Alum Rock, San Jose, CA

In San Jose, Alum Rock is the gateway to the East Side foothills, strung along the avenue of the same name that once carried streetcars up to the canyon. Its signature draw is Alum Rock Park, set aside by the state legislature in 1872 and long promoted as California's oldest municipal park, a 720-acre wild canyon of trails in the Diablo foothills. Homes are mostly mid-century single-family houses on the flatter blocks. As the streets climb toward the hills they start to curve, and some of the upper streets look out across the valley, while the lower blocks stay close to shops and bus lines. Alum Rock Park sits just to the northeast, a rugged canyon threaded with trails shared by hikers, riders and, on marked routes, cyclists. Lawns and a playground fill the middle of the canyon, and the Youth Science Institute runs a small museum there. Cars now come in by Penitencia Creek Road, since the old gate on the avenue closed. The food nearby leans old-school. The Drying Shed, a family-owned steakhouse on Toyon Avenue, is known for prime rib, with a banquet room that books up for weddings and holiday parties. Antipasto's by DeRose on McKee Road is a deli that makes its own ravioli and keeps a deep shelf of imported and local beer. Down the avenue, Tacos Monarca is the quick stop for tacos, and Window Cafe, farther west, handles coffee and tea. A village farmers market on North White Road brings produce, prepared food and live music close to home, and bigger errands run down the avenue. Orange Line trains end at the transit center on South Capitol Avenue, where Rapid 522 buses leave for downtown, and I-680 is only minutes to the west. But the regional open space nearby is a genuine asset, and the neighborhood carries real history and identity. For buyers who want foothill access and an affordable East Side address with deep roots, Alum Rock is the front door to the hills.