Berryessa

Berryessa is a flat, highly suburbanized San Jose community stretching from Penitencia Creek Boulevard to Landess Avenue. While located along the foothills of the Diablo Range, there really is no sense of community here. For the most part, the district is imbedded in the middle-class, with stretches of boring, unpleasant blocks and underwhelming community spaces. Although on the other hand, you could say that the area provides plenty of social and economic diversity within its borders. Demographically speaking, the racial makeup of the district is largely white (over 75%), with a small hispanic minority (10%).

For the prospective resident, the neighborhood has a varied range of neighborhood residences. They provide mostly single-story homes with medium-sized lots and quasi-comfortable living space. There are a few blocks of nice, new homes that tend to be fitted along the hillside (which could be classified as the upper middle-class), while smaller tract homes are squeezed between rundown apartment buildings that are concentrated towards Highway 680. If you cross underneath the freeway, you’ll find a plethora of nicer-looking condominiums. Towards Creekside Drive (in the heart of the commuity), the neighborhood offers a couple small, but mildly attractive condos, with neat landscaping and tree-lined streets. For numbers sake, the estimated median household income is around $70,000/year, while condos and homes are an affordable $300,000. But don’t get too elated, you really don’t get much bang for your buck here

If you’re looking for shopping options, there isn’t much to brag about. Residents have their pick of a couple shabby looking strip malls with random (and hardly worth it) ethnic restaurants. There is also a Costco situated along Lundy Avenue for those wanting to buy in bulk. But most residents choose to head into downtown San Jose for nightlife and fine dining. But leave early because traffic can be a bit of a concern as well (considering the district’s proximity to highway 680). For young families, there are a few attractions that might fit your desires. The area encompasses both the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve and the San Jose Municipal Golf Course, which tend to attract families. For students, Berryessa Union School District serves the neighborhood, but only fairly well. Or at least in comparison to other San Jose public schools within the heart of the city.

Berryessa is a neighborhood with very little identity. The major distinction is it's cultural and socio-economic diversity. There are literally all types of people and lifestyles within blocks of each other. There are nice homes up on the hill, tons of sububan track homes, and ghetto apartments. The diversity of the neighborhood is interesting, but it is also the downfall of the neighborhood. There is no central identity or sense of community, overall. the ethnic groups are quite segregated, and neighbors keep to themselves. There are nice parks, but other than that, there is nothing to do in this neighborhood. There are shabby, dirty, run down strip malls with primarily hole in the wall ethnic restaurants. Yes, there are some nicer neighborhoods, but you still have to shop in run down strip malls and drive in horrific traffic every day. Most families are the working/commuter type and keep to themselves, and shop at the ethnic stores in the area. There are no activities for kids at all, other than limited programs at the community center. There is no central area that is pleasant to hang out in. The Safeway is really crowded and run-down. At the local park, my kids are the only ones there during the day. The worst part is that the surrounding areas of Milpitas and East San Jose are even worse. So if you want to go anywhere remotely interesting, you have to drive in traffic to the main part of San Jose, which gets really old. As an American-born middle class family who was looking for a community oriented neighborhood to raise our kids in, this wasn't a good choice.

The Berryessa area of San Jose is located in the far northeastern corner of the city, nestled up against the Contra Costa hills. This is a fairly middle class to upper middle class neighborhood, not too different than much of Milpitas just to north, in my opinion (maybe just one slight step up). The neighborhood is filled mostly with Ranch homes, though there are also a number of newer style homes here.

The median home price in the area is around $450K. As with most hillside communities, it is generally true that the homes become both nicer and more expensive as they rise up towards the hills. On the far eastern end, in the hills you do get homes that climb up above $750K, while the majority of the homes under $400K are on the western end.

That said, it is not the case that all of the homes on the western end are older Ranch styles homes while the majority of the nicer homes are on the eastern end. Actually it is somewhat the opposite. The majority of the homes from the 1960’s and 1970’s were built on the eastern end as actual ranches gave way to hillside homes for the community growing around the burgeoning Silicon Valley industries. Most of the construction since 1985 has been west of 680 and also happens to be some of the most affordable areas in the Berryessa area.

West of 680, in fact, is where you will find mobile homes and apartments. Most people consider this area to still be in the Berryessa area, though on the map represented here it cuts off at 680, so I will not mention that western area of Berryessa extensively.

What about schools?

Piedmont Hills High and the surrounding feeder schools are reflective of the strong sense of community that exists here and the relative affluence. Piedmont Hills is just as strong as any high school you can find on the Peninsula and is definitely one of the
draws for those coming to the Berryessa area of San Jose.

As far as restaurants and shopping and that whole bag, your best bet is up by the border with Milpitas or actually going over to the mall. There is plenty of that kind of thing around there.

Now this is a residential neighborhood, so if you are looking an exciting nightlife within walking distance, you have come to the wrong place. You are so close to San Jose however, that you could just hop in the car and be to a nice nightspot in minutes.

Overall, a pretty good spot for married types like moi.