Downtown San Jose NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

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San Jose’s Downtown area is small relative to the rest of the sprawling city, but it packs a lot in. The population here is young and diverse and there’s no shortage of amenities here – restaurants, pubs, clubs, bars, shopping, and parks.

The commercial streets have the bustling energy and look of a typical California downtown: glass office buildings, plazas, tree-lined boulevards, and the occasional historical landmark reminding you of the state's Spanish past. Away from the shiny center of Downtown, however, many of the houses are older and in need of some TLC. But some of Downtown's neighborhoods, such as Naglee Park, are completely gentrified.

A big push to revitalize the Downtown area has drawn both established technology companies and startups alike. Adobe is perhaps the best known company with offices here. Hotels, retail, and residential towers are also being developed.

One of the benefits of living Downtown is the ability to walk to work. But if you have to head elsewhere, commuting is straightforward, even to cities as far away as San Francisco. Public transportation options such as buses, the VTA lightrail, and trains all run through here, making it almost unnecessary to own a car if all you want to do is stay in the Downtown vicinity.

There’s a wide range of housing options to choose from – subsidized affordable housing, apartments, high rise condos, and single family homes are all here. Students attending San Jose State University often rent out older homes together, while high income tech workers in the area often opt for the more expensive high-rise condos in the heart of Downtown.

Young and old alike attracted to the hustle and bustle of a city will like the lifestyle Downtown San Jose offers. It’s got more crime than the surrounding suburbs in the North, South, East, and West, but that's typical of any city.

One tip that may be obvious to those considering Downtown: it's going to be louder than the surrounding areas. This is not just due to the car and train traffic and number of people around, but also because planes landing at the San Jose international airport pass overhead. Some people who live here say they've gotten used to it and don't even notice the noise anymore.

Downtown San Jose is bordered on the north by Santa Clara and North San Jose, on the east by East San Jose, on the south by South San Jose and Willow Glen, and on the west by West San Jose.