Willow Glen is a historic neighborhood in San Jose known for its charming downtown area, architecturally significant homes, and strong sense of community. It has excellent schools and parks and is centrally located near major tech companies while maintaining a small town feel. Housing prices range from under $400k to over $800k with the average home selling for around $655k.

1. neighborhood guide
Willow
Glen
This guide has over 100 links to additional information about Willow Glen.

2. A Brief History
Willow Glen began as a marshy
area surrounding the
Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe
River. In the early 1900s the
marsh was drained, it’s willow
trees removed and the area was
re-planted with orchards.
A Very
The streets are lined with
architecturally historic and
Later the farmland was taken
over with houses and roads and Special stunning, single family
homes and are shaded with
continued to grow into the Neighborhood huge, lush trees.
urban neighborhood it is today.
Willow Glen is right in the People get to know each
heart of Silicon Valley. In an other in Willow Glen. They
Lincoln Ave, the main street
area where technology is chat over the produce at
through downtown Willow the farmers market. They
always on the leading edge,
Glen, was renamed shortly after this neighborhood is a attend high school football
the assassination of President charming oasis. It has an games. They make friends
Abraham Lincoln in 1865. It was honest to goodness old while walking to defeat
originally Willow Glen Road. downtown, where families cancer or working in the
sit in the square and eat ice community gardens.
Willow Glen was an cream, couples walk their
All of that small town
unincorporated community until dogs and singles meet for
goodness plus we’re only
it became a city in 1927. In 1936 coffee or wine.
30 minutes from the
the people voted to annex into A stroll downtown will take beach, a part of the San
the city of San Jose. The vote you by sidewalk cafes, cute, Jose metropolitan area, up
was 978 to 871. locally owned boutiques, the highway from both Palo
coffee shops, bookstores, Alto and Berkeley and an
beauty salons, bakeries, a hours drive to San
bank, travel agent, and so Francisco. And for a day
much more. trip there is always the
Willow Glen
Monterey Bay Aquarium
and the California Wine
Country. Willow Glen is just
about the perfect place to
live.
2/11

3. Our Community
friendly
Willow Glen is a community that works hard, plays hard and makes a difference. The
population is 72,891.The median age is 37 and the average commute time is 28 minutes. The
population is well educated and works in the high tech, financial and medical fields. 54% of the
people are married. 29% have children.
Parks Fun with Kids Making a Difference
Biebrach Park Children’s Discovery Museum American Heart Association
Delmas St. at Virginia St. Cucina Bambini Our City Forest
Bramhall Park Happy Hollow Park & Zoo Second Harvest Food Bank
Willow St.
Petroglyph The Thrift Box
Raging Waters Willow Glen Athletic Boosters
Hummingbird Park Rosicrucian Museum Willow Glen Foundation
Bird Ave and Fisk Ave. The Tech Museum Willow Glen Relay for Life
Lincoln Glen Park Willow Glen Children’s Theatre Willow Glen Run/Walk 5K
Radio Ave at Curtner Willow Glen Little League
Willow Glen Soccer
River Glen Park
Pine Ave and Bird Ave.
Wallenberg Park
Lansford Ave at Curtner
Wilcox Park
Wilcox Way
3/11

4. Willow Glen’s
Booksin Elementary ELEMENTARY MIDDLE
School...is among the few
public elementary schools
SCHOOLS SCHOOLS
in California to receive a
distinguished GreatSchools
Booksin Elementary Willow Glen Middle
API 918 API 771
Rating of 10 out of 10.
(408) 535-6213 (408) 535 6277
(From GreatSchools.com)
1590 Dry Creek Rd. 2105 Cottle Ave.
“Booksin School is a
Willow Glen Elementary
supportive, safe, and
caring learning community
API 856 HIGH
SCHOOL
(408) 535-6265
where challenging and
1425 Lincoln Ave.
enriched instruction
considers diverse student Schallenberger Elementary Willow Glen High School
needs resulting in API 854 API 745
academic success and the (408) 535-6253 (408 535-6330
fulfillment of every 1280 Koch Lane 2001 Cottle Ave.
student's potential.
Our goal at Booksin is to
River Glen Elementary
API 816 Private
Schools
create an environment (408) 535-6240
where the children are 1088 Broadway
intellectually challenged in
ways appropriate to their Ernesto Galarza Elementary Bellarmine College Prep
individual strengths, API 767 (408) 294-9224
needs, and experiences. (408) 535-6671 960 West Hedding St.
We strive to develop 1610 Bird Ave.
Presentation HS
thriving individuals,
responsible citizens, and
Gardner Elementary (408) 264-1664
API 748 2281 Plummer Ave
lifelong learners who will
be active participants in (408) 535-6225
API scores for 2011
their local and global 502 Illinois Ave.
Source: California
communities.” Department of Education
Debbie Baccino, principal
Schools 4/11

5. Photo
Placeholder
Architecture
Willow Glen is an architectural delight. Within a small area you find historic
Victorians, Bungalows, Farmhouses, Prairie Styles, Mission and Colonial Revivals,
Eichlers, Craftsmen,Tudors, Storybook and Queen Ann homes. People take care of
and have pride in their homes here. Driving up and down the shaded, well kept
streets is a visual treat.

6. Type to enter text
Willow Glen has a walkability score of 79 (from walkscore.com).
Walking Willow Glen 6/11

7. a walk through the
neighborhood
Begin your five mile walk of Keep walking along Bird Ave. Next, cross the street and
Willow Glen by grabbing a cup until you get to Willow Street. head down Jonathan Ave.
of coffee and a pastry at The Turn right. Are you ready for Turn right on Byerley St. When
Top Nosh Cafe. (A) (My a snack? Across the street at you reach Lincoln cross the
favorite is the Almond Cherry the corner of Willow and street and make a quick left,
Bread Pudding!) Curtiss is the Flower Flour then a right onto Clark Way.
Patisserie. (F) You can get At the corner you will see the
Walk up Lincoln Ave and turn Stone Church (I), which was
something to drink and a
right on Coe. (B) Coe Ave was yummy treat at this little built in 1946.
named for Henry Willard Coe, bakery/flower shop.
who was the first to use sulfur You have now walked over 3
to bleach tried fruit. Henry At the next corner turn left on miles. Turn right on Cottle,
Coe State Park was named for Kotenburg Ave. Turn left on then right on Glenwood Ave.
his son. Minnesota, right on Curtiss, Take a left at Newport Ave.
right on Nevada, left on Hill Across the street on the
Turn left on Plaza Drive and Ave, left on Willow Glen Way corner of Minnesota Ave. and
right on Palm Haven. (C) Be and right on Juanita. These Newport is the W.W. Cozzens
sure to stop and read the shaded streets have gorgeous house. (J) Cozzens was
plaque about the historic homes, in the variety of another pioneer in the dried-
Palm Haven neighborhood, architectural styles that are fruit industry.
known for its 100 year old characteristic of Willow Glen.
palm trees and fabulous old Be sure to check out the two Continue up Newport and
Mission Revival homes. homes on Juanita (one on the turn right on Brace. You now
corner of Juanita and Pine) are in the home stretch! At
Continue on Palm Haven to the corner of Brace and
with the waved pattern of
the dead in. The sidewalk Lincoln (K) is La Villa Italian
shingles that mimic an old
continues between the bushes Deli, a great place to finish
to Bird Ave. Turn right. Walk world thatched roof. (G)
the day with something to
until you reach the corner of Turn left on Pine Ave. A little eat.
Bird and Fisk. You now have ways down you will see the
walked a mile and might be 9.2 acre River Glen Park. (H) For dessert walk up past
ready for a rest on the bench There are public restrooms, where you started your 5 mile
in Hummingbird Park (D). picnic tables, a BBQ, tennis walk, cross at the corner and
and basketball courts, soccer buy an ice cream at the
After our rest, stay on Bird Willow Glen Creamery. (L) You
and baseball fields and an
Ave. Just past Brooks Ave you then can sit by the Town
exercise court. This is a
will see the George A. Fleming Square fountain and watch
perfect place to rest, and have
house, (E) a Queen Ann the Willow Glen walk by.
a picnic lunch. It also is
Victorian. Fleming pioneered
known to be the very best
a fruit drying process which
place to watch Fourth of July
employed thousands and
fireworks.
brought wealth to the valley.
7/11

8. Willow
Glen
Housing
Market
The Willow Glen housing market has
always been unique within the greater
San Jose metropolitan areas. Considered
a "bedroom community" and yet it is
central to commute freeways, the San
Jose International airport and the
technology hub. The friendliness of
residents keep it a destination for those
moving into the area as well as those
living nearby.
The housing market provides many
styles and sizes of homes. Some streets
are filled with 2 bedroom bungalows.
Others with grand estates on 10,000+
square foot lots with over 3000 square
feet of interior living space.
Average sales price is about $655,000.
Higher than the general San Jose
average. The breakdown of price ranges
places 15% of homes below $400,000,
25% of the homes between $400,000
and $600,000, 25% between $600,000
and $800,000, and 35% above
$800,000.The housing crash hit Willow
Glen in May of 2006 and began
rebounding in November 2010.
Talk to CJ for more marketing
information CJ@TalkToCJ.com.
8/11

9. Find
Pharmacy
CVS
Pets
Gussied Up Dog Boutique
Unleashed by Petco
it
Pizza
Pizza My Heart
Willow St. Wood Fired Pizza
Restaurants With Patios
Aqui Cal-Mex
John’s of Willow Glen
Le Boulanger
Siena Bistro
Wine
The Grapevine
Bakery Yoga
Dick’s Bakery Willow Glen Yoga
Flower Flour New and Mentionable
The Crepevine
Books
Hicklebee’s The Dry Creek Grill
The Hay Market
Breakfast
Bill’s Cafe The Table
Chocolate
Mariette Chocolates
Coffee
Elva’s
Peet’s
Starbucks
Top Nosh Cafe
Elaine’s Coffee Roasting
Hardware
Willow Glen Ace Hardware
Ice Cream/Yogurt
Willow Glen Creamery
Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt
Yogurt Cove
9/11

10. I remember shortly after moving to
San Jose and driving through Willow
Events
Glen for the first time. It was near the
holiday season and I was mesmerized
by the holiday decorations on many
homes. Particularly, almost every
street and almost every home, had a
Cruise for a Cause Christmas Tree in the front yard. These
small trees were decorated as if they
Dancing on the Avenue were in the home itself. It made the
neighborhood feel open and
Halloween
presented a community of celebration.
Holidays on the Avenue It was on one of those turns down a
Willow Glen street, I decided I wanted
Music in the Glen to live here. For nearly 10 years,
Willow Glen has been my home. I
Willow Glen Celebrates Earth Day continue to enjoy greeting neighbors
on the sidewalk as we make our way
Willow Glen Farmer’s Market
to "The Avenue" for breakfast. It still
Willow Glen Wine Walk amazes me how neighborly Willow
Glen is when it is surrounded by the
buzzing, high paced technology world
of Silicon Valley. If you come to
Willow Glenn to see for yourself; park
your car. Walk around and let me
know what you think. C J
10/11

11. Other Willow Glen Resources
Wifi Hot Spots Contact CJ
Coffee Cantata 1712 Meridian (408) 406-6035
Grapevine Wine Bar 1389 Lincoln Ave. CJ@TalkToCJ.com
www.TalkToCJ.com
Gunther’s Restaurant 1601 Meridian Ave.
twitter - @CJBrasiel
Le Boulanger 1351 Lincoln Ave.
CJ on Facebook
Safeway 1530 Hamilton Ave.
CJ on Google+
Starbucks 1167 Lincoln Ave. CJ on YouTube
Vin Santo 1346 Lincoln Ave. CJ on Linkedin
Willow Glen Library 1157 Minnesota Ave.
Willow Glen Back Fence eList
Willow Glen Business Association
Willow Glen Community Center
Willow Glen Library
Willow Glen on Facebook
Downtown Willow Glen
Willow Glen Charm
Willow Glen Resident
CJ Brasiel lives in Willow Glen. Each year she rides her bike on the 545 mile trip from San
Francisco to Los Angeles for the Aids Life Cycle Ride. She also enjoys helping
organizations like Second Harvest and towncats.org. Her family loves to fish and go to San
Francisco and Carmel on their days off to spend time together. CJ has been in California
for almost 20 years and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She loves the diversity, the
climate, the foods, the mountains and the ocean.