Los Gatos - Wikitravel

Los Gatos is a town in Santa Clara County, near San Jose, California in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains.

Contents

• 1 Understand
• 2 Get in
• 3 Get around
• 4 See
• 5 Do
• 6 Buy
• 7 Eat
• 8 Sleep
• 9 Get out

Understand[edit]

The town's founding dates to the mid-1850s with the building of a flour operation, Forbes Mill, by James Alexander Forbes along Los Gatos Creek. The mill's two-story stone storage annex has been preserved as a museum just off of Main Street.

The settlement that was established in the 1860s was originally named for the mill, but the name was changed to Los Gatos after the Spanish land grant. The town was incorporated in 1887 and remained an important town for the logging industry in the Santa Cruz Mountains through the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, the town became a thriving agricultural town with apricots, grapes and prunes being grown in the area. Along with much of the Santa Clara Valley, Los Gatos became a suburban community for San Jose beginning in the 1950s, and the town was mostly built-out by the 1980s.

Downtown Los Gatos has retained and restored many of its Victorian-era homes and commercial buildings. Other notable buildings are the Forbes Mill annex, dating to 1880 and now housing a history museum; Los Gatos High School which dates from the 1920s; and the Old Town Shopping Center, formerly the University Avenue School (the school was established in 1882; the current buildings date to 1923).

Get in[edit]

• San Francisco International (SFO) 40 Miles north of Los Gatos
  • From airport, take US 101 S towards San Jose
  • Merge onto CA-85 S
  • Head south on CA-85 S to CA-17 S
  • Head south on CA-17 S to Los Gatos

• San Jose International (SJC) 11 Miles from Los Gatos
  • Take I-880 S towards Santa Cruz
  • Continue on CA-17 S to Los Gatos

Get around[edit]

Transit in Los Gatos is largely automobile-based, along with a significant amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. However, if you do not wish to drive, walk, or ride a bicycle, then there is really only one alternative, and that is VTA (Valley Transportation Authority). This organization runs all public transit for the Santa Clara valley area, hence the name. The VTA operates many bus lines along with three light rail train lines, but, if your intent is only to get around Los Gatos, then the buses are all you need to think about. There are two lines that serve Los Gatos, line 48 and line 49. Both serve the same general loop around the town, in opposite directions, and both convene at the Winchester Transit Center/Light Rail station in nearby Campbell. Fares vary based on age, and there are several pass options available. Details are available at the VTA website, which can be found here: [1]. Also, for additional information on bus lines 48 and 49, go to these sections of the VTA website: [2] (line 48) and [3] (line 49).

See[edit]

• Los Gatos Art Museum (Tait Museum), 4 Tait Avenue (Two blocks west of downtown; corner of W. Main St.), ☎ (408) 354-2646, [x]. W-Su 12-4. The Los Gatos Art Museum, housed in the former town fire house, features changing exhibits of curated and local art. Donation suggested. (37.223584,-121.985800)

Do[edit]

• Byington Winery and Vineyards

• David Bruce Winery

• Castle Rock State Park

• Silver Mountain Vineyards

• Burrell School Vineyards & Winery

• Castle Rock Falls

• Vasona Lake County Park

Buy[edit]

Eat[edit]

• Dio Deka
• Icing On the Cake
• Forbes Mill Steakhouse
• Manresa
• Aldo Ristorante & Bar
• Fleur de Cocoa
• T-Birds Pizza of Los Gatos
• Wine Cellar
• Los Gatos Cafe
• Oak and Rye

Sleep[edit]

• Hotel Los Gatos, 210 E. Main Street, Los Gatos CA, ☎ 1.866.335.1700, [x]. checkin: 12:00am; checkout: 11:59pm. Located in one of the premier communities of Silicon Valley, Hotel Los Gatos is convenient to the San Jose Airport, minutes away from both the offices of major tech companies and the wineries and attractions of the Santa Cruz Mountains. the sophisticated Hotel Los Gatos delivers luxury guestrooms and one- and two-bedroom suites with sitting areas, cable television, plush bathrobes, and Egyptian cotton linens. Hotel amenities include a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, inviting patios, fine dining on site and complimentary access to a fitness club across the street.
• Toll House, 140 South Santa Cruz Avenue, ☎ 408.395.7070, [x].

Get out[edit]

Routes through Los Gatos

Mountain View ← Saratoga ←

N  S

→ San Jose → END

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wts:Category:Los Gatos Wikipedia:Los Gatos, California