Evergreen, San Jose

The Evergreen area just to the south of Reid-Hillview Airport and Lake Cunningham on the far eastern end of San Jose is the far reach of SJ suburban sprawl. The area was in the midst of a housing boom, with tons of new construction going up, just when the Housing Crisis struck. Drive through the brand spanking new neighborhoods and you will still see homes that were not completed sitting, waiting for the return of construction.

Despite this, house prices here are still fairly high, with the median price being around $500 K. (Though some homes in the hills still price over $1 million.) Homes here are those two-story contemporary style homes with adobe walls and red-tiled roofs—a popular 80’s and 90’s style.

One of the big draws in the area for families are the schools. Evergreen Valley High can more than hold its own against any other school in the Bay Area. It has truly amazing test scores. And this standard of excellence permeates all levels of the education system in the Evergreen Valley area.

Now this is not a big nightlife neighborhood. Being near the hills, Evergreen is pretty much a 100% residential suburban area.

There are nearby East Asian restaurants and supermarkets and the whole deal, but this is not the kind of place where singles will enjoy spending their nights out for fun. This is pretty much a place to lay down your head to sleep and where you feel safe letting your kids go to the park without getting shot by gangs.

Overall a nice place to live—perhaps a bit overpriced.