Buena Vista, San Jose, CA

Buena Vista is a broad, established swath of central-west San Jose, stretching from the Bascom Avenue area toward the downtown and Guadalupe River edge. Because it covers so much ground, its character shifts as you move across it, from quieter residential blocks on the west toward the busier corridors nearer downtown and The Alameda. Housing in Buena Vista splits roughly along Meridian Avenue. West of Meridian, streets are lined with twentieth-century bungalows and ranch houses. East of it, apartment and condo buildings from the 2000s onward take over, and newer townhouse clusters are scattered across the whole area, so the feel of a street depends a lot on which side you land. West San Carlos Street is the nearby food corridor, and The Breakfast Club at Midtown is the weekend standby for all-day breakfast and lunch in big portions. A short trip north, the Arts Mercantile building on Lincoln Avenue holds two local anchors. Chromatic Coffee roasts on site and buys small micro-lots directly from producers, and Hapa's Brewing Company pours its beer in a taproom a few doors down. Del Monte Park, with multiuse fields and a dog park, and O'Connor Park, with a shaded playground, walking paths and an exercise course, are the closest green spaces. The Los Gatos Creek Trail is nearby for longer rides and runs. Getting around is easier here than in most of the city. Race Street station on VTA's Green Line is the nearest light rail stop, and Diridon Station adds Caltrain, ACE and Amtrak. Interstate 280 is the main freeway, and Westfield Valley Fair and Santana Row are a short drive west. But it keeps you close to the heart of the city and its better-known districts. For a buyer who wants a central-west footing near downtown and The Alameda, Buena Vista is worth a look, with the caveat to pin down the exact sub-area.