It is named after the New Almaden Quicksilver Mines, which were named after the mercurymine in Almadén, Spain, and produced mercury that was used to process ore during the Gold Rush. Like its Spanish namesake, California's Almaden had a number of quicksilver mines. The mercury was used during gold extraction in the California Gold Rush, but the mines were closed in 1975 and have been converted into Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Despite the closure of the mines, there still remains a high mercury content in the nearby soil, creeks and rivers, and signs are posted alongside them warning people not to eat the fish. Many of the names in Almaden retain their mercury mine themes. For example, there are streets called Silver Lode Lane and Silver Mine Drive. Also, many places in Almaden still use the name Quicksilver. In December 1959, the Regents of the University of California selected Almaden Valley to be the site of the next campus of the University of California system. Unfortunately, news of this decision caused property values in the area to increase so rapidly that the Regents could no longer afford to buy the needed land. After another year of study, the Regents selected another site much farther south, which opened in 1965 as the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Geography
The neighborhood is south east of the town of Los Gatos, west of the Santa Teresa neighborhood of San Jose and south of Blossom Hill Rd. The informal borders are generally Coleman Rd. at the northern end, McKean Rd. at the southern end, where the valley becomes mostly rural, and the town of Los Gatos to the west. The valley is located between the Santa Teresa Hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains, with Mount Umunhum to the west dominating the local geography.
The neighborhoods consist of primarily upper-middle-class families, with homes owned by local professionals, scientists, professional athletes, and Silicon Valley executives. According to a 2011 estimate, the median income for a household in Almaden was $148,801 and the median income for a family was $182,981. The cost of a home in the neighborhood is generally in the $1 million-plus range.
