Once full or orchards and farms, the Berryessa area of San Jose today is largely developed, but a few pockets of trees and agriculture do remain. Most of this district is housing, but there are also a good number of businesses. (The photo below is from a property I sold in this part of North San Jose in 2021.)
Please note that we have real estate market data and statistics near the end of this article – they are updated monthly.
Berryessa boasts very strong commute access, including both light rail and BART as well as major auto routes. Highway 680 runs through it, and 101 and 880 are nearby. Additionally, the major airport for Silicon Valley is in close proximity, too, the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. For the South Bay, this is one of the most accessible areas. This and the quality of many of the schools are perhaps the area’s biggest claim to fame.
Where is Berryessa?
Berryessa is in the northern part of San Jose, set between the city of Milpitas to the north and the Alum Rock District to the south. The boundary on the east side is the East Foothills. The boundary on the west is Coyote Creek, approximately. Some resources may put it closer to Highway 101. (If you check 5 different sites, you may get 5 different answers for the boundaries on the west and south side of this district!)
Zip codes are 95131, 95132, 95133. (The MLS also includes a little of 95127, which is often thought of as Alum Rock Park.)
Another interesting, nearby area in San Jose is Japantown. (more…)
Los Altos is a scenic town, semi-rural, conveniently located, with notably good schools (Los Altos or Cupertino schools). The charming old style downtown enjoys superior restaurants, shops, and is a pleasant place to stroll. The town enjoys a community college and a golf course. Its a great place for pedestrians and cyclists (lots of paths), and is a quick jaunt to both Palo Alto and Mountain View, both very popular peninsula destinations.
There’s a brief history of Los Altos on that city’s website that I found interesting. First, the land that started the community was originally 140 acres purchased from Sarah Winchester. Second, Foothill Expressway used to be a right of way for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The train line ceased operations in 1964, and the expressway was put in. Love local history from the Valley of Heart’s Delight? The Los Altos History Museum is a worthwhile destination.
The zip codes don’t stay within the city’s boundaries. Both 94022 and 94024 can be found in Los Altos and adjacent Los Altos Hills.
Los Altos Real Estate Market Conditions
Below please find first information from Altos Research, and then from the RE Report (we have subscriptions to both). Altos’ data is for the city and by zip codes. It uses list prices and its charts and reports are updated automatically each week. The RE Report uses data for each full month and provides it for the city as a whole and also by four distinct regions or neighborhoods. Both reports offer a subscription option if you click on the links.
The next 3 charts are from Altos Research and they are updated weekly, so check back often! You can see the weekly report, with even more data, by visiting the link. Subscribe for Los Altos, for one of its zip codes, or anywhere else nearby by first entering the desired zip or city in the “Search Anywhere” button and then clicking on subscribe.
Whole town- both 94022 and 94024 (Click to see full reports)
Silver Leaf Park in the Santa Teresa area of San Jose
A scenic, more affordable part of San Jose with excellent freeway access is the Santa Teresa region, which is perhaps the southernmost part of the populated city. (The Anderson Lake area is partly in San Jose, and Coyote Valley is mostly in San Jose, but it’s not too populated.)
The east foothills and the Santa Teresa foothills create pleasant views and some areas are still rural. Price ranges have a wide gap between lowest and highest, with some luxury properties in some of the hilly eastern side. Most of the homes for sale, though, are less than the median or average for San Jose as a whole.
Where is the Santa Teresa area?
Per the MLS, the Santa Teresa district of San Jose spans a few zip codes 95119, 95138, 95139 and a little bit of 95123 north of 85 and the 95119 zip code. (The city of San Jose has a different map that includes far more of 95123.)
An easier description might be the area close to where Highway 101 and Highway 85 intersect in South San Jose, or the area through which Santa Teresa Boulevard runs. It is mostly north of the Coyote Valley, it borders on Blossom Valley and the southern part of Evergreen, and is just over the hills from the Almaden Valley. It truly is South San Jose, and part of it even has Morgan Hill Schools, though most of the area is served by the Oak Grove School District.
The most confusion seems to stem from where Blossom Valley ends and Santa Teresa begins. The answer is Cottle Road.
The Santa Teresa foothills include gorgeous, large open space, the Santa Teresa County Park. It’s a wonderful place to walk or hike, and for suburban dwellers, easy access to rural or natural space, even within the city.
Some of the better known neighborhoods in Santa Teresa are these:
Avenida Espana (95119 zip, has Morgan Hill Schools – Bernal Road is the cutoff)
Chantilly (95119 zip, has Morgan Hill Schools)
Edenvale (kind of a sub-district)
Sunspring
Silver Leaf (near Silver Leaf Park, between Monterey Highway & Hwy 101 – 95138 zip code)
Basking Ridge (newer homes on a small hill just over 101 – one of the last subdivisions you see before hitting the open countryside, north of Metcalf Road – 95138 zip code)
Looking for a great area in Saratoga to call home? Consider the Argonaut neighborhood, part of the larger Golden Triangle area in Saratoga, which enjoys highly regarded schools, plenty of convenience, and a pretty setting to boot.
Where is the Argonaut neighborhood?
While there are no firm boundaries for this pocket of the city, there are a number of landmarks that make it easy to identify. Argonaut Elementary School is at the heart of the Argonaut neighborhood. Another landmark that locals will remember is the Argonaut Shopping Center. And there are two subdivisions also bearing the name: Argonaut Place (home of Argonaut Drive) and Argonaut Glen.
You can see in the image below that there are also a number of unnamed tracts in the area as well, and those often get included when defining the Argonaut neighborhood.
So generally speaking, the Argonaut neighborhood includes the shopping center, subdivisions, and homes within just a few blocks of Argonaut Elementary School.
The Copperwood townhomes enjoy a wonderful location within San Jose’s Almaden Valley. Its convenient to shopping, schools, and commute routes, and it boasts highly regarded Almaden schools.
From many spots in Copperwood, a peek at Mount Umunhum (aka Mt. Um) is visible.
Where is this townhome community?
It’s bordered by Almaden Expressway, Crown Boulevard, and Trinidad on three sides, and Greystone Creek on the fourth. Copperwood townhomes are close to the major shopping center in Almaden (Almaden Center) with a large Safeway, some eateries, an Ace Hardware, a gas station and more. Nearby you’ll also find USPS, dentists, hair salons, banks, etc.
This is quite close to the Almaden Golf and Country Club, too!
Though homes in this complex are assigned to highly regarded Almaden schools, most are on the far side of Almaden Expressway and more than a mile out, so families with school aged kids may prefer to bike or drive to school.
What are the Copperwood townhomes and the HOA common areas like?
Almaden schools are generally very highly regarded. In fact, one of the many reasons the Almaden Valley of San Jose is so popular is the public schools.
Almaden Valley, like the rest of the county, does not have “easy” school district boundaries. Instead, it’s complicated – Almaden schools are within several different public school districts. It can be very confusing for home buyers to figure out which areas belong to which elementary, middle and high schools. Today we’ll address this broad topic, looking at both the districts and some of the individual schools, providing links to both. We’ll include links to district and school boundaries too.
As a quick example generally, there are potentially 5 high schools in 3 high school districts for Almaden Valley alone.
Disclaimers about the Almaden schools of attendance:
First, Almaden schools – especially the most popular ones – are sometimes impacted, or full. If you move into an area it is likely that you can have your students attend the neighborhood school but it is NOT GUARANTEED. For example, if your nearest or assigned school is Williams but it’s full, your child may be assigned to Simonds or some other elementary school. You will remain in the same district but may not have the nearest school. This is particularly a problem when moves happen in the middle of the school year.
Second, sometimes boundaries change between schools within the same district. This usually only happens after a lot of public debate and discussion, but it can happen. (This is also true for some designated natural hazard zones such as flood plains – those maps can and do sometimes change!)
Third, the San Jose Unified Schools in the Almaden Valley did have court-ordered busing from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s to help with desegregation. This mandatory practice ended in 1996 and the court order was lifted in 2003. You can read about the history of the San Jose Unified School District online. That said, some kids are bussed in to Almaden schools from outside of the area.
These are the three broad regions and their schools:
Cambrian Park, or more broadly, Cambrian, is a west San Jose neighborhood or district and is one of the high-value areas in Silicon Valley. The schools are good, the crime is low, and the commute is not too bad.
For people relocating to Santa Clara County, this is a place to know about since quality education and affordability are often high priorities! Most Silicon Valley home buyers would say that Cambrian Park real estate offers a very good value.
What’s the compromise for the more reasonable prices of homes for sale? Well, Cambrian doesn’t have an interesting, upscale downtown area like Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Willow Glen. (It may, when the Cambrian Park Plaza redevelopment takes place.)
But it does have tons of shopping & restaurants and even a Farmer’s Market. It also enjoys a top notch hospital (Good Samaritan) and plenty of parks as well as a fantastic rec center with a large park adjacent to it, the Camden Community Center, which has loads of programs (including an after school program for youth), classes, and a fabulous pool.
Altogether, there are about 75,000 to 80,000 residents in Cambrian, spread throughout part of two zip codes, part of 95124 and some of 95118.
If there is a “central Cambrian Park”, it would have to be near the original Cambrian Park Shopping Center, which was the first actual mall in San Jose! That area is sometimes known as Cambrian Village. People sometimes use the three names interchangeably: Cambrian, Cambrian Park, Cambrian Village.
Where is Cambrian Park? Map of approximate Cambrian Boundaries:
The City of Cupertino, often considered the heart of Silicon Valley, offers shorter commutes, strong public schools, abundant parks and open space, an active community center, and more. This city is home to both small and large tech companies, both startups and Apple Inc. It attracts professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world. All of this, in turn, creates a competitive real estate landscape.
This city is vibrant and offers fabulous restaurants and shops. These are sometimes not mentioned as they are overshadowed by the fame of the schools and the job centers, but are noteworthy as they contribute to a high quality of life for everyone there.
Cupertino schools
The public schools in Cupertino are outstanding, often at the top of the list in state rankings for test scores, 4 year college admissions, and notable academic awards earned by students here. Off campus, there are private schools that teach other languages, dance, art, religion, and culture on off hours or weekends.
Within the districts, some schools are more sought after than others. Monta Vista High and Lynbrook High are often the most desired by home buyers. But not all. Some parents prefer good schools that are not as competitive as these two may be. Each family should research the offerings and see what is the best fit for them and their needs.
Located close to the Guadalupe Creek and the foothills of the coastal mountain range, the Montevideo neighborhood enjoys tree lined streets and scenic green views of the hills. Houses and yards are nicely kept. It is fairly convenient for commuting as it’s not too deeply into the San Jose area of Almaden Valley. About 500 residents call this beautiful neighborhood home.
In addition to the pleasant vistas, the Montevideo home owners and residents enjoy the cabaña, which includes a community pool, clubhouse, recreation grounds (shuffleboard, volleyball court and more), a fun swim team for kids. There are very few cabañas in the west valley, so this is a big draw.
Adjacent to it is the very highly regarded Guadalupe Elementary School.
Where is the Montevideo neighborhood located?
The Montevideo neighborhood is situated close to the intersection of Camden Avenue and Coleman Road (not quite to Redmond Avenue) in southwest San Jose (Almaden area, zip code 95120). The development was built in two phases – the map below shows in a darker green the “Montevideo 2” area. The lighter area was the original Montevideo tract.
Map of the Montevideo neighborhood in San Jose’s Almaden Valley – click on the image to go to the live map on Google. Map data: Google, boundaries and overlay by Mary Pope-Handy.
Are you selling a home in Almaden Valley, San Jose, within the next year? There are things that you can do to enhance your home’s value and your ultimate net from the sale.
#1 tip for selling a home in Almaden Valley, San Jose
In addition to the basics for every home seller of correct pricing, fixing, cleaning, decluttering, replacing floor coverings and paint as needed and providing a complete disclosure package with pre-sale inspection, there is one extremely important facet to focus on in 95120:
Foundation & drainage work is KEY! This is the number one issue that is fairly unique to Almaden as an issue. Find out if your crawl space has any moisture intrusion either now or seasonally and if so, consider mitigating it as these items can scare buyers off or cause them to lowball their offers. (You may want to hire a home or pest inspector to check the entire crawl space for you.) Probably 90% of homes in Almaden have this problem and it should not be ignored as it can lead to expensive foundation repairs, mold, cupping of hardwood floors in the living space, and more.
Most home owners are not directing the water away from their homes at the downspouts, and that is part of the problem in many cases.
You may need to employ a foundation and drainage contractor for guidance and implementation, depending on what is discovered when your crawl space is checked
Even if you don’t get the work done, having a bid for what’s needed is a huge help. The reason is that whatever a cost might be, most buyers believe it will cost 3 -5x that amount. Providing the actual cost will build buyer confidence and lessen their fear of surprises.
If your home is close to high voltage lines, consider learning the EMF levels. They are likely not as big of a deal as buyers will worry that they are.
In a quiet location? You might want to check your property’s “How Loud” score to promote that benefit – see HowLoud.com.
Selling a home in Almaden Valley: what’s unique about 95120
This lovely corner of San Jose has become more prized in recent years. Many home buyers view it as a good value for the money in terms of the schools, the overall quality of the community, the scenic beauty with hills close by on two sides, and the reasonable commute to downtown San Jose. These are often what motivate home buyers who are drawn to the 95120 zip code. Once they visit in person, they may be surprised at how quiet this area is, generally, too.
The close proximity to the Santa Cruz Mountains on one side and the Santa Teresa foothills on the other is unique. There are some issues that arise from that situation that we’ll address later, primarily regarding water, drainage, and foundations, as mentioned above. For most home buyers, those are not really on their radar upfront.
Selling a home in Almaden Valley: plan to educate the buyers
Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos, CA 95030 408 204-7673 Mary@PopeHandy.com License# 01153805
Clair Handy, Realtor
GREEN
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 214 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd Los Gatos, CA 95030 ClairHandy@sereno.com License# 02153633
Mary & Clair sell homes throughout Silicon Valley: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County. with a special focus on: San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park.
The real estate search
Use this link to browse properties which are for sale, under contract (pending) or sold. Want to view only homes which are available now?
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, AHWD, CIPS, CRS, SRES Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
Clair Handy, Realtor, GREEN Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #02153633 408-721-6160 clairhandy@sereno.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley”
This is the Valley of Heart's Delight blog , covering Silicon Valley real estate - Santa Clara County, San Jose, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and nearby communities in the South Bay Area and lower Peninsula. Find info on neighborhoods, disclosure issues, buyer and seller tips, and housing market conditions in the west valley and most of the county.Please also see my other websites and real estate market statistics site, which are listed in the sidebar, above.
Sitemap
SanJoseRealEstateLosGatosHomes.com
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com
“Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
For people relocating to Santa Clara County, this is a place to know about since quality education and affordability are often high priorities! Most Silicon Valley home buyers would say that Cambrian Park real estate offers a very good value.
