Eichlers of Shangri-La - Page 2

"We know all of them," Stephanie says of her neighbors on the court. "It's exceedingly friendly. We celebrate holidays together.

"We run an Easter egg hunt. We draw a line from my driveway to the neighbor's driveway and have all the kids start at the line. And then our neighbors have generously allowed us to hide eggs throughout the court.

"And then Dr. [Phillip] Perloff, one of our senior residents, invites us over for brunch, and we all share brunch. We'll have barbecues and picnics frequently."

The Parkers met their older neighbors right away when they arrived in 2004. "They hosted a party for us in our house before we moved in," Stephanie says. "Judy [Barr] got all the neighbors and brought some champagne, and we had not yet moved in." The Parkers are one of three younger families who occupy the eastern end of the court.

"It was great for my kids to have people with various experiences to go to," Stephanie says. "You know, they'd have a book report at school, and they'd need to learn about some historical event. They would go interview Ave or Betty, who have this incredible history with so many stories."

Neighbors say children at the eastern end of the court have brought energy to the neighborhood. "Ron dressed up as Santa Claus for my children to talk to," Stephanie says, meaning longtime owner Ron Barr.

"There is an inner kindness about everybody," Ave says of her neighbors. "I think the new ones as well."

"We have a text chain," says Seran Kim, a physician who is raising three basketball-playing sons with her husband, Scott Wong. Using the chain, Betty Toole asks neighbors for tables for her Scrabble tournaments, and neighbors share news.

"We check in on each other," Seran says. "We fix things together. I can't even tell you how many times I've helped with plumbing situations [at homes of older neighbors]."

"Seran, who is a doctor, she took it on herself in the very beginning of [Covid] vaccinations to make sure we all got the appointments we needed to have," says Ron Barr, an internationally known journalist whose late wife, Judy, was an original buyer. "You know, that's how they [the younger residents] watch over us."

Everyone on the court loves Phillip Perloff, a retired doctor who is nearing 100, still drives, walks the steep path to his deck overlooking the Bay, and swims in his backyard pool. "I hear him hit the water every morning," says Seran, who lives next door.

Block parties for Halloween and other holidays, plus a recent dog fashion show, add to the fun.

"We usually will assemble in someone's carport," Stephanie says. "It seems the easiest at the end of the court—Susan Kolb's house often, or Ave has had Easter before, so it kind of moves around. Seran across the street just hosted a book club that they've been a part of for a long, long time."

Even when neighbors absent themselves, they stay connected. Many are following the adventures of one young family, who are midway through an international sailing trip.