Getting ready to move to San Jose? Congrats! It’s a thriving city that’s full of opportunities, especially if you’re looking to land a job in tech. 

Not only is it in the middle of Silicon Valley, giving you many potential places to work, but it also has incredible scenery–from hillsides to parks, gardens, waterfalls, and more. 

Now, if you’re moving in the direction of San Jose, you don’t want just any neighborhood. You want somewhere that’s nice, safe, and happening. And if that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. Allow us to introduce you to some of the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in San Jose. 

Oh, and if you need reliable San Jose movers to help out on moving day, Bellhop is here for you.

The 5 best up-and-coming neighborhoods in San Jose

The city of San Jose has neighborhoods for everyone, including parents of young kids and teens and rising professionals making their mark in the workforce. Below are a handful of the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in San Jose. We hope this helps with your search for a great place to live in the country’s wealthiest city

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Japantown

One of the all-around best areas to live in San Jose 

Fun fact: there are only two other Japantowns in the U.S. that are like San Jose’s Japantown. Japantown (also called Nihonmachi) is an incredible, historical neighborhood to the north of Downtown, built over 100 years ago (the year 1900, to be exact). Now, it is a cultural hub, offering you premier shopping, art, entertainment, food, and more. 

For activities in Japantown, there’s the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and the Japanese Temple and Garden. Also, within a short 2-mile radius, you’ll find the Children’s Discovery Museum, The Tech Interactive, Symbology Escape Rooms, Hellyer Park Disc Golf Course, San Pedro Square Market, SAP Center, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, California Theatre, and San Jose Museum of Art. 

Of course, if you’re moving to San Francisco with kids, you’re probably curious about the schools, too. Japantown has the San Jose Unified School District, Sunflowers Montessori Preschool, Grant Elementary School, Muwekma Ohlone Middle School, Sunrise Middle School, San Jose High School, and Notre Dame High School.

If you hope to get a house in Japantown, you’re looking at a median home price of $1,548,821. Otherwise, the median rent is $1,962. All in all, Japantown is a great place to live, and who knows? Maybe it will be your home soon, too. 

Los Gatos

One of the safest neighborhoods in San Jose

Los Gatos is in southwest Santa Clara County at the bottom of the Sierra Azules. The city is surrounded by San Jose, Campbell, and Saratoga, giving you peace of mind that all of your basic amenities and more are close by if you were to live there. (The city also has impressive safety ratings that are far below the national average!)

As one person on Reddit says, “[Los Gatos] has a “small town feel” in the midst of a happening place (Bay Area) that is hard to come by. It is gorgeous, the food is great (although definitely upscale), it is very intertwined with Silicon Valley, and it is an adorable town with TONS of character.

The neighborhood is known for great biking, hiking, walking, and wine-tasting. (Yep – you don’t need to host Wine Wednesday at your house anymore. Los Gatos has multiple wineries with delicious wines and great scenery.)

In case you’re thinking about moving in the direction of Los Gatos, the median home value is $1,694,000. The median rent is $2,341. Even though rent can get pricey, there are several major companies in Los Gatos to work for that can help with that. Some of the big players stationed there are Netflix, Roku, BaySport, and Plex. 

As for schools, Los Gatos has Blossom Hill Elementary, Louise Van Meter Elementary School, Challenger School – Middlefield, Raymond J. Fisher Middle School, Los Gatos High School, and Fusion Academy Los Gatos, in addition to several others. 

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Rose Garden

One of the absolute best neighborhoods in San Jose for young professionals

Imagine trees up and down the streets, surrounded by classic and custom-designed homes. It’s not just picture-perfect living like what you see on TV. It’s Rose Garden, a delightful San Jose neighborhood that’s located in Central San Jose by Downtown.

In this beautiful neighborhood, which was built back in the 1800s, you get a little of everything. That includes gardens (check out the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden), museums (stop by the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum), parks, and tasty restaurants with cuisine from all over the globe. 

Homes cost a median of $1,096,698 in Rose Garden, with the median rent at $2,186. (Just slightly over half of the residents of Rose Garden are renters.) The neighborhood is considered highly diverse and a great place for young professionals to thrive due to the A-rated nightlife scene, many attractions, general diversity, and job prospects. 

Of course, while Rose Garden is recommended for young professionals, it is a great place to raise kids, too. Rose Garden’s schools include Trace Elementary School, Hester School, Monroe Middle School, West Valley Middle School, Abraham Lincoln High School, and Bellarmine College Preparatory–to name a few. 

Berryessa

One of the best neighborhoods in San Jose for families

Go north of San Jose in the middle of Milpitas and the Alum Rock District, and that’s where you’ll find Berryessa. Berryessa started as a rural agricultural town back in the late 1800s, famous for its fruit (especially prunes and apricot orchards). In the mid-late 1900s, many neighborhoods were added to Berryessa to go in place of the orchards, helping expand the beloved city that we know today. 

According to one resident, “[Berryessa] is a quiet suburban area next to relatively good schools and plenty of places to visit and escape to. The neighborhood I live in is more quiet than most but is close enough to more social environments when there is a need to relax and have fun. There is plenty of places to go to grab a bite, shop, or just kick back and relax. There is no place I would rather live.

In case you’re thinking about buying a home in Berryessa, the median home value is $891,199. Now, if you want to rent first and make sure you like the area, you’re looking at a median rent of $2,822. 

For schools, you have the Berryessa Union School District, Ruskin Elementary School, Majestic Way Elementary School, Morrill Middle School, Sierramont Middle School, Piedmont Hills High School, and Independence High School. So, if you move to Berryessa, you’ll have plenty of options for places to send your kids to, and you can trust that they’ll get a quality education. (The city even gets an A in the public education department.)

Silver Creek Valley

One of the top San Jose neighborhoods for kids

Silver Creek Valley is a charming neighborhood in San Jose that’s home to the beautiful Silver Creek Hills, which are between the cities of Silver Creek Valley, Edenvale, and Santa Teresa. At the eastern edge of Silver Creek Valley is the bottom of the Diablo Range, ensuring unforgettable scenery for those lucky enough to live there. 

In Silver Creek Valley and the surrounding neighborhoods, you’ll find a lot of Tuscan-inspired estate homes, as well as multi-story homes and condos. Most people in Silver Creek Valley are homeowners. You can get a home there for a median home value of $1,263,522. (The median rent is $2,806, in case you were wondering.) 

If you’re looking for a place to work in Silver Creek Valley, you’ll have many options to choose from. As with many other parts of San Jose, the neighborhood is close to various technology and computer companies (EmpInfo, Inc., IDX Corp, etc.), as well as other businesses, such as Execustaff Hr, Inc., Cognilytics, Inc., Restoration Specialists, and SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions. 

So, you know where to live and work in Silver Creek Valley. Now, how about schools for your kids? The good news is that Silver Creek Valley has quite a few, including but not limited to Scholars Academy, Silver Oak Elementary School, James Franklin Smith Elementary School, Chaboya Middle School, LeyVa Middle School, Silver Creek Academy, and ACCEL Middle College. 

And if you’re curious about what there is to do in Silver Creek Valley, there are tons of activities to keep you and the family busy. For instance, you can check out the Silver Creek Sportsplex, Silver Creek Valley Country Club, Silver Creek Linear Park, and Silver Creek Valley Trail.

Plan your move to San Jose today

If you’re ready to get moving, Bellhop is at your service. Not only do we want to help you find the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in San Jose, but we also want to help you get there. We even offer some of the best local and long-distance moving services in San Jose and surrounding cities such as San Francisco, including loading, delivery, unloading, and much more. Need to move last minute in San Jose? We can help!

Harrison Stevens