Monte Sereno, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monte Sereno, California
City
Post Office and City Hall in Monte Sereno
Seal
Location in Santa Clara County and the state of California
Monte Sereno, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Santa Clara
Incorporated	May 14, 1957
Area
• Total	1.66 sq mi (4.30 km2)
• Land	1.66 sq mi (4.30 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	515 ft (157 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,479
• Density	2,096/sq mi (809.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	95030
Area code(s)	408/669
FIPS code	06-48956
GNIS feature ID	277610
Website	http://www.montesereno.org/

Monte Sereno is a small city in Santa Clara County, California. Its name means "Serene Mountain" in Spanish. In 2020, about 3,479 people lived here.

The city is nestled in the hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of San Jose. Monte Sereno is surrounded by the town of Los Gatos and the city of Saratoga.

Monte Sereno is known for being a quiet, residential area. It has almost no businesses and mostly single-family homes. Many people who live here work in Silicon Valley and travel to their jobs. The city shares its Zip code with Los Gatos. Many services, like police, are provided by Los Gatos.

Monte Sereno's History

The land where Monte Sereno now stands was once part of a large Spanish land grant from 1839. The city officially became a city on May 14, 1957. People wanted to keep its peaceful, country-like feel. Its first mayor was Thomas B. Inglis, a retired Vice Admiral.

Many famous people have lived in Monte Sereno. The famous author John Steinbeck wrote parts of his well-known books, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, in a home here. Neal Cassady, a well-known figure from the Beat Generation, also lived in Monte Sereno in the 1950s. The painter Thomas Kinkade lived here until he passed away.

Geography and Nature

Monte Sereno is located in a beautiful area, surrounded by hills. The city covers about 1.6 square miles (4.3 square kilometers) of land. There is no water within the city limits.

The San Tomas Aquino Creek forms the western edge of the city. California State Route 9 also runs through Monte Sereno. Just south of the city is the El Sereno Open Space Preserve. This preserve covers the top and sides of El Sereno Mountain, which is 2,580 feet (786 meters) tall.

Population and People

Monte Sereno's Population in 2020

In 2020, Monte Sereno had 3,479 residents. This means there were about 2,100 people living in each square mile. Most residents (about 67.6%) were White, and about 19.6% were Asian. About 6.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Monte Sereno is about 53.7 years old. This is older than the average age for all of California, which is 37.9 years. About 16.9% of the people living in Monte Sereno are under 18 years old. There were 1,270 households in the city.

Schools in Monte Sereno

Most students in Monte Sereno go to schools in nearby districts. For elementary and middle school, they attend schools in the Los Gatos Union Elementary School District or Saratoga Elementary School District. For high school, they go to schools in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School Districts.

A small number of students, especially those living near Bicknell Road, attend schools in the Campbell Union School and Campbell Union High School districts.

City Services

Monte Sereno gets many of its public services from the town of Los Gatos. This includes the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, which helps keep the city safe. The Los Gatos Parks and Recreation Department also serves Monte Sereno. This department helps with parks and youth sports leagues for kids.

Interesting Events

Christmas Decorations

Monte Sereno once made national news because of a disagreement about Christmas decorations. A family named the Aertses had very big and fancy holiday displays in their yard. These displays cost a lot of money and attracted many visitors. This caused a lot of traffic on their quiet street.

Their neighbors, the Nguyens, were not happy about the traffic. In 2003, the city council voted to create a rule about "special events." This rule meant that large displays would need permits. In 2004, the Aertses decided not to get a permit. Instead, they put up a huge, 10-foot-tall Grinch that sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and pointed at the Nguyens' house.

This story was reported by news groups like the Associated Press and NPR. The Aertses and Nguyens even appeared on a TV show called Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Changes in City Leadership

In 2019, there were some changes in how Monte Sereno's city leaders were chosen. A new council member, Shawn Leuthold, suggested changing how the mayor was selected. Later that year, the city council decided to change mayors. The current mayor, Curtis Rogers, was replaced by Rowena Turner. Liz Lawler became the new Vice Mayor.

After these changes, Council Member Rogers resigned. The council then appointed Daniel LaBouve to fill his spot. Over the next year, many city staff members, like the city manager and city clerk, left their jobs. For the first time in over 60 years, the city staff also decided to form a union.

Notable People

• 

  Thomas Kinkade, an American painter known for his realistic and peaceful art.

• 

  John Steinbeck, a Nobel Prize-winning author who wrote The Grapes of Wrath and finished Of Mice and Men while living in Monte Sereno.

• 

  Jack Tramiel, a businessman who founded Commodore International. He helped create early home computers like the Commodore PET and Commodore 64.

See also

In Spanish: Monte Sereno para niños