ell Paseo de Saratoga, West San Jose

Unlike some of the other shopping centers in San Jose, El Paseo de Saratoga is a nice upper-middle-class strip mall. The influences of the more affluent towns of Cupertino, Campbell and Saratoga certainly dictate the types of stores (and the types of cars) located in this strip mall.

While REI is the primary feature, the center is also home to an Office Max, a fairly extensive spa, a cigar shop and a Mimi's Coffee. Nearby Westgate Shopping Center has many outlet-level mall stores, and there is a Trader Joe's directly across the street.

Given that these shops are adjacent to 85, rather than 101, 82, or 280, the traffic here is fairly manageable and the stores are relatively uncrowded. If you are torn between shopping here or in nearby Mountain View or Palo Alto, this is probably the better spot.