Pocketful of Eichlers - Page 3

Mike Stasio grew up in the Eichler he now shares with his wife, Donna. They raised two girls in the home.

Mike recalls July 4 and other neighborhood parties of old as "pretty crazy," with "people running from Jacuzzi to Jacuzzi, all the parents."

Fritz remembers manning his "barbecue with two turnstiles, and each one could have five chickens on there, so I could make ten chickens on my barbecue." And then there were ten bottles of Chablis.

In later days, kids would climb onto the Stasio roof and leap into their pool, Donna recalls.

In the old days the block parties were just for Eichler people, Felicita says, but in later years they were open to the entire Pocket.

"So it was a good opportunity to meet an extended set of people beyond just the immediate neighbors," Kamlesh says of one recent celebration. "It was nice."

"Bring some food and just hang out," Meghana says.

"Right around Christmas time, people would have these open-house parties, and we would go visit each other in the neighborhood," Chin says. "And even when Covid started, a neighbor would have these backyard wine [get-togethers]."

To get together regularly, Cyndi started a group called Tell Me Something. "So basically you come up with a topic, and then everyone has five minutes to talk about some little aspect of the topic that's interested them." It's currently on hiatus due to Covid.

But the pandemic did not stop Shawna Kirby and Chris Proia and their two girls from integrating into the social scene soon after they moved in.

"It was the beginning of Covid, so the best we could do was sit out front in the driveway, and we met probably five neighbors that night."

The streets are convenient for meeting neighbors. Meghana chats with people while walking her dog, a goofy-in-a-good-way golden doodle that neighbors remark upon, also in a good way. "When you see a neighbor, you start conversations," Meghana says.

"And people are very outdoorsy," Kamlesh adds. "You know, I've seen a lot of them gardening outside, and I'll say, 'Hey, I'm Kamlesh. I live down the street.'"

Those spontaneous meetings help build a sense of community, he says, with neighbors watching out for each other.

"So we keep an eye out, and it's not forced," Kamlesh says. "It's like organic. We want to help each other out. So it's a very sort of family-oriented community. Though we don't come from the same country, we are all part of the community fabric."

As everywhere, children tie neighbors together.

"We're within walking distance of three schools—elementary, middle, and high school—and all are really good," says Fabio Rupp, who with Cyndi raised three boys since arriving in 2000.

Many kids walk to school.

Cyndi, a bicyclist and competitive swimmer, says of her boys, "They tried every possible sport," swimming at the Eichler swim center in Sunnyvale's Fairbrae tract. Fabio coached them in soccer.

Sitting by the sidewalk worked for Shawna and Chris. "We've forged really strong connections with several neighbors, because everyone has kids around the same age," says Shawna. "And the kids, they run around in this little troupe. It's so cute."

And then, of course, there's Ray the mailman, a surprisingly important factor in the neighborhood's cohesiveness. Ray, who smiled and joked but declined to be interviewed for this story, has been doing the route for more than 30 years and delivers joy as well as letters, watching out as well for people who need care.

"He's awesome," Chris Proia says. "Very outgoing," Shawna adds. "He knows everything about the neighborhood," Chris says. "He is a character," Shawna adds with a laugh.