In an ‘07 Article titled “The other Castro Street” by San Francisco Magazine the author wrote: “Mountain View is fast becoming a happening haven for techies who love to eat al fresco—and chase their free citywide Wi-Fi sessions with a few cocktails”. Thanks to its convenient location in Silicon Valley between San Jose and San Francisco, Mountain View has increasingly become not only a destination, but a place where young families can find the space they desire and enjoy urban-style amenities and culture near employers like Google, Intuit, etc…

Gables End is one such place, now offering 3- and 4-bedroom floor plans. But hurry, only 7 homes remain! For quick updates on our community you can follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

Have a look at nearby restaurants through this map (scroll):

View Larger Map

We’ve been going stir crazy with long computer hours and this rainy winter.  Are you looking for some indoor activity this wet winter season too? Look no further than Strike Cupertino.

Strike boasts 40,000 sq. ft. of entertainment and dining pleasure. You will find something for everyone:

• 32 lanes of high-energy bowling in a unique architecturally stunning setting
• State of the art A/V and a huge video wall spanning the lanes
• Enjoy cocktails and gourmet cuisine right at your lane or at our opulent bar
• Full Arcade
• Billiards

Strike is the ideal spot for private events, or just a great night out nearby. Strike has already made its mark on the east coast and has recently made its way to the west coast not too far from our community at Gables End!

Get your retro look going and have some fun! Bowling is hip again at Strike.  You can also follow them on Twitter or fan them on Facebook for events and specials.

If you like beer, you won’t want to miss San Francisco Beer Week 2010.  This year’s beer week runs February 5th thru 14th at various San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay and North Bay locations.

The San Francisco Brewers Guild is putting on an event that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.  They already have 92 published events with more coming.  The event was summed up in one clever sentence – “San Francisco Beer Week Is Like Godzilla, Only Bigger (And Not Angry)”.

We’ve listed a couple of “not to be missed” beer loving events in the South Bay:

Brew On Premise (BOP) Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company
What if you could make your own beer on a professional brewing system, under the guidance of award-winning brewers? During the approximately 5-hour process you will make enough beer for a 13.2 gallon keg or about 5 cases of 22oz bottled beers.

1111 Industrial Road Belmont, CA
February 6 (11:00am – 5:00pm)
Admission: $See Website
Attire: Casual

Beer & Cheese Tasting featuring Firehouse Brewery and the Milk Pail
Firehouse Brewery & Grill
Join Firehouse brewmaster Steve Donohue and the Milk Pail’s Steve Rasmussen as they pair Firehouse beers, and some of Steve Donohue’s favorite Belgian ales, with local and imported artisanal cheeses.

111 South Murphy Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086
February 10 (7:00pm – 10:00pm)
Admission: $TBD
Attire: Casual

You can find the entire South Bay SF Beer Week Schedule – Here

All information can be found on their site. You can also check out all the updates on twitter and facebook.  SF Beer Week even has their very own iphone app. I know…of course they do, right?

So Gables End readers…What’s your brew of choice? Any favorite pubs to grab a pint? Share with us!

Back in July of 2009, the City Council of Mountain View chose Savvy Cellar Wines, Inc. to lease the replica 1888 Train Depot in downtown Mountain View. Savvy Cellar plans to operate a wine bar out of the building similar to a business it runs in Redwood City.

According to a July 9th  article in the Mountain View Voice, Savvy Cellar plans to serve wine and “light foods” and to sell wine by the bottle. The company may also use the space to teach its highly regarded classes on wine.*

We are pleased to announce that they have started the interior remodel to transform the once-vacant train station into a wonderful wine experience for residents of Mountain View to enjoy.  A Flickr Slideshow of the Savvy Cellar interior build-out can be viewed by clicking on the image above or following this link.

For more information regarding this exciting project, become a fan of Savvy Cellar Wines on Facebook and follow along.  We’ve also made Savvy Cellar a Favorite local business on the Gables End Facebook page. The Gables End Facebook Fan page Favorites is like a concierge of local Mountain View services all in one spot!

* Quote from July 9, 2009 Mountain View Voice article

Moving to the suburbs doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your entertainment in exchange for breathing space. We went to a show at the Shoreline Amphitheater, which was just a 5-minute drive from our new home here at Gables End. Mountain View’s summer heat cools off enough in the evening for you to comfortably enjoy the evening’s festivities in a t-shirt and shorts at one of the Bay Area’s best venues. Who knew that this venue could be so amazing? The Shoreline is open air, has fun concession stands and great prices and because of the great setting attracts amazing bands from around the world.

Our evening’s entertainment included sets from Saving Abel, Papa Roach, Hinder and our headliner was Nickelback. Every seat in the house had a great view, but we were lucky enough to be so close to the stage we could feel the heat from the flames given off by the pyrotechnics. The crowd’s energy was soaring in anticipation and our patience was well rewarded by each act. Every set was unique and fun, but nobody topped Nickelback. Their set was a crowd pleaser whether you are a die-hard fan that owns every album or are the casual radio listener. Chad Kroeger, the lead singer was engaging and funny and carefully guided the audience through a comprehensive set of the band’s biggest hits including “Photograph”, “Rockstar” and “If Today Was You Last Day” and he even gave us a few lines and the chorus to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”. Everyone was on their feet for the whole show and had a fun night of rocking out to a great summer concert. I’m so glad I can afford my own home now at Gables End and still have access to some of the amenities I thought you had to live in the city for.

Check out this bar guide when you are on Castro Street or anywhere else in Mountain View.  My buddies at Gables End clued me in. 

Victoria is a bar hoppin’ pro, and she swears by it!