Leland Manor and Garland Drive, Palo Alto
Serene and central vs. friendly and curvy

Leland Manor

Back in 1939, Leland Manor was unusual for having all electric and telephone lines underground from its inception. A marketing ploy at the time, advertisements bragged of "eliminating unsightly poles," and called the development "an entirely new principle in electric and telephone connections."

Click the image to view a larger map

Leland Manor homes were also the epitome of California design -- long ranch-style homes on 9,000- to 10,000-square-foot lots. One home on Newell Road was a model home for the 1939 San Francisco Exposition, drawing more than 25,000 visitors to the neighborhood.

But since that flurry of attention, Leland Manor's wireless streets and lack of through traffic give it a sense of peace and quiet. Bordering Jordan Middle School, Embarcadero, Middlefield, and Louis roads, Leland Manor's restfulness is unexpected given its central location.

"Five minutes and you're anywhere in town," raved Edith Zitelli who lives on Northhampton Drive in Leland Manor. "It is dead center."

"It's very centrally located from a family standpoint," said Dan Jan who lives on Newell Road in Leland Manor. "We're extremely close to Walter Hays Elementary School and Jordan Middle School, but the big thing is Rinconada Park, which is an excellent area for children as well as for adults because of all the city entertainment that's over there."

During Leland Manor's construction, developers Hare, Brewer and Kelley sponsored a contest to name the subdivision and its streets. More than 4,000 people competed for the $10 prizes that went to the names Northampton and Southampton Drive, East and West Greenwich Place, Portal Place and Barbara Drive.

Many residents of Leland Manor have lived there a long time. "It has evolved into an incredibly stable neighborhood," said Zitelli, who has lived there 41 years. And on her street there are many residents who have been there longer than she has.

"I wouldn't say it was an extremely social place, but we know we can count on anyone for support and help because we've known each other for so long," Zitelli said.

John Lawrence's family has lived on Portal Place since 1946. "I hope I can hang in there and do the same my mom did. Die in the house."

Maryanne Warnlof, a 43-year resident, said, "You'd be surprised at how many of us have been here all this time. There are people here who built houses before we did. About one-third of the people are new."

Warnlof was once president of the now defunct Leland Manor Neighborhood Association. Formed to protest the proposed closing of Jordan Middle School in the 1980s, she says there is no need for an organization right now.

"There's been no great scandal. Everyone stays in their home and behaves themselves," she said.
But every Fourth of July, the serene, well-behaved neighbors of Leland Manor have a block party.
"We close the street and invite everyone," said Jan. "That's really a nice feeling of community."

Garland Drive

Garland Drive, one of Palo Alto's first curvy streets, snakes from Middlefield Road to Louis Road with cul-de-sacs every half block. Separated from Leland Manor by the former Garland Elementary School and Jordan Middle School, Garland Drive also feels different from areas to the north.

"Leland Manor was a more elite area than Garland Drive," said Mary Mills, a 53-year resident of Garland Drive. "I think we were definitely more middle class."

Former Mayor Dick Rosenbaum, a 37-year resident, agrees. "It's sort of in between the fancier areas to the north and the more modest homes of South Palo Alto. We're sort of on the border," he said.
The history of Garland Drive is a rich one. One resident believes the Ohlone used the area now occupied by Garland Drive's nearly 100 homes. In her garden, Mary Lou Zoback finds long tubular snail shells with the ends broken off.

"Ohlones used to scoop these up at the Bay and carry them and bite their ends off to suck the snail out," she said. "So we like to think this is a special spot people have enjoyed for a long time."
The land was later part of the Rancho Rinconada del Arroyo de San Francisquito, owned by Don Rafael Soto, said Zoback. Residents occasionally find pieces of porcelain and pottery when they dig in their gardens.

Later, John and Temperance Garland purchased the property. When the land was subdivided in 1945, the street was given their name. Many of the nearly 100 ranch-style homes were built by Coastwise, a company that also developed the neighborhood to the south across Oregon Expressway.

When Mary Mills first moved to Garland Drive 53 years ago, she could see the coast range and Mount Hamilton. Now, the street's many magnolia trees block the view.

She says most of the new residents came from the East, and knew no one in the area. "We were just like one big family; we took care of each others' children, had our parties together. We all gained 15 pounds the first year with our coffee klatches." In those days, the women were stay-at-home moms while the men worked in San Francisco. "Two of us used to chauffeur them to the train," said Mills.
Now, only two of those original residents remain, and several more generations of families have grown up on Garland Drive. Zoback remembers spending a lot of time playing in the cul de sacs. "When the kids were younger I met everyone by pushing strollers around the block accompanied by trikes," she said.

Now, there's a new contingent of young families in the area. There are nine first graders on the street. Cindy Kron is the neighborhood's "wagon-master," said resident Colleen Braff.

"People aren't just neighbors, they are friends," said Kron who admits the wagon-master title fits her role. "I'm the one who says 'hey, let's get together.'"

Zoback said the location is ideal. "We're close to Midtown but sheltered from the traffic," she said,

"We get very little through traffic because of the stop signs at every bend."

Many residents walk to shops in midtown. "It is really a neighborhood where people are walking around a lot," she said.

Before Garland school was closed, it was a popular site for neighborhood picnics. The kids would play on the structures while parents socialized.

Garland Drive has multiple Fourth of July parties along the street. "I want my kids to remember having Fourth of July parties in the cul de sacs," said Kron. "I really want to give my kids a sense of community. I want them to have these good childhood memories and friendships."

-- Katharine Miller