San Jose Magazine sure likes “best of” lists. According to the teaser on the Aug 07 cover, they’ve picked the top “cities and neighborhoods to consider moving to when buying a home and selecting a good school district for our kids.” That’s it. No overall criteria explained inside, as far as I could see.

However, there is a well-written individual description for each of these Best Places to Live selections. I added SJ mag’s sub-header to the names on the list to keep it interesting and entice you to look at the description, so here goes.

Atherton: Elegant gardens and native trees dominate this quiet small community.

Lovely homes on tree-lined streets have made Burlingame the “City of Trees.” (Trees and nature are mentioned throughout the descriptions of these Best Places.)

Campbell is a quaint community where tradition and progress go hand-in-hand.

Founded as an artists’ colony, Carmel is as inspiring and beautiful as it was more than a century ago. (The only coastal city on the list and the only one in Santa Cruz County.)

Diversity and high-tech innovation abound in Cupertino. (Schools are a regular highlight in these cities’ descriptions.)

With plenty of shopping, employment and recreational opportunities, Fremont captures metropolitan living at its best. (The only East Bay city listed.)

One of the fastest-growing cities in Silicon Valley, Gilroy is open for business.

Hillsborough: A great small town in which to lead a lavish life.

Tree-lined streets and a small-village atmosphere liven up Los Altos. (“Small town” feel is another feature prized by the group creating this list.)

Los Gatos: A small-town feel and rich history can be found in this bedroom community.

Milpitas: This forward-looking city is a vital part of the Valley’s economy.

The city might be tiny, but Monte Sereno is awash with beauty and rural charm.

Thoughtful planning has made Morgan Hill one of the Valley’s most desirable communities. (Valuing the past while planning for the future seems to be another key to getting on this list.)

Mountain View offers homes and amenities suited for every lifestyle.

Palo Alto: The “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” is a blend of old and new.

There are countless reasons why business and citizens choose to locate to Santa Clara.

Community pride and a rural feel separate Saratoga from Silicon Valley.

Woodside: A place to find small-town life at its finest.

San Jose neighborhoods:
Residents retreat from nearby Silicon Valley to the relaxing Almaden Valley.
Families build their future in the developing Evergreen Valley.
Rose Garden: San Jose’s historic neighborhood cultivates its turn-of-the-century beauty.
Hidden in the foothills, Silver Creek is sheltered from the chaos of Silicon Valley.
Willow Glen: A neighborhood that retains its unique identity in spirit and architecture.

There are no surprises on the list. This really is a great place to live.

So where are all of these Backyard Habitats?

Apparently, it’s a bit labor intensive to get the Certified Backyard Habitat stats city-by city. Thanks to Roxanne Paul of the National Wildlife Federation for sending this partial list before dashing off on her vacation.

Campbell: 12
Cupertino: 9
Los Altos: 16
Los Altos Hills: 3
Los Gatos: 14
Menlo Park: 4
Palo Alto: 17
Saratoga: 5
San Jose: 99
Santa Clara: 9

Landscaper Sherri Osaka told me today that she had one and they’re not that hard to do.

My parents’ first home was an Eichler in Sunnyvale and while they complained of the draftiness, I have fond memories of the sun streaming through the large windows.  These large single-pane windows, however, were not exactly energy-efficient, but then again nobody really worried about heating bills back then. 

In the era of $3.50/gallon gas, energy efficiency suddenly becomes a big issue, especially for the 2700 Palo Altans who live in an Eichler. Palo Alto Weekly recently had a great article on improving energy efficiency in Eichler homes.

I think this article may be even more valuable for Eichler homeowners outside of Palo Alto, since PG&E rates are greater than those of Palo Alto’s municipal utility. There are Eichlers up and down the Peninsula from San Francisco to Santa Jose, including 20 in tony Atherton.

Is there an Eichler tract in your city? (Say “yes” if you’re in San Francisco, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Saratoga, or San Jose. Wow!). By the way, Mike Ahern has mapped out many Eichler tracts in Santa Clara County. It inspired me to tour some of the Eichler neighborhoods I didn’t know about.

Palo Alto is definitely Eichler central, with 2,700 of the 11,000 built. We even have two neighborhoods (Green Meadow and Green Gables) in the National Register of Historic Places specifically because Joe Eichler built his modern suburban tracts here.

Do you have any interest in history or architecture? Check out PA Eichler tracts in other neighborhoods: Adobe Meadow/Meadow Park , Charleston Meadows, Community Center, Fairmeadow, Midtown, Palo Verde, South of Midtown, and Triple El.