Carlyn Ave, Campbell

North Carlyn Avenue-South of Latimer is a third generation well established neighborhood. The last of the first generation home owners, Bee passed away over a year ago. She was quite a character who knew everyone and was happy to patrol the street and give her opinion as the street advisor or call the authorities. The first homes were built before the USA entered WWII. Probably 95% of the homes were built one at a time and have been extensively upgraded while retaining the original character of the neighborhood as a small street that is heavily shaded by mature sycamores in the park strips at the curb and oaks, cedars & others in the front yards with mature redwoods, oaks & fruit trees dominating the backyards. Landscape maintenance is hired by most people and well kept. Curb appeal for the whole street is great.

Each home represents families in every stage of life from infants to seniors. People are friendly but not nosey & helpful but not pushy. Walking one very short block on Hedegard is the back entrance to the Campbell Community Center & Heritage Theater and about 3 blocks to a newly vibrant downtown with a new trolley stop (easy transfer to CalTrain & BART), lots of bars & restaurants of unique character with art shops & others of a dynamic character-no big box stores and only one Starbucks in downtown on East Campbell Avenue. New construction in the downtown looks like Santana Row and has not drawn away from the original character. The famous Campbell downtown Gaslighter Theater of Melodrama & Vaudeville is gone to be replaced with a casino:( The big box stores are on Hamilton Avenue near Route 17, a traffic mess:(

The Campbell city council is best described as a bunch of ants floating down a river arguing which way the log should go and although they solicit opinion, pretty much do what they want. City government departments are strict, long gone is the small town old boys ways. So far not too bad really, the city has transformed itself in the last 5 years from a sleepy downtown to one that is happening & full of life. The public schools all have very nice and new buildings but state scores are down. There are many local private, charter & religious schools that stand in the gap.