Monta Vista, Cupertino, California
Encyclopedia
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
. "Monta Vista" does not mean anything in any language but is very similar to "Monte Vista," which means "mountain view" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. However, it is not affiliated with the nearby city of Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
.
When Cupertino decided to incorporate in 1955, Monta Vista decided at the last moment not to join the effort, remaining an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
. Over the years, Cupertino annexed pieces of Monta Vista as it was redeveloped lot by lot. By the late 1990s, only scattered pockets of unincorporated land were left in Monta Vista. Cupertino finally annexed the rest of the neighborhood in 2004.
Starting in the 1990s, settlement by Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
families accelerated; currently, a large proportion of the neighborhood is Asian American. Many of Monta Vista's residents work in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
's high-tech computer industries.
Monta Vista homes are mainly detached single-family homes ranch styled suburban homes ranging from 1,400 to 2500 square feet (232.3 m²). Beginning in the 1990s and through continuing development, the Cupertino (Monta Vista) community saw the building of much larger executive and custom homes ranging from 3,000 - 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) of living space area. The neighborhood is very sought-after due to its desirable location, low crime rate, and its academically high-performing schools such as Monta Vista High School
Monta Vista High School
Monta Vista High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino, California, USA. Part of the Fremont Union High School District, the school serves most of the suburban residential and industrial technology enriched area of western Cupertino...
and Kennedy Middle School. For example, Monta Vista High School
Monta Vista High School
Monta Vista High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino, California, USA. Part of the Fremont Union High School District, the school serves most of the suburban residential and industrial technology enriched area of western Cupertino...
is one of the top 100 high schools in the United States http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7723397/site/newsweek/.
Attractions in Monta Vista include the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in Santa Clara County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The preserve contains 14.7 miles of hiking trails, nearly all open to equestrians and bicycles...
, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve is a open space preserve, located near Palo Alto in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California. The preserve encompasses the upper Stevens Creek watershed in the valley between Monte Bello Ridge and Skyline Ridge...
, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve (next to Picchetti Brothers Winery
Picchetti Brothers Winery
The Picchetti Brothers Winery, also known as the Picchetti Ranch, is a winery located at 13100 Montebello Rd., Cupertino, California in the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve...
), Blackberry Farm,Deep Cliff Golf Course, Cupertino Hills Raquet Club, Linda Vista Park and Stevens Creek Reservoir
Stevens Creek Reservoir
Stevens Creek Reservoir is a reservoir located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, California.Stevens Creek Dam, which impounds the lake, was approved for construction by voters in 1934 and completed in 1935. The dam's height was raised 10 feet in 1985, to its present...
. McClellan Ranch Park
McClellan Ranch Park
McClellan Ranch Park is a public park located in the Monta Vista neighborhood of Cupertino that still retains its rural ranch look. It used to be a horse ranch owed by the McClellan family in the 1930s, and still preserves the original ranch house, a working milk barn and livestock barn, and two...
, located just west of Monta Vista High School, is a nature preserve and historical park formerly owned by the McClellan family. Along with John T. Doyle, this family was one of the first residents of the area. This site also preserves the original ranch, milk barns and livestock barns with animals raised by resident volunteers.