East Foothills, San Jose, CA

East Foothills is where San Jose trades sidewalks for views. Climbing the Diablo Range hills above the East Side flats, it is a hillside enclave of larger lots and spread-out homes, some in the city and some in unincorporated county pockets, with valley panoramas that most of San Jose never gets and the open space of Alum Rock Park just to the northeast. Homes on the lower west side sit closer together on ordinary suburban blocks. Up the slope, houses spread out on larger view lots, some reached by steep private drives, with open hillside between properties. With city and county pockets side by side, one street can feel quite different from the next. Alum Rock Park sits just to the northeast, a deep canyon along Penitencia Creek with miles of hiking and horse trails, creekside picnic areas and the small Youth Science Institute museum. It is a short drive from most driveways, close enough for an after-work hike before dark. Dining is a short drive down the hill. On Toyon Avenue, The Drying Shed is a family-run steakhouse best known for its prime rib, with banquet rooms for bigger occasions. Over on McKee Road, Antipasto's by DeRose makes its own ravioli and sells Italian meats, cheeses and fish over the deli counter. Down on Alum Rock Avenue, Tacos Monarca is a quick, well-reviewed stop for tacos. Errands mean driving down to Alum Rock Avenue, McKee Road or White Road. The Alum Rock Village Farmers Market on White Road draws a crowd for seasonal produce, ready-to-eat stalls and live music. VTA's Orange Line starts its run at the Alum Rock Transit Center, and I-680 is the closest freeway for trips across the valley. But for buyers who want a view lot, elbow room and a foothill setting inside San Jose, East Foothills delivers a kind of living the flat tracts simply cannot, as long as you go in clear-eyed about the fire and access realities of the hills. It is one of the few places in the city where you can feel genuinely above it all.