Music is in the Air at Rancho Sans Souci

Most often, people touring a neighborhood to scope it out look at homes, the people walking by, the treescape, and the power lines, or absence thereof. In the Eichler neighborhood of Rancho Sans Souci in Sunnyvale, it also pays to listen, as you will discover in ‘Pocketful of Eichlers’ in the winter ’22 issue of CA-Modern magazine.

Ronit Widman-Levy, who has lived in the 35-home Sunnyvale tract with her husband, Raphael Levy, for a decade, is a professional classical singer of accomplishment. But others in the well-preserved neighborhood make music too, and it enhances the mood.

“I have heard people [engaged in music] when I walk my dog,” Ronit says. “I've heard somebody play the clarinet really well at the end of the street. I have heard somebody play a saxophone really well on that side of the street.”

And all this on top of the sounds often heard wafting from the young players of the local Homestead High School Marching Band, whose outdoor rehearsals at the neighboring school can be heard in almost every backyard.

“Wow, we always get these concerts in the afternoon,” Ronit says, adding, “I’m happy when there are young people playing well right next door. It’s all but a blessing to have that, and to know that music education is thriving in schools is reassuring.”

Less obvious than the houses, but not hard to notice if you listen, is the international flavor of the neighborhood.

About the neighborhood, home­owner Donna Stasio says, “A couple of things stand out to me. You can hear people speaking in all different languages, you know, across the fences, literally. But the other thing is there is always laughter over the fence.”

“There’s a healthy mix of a lot of cultures here, I feel,” says neighbor Kamlesh Rao, who adds, “The neighbors tend to be very open minded and friendly around the Eichler communities.”

The tract was built in 1968 and dubbed by developer Joe Eichler 'Rancho Sans Souci,' a rancho without worries, without cares. It’s a low-crime neighborhood, so that may be largely the case -- though the neighborhood has had cares over the years, and has successfully fought off challenges that would have increased traffic and noise.

But the 'sans souci' name has not stuck. Instead, neighbors call it 'the Pocket.' That’s because it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Cupertino, with only a small 'pocket' of land in Sunnyvale.

The Pocket is not the sort of Eichler neighborhood where everybody knows almost everybody. There is no neighborhood association. But many things draw people together, including holiday gatherings out of doors, other forms of socializing, and simply walking the neighborhood.

Kamlesh’s wife, 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.’ ”

Music also pulls people together.

Ronit and neighbor Chin Beckmann, a pianist, often perform together, and there have been house concerts.

“It has great sound,” Ronit says of her home. “In fact, one of the reasons I fell in love with this house was when I walked through the door and I saw this big open space, and I thought I could definitely see myself practicing in here and doing salon concerts, which I have done many times.

And do the neighbors mind hearing musicians rehearse? Hardly. Ronit remembers the first time a neighbor called after one rehearsal.

“I thought to myself, that's it. Now she's going to say that she can't work because I'm running scales and singing Tosca.

“And she's like, oh, no, no, no -- I need you to open the window. My husband and I can't hear you."