Penitencia Creek Rd, Berryessa

Like much of eastern San Jose, Penitencia Creek Road doesn't have a hard-and-fast good or bad, or even a defining factor to how the area feels. It sort of ebbs and flows between East San Jose bodegas, gentrified Alum Rock condos, and foothill mansions. What it doesn't have is a clear "I am in this neighborhood now" feeling - every block is different. You could go from being in the ghetto to being in a new development back to being in the ghetto in less than five minutes' time.

What this are does of is parks and recreation - and plenty of it. If the creek itself doesn't do it for you, then maybe Alum Rock Park, with its miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, will do the trick. Of course, many other people feel this way as well so the traffic can be a bit chunky at odd hours, especially on weekends.

One thing is for sure - with the up-and-coming developments, the good schools, and the beautiful parks nearby, this can't possibly be a bad place to buy real estate.

Penitencia Creek Road, the major street at which Rock Canyon lies, is the definition of block-by-block. East San Jose bodegas alternate with modern developments filled with Mercedes and BMWs, but amidst the unrelenting "huh? Would I want to live here?" that keeps running through your brain, Rock Canyon Road is about as close to sheer perfection as it gets.

For starters, it is immediately adjacent to Alum Rock Park, also known as San Jose's nicest park that no one has ever heard of. It's also one of the most tucked-away, cute little neighborly side streets in the area - no question of safety here! But what makes it really nice is the lovely, TWO-story homes that occupy every square inch of this road. Alum Rock aside, parks and recreation abound here with the nearby creeks and corresponding walking trails.

Yes, you are far from downtown San Jose. No, nightlife is not exactly happenin'. But realistically, the demographic that chooses to live here probably doesn't care about those two things, unless they are commuting to the former for work (in which case traffic can be an issue). Other than these drawbacks, and, oh yeah, the cost of living anywhere nice in the Bay Area, this is a pretty nice little place to be. And even here, real estate is a little cheaper than in the foothills on the other side of the valley.

Rock Canyon Circle in San Jose, California is in the neighborhood of Rock Canyon and is a very, very beautiful neighborhood with almost all two story country like houses. It is minutes away from Alum Rock Park, which is nice for a scenic view and for the trails. This road does a complete circle and it is not a very wide road. But there are nice sidewalks that run the whole circle of the street. The houses are close together but they are so nice I don't think that would matter too much, the houses seem to make up for the closeness. There was no noise at all and it is right off of Penitencia Creek Road which is full of parks and recreational stuff to do.

Partially residential, most of Pennitencia Creek Rd. is bordered by parks and recreation. It goes up through the foothills and into Alum Rock Park which is great for jogging and hiking and also biking. Being next to a creek there is a few possums and raccoons to deal with, but thats not so bad. There are plenty of great schools and this is a very quiet area.