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Argonaut: A neighborhood in transition By Mandy Major Custom-built ranch style homes, perfectly manicured lawns and close proximity to top schools all help make Saratoga's Argonaut neighborhood one of the most sought after residential destinations in California. Argonaut is set within the "Golden Triangle," a highly distinguished area well known for its growing affluence and desirable distance from schools and shopping. The Golden Triangle originates as a point at Saratoga Avenue and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and extends outward to Cox Avenue and Highway 85. The Argonaut neighborhood begins behind the shopping center on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, extends out to Cox Avenue and then ends behind Argonaut Elementary School, roughly around Ten Oak Way and Glasgow Drive. However, the heart of the neighborhood lies within a small cluster of streets - Blauer Drive, Regan Lane, Regan Drive, Chateau Drive, Argonaut Drive, and Craigen Circle. The neighborhood is a collection of winding streets and cul-de-sacs that are lined with ample trees, neatly tended gardens, and an American flag hanging from almost every entryway. The non-remodeled homes, of which there is a slowly shrinking number, are similar looking as they are all one story and have a mixture of lightly colored wood and dark brick. They are not tract homes, however, as the residents are quick to point out. When the neighborhood was slated to begin in the late 1950s, the entire area was filled with apricot, prune, and cherry orchards that had been developed by Yugoslavian families years before. The houses, which now share an alley with the shopping center, used to have the scenic orchards as their backyard. Jean Whitlow, former co-owner of Whitlow's Department Store, is an original resident who moved into her brand new $25,000 Argonaut home in 1958. She fondly remembers the area before the shopping center development began. "We were attracted to the area because of the nice properties and having orchards as a backyard," she said. "There were no fences at the time, and our girls would play in the orchards every day." Mark Pierce, the son of Argonaut residents Margery and Bob Pierce, who have recently moved away, remembers the orchards as a highlight of the house when the family moved to the neighborhood in 1954. "There were kids in virtually every house, so it was just heaven. Almost everything was orchards at the time, and I remember there were big jack rabbits everywhere," said Pierce. "We played in the orchards all the time. There was a strong community feel." Early subdivision Argonaut officially began as a neighborhood around 1957 as one of the first official subdivisions of Saratoga, and continued construction through the mid-1960s. George Day, prominent contractor and head of the Argonaut planning, began amassing individual contractors to build the homes as people moved in. Typically, the homes were four-bedroom, two-bath residences, many with private pools. Prices were always fairly at the high end, establishing Argonaut as an upper middle-class neighborhood from the start. In 1960, homes cost around $45,000 and have escalated through the years to the current average price of $1.3 million. The orchards were bought and uprooted in the early '60s for future construction. Jean Whitlow remembers the uprooting vividly. "One day I came home and everything was pulled up and leveled. It was all gone so fast. I just sat down and cried." The orchards had been cleared to make room for the shopping center, which would boom during the '70s and become an enduring landmark of the area, as well as a source of controversy through the years - especially during the recent redesign which moved in corporate giants such as Jamba Juice, Togo's and Starbucks. Originally the neighborhood housed many youngish, well-to-do couples, with many of the men working for Lockheed as engineers. Margaret Towns moved into a house on Regan Drive in 1960 when her husband was a top rocket engineer with Lockheed. After moving around for 20 years, they decided to settle permanently in Argonaut. "We liked the neighborhood. The people took care of their property, and it was peaceful and nice," said Towns. The neighborhood still looks peaceful and well kept like in the old days, but now there seems to be a silent lack of community. Many of the children have grown up and left, and their parents have either moved on or passed away, ushering in new families without the past or the orchards to bond over. The only visible community experiences are Neighborhood Watch meetings and a neighborhood rally to protest outside seating at Starbucks. A resident who has lived on Blauer Drive for the past 36 years, and prefers not to be named, is enthusiastic about his sturdy home and good property. Yet he believes that there "is not a strong community here. You don't have many residents left that have been here for 30 to 40 years. There are lots of new people who are always transferring in and out every few years with the high- tech jobs." This lack of community seems to revolve around two areas of contention. The first is that many new, diverse families are cycling into the neighborhood mix, and secondly, many of those families are leveling their property and building completely new homes that are far from the ranch style look. Neighborhood is changing "The new houses are changing the whole complexion of the neighborhood," Margaret Towns said. "Our houses have nice lines and architecturally fit into the landscape of the area. These new houses look like the dickens ... they are ugly and are built out to the absolute largest they can build on the lots." Chi-Tao Yuan, a Craigen Circle resident for the past 11 years, is open about the recent changes to the neighborhood and its present lack of communication. "There have been lots of changes over the years, and more and more immigrants are competing to move in," Yuan says. "Most of the neighbors know each other by first name, but we don't go over to each others' yards and chat." "There are no parties or events, but I'm very happy with the neighborhood," he added. "We have excellent schools and dedicated parents. In general, it's very nice." Moving into the area for schools seems to be the biggest draw for Argonaut, and may be where the area finds most of its community feel. Cynthia Chang, who serves on the school board for Saratoga High School and once worked with Argonaut Elementary School, lives near the neighborhood and visits often. "Most people know each other through the school community, and I am glad to see more and more parents coming forward to help out," Chang said. A large percentage of families moving into the area are middle-aged and of Asian heritage, which Chang believes can make branching out into the school community difficult. "New immigrant parents like to help, but it is a different environment than when we grew up, where parents didn't get involved," says Chang, who emigrated from Taiwan in the '80s. "I think the best thing is to adjust to the community and try to get involved and create that sense of belonging." Despite the need for greater community involvement, sales in Argonaut remain unaffected. As Lea Ann Hernandez of Saratoga Coldwell Banker points out, "It is a very viable little community." In addition, "Argonaut homes are a stable and solid investment, and are in one of the few areas that continually has an upside appreciating trend." There is no question that Argonaut, and Golden Triangle proper, will continue to be a desirable location for families - local and foreign, young and old. The schools are undeniably superb, the land is optimal, and the neighborhood carries a nostalgic air of grace. |
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