The neighborhood commonly known as Carlton, located around Carlton Avenue, not far from Blossom Hill Road, is in San Jose but feels a bit like nearby Los Gatos.

The neighborhood is made up of ‘60s-era homes situated on big lots located on quiet side streets, and offers close-up views of the hills. And it surrounds Carlton School, a K-5 public school that earned an impressive four out of five stars from Greatschools.com. (Parents noted community involvement, a dedicated staff and an overall supportive environment for students.)

A ranch house on a spacious lot at 5077 Leigh Ave. features a large master bedroom, a bright, airy kitchen, a living room with a separate dining area and wood-burning fireplace, and a separate family room that can be used as a bedroom.

What sets this house apart is the property: 6,000 square feet, complete with fruit trees and a dog run. You can sit out in back, do some work in the garden and let your pets (and kids or grandkids) run free here. The house also features double-pane windows, hardwood floors and a relatively new roof. It can be had for $549,500.

Buyers looking to expand may want to check out another house at 14575 Acton Court. It’s a corner house, which means that the lot is larger the other ample lots on the block. The house itself is 1,630 square feet. There are three bedrooms and two full baths and a kitchen that was recently redone with wood cabinets and granite countertops. There’s also a roomy living room and dining area, as well as a private family area right off the living room.

But like most of the homes in Carlton, this place is really about the outdoors. A big deck out back leads to a rounded swimming pool, which is surrounded by a large lawn and mature fruit trees.

And this is the kind of home that will grow. The seller already has approved plans to convert the home into a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house covering 2,650 square feet. The new buyer could do the expansion/remodel right away, or take it one step at a time. The house is selling for $779,000.

Another very nice home is available at 2329 Carlton Ave. It’s a spacious (1,829 square feet), three-bedroom, two-bath home, with an open floor plan that can be modified easily. The kitchen includes dark wood cabinets

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and granite countertops. There are also two fireplaces, including a stunning, brick-enclosed hearth in the living room. The house is located on a 7,000 square foot lot, leaving plenty of possibilities for outdoors as well as indoors. This house can be had for $625,000.

Just 10 minutes by bicycle from downtown Los Gatos, the Carlton neighborhood is also pretty close to both Campbell and Willow Glen. It’s kind of an undiscovered little neighborhood and might be worth a look-see.