What are the best neighborhoods to buy a home in San Jose?
There are more than 40 neighborhoods in San Jose, and these can be grouped into five main areas: Downtown/Central and the North, East, West and South zones.
Downtown/Central
Downtown is the main business district of San Jose. It’s home to the Tech Museum of Innovation, where visitors can explore fascinating high-tech gadgets on the cutting edge of technology. Japan Town, just north of the center, was settled by Japanese people following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and is known for its authentic artwork, shops and cuisine. All in all, there are more than 250 restaurants downtown offering an enormous range of multicultural dishes. Plus, the Mineta San Jose International Airport is only four miles away.
North San Jose
North San Jose encompasses most of the city’s largest tech companies, including IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Apple and SanDisk. The neighborhood of Alviso is located in this region and served as the city’s port.
East San Jose
East San Jose Alum Rock is one of the districts here and is home to the Lake Cunningham Regional Skate Park, the largest skate park in California. The Lick Observatory is atop Mount Hamilton and offers a fantastic day out where visitors can have a glimpse of the universe using one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. Little Portugal, an interesting neighborhood, is bordered by 33rd St. and Highway 101 and is considered a rich historical area.
West San Jose
West San Jose is bounded to the north by the city of Santa Clara and is known nowadays as an upscale residential neighborhood, especially in its westernmost part. There are many shopping options here, including Westfield Valley Fair and Westgate Mall, as well as more than 20 movie theaters. Burbank, conveniently located near the downtown area, is considered one of the more affordable neighborhoods in San Jose in terms of real estate (by comparison, of course).
South San Jose
South San Jose is bounded by the city of Morgan Hill to the south, Camden Avenue to the west and Highway 101 to the east. The area allows access to several open spaces that nature lovers will enjoy, including the Guadalupe River Trail, the Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Santa Teresa County Park. Of the neighborhoods here, Seven Trees has a large Hispanic population; Coyote Valley is quite rural, but is targeted for development; and Edenvale, just south of the center, has more accessible housing options. Almaden Valley also has more accessible housing options, as well as a relaxed atmosphere further south.