gatos doesn't have the riches of Monte Sereno, (the town's not broke either), but it does have something most towns will never have: charm and likability. That's the difference between Los Gatos and Monte Sereno and their other neighbor, Saratoga, charm and likability. Saratoga is a nice town too. It has vineyards, horses, music, food, etc. It just isn't Los Gatos, that's all. All three places are very good choices to live in, but Los Gatos is the one that you would choose if you could. | | El Camino Hospital takes care of Los Gatos and it is a full service medical center. | | Plenty to do in Los Gatos; There are art museums and art galleries and the History Museum to see. There's also Shakespeare in the Park, an art walk and the great old fashioned movie house, which is a must see, among hundreds of other things. | | General comments | | | | | | | | The first time you go through Los Gatos, you'll want to get out of your car and kiss the ground. You'll feel like you have finally found the town of the 1940s movies where everything was perfect and nothing could ever go wrong. The old well painted houses and the scores of little shops along the main drag, look as though Los Gatos was caught in a time warp about seventy years ago and never escaped. It is simply a beautiful little town from which no one wants to leave. | | | | | | |
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