Ben Lomond, California Real Estate 95005
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MLS# 80948417
MLS# 80957955
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| San Lorenzo Valley | Boulder Creek | Ben Lomond |
| Brookdale | Felton | Zayante and Lompico |
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Drive up into the forested hills of scenic Highway 9, and as you pass Felton, there is a town named Ben Lomond, right in the middle of the San Lorenzo Valley , about 10 minutes south of Boulder Creek. The close-knit community of Ben Lomond is complete with a small old town Main Street, public park/swimming hole in the San Lorenzo River, and a local grocery store Ben Lomond Super that is a great place to get lunch if you want to picnic at one of the many local parks. The town was named by an early Scottish immigrant who missed his homeland. This community of almost 3,000, shares its allure with the many visitors who come through the area. Ideally situated between Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Henry Cowell State Park, the outdoor opportunities are endless. The charming town of Ben Lomond is home to shopping, restaurants, inns, hiking, biking, and wonderful community events. With plenty of charm, beauty, and appeal, Ben Lomond is a treasure among the redwoods. Homes in the area range from smaller cabins in the $400,000 range to regular homes in the $600,000-800,000 range. Ben Lomond has several developments off of the Hihn Road area that feature larger more contemporary mountain homes. This is in contrast to much of what is available in the mountains.
The terrain and topography of Ben Lomond is vastly different from the rest of the San Lorenzo Valley, with a lot of sandy soil and open vistas. The sandy soil is conducive to many tall Ponderosa Pines and expanses of rare and endangered plants and interesting micro climates. There are many endangered species of plants that originate in Ben Lomond . Three of these include the Ben Lomond Spineflower, the Ben Lomond Wallflower, and the Ben Lomond Buckwheat. The Ben Lomond Spineflower is another endangered species of plant. Although it is locally quite abundant, due to its rarity, and the small geographic area that it can thrive in, the Spineflower will be lost if there is not more conservation of land. The Spineflower has beautiful pink flowers and surrounding spiny bracts. It is an annual winter-spring flower.
The Ben Lomond Wallflower is an endangered flower that only flowers once but needs one or more years to fulfill its life cycle. You can find the wallflower only in the Zaytante Sandhills. These Sandhills have a unique community of animals and plants, of which the wallflower is one. The Ben Lomond Buckwheat is an herb that flowers perennially between June and September. The nature of the white flower is such that the hairs on the leaves reflect sunlight and therefore reduce water loss, allowing it to be a viable member of the hot, dry Sandhills. It is also an endangered species of plant.
Originally a logging community, Ben Lomond was known as Pacific Mills. John Burns, a native of Scotland and one of the town's forefathers greatly missed his homeland, and decided to name the surrounding mountains Ben Lomond and the name stuck for the town. Henry Cowell was an enterprising young man from Massachusetts , who, like many, struck out to California during the gold rush days. He decided to support the gold rush rather than prospect for gold. He became rich, and started a transportation business. He found great success and started acquiring land in many parts of the state. In those areas, brick was becoming the building material of choice. With brick, came a need for cement. One of the major components of masonry is limestone in the cement. Mr. Cowell soon amassed an immense amount of land in Santa Cruz County.
Ben Lomond Mountain was a major location for limestone production. Fall Creek Park was the site of the limestone that was mined by Mr. Cowell. Fall Creek Park is located in the northern area past Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. It is about 2,400 acres and is hard to access. However, for the adventurous, it does contain over 20 miles of hiking trails. There is no visitor center located within Fall Creek Park. Mr. Cowell built this up, and many of the area's parks and businesses benefited from his largesse.
In the early 1900's, Ben Lomond gained fame as a popular resort. The area was considered the "gem of the Santa Cruz Mountains". With an annual rainfall of 52 inches, the area stays green year round. January is the coldest month with a normal maximum temperature of 56 degrees and a low of 35 degrees. August is the warmest month with a normal high of 82 degrees, and a low of 48 degrees. Due to that glorious summer weather, wealthy families from all over came by train and by carriage to stay. The nearby Brookdale Lodge hosted royalty, movie stars, and Presidents. As a promotion, subscribers were entered into a lottery for small lots with a newspaper subscription to the San Francisco Chronicle. A few of these were winners, but the small lots were prevalent as few wanted a big piece of land you had to maintain while you were there on vacation. Many landowners later built small summer cabins on their property.
Today, Ben Lomond is home to Highlands Park which hosts the annual Highland Games Festival. It is also home to playgrounds, volleyball and tennis courts, and picnic tables. A 26-acre park, it also features playing fields, and a lovely house. The house can accommodate up to 200 people for weddings, private parties, or meetings. Also onsite at Highlands Park is the Children's Center of San Lorenzo Valley and a senior center. Information on these sites at: 831/336-8900.
Ben Lomond is also home to Park Hall where the Mountain Community Theater puts on plays several times a year. Opened since 1982, the talented group stages anything from musicals to comedies and even have a summer youth program that enables children to see behind the scenes as well as act. There is also the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center that is dedicated to infusing art into the community through classes, special events, exhibitions, and member participation.
There are two noteworthy farms that must be mentioned. One is called Love Apple Farm. This farm is extensively an organic heirloom tomato farm, but it also raises vegetables and fruit for Manresa Restaurant. The Love Apple farm is a work of love where you can purchase dozens of varieties of heirloom tomatoes as seedlings. You will find such great flavor and variety, you'll always want to go there each year. The other farm is called Lindencroft Farm and is an organic farm located in Ben Lomond. The farm is a certified organic farm that is family-run. They have fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. People can also buy a share in the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program that is offered, and in doing so, receive a weekly box of seasonal produce delivered to a location that is convenient. The beauty of a CSA program is that not only is there is a commitment from the community at large of an organic farm, but also a subscriber gets to take part in various farm events, is part of an annual harvest feast, and becomes a true supporter in a farm.
There are many different places to worship within Ben Lomond. The Ben Lomond Business Association has a detailed list here. Ben Lomond is part of the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District. Also within the San Lorenzo Valley School District is the Ben Lomond Charter School. The charter school is unique in that it allows more creative freedom for teachers. Also, parents are more actively involved, and all three (students, teachers, and parents) are held accountable for the improvement of student achievement. Within the Ben Lomond Charter School , there are 8 programs. Community-based and site-based home schooling; two alternative high schools; and a science-based, hands-on program. The grade levels vary from Kindergarten all the way though 12th grade. The Glen Arbor School, which is a private school serving children ages 2 ½ to 6 years old has been around for over 30 years within Ben Lomond.
Ben Lomond, in the heart of the Redwoods, truly is an incredible place to be. With so much to do both outdoor and indoor, and so many fantastic people, scenery, and retail around, there is never a reason to go anywhere else!
To see homes call: Gregg Camp (831) 818-7524 www.propertyinsantacruz.com
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See the Santa Cruz County School District map of the school districts in Santa Cruz County that your child may attend. Click on the plus + or minus - buttons to enlarge the map. Before making any decision on buying a home, call the school district to be sure your potential home is in the district you want. As schools face economic problems, some schools may close or the boundaries may have changed. You can contact the Santa Cruz County Office of Education at 831-476-7140 or visit the website of the schools or districts and call the appropriate one.
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