Fairbrae — the quintessential Sunnyvale Eichler enclave
Developed on former orchards in 1958–60, Fairbrae was Eichler's grand statement in Sunnyvale: 350-plus homes, a uniformly classic mid-century look, and its own private swim and tennis club. If one neighborhood embodies the city's Eichler legacy, it's this one.
Eichler's biggest Sunnyvale bet
The initial Fairbrae tract (1958) included 78 homes on Pome, Quince, Sheraton, Pulora and Hollenbeck — many of them expansive L-shaped courtyard models. Eichler aimed slightly upmarket here, and buyers could join the brand-new Fairbrae Swim & Tennis Club built right in the neighborhood, a rare amenity that set the tract apart as a lifestyle community.
In 1959–60 the Fairbrae Addition added 275 more Eichlers on a web of cul-de-sacs — Sesame, Templeton, Torrington, Strawberry, Sage. Every home in the addition was a 4-bedroom, 2-bath design (atrium or courtyard), giving the tract remarkable consistency of scale and function.
The total — over 350 Eichler houses — makes Fairbrae Sunnyvale's largest Eichler enclave. The designs were by Jones & Emmons and Claude Oakland, reflecting Eichler's late-1950s evolution toward larger, more refined homes.
Sunnyvale's most cohesive mid-century streetscape
Fairbrae showcases the quintessential Eichler look: low-slung profiles, A-frame or gently sloped roofs with deep eaves, and facades of vertical wood siding punctuated by floor-to-ceiling glass. Many models are atrium designs — walk through the front door into an open-air atrium at the heart of the house, plants and sky above. Others are U- or L-shaped courtyard models wrapping a side patio.
The homes sit on wide, tree-lined streets and larger lots than the earlier tracts, giving the neighborhood an open, spacious feel. Post-and-beam construction, tongue-and-groove ceilings and globe pendant entry lights are everywhere. Fairbrae's paneled walls and globe lights are so emblematic that many simply call it the quintessential Sunnyvale Eichler neighborhood.
Fairbrae at a glance
- Built
- 1958, with the larger Fairbrae Addition in 1959–60
- Size
- 350+ homes — Sunnyvale's largest Eichler tract
- Architects
- Jones & Emmons and Claude Oakland — atrium and L-shaped courtyard plans; addition homes all 4-bed / 2-bath
- The club
- Fairbrae Swim & Tennis Club — a private member co-op with pool, courts and a seasonal events calendar, walkable from most of the tract
- Streets
- Pome, Quince, Sheraton, Pulora, Hollenbeck; Sesame, Templeton, Torrington, Strawberry, Sage
- Schools
- Cherry Chase Elementary, Sunnyvale Middle, Homestead High
- Protection
- A voter-adopted single-story overlay keeps two-story rebuilds out of the streetscape
- Price range
- Roughly $2.1M to $3.4M, depending on size and level of updating
- The draw
- Consistency, community, and the full Eichler lifestyle in one place
Premium prices, limited supply, frequent bidding wars
Fairbrae is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the Silicon Valley Eichler market, and it prices like it.
- Prices. Homes typically run $2.1M–$3.4M. Well-preserved examples — working radiant heat, original mahogany, intact atrium — fetch the top of the range and beyond.
- Demand. Architectural pedigree + the swim club + the school district makes competition intense. Inventory is limited; houses sell quickly, sometimes off-market, often with multiple offers.
- Buyers. Mostly mid-century enthusiasts and tech professionals with families, drawn by the character and the central location.
- The overlay. The single-story zoning overlay protects values by guaranteeing no looming two-story rebuild disrupts the Eichler streetscape — a real selling point for purists.
An active community with a genuine social fabric
Fairbrae residents — from original 1960s owners to recent young families — connect through neighborhood traditions and the swim club. Block parties, summer barbecues and swim-team events are common and help newcomers feel at home fast. Many streets end in courts, so kids play and neighbors stroll in the evenings.
Pride of ownership is everywhere: well-kept front yards, drought-tolerant mid-century landscaping, original globe fixtures, period-appropriate paint. Fairbrae residents were among those who lobbied the city for Eichler design guidelines and single-story zoning — a shared understanding that living here means being a steward of an Eichler neighborhood, not just owning a house.
What to know before you offer
Fairbrae offers the most turnkey path into the full Eichler lifestyle — pool club, events, hundreds of fellow enthusiasts — but you'll pay for it, and you'll likely compete. Come pre-approved and prepared to move.
Confirm the radiant slab works, check the roof's age and type, and ask what the last remodel touched. The single-story overlay means an addition is possible but constrained — know the rules before you picture a second story.
Getting top dollar for your Eichler
Fairbrae buyers are informed and passionate. Market the home explicitly as an Eichler, stage it with mid-century furniture, and show the atrium or courtyard, the glass wall and any original details at their best.
Fix Eichler-specific issues first — a tired tar-and-gravel roof or a dead radiant system invites lowball offers. Consider a review date for offers to build a competitive environment; priced right, these homes move.
Fairbrae, in pictures
Thinking about Fairbrae?
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