May 14, 2008
A Tale of One Street
It’s not often that I can tell you the basic history of one street in one local city. But I have some inside knowledge, stored away in my brain all these years, that I thought I would share. The street in question is Ward Way, a short cul-de-sac off Alameda de las Pulgas in Woodside. This was just a patch of dirt in the 1950s when people started building. At that time, there was no high school, no Highway 280, and it was located in unincorporated Redwood City.
To find Ward Way, just go two blocks south of Woodside High School on the Alameda and turn right. It is a short cul-de-sac of just 16 homes, that magically got annexed by Woodside sometime in the late ’80s/early ’90s. If you cross the Alameda, the homes on the other side are in Redwood City; two blocks south and you are in Atherton. It’s a two-block enclave that Woodside managed to add to its tax rolls. It also added to the value of the home, having a Woodside address. Which is a good thing, since all the homes on the north side of this street actually back up to Woodside High School, a factor that most people would find a detriment. Imagine hearing the bells go off every 65 minutes for 9 months of the year, hearing the cheering fans at the football stadium, listening to cars every morning at 7:40 and every afternoon at 2:15. Then there is the chatter, the constant incessant teenage chatter during breaks, during lunch, and before and after school. It could be kind of annoying. Trust me, I know. I had family that lived on that street at the top of the hill. They were one of the first ones to build a home here in the early 1950s, when it was surrounded by dirt and orchards, and they just sold it 7 years ago. Imagine, 50 years in the same home, almost unheard of these days.
The home that brought me to this walk through history, is one that just hit the market at 2145 Ward Way. For the 40-plus years that I have been going up this street, I have only seen a handful of For Sale signs. People like the street, there is no traffic, homes and lots are large, and there is convenient access to Highway 280. But since my family sold their home, I know of at least 4 homes that have sold. And this current listing, I have on good authority, is being sold by the original owners. It is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath Tudor-style home built in 1956 on a half acre. There have been updates over the years, and the grounds are very stately, with a well-manicured lawn and rose garden. Located on the south side of the street, there is not the same level of noise coming from the high school. The price: $2,500,000.
As for those other 4 sales:
2190 Ward Way: Top of the cul-de-sac location, this home sold in 2004 for $2,380,000. The home sits on 1+ acre, has 2 master suites + 2 other bedrooms. There are 3.5 baths, family room, sun room, 3-car garage, pool, putting green, and fruit trees galore.
2160 Ward Way: 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home built in 1955. Sold in 2007 for $2,350,000. The last sale on this home was in 1998 for $960,000. Not bad, making $1,390,000 in 9 years!
2165 Ward Way: 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home built in 1954. Sold in 2006 for $1,650,000.
2155 Ward Way: 3 bedroom, 2 bath home built in 1954. Sold 2006 for $1,600,000. (This home has actually changed hands 5 times in 20 years, which is unusual.)
