Old Palo Alto

Old Palo Alto homes with elegant living and historic charm.

“With its shaded streets and historic homes, Old Palo Alto offers a traditionally elegant style of living accented by the amenities of the day.”

A neighborhood of affluent elegance, Old Palo Alto (MLS #237) is full of wooded lanes and an abundance of impressive, pre-war homes offering a diversity of architectural designs.

The graceful charm of Old Palo Alto has appealed to the local elite from the start. Edwin Percy Gamble, the father of Proctor & Gamble heiress, Elizabeth Gamble, constructed the borough’s first residence in 1902. The Waverley Street estate was bequeathed by Elizabeth to the city in 1985. Known as Gamble Garden, it offers education and outreach programs, serves as a horticultural resource, hosts a variety of events, and is one of the most picturesque manors in the city.

Other well-known Old Palo Alto residents include Google co-founder Sergei Brin and Apple Computer’s Steve Jobs, who also resided on Waverley Street.

Architectural styles abound here, including historic Tudors, decorative Craftsmen, and cozy bungalows. Its shaded streets are peaceful and offer easy strolls to the city’s two business districts as well as the Cal Train station on California Avenue. Drawn by its sophistication and allure, Old Palo Alto is a place where people set down roots.

The moniker Old Palo Alto is a bit deceptive as this borough is far from the oldest in the city. It became part of Palo Alto proper in 1917, 27 years after the city was incorporated. The name fits, though, partially because the history of the land itself, once called the Seale Addition, is deep-rooted and because the name fits with the elegant tradition and grace afforded by this highly desired neighborhood.