Gerstle Park, stretching to the South of downtown on either side of D Street, features an eclectic variety of homes and is popular for a variety of reasons. It’s close to shopping and restaurants, is just minutes from 101, has some really charming period homes on tree-lined streets, and in much of the area kids attend popular Sun Valley Elementary. It isn’t as upscale or as consistent as the Forbes neighborhood on the other side of downtown, and it’s a little denser due to a number of apartment buildings and some smaller lots, but prices are considerably lower. Like the Forbes neighborhood it has many Victorian homes mixed with 30′s and 60′s architecture. The park itself, which was originally the summer estate of Lewis Gerstle and his wife Hannah in the early 1900’s, is fun for kids with picnic areas and playgrounds.