Central Portola Valley

Through the years Mollie Raab has lived in Hillsborough, Atherton, and Woodside, but she chose to build a new house for her family in Portola Valley "because it's out in the country -- but not really in the country,-- with nature, space and quiet," she says.

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On her two and a half acres, she overlooks a neighbor's orchard on one side and a sweeping view of the Western Hills on the other and a walking trail passes in front of her nearly new two-story house.

Lynn McKinnon lives nearby in what's known as the flat area around Ormondale Elementary School. On her street pedestrians, dogs, bikes, and skateboards make up the bulk of the traffic. "I feel it's very safe. The kids walk home from school," the mother of three says.

The McKinnon family moved into the neighborhood eight years ago, after spending some time up in the hilly part of Portola Valley, where lot sizes are generally larger and the streets wind around mature oaks and scenic canyons. Ms. McKinnon says they "felt pretty secluded" and were surrounded by wildlife. She prefers where they live now.

Incorporated in 1964, Portola Valley prides itself in doing what it can to "retain rural ambience reminiscent of earlier days," as the town's Web site states. Portola Valley is populated by about 4,500 residents, and boasts of 1,900 acres of permanent open space, including Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, a popular destination for hikers, dog walkers, and mountain bikers every day of the week.

The town has three separate commercial focal points: Portola Road, where Town Center is now under reconstruction, the corner of Portola and Alpine roads, and Ladera.

Sandy Boyce says when she first moved to Portola Valley nine years ago, "I thought it was very inconvenient," being located so far off of Hwy. 280, but over time some new additions and improvements have been made in the local shopping areas "that make it so you never have to leave town."

The draws for her family are the "terrific public schools, beautiful views, and fabulous hiking trails." When the kids were younger, Little People's Park -- the playground perched next to the redwood grove and tennis courts behind Town Center -- provided hours of entertainment.

When the kids started to play organized sports, her husband, Dick, and Ms. McKinnon's husband, Neil, teamed up to raise money to rehabilitate the sports field at Rossotti's. That successful campaign serves as a good example of neighbors willing to pull together to do something nice for their hometown.

The Boyces recently remodeled their ranch-style house and say they have not noticed much turnover in their neighborhood. They know their neighbors and appreciate the friendly atmosphere, they say. The town seems as though it is always staging a barbecue, race, art show or theatrical event, giving the residents plenty of opportunities to commingle.

-- Kate Daly