Jamilla's Sanctuary

I thought I'd do a post on my new home in Silicon Valley, which I share with my two kittehs, Heidi (left) and Meggie (right). I adopted them through my local cat rescue group and I promise to post a lot of cat pics :)

 

This is my custom home office from the Container Store - they were offering 25% off so I decided to go for a free-standing 6 foot wide configuration, and I'm really happy with it! I love the bungee chair too. I work from home when not travelling for work to client sites. I'm fortunate that the girls' foster mother lives nearby and can take care of them if I'm travelling.

My condo started life as a dried fruit packing plant, owned by Cal-Pak, the predecessor to Del Monte. 3 buildings face a private, central courtyard.

One of the great features of the condo is the gas-fired, 15 foot fire pit! I must have a party.

 I left all my electrical stuff and the vast majority of my furniture in the U.K. However, I did move selected pieces like my Italian-made American Cherry dining furniture, and my Tansu chest, which I actually bought in Japantown in San Francisco in 1995.

Even though I don't have a yard anymore, the common areas have lovely water features, bamboo trees, and plenty of quiet places.

 There are two covered BBQ areas, with great seating.

State-of-the-art gas BBQs - just replaced this year.

The BBQ areas have a camouflaged view of the Caltrain/VTA/Amtrak station.

There is a well-equipped gym downstairs and a bike storage room /workshop.

There are free weights in the gym as well as a Pilates/Yoga studio.

There is a conference room/lounge above the gym, with wireless.

This is the view from my living room in the summer. All my windows overlook a park and I also have a great view of the mountains.

Meg and Heidi love to watch the action down in the park, and I've set up their cat towers next to the window in the living room.

 I'm also quite happy with my kitchen - it's very spacious and has soft-close German cabinetry, blond granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Unfortunately, the Washer/Dryer died just before Christmas and I had to wait a couple of weeks for a new one to arrive - that, and a broken dental crown, made for a rather expensive December :(

My bedroom is very peaceful, with a view of the park and it's own bathroom. That's my Japanese Tansu chest in the background. I got a plain quilt for my bed, which is almost claw-proof - got it Target!

I decided to skip IKEA this time - most of my furnishings are from Crate and Barrel and One Kings Lane. I also have a few pieces from Target - my sister-in-law introduced me to Target furniture as well as Fiesta Ware.

My neighborhood has a Walkscore of 89, and a Bikescore of 90.  Everything is nearby :)

The park is surrounded on 3 sides by modern San Francisco-style townhouses, which gives the neighborhood a very pleasant feel - you can't believe you're in downtown San Jose next to the train station and Light Rail. There is also a Zipcar stop next to the park.

On my way home from my evening walk, I'll stop for a Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte at my local Espresso place. The locals are very friendly and relaxed. It's also two blocks from the Shark Tank (HP Pavillion).

There is even dog parking for the local residents while they get their lattes and all-day breakfasts.

Every evening, there is a Cupcake Happy Hour one hour before closing - really tempting.

Hope you enjoyed the mini-tour!

Jamilla