Reed Neighbors Notebook

If you drive around San José, you’ll spot brightly painted utility boxes adding unexpected splashes of color to street corners. Reed Neighbors is lucky to have two of them, both with a special connection to our community.

Meridian & Jacob: A Box Worth Fighting For

The story of the art box at Meridian and Jacob began more than a decade ago when a neighborhood family sponsored the transformation of an ordinary utility box through San José’s Art Box Project.

An artist named David spent days in the hot sun painting the box, only to have his work vandalized shortly after he finished. He repaired it, but it was vandalized again. And then again.

That could have been the end of the story. Instead, something wonderful happened.

Neighbors began taping handwritten notes to the damaged box. They thanked David for his work, expressed their sadness about the vandalism and made it clear that art and creativity were welcome in our neighborhood. Before long, the box itself had become a gathering place for messages of encouragement and community pride.

After the third round of vandalism, neighbors decided it was time for a different approach. Neighborhood artist Karen Adamski (ShamaMama) stepped in with an idea: What if the community literally helped create the art?

Karen designed a scene inspired by our neighborhood, complete with tree-lined streets, squirrels and birds. Each side represented a different season. Then Karen and her daughter, Hailey, invited neighbors young and old to dip their hands in brightly colored paint and add their handprints as leaves on the trees.

Together, the neighborhood took back the box (See the video).

Those colorful handprints remain a wonderful reminder that this isn't just a piece of public art. It's a little piece of our community, created by many hands.

And perhaps the best part of the story? The box has never been vandalized since.

Hillsdale & Jarvis: From the Mountains to Our Neighborhood

Years later, another ordinary utility box in Reed Neighbors received its own transformation at Hillsdale and Jarvis. Once again, Karen’s creativity led the project and this time, her design looked beyond our neighborhood, celebrating the landscape that surrounds us. The artwork stretches from Mount Hamilton to Mount Umunhum, bringing a colorful piece of our larger Santa Clara Valley landscape right to a busy neighborhood corner.

“Public art has the power to transform ordinary street corners into places of beauty, connection and neighborhood pride. I loved creating these boxes because each one reflects something special about our community and the landscape around us,” said artist Karen Adamski. “Art belongs in our neighborhoods — it brings people together, sparks joy and reminds us that we all have a part in making our community a more beautiful place.”

The stories behind our two art boxes may be different, but together they remind us how something as ordinary as a utility box can become something much more: a landmark, a canvas and even a way to connect neighbors.

Next time you pass one, slow down and take a closer look. There’s a little bit of Reed Neighbors history painted on each one.

📍 Find our art boxes

• Meridian & Jacob

• Hillsdale & Jarvis

Did you know that several storm drains in Reed Neighbors have names? We didn't either. There's Willowgrate Drive, Nobody Buts Baby in the Corner of Hillsdale/Wilcox and even The SHAWshank Redemption Drain.

Who named them? Several of our neighbors have adopted storm drains through San Jose's Adopt-a-Storm Drain program, agreeing to help keep them clear of leaves, litter and other debris before it can wash into our waterways.

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner and The SHAWshank Redemption Drain

Angelica Marie and her family adopted two drains: Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner of Hillsdale/Wilcox and The SHAWshank Redemption Drain on Shaw.

The first was inspired by one of her favorite movies, Dirty Dancing.

“When I was brainstorming potential names and considered that this drain is on the corner of Hillsdale Ave and Wilcox Ave, the infamous line ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner!’ popped into my head, and that was that!”

When she discovered another available drain around the corner on Shaw Dr., another movie title immediately came to mind: The Shawshank Redemption.

Angelica also discovered the program through Reed Neighbors and saw it as an easy way to give back. As the mom of two young children, she especially liked the opportunity to get them involved.

“I’m excited to instill a sense of civic duty in them and get them involved,” she said.

Her timing was perfect. Lots of rain arrived soon after she adopted her drains, and she could immediately see the impact of keeping them clear.

“It’s been fun and easy,” she said. “It was gratifying to see the immediate difference my small contribution made.”

She has since challenged friends and relatives around San José to adopt drains of their own. Several have taken her up on it and, naturally, come up with fun names too.

Willowgrate Drive

Karen Isgrigg and her family adopted a drain on Willowgate Dr., where the name practically wrote itself.

“The Willowgate Willowgrate felt right,” Karen said.

She learned about the program through Reed Neighbors and liked that it offered a simple, accessible way to make a difference.

“This is a worthwhile, accessible way to show up for our neighbors and our environment,” she said. “When I learned about the program from our neighborhood association, it was a no brainer.”

So far, maintaining Willowgrate Drive hasn’t required much work, but Karen says even checking on it has become a small source of joy.

“I smile every time I check for any necessary upkeep because it’s a small way that we do our part for our community.”

Her advice to neighbors considering adopting their own?

“If you’re on the fence (grate) about signing up, do it! It will no doubt make you smile too.” 🙂

Ready to adopt your own?

Reed Neighbors has several creatively named adopted drains, including Leaf Eater #1 and Leaf Eater #2 on Willowood. But there are still plenty of neighborhood drains waiting for adopters — and names. It's easy to do through San Jose's Adopt-a-Storm Drain program.

Adopting a drain may be a small act, but as Karen and Angelica have discovered, small acts add up.

And your daily walk is a little more fun when you get to check on a storm drain with a really good name.

If you've noticed the empty lot at 1598 Willowbrook and wondered what's coming next, you're not alone. Reed Neighbors recently spoke with Aro Homes to learn more about the project and what neighbors can expect over the coming months.

Aro Homes is building an eco-friendly single-family home using a construction process that differs from traditional homebuilding. Designed by the internationally recognized architecture firm Olson Kundig, much of the home will be constructed at the company's Sacramento facility before being delivered in 10 sections and assembled on site over approximately two months. According to Aro Homes, building much of the home in a controlled factory setting helps reduce construction waste, improve energy efficiency and shorten on-site construction time.

The completed home will be Aro Homes' first in the Reed Neighbors area. The two-story, five-bedroom, three-bath residence is expected to be listed for approximately $3.1 million in late September.

"We're excited to bring an Aro Home to Reed Neighbors," said Dylan Masella, Aro Homes' director of sales. "We want to do right by the neighborhood throughout the construction process."

For neighbors who are curious about the process, Aro Homes plans to host several community events during construction and we will share those dates as soon as they become available. Events will include:

• Crane & Coffee – Watch the home’s sections arrive and be lifted into place on Wednesday, July 29 at 10:00 a.m.

• Hard Hat Tour – See the home during construction, August 25 at 12:00 p.m.

• Twilight Tour – Visit the completed home before it goes on the market in late September or early October.

Founded in 2022, Aro Homes builds net-zero single-family homes designed to produce as much energy over the course of a year as they consume. The company has several projects underway throughout San Jose. 

Other Aro Homes Nearby

• 1246 Blewett Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125

• 15147 Charmeran Avenue, San Jose 95124

• 5608 Harvard Dr, San Jose 95118

• 2132 Jonathan Ave, San Jose, CA 95125

Sometimes the simplest ideas become the most meaningful.

Around 2015, Reed Neighbors resident and artist Karen Adamski (also known as ShamaMama) had an idea. She had heard about wishing trees, where people leave ribbons, notes or coins carrying their wishes, hopes and prayers, but wanted to create something a little different. Instead of wishes, she wanted to spread good juju.

She wrapped chicken wire around the tree in front of her home, hung a small basket filled with colorful strips of fabric and added a simple sign inviting neighbors to participate:

Tie a cloth as you say or think of a wish, a prayer or a positive thought. The breeze will carry the good juju throughout our community and beyond.

She had no grand plan. She simply hoped it might make people smile.

More than a decade later, the tree has become one of Reed Neighbors' most beloved landmarks.

Walk by on almost any day and you'll see neighbors stopping beneath its branches. Families tie ribbons together, children carefully search for the fabric they added years ago and visitors from around the world pause to take it all in. Layer upon layer of colorful ribbons, bits of yarn, old clothing, prayer flags and tiny bells flutter in the breeze, each one carrying its own story.

Over the years, Karen has watched her idea turn into something more meaningful than she ever imagined.

One afternoon she looked out her kitchen window to see a couple standing beneath the tree. After a few moments they hugged, kissed and smiled. When Karen stepped outside and offered to take their picture, the woman happily explained that they had discovered the Good Juju Tree on one of their first dates. When it came time to propose, they couldn't imagine a more meaningful place to begin their next chapter.

Another day, two elderly women knocked on Karen's door. One had traveled from Poland but became stranded in the United States during the pandemic and desperately missed her family. Finding the Good Juju Tree brought her unexpected comfort and joyful tears. Through her friend, she explained to Karen that her hometown had a similar wishing tree, and for a moment, our little neighborhood felt like home.

One time, Karen noticed  something unusual hanging quietly among the ribbons. She took a closer look and discovered it was a paramedic’s badge. She later learned it belonged to a woman's late husband who had placed it there as a way to honor his memory and found comfort each time she walked past.

Of course, Karen doesn’t hear every story firsthand.

Some belong only to the people who tied the ribbon. Others are carried away by the wind.

Karen has even watched squirrels gather pieces of ribbon to build nests blocks away, spreading a little good juju in ways no one could have imagined.

As Karen likes to say, “It’s all full circle, from new beginnings to honored endings.”

Perhaps that's the magic of the Good Juju Tree. It asks for nothing except a moment of reflection. Whether you're celebrating, grieving, hoping or simply taking a walk through the neighborhood, you're invited to pause, tie a ribbon and send a little kindness out into the world. The breeze will take care of the rest.

Visit the Good Juju Tree

📍 3864 Willowood Drive

Grab a strip of fabric, tie it to the tree and take a moment to share a wish, prayer or positive thought. Everyone is welcome.

Want more?

If you want to watch videos, check out Good Juju Tree video and Good Juju Tree & Little Library Update video 📽️