Fair Oaks, Menlo Park

An enclave wedged between Menlo Park and Redwood City, Fair Oaks has the feel of a country hamlet, yet is less than a mile from Highway 101. Turn east off Middlefield Road onto one of the numbered streets. Suddenly taco joints and joyerias give way to narrow lanes shaded with stately trees and homes with welcoming porches.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Fair Oaks attracts families and individuals from a broad spectrum with its true neighborhood feel. It has one of the most active neighborhood associations around. The Fair Oaks Beautification Association, or FOBA, has done everything from lobby successfully for traffic calming to raise money for a gorgeous new playground.

Laura Caplan got involved with tree-plantings and other events when she moved into the neighborhood three-and-a-half years ago. ìI love that the neighbors have accomplished a lotî through the association, she says.

Fair Oaks appealed to Ms. Caplan and her family because of its relative affordability, central location on the Peninsula and proximity to Menlo Park, Palo Alto and 101. But once she got to know it a bit better, she realized the neighborly atmosphere was perhaps its greatest asset, she says.

While Fair Oaks fosters the cohesiveness of a group, it also has a lot of variety. "It's not your everything-looks-alike type of place. You see homes that were built at all different times, all different styles and sizes", she says.

And that appeals to a lot of people. The narrow streets lack sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and the ìeclecticî mix of residents seems to like those features and the unique feel they give the place, Ms. Caplan adds.

Young families are a common in sight in Fair Oaks because of the relative affordability. In the early evening hours there are lots of people out and about, says Uri Sarid, who has also lived in the neighborhood about three-and-a-half years. Moms with young kids take advantage of the playground on Edison Street. But there are plenty of people in the neighborhood who have been there for decades, he says.

Some young families look for other homes when children reach school age, Ms. Caplan says. Though Fair Oaks residents have Menlo Park addresses, their children attend the less-sought-after Redwood City schools.

The area receives excellent service from the sheriff and fire departments, and there are stations for both in the neighborhood, Ms. Caplan says. And the neighborhood association is ìconstantlyî communicating the neighborhoodís needs to county officials, she adds. The association has an interactive Web site with loads of information for community members and has regular community meetings. There are also community garage sales and a gardening committee that helps maintain common spaces such as roadway islands.

ìA lot of places in the Bay Area have all sorts of problems,î Sarid says. ìSome are snobbish and aloof, some have a lot of crime. In our area it just doesnít seem to be the case.î

-- Kathy Schrenk