Cambrian

Big enough to be its own city, Cambrian is a family-oriented, firmly middle-class San Jose community that fits more than 44,000 residents. It stretches more than four square miles of dense residential terrain, primarily hosting single family homes. However, foreclosures have pinned a stigma on the area for over a decade, hampering the district’s plans of development. Yet, the area is still reasonably safe and close to downtown San Jose, the metropolis that incorporates everything you want in a big city--fine dining, urban nightlife, towering commercial buildings and a myriad of around-the-year events.

Cambrian’s flat residential aesthetics can be a bit underwhelming. Most homes have the basic elements that encapsulate a middle-class dwelling--one-story of living space, a two-car garage (if that), a shallow front yard and a modest driveway. Home styles can vary but are typically of the California ranch variety and built between 1950-1979. They are also clumped into tight lots, except for a few residential blocks that afford more spacious properties and residences. All in all, it can be a bit boring within the neighborhood’s borders. For prospective residents, average household income circle around $100,000/year while homes range from $600,000 to $1 million, somewhat comfortable and affordable for Silicon Valley employees.

If you don’t travel into downtown, the area’s shopping options are a bit middling. Residents have just the basic essentials at their neighborhood strip malls/plazas. These usually include ethnic eatery spots, chain stores and a few markets for grocery shopping. Elsewhere, the Good Samaritan Hospital skirts the western edge of the neighborhood (close to the highway). If you’re looking into the school system, it has only taken in modest reviews. Most students attend the Union Middle School, Branham High School while others can attend Dartmouth Middle School and the two high schools within Los Gatos, the westerly neighbor of Cambrian. And finally for commuters, US Route 85 cuts through the heart of the community making for convenient transit.

Bordering Los Gatos on the west, Cambrian Park is one of those transitional areas where you see home prices slowly rise the closer you get to its upper crust neighbor. There are even some million dollar homes on the western end. The median, overall, is around $550K.

The neighborhood mostly dates from the 50’s and 60’s though the homes are so well-kept they hardly seem half a century old. If you know California architecture at all, you know that this means lots of Ranch homes (sometimes referred to as Tract Homes though that could refer to any set of homes built at the same time on a street plan—think Levitt Town). There are a large number of ranch homes here, but something about the width of the streets, the size of the front lawns, and the ample space between the homes on most streets gives it a more open, nicer feel than this usually implies.

This is the kind of neighborhood where you will see American flags waving out front, pick-up trucks and old-school gas guzzlers in the front drive—but it also has a lot of newer residents as well with all that implies.

One of the big draws of this area are the schools all of which are outstanding. Of special note are Leigh and Pioneer High both among the best in not only Northern California, but also throughout the state.

In terms of restaurants and that kind of thing, choices are not amazing, but you can find Indian places, East Asian foods, and Mexican food. And, of course, the usual fast food choices.

In terms of nightlife, this is not really the neighborhood for it unless you consider catching a flick nightlife. There is one sports bar that I know of, and it is nothing to write home about.

So overall, I would say, this is a really nice neighborhood perfectly located for Silicon Valley workers with families. You might even be able to find some relatively affordable deals here in terms of home prices—especially now with foreclosures flooding the market.