Gemello

Bordered by West El Camino Real, El Monte Avenue, Jardin Drive and Karen Way, Gemello is a peaceful, but all-too-ordinary community within the many suburbs of Mountain View. It is exclusively residential and small, only encompassing about a dozen residential streets. The neighborhood is also conveniently located near shopping and dining options, specifically downtown Mountain View and Los Altos. But unfortunately there is little else to do without going outside the district, let alone the city. But still both young professionals and families with children like to call Gemello home.

Like most of Mountain View, Gemello is flat and roughly middle-class. It affords lush, green community foliage that usually line every block. Most residential landscaping is also crisp and neatly groomed, eliciting a rather aesthetically pleasing place to live. For prospective residents, there is a mix between original homes that were built within the 1950’s and slightly larger, newer developments that approach 2,000 square feet of interior living space. Of the older homes, they are typically one-story in size and are of the California-style tract home variety that just so happens to be prevalent in almost every Mountain View neighborhood. Front lots are not shallow, but they’re not deep either. They afford a small patch of grass, a good sized driveway and a two-car garage. All-in-all, they have that dignified, traditional look that many older residents like but tends to repel younger buyers. If you’re looking to own, median house prices circle around a hefty $1 million. For renters, there is Gemello Village apartment complex (along with others) that offer clean, spacious units and pristine landscaping. Rents here are listed around $1,000 per bedroom.

Gemello’s residential amenities are substantially run-of-the-mill. For youngsters, the city is served by Bubb Elementary School, Graham Middle School and Los Altos High School. All schools report above average test scores against the California average. For commuters, the district is a great location for those traveling into Silicon Valley’s hot spots. And to run errands, most residents drive to the local strip malls of Longs Shopping Center or Gemello Village, commercial real-estate you’d still see in the 1980’s.