Attracting over 150,000 people from throughout the peninsula, California and the West Coast, the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts celebrates its 29th year on the tree-lined University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. Three hundred fine artists and crafters, whose display booths are placed back-to-back, attract a high percentage of fine artists whose work you’ll see only at a few select shows on the West Coast.

Always a crowd-pleaser, the Italian Street Painting Expo will once again offer fifty chalk artists creating larger-than-life works of art all weekend long on Tasso Street. This year’s new beneficiary of the Italian Street Painting Expo’s Kids Chalk-a-Lot area is the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation.

Art, live music, food and drink await all who attend. There are two stages on Waverley & Webster, plus street corner entertainment. Four food courts and 3 wine and beer booths can also be found at this years event. That is a lot of ground to cover -map out your way at the festival here !

Looking for a particular artist? A complete list of participating artists can be found on the official website.

Enjoy the creative talent and beauty that our great Peninsula offers!

There are a number of reasons why people purchase at Gables End.  Here is a short list of our ten favorite things about Gables End:

1. Location. Mountain View is a Civic-Minded community with progressive services (one of the first to offer free WiFi to its citizens)…thank you, Google.
2. Opportunity. We are located in the vocational and economic hub of Silicon Valley.
3. Affordability.  Gables End represents one of the Silicon Valley’s best new home values.
4. Lifestyle. Our community design encourages outdoor activities with walkways, mature trees, quiet sitting spaces and the Central Lawn with its grand arbor.
5. Community. Charming recreational building for community gatherings or special events.
6. Architecture. 3-story new construction homes designed in the charming and traditional cross gable architectural style.
7. Livability. Gables End has varied floor plans, with the choice of two, three or four bedrooms accommodating a variety of lifestyles.
8. Finishes.  We offer new homes with quality features and fixtures found throughout each plan.
9. Spacious. Roomy and light filled floor plans create volume and make for a dramatic lifestyle.
10. Convenience. Each home has a private two-car garage with direct access.

If any of these top ten items sound appealing, you owe it to yourself to stop by and visit Gables End while we still have a few homes remaining.

Gables End is on Facebook and Twitter, follow along for specially priced homes, community events, local business spotlights and incentives!

image courtesy city of mountain view

FRIDAY – Mountain View’s Summer Outdoor Movie Night August 13th at 8:30 pm in Rengstorff Park. Enjoy a free movie under the stars with neighbors and friends. Don’t forget to BYOB (Bring your own blanket) and lawn chair! Summer Outdoor Movie Nights run each Friday through August 20th and are a family friendly event. Playing this Friday: Over The Hedge

Move-in ready homes available! You could live here and be in your home before Fall, but you have to act fast as there are just a few homes remaining at Gables End. Join us this weekend for a tour of our most popular plan – The Glencoe! With over 100 happy owners already calling Gables End “home”, come see for yourself why we are Mountain View’s best selling residential community.

Now Selling Model Homes Loaded with upgrades at Gables End.

Glencoe- 3 bed/ 2.5 bath, great for entertaining, granite counter tops in kitchen, high ceilings, patio/deck, extra storage, 2 car garage, and skylight.

Gables End is on Facebook and Twitter, follow along for specially priced homes, community events, local business spotlights and incentives!

If this type of venue sounds appealing to you, head to downtown Menlo Park for the 24th Annual Connoisseurs’ Marketplace, July 17-18. This year’s event will feature something for everyone – world-class art by 250 of America’s top artists, two days of great music, engaging chefs’ demos, fabulous food and drink, tons of fun for kids, artisan specialty food purveyors, a new collector car show, home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays and an organic and green products showcase.

Watch the video below and take a look at their website for more information.

For the first time in 25 years, recreational boaters can launch their vessels from Alviso Marina County Park. Residents of South Bay and the Peninsula are now more connected than ever and have an easier way to get to San Francisco Bay.

The new boat launch includes a pier for non-motorized craft, such as kayaks and canoes, and another for launching large motorized boats. This improvement effort is part of an ongoing project to revitalize the Alviso area. The Alviso Park upgrade also includes a parking lot for boat trailers. Phase 1 of the wetland improvement project, completed in 2005, involved such improvements as walking boardwalks throughout the slough area, observation decks, picnic areas, natural landscaping and interpretive trails.

Once a hotbed of activity for fishermen and businesses, the local residents believe that the new launch will be good for Alviso. Boaters and non-boaters alike will find something new to do with this ambitious wetland improvement.

Having convenient access to outdoor recreation in such close proximity to Gables End is just one of the many reasons that we love Mountain View and all it has to offer.

Location: Mountain Winery
Time: June 20. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Gables End is a pet-friendly community and our greater community of Mountain View offers our four-legged friends a lot of parks and outdoor spaces to socialize and enjoy life here as much as our homeowners do. Since so many of you love your pooch, we thoughts we’d mention this event… Back by popular demand – this is a unique opportunity to bring your pets along for an afternoon of wine tasting at the picturesque Mountain Winery.

The Mountain Winery invites you and your four-legged friend to their Pets and Pinot Wine Tasting event. Enjoy a complimentary taste of Estate Pinot Noir and beautiful vistas from the outdoor Vineyard Grill Patio, boasting spectacular views of the Silicon Valley.

You will be delighted with the amazing wine and your pet will be delighted with a treat! Please note that leashes are required — and clean up supplies, if needed.

More information can be found on their website.

Life is good in Mountain View. We have the benefits of a small town lifestyle with added urban, cultural and entertainment activities within easy reach. Our commutes are short and our living spaces have the extra elbow room we desire. Coming soon to downtown Mountain View, the Annual Thursday Night Live free outdoor concert series. Experience Downtown Castro Street at Dana without the cars!  The 2010 Season begins July 8th, with additional performances on July 22, August 5, and August 19 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Pack a picnic dinner and join the fun at Cuesta Park and Rengstorff Park. Some of the best bands in the Bay Area are in the line-up this season:

JULY 8, Thursday Night Live : THE SUN KINGS

JULY 15, CUESTA PARK : POP FICTION

JULY 22, Thursday Night Live : FINDING STELLA

AUG 5, Thursday Night Live : THE SHANKS

AUG 12, RENGSTORFF PARK : MAZACOTE W/ LOUIS ROMERO!

AUG 19, Thursday Night Live : THE SPAZMATICS

Science and Art collide at what has become one of the most popular events in the Bay Area, The Maker Faire.

What is Maker Faire? Maker Faire is a newfangled fair that brings together science, art, craft and engineering plus music in a fun, energized, and exciting public forum. The aim is to inspire people of all ages to roll up their sleeves and become makers. This family-friendly event showcases the amazing work of all kinds of makers – anyone who is embracing the DIY spirit and wants to share their accomplishments with an appreciative audience.*

More than 600 exhibits will be on display at the fifth annual Maker Faire Bay Area, which will be held this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 22 and 23, at the San Mateo County Event Center. The Faire will be open Saturday from 10am – 8pm and Sunday 10am – 6pm. Children under 3 are free. According to the organizers, O’Reilly Media, the event this year will likely draw more than 70,000 attendees.

More information can be found on their website.

*http://makerfaire.com

Image from Savvy Cellar Wine Bar and Shop

Anticipation grows, as one of the Peninsula’s favorite wine bars nears its Grand Opening in Mountain View at the Old Train Depot. We feel so lucky to have Savvy so close. Gables End homeowners that have enjoyed Savvy Cellar in Redwood City, now have the option of meeting up with friends and neighbors at Savvy II just minutes from their front door! Need a double date idea? Savvy Cellar was voted “Best Wine Classes in the Bay Area”

Recently posted on the Savvy Cellar Facebook Page:

“Yeah, Mtn View construction complete! Waiting on ABC license . . . sigh. In the meantime, we are cranking on internal operations – tasting a lot of bread to ensure only the best selection!:) 1 to 2 weeks to go. Opening date to be announced soon! Watch this space . . .”

Have a look at these photos of the Gables End homeowners’ newest, local amenity:

Savvy Cellar II – Week 13

Savvy Cellar II – Week 15 (Slideshow)

Muralettes:

Simple, yet effective!  Wouldn’t our busy lives all be better if more companies embraced this philosophy?  How many times have we tried our hand at something only to find it too hard to get an effective and pleasing result.  Those days of struggling are over when it comes to decorating your child’s room.   Introducing  Muralette : the latest in wall decals for kids.

Installation and pleasing creative results are a snap.  Artists Anna Conklin and Genevieve Smith make decorating your little one’s room fast and effective.  According to their site, Muralette Wall Decals are “No fuss, no muss… Just peel and stick!  There is no “right” way to design your Muralette – it’s fool-proof and fun, so just relax and play!”

The company offers four sets of striking wall decals: Fishies, Garden of Posies, Branch and Birds and Polka.  The artists also take the environment and your child’s health seriously by using all water-based paints and varnishes that lack toxic fumes, and use low VOC paints whenever possible.

For all the details, please visit their website or become a Muralette Fan on Facebook