Center of Eichler Attention

Wherever you go, whatever you do in the first weekend in May, just know that the hub of Eichler activity will be in the San Mateo Highlands.

'The Hub' is what organizers of the May 3rd and 4th 2014 edition of the 'San Mateo Highlands Eichler Home Tour' call the tour's accompanying exhibition for short. Located in the recreation center of the Eichler-developed Highlands, the full name of the exhibit is actually the 'Modern Hub.'

The Hub will feature the 'People in Glass Houses' documentary film on Eichler homes, an exhibit with vintage photographs and brochures, and a classic Airstream recreational vehicle parked outside for guest viewing.

Admission to the Modern Hub is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Highlands neighborhood home tour that features ten innovative remodels and restorations of Eichler homes, plus one split-level residence with a canyon view built by another developer.

One remodeled Eichler on the tour has a room with a 12-foot-tall, completely retracting, sliding glass wall.

The two-day event is a benefit for the Highlands Elementary School, an important fixture at the heart of the neighborhood. Built predominately between 1956 and '64, the Highlands is the largest contiguous collection of Eichlers, but is also home to ample wildlife, such as deer, coyote, and multiple raptors, which roam the beautiful nearby open space.

Nine mid-century modern inspired artists will have art displayed (and for sale) in the homes, including two houses with art originals by the renowned but rarely offered Chris Ranes.

"To have the real deal is kind of cool," says tour organizer Linda Siguenza with barely concealed excitement about exhibiting the late Ranes, who lived her final years in an Eichler in nearby Palo Alto.

To get tour tickets and for more information, click here.