The Ultimate San Jose Neighborhood Guide

With new developments, galleries, restaurants and nightlife, the town that anchors Silicon Valley continues to turn heads this Spring.

San Jose’s GrandView restaurant offers exceptional food and vistas any time of the day, but sunset is particularly dreamy.

Nicholas Adams, who has lived in San Jose for most of his life, believes the city’s central strength is its neighborhoods. “We’re a city honoring our history and charting our future at the same time,” says Adams, who is the president of NINICO Communications, with offices in San Jose and Los Angeles. “From family favorites like Happy Hollow Park and The Shark Tank to our vibrant culinary scene, life in San Jose is the very best of the best.”

“I challenge anyone to find a place more poised to make a difference than San Jose,” says Steve Wymer, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley (bgclub.org). “We’re actively finding solutions for the whole world, because we have the talent and ambition to do so.”

The 10th-largest city in the nation, San Jose is made up of 18 distinct areas that each have their own flavor and flair. But across the sprawling 180 square miles that make up the city, there are common themes of vibrancy and diversity.

The welcoming and creative team at Nirvana Soul

Downtown Development

The architecturally stunning and ultracool Miro (rentmiro.com) has set the bar for luxury living downtown. At 28 stories, Miro is the tallest building between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Beyond the views the building offers, its location puts residents in the perfect spot for a life of balanced work, play and comfort. Rollati Ristorante, a much-anticipated Italian dining concept, opens in the building this summer.

“Once downtown you can walk to everything,” says local entrepreneur Payom Niazmandi, who is trying to help the more than 33,000 college students in and around downtown San Jose “discover opportunities that are right under their noses.” Niazmandi’s iOS app Unibui (unibui.app) connects businesses with college customers.

“San Jose State has proven to be the ideal launching pad,” says Niazmandi. Where the students go, others will follow. Since the app’s launch a year ago, Unibui has already had an impact with locals spending more time in the downtown area.

San Pedro Square Market (sanpedrosquaremarket.com) is to San Jose what Pike Place is to Seattle. Built beside the historical Peralta Adobe, the food hall features local artisan restaurants and food-oriented boutiques. Bustling on any given evening, the market is particularly popular as a place to watch big games or enjoy live music.

“Our growing cocktail scene is not to be missed,” says Ted McMahon, CIO of Bayview Development Group. From creative cocktails at Paper Plane (paperplanesj.com) to the decidedly chill Cash Only (cashonlysj.com), where guests instantly feel like a regular, San Jose’s nightlife is on fire.

“Dan Phan deserves a lot of credit for single-handedly bringing four amazing places to downtown, including Miniboss (sjminiboss.com) and Original Gravity Public House (originalgravitypub.com),” says McMahon. “Everyone is looking forward to his new restaurant and bar at Camera 12. If you’re looking for something totally different to try, I suggest the Kim-Chi cocktail at Fox Tale Fermentation Project (foxtalefermentationproject.com).”

The bar and lounge scene has laid the groundwork for new and exceptional restaurants. Indeed, the options of where to eat seem endless. “Tostadas (tostadassj.com) on 7th near San Pedro or Petiscos (petiscosadega.com) in SoFA are both fantastic,” says McMahon.

For the best start to the day, locals are in love with Nirvana Soul Coffee (nirvanasoulcoffee.com). The exuberant interior, passionate proprietors and killer coffees make Nirvana Soul an instant favorite among all who visit. Also not to miss: Con Azúcar Cafe (conazucarcafe.com), which creates decadent Mexican treats daily, has developed a cult following.

San Pedro Square Market boasts incredible eateries.

Museums and Shopping

“Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can find it in San Jose,” says Jeff Gire, director of media and community at the iconic The Tech Interactive (thetech.org). The museum, with its landmark mauve and purple structure anchoring downtown, is an embodiment of all that makes San Jose extraordinary. The spirit of innovation, problem solving, optimism and inspiration that drive the city are celebrated and on interactive display at the museum. “Silicon Valley provides a glimpse of the future to the world. At the museum, we’re making that glimpse personal to visitors, who can interact with our exhibits and see a future version of themselves. Children, teens and adults unlock their inner innovators here.”

Ranked by Forbes as one of the nation’s top 25 shopping destinations, San Jose offers an eclectic mix of more than 5,400 retail spaces. These include 13 shopping centers with luxury shops carrying the best-known brands and unmatched makers, creators, designers and artists.

SJMADE (sanjosemade.com) connects entrepreneurs with shoppers. With two microretail storefronts, MOMENT DTSJ downtown and MOMENT JTOWN in Japantown, SJMADE enables the success of makers and creators by connecting shoppers to what’s new and now.

The organization hosts events throughout the year, including Friend Fest (March 4 and 5) at the Westgate mall—expect to see wares from more than 175 creative small businesses.

For creativity to see, hear and taste, visit the SoFA District in downtown. The enclave, located South of First Area, is home to cafes, mega-hot cocktail bars, small galleries and major cultural institutions, including the Symphony San Jose (symphonysanjose.org), San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (icasanjose.org) and Opera San Jose (operasj.org).

Thriving Art Scene

These days, it’s especially thrilling to see the city’s focus on undiscovered local artists. Recently opened 1Culture (shop1culture.com) is the vision of real estate agent Andrew Espino. Located across the street from City Hall, 1Culture is an indoor and outdoor gallery showcasing 20 artists. Espino, a native to San Jose, describes his gallery as the outcome of his lifelong love of hip-hop, oldies and the graffiti scene of the 1980s.

Learning and fun are always part of the agenda at the Tech Interactive Museum.

1Culture and other galleries, shops, performers and artists all take part in South First Fridays (southfirstfridays.com) ArtWalk SJ. The lively art evening is ideal for nontraditional dates, friends looking to explore and other happy gatherings.

“The arts create quality of life,” says Robert Massey, Symphony San Jose’s general director. “This is a remarkable place to create. Our 76 musicians are passionate about making our symphony the absolute best. Our historically significant California Theater wows attendees as soon as they arrive. There’s nothing like the shared experience of watching live music with a crowd.”

The bright and welcoming exterior of the Tech Interactive Museum

Discovering Food and Culture

Just north of downtown is one of only three surviving Japantowns in America. Admire murals, eat freshly made manju from Shuei-do Manju Shop (@shueidomanju), and purchase Japanese gifts from Kogura Company (@ japantownsj), streetwear from Cukui (cukui.com) and Headliners (sjheadliners.com), toys from Zonkey (zonkey.com) and plants from Plant Theory Company (planttheoryco.com).

Alum Rock is home to colorful murals, deep family connections and extraordinary Latin American, Mexican American and Portuguese culture. The East San Jose Alum Rock has two distinct business districts where most of the 3 95 businesses are family-owned and operated.

The new Signia by Hilton San Jose has countless gorgeous spaces, including Fountain restaurant.

“The Mexican Heritage Plaza anchors our neighborhood with the Alum Rock Park bringing many visitors to enjoy our beautiful streets and shops,” says Jesus Flores of the Alum Rock Business Association (alumrockcba.org).

A must-visit spot in Alum Rock is Adega Restaurant (adegarest.com), San Jose’s only Michelin-starred venue. It’s worth a trip to San Jose simply to enjoy the exceptional Portuguese food served at the restaurant and its bakery, Pastelaria Adega.

The Signia stands out in the skyline.

The charming streets of Willow Glen bustle with bookstores, boutiques, sweet shops, cafes and restaurants. Local favorites include Black Sheep Brasserie (bsbwillowglen.com) serving modern French fare, 20Twenty (2020cheesebar. com), which earns its name by serving 20 beers on tap and 20 wines to pair with charcuterie boards and other culinary treats, and The Table (thetablesj.com), with its idyllic outdoor dining and friendly service. The Carrubba brothers operate some of the most magical restaurants anywhere in Northern California, including La Foret (laforetrestaurant.com) in Almaden Valley and Mt. Hamilton’s Grandview (grandviewsanjose.com).

Patrons at San Pedro Square

The culinary team manages to expertly balance the romance, historical charm and exceptional service of fine dining with modern cuisine. “We’re always looking to create unforgettable moments with our diners, many of whom have been dining with us for decades. It’s an honor to be part of people’s lives in this way,” says Maurice Carrubba.

Stay and Play

The new Signia by Hilton San Jose (hilton. com) is a unique blend of elevated service in a sophisticated atmosphere. “Our architecturally stunning lobby is anchored by AJI Bar & Robata, where we serve a menu that combines Japanese technique with Peruvian flavor,” says Jimmy Sarfraz, general manager. “On weekends, AJI is the destination for a lively crowd that comes for the cuisine and stays for DJs and local music.”

Vistas from GrandView restaurant

“Our guests who strive to live a health-conscious lifestyle can recharge at our newly enhanced rooftop pool or take group classes ranging from spin to yoga in our fitness center,” says Sarfraz. “And for those who want to explore downtown San Jose, the hotel is located within walking distance of many museums, theaters, dining and cultural points of interest.”

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