Often known simply as East San Jose or the Eastside, the East Valley was once a city of its own, annexed by San Jose, its name sake, in 1911. Some celebrated historic residents include César Chávez, and the East Valley was the first area to begin the grape boycott.
Resting upon and below the valleys eastern foothills, part of the Diablo range, and many neighborhoods have views of the range or the valley. The Diablo Range also provides plenty of natural space, and a blend of parks and private ranchland with residential areas in the foothills. Parks include the Mount Diablo State Park, Alum Rock Park, Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, Joseph D Grant Ranch Park (the largest park in Santa Clara County), and more.
Entertainment and leisure opportunities for the family include Raging Waters water park, Eastridge Mall the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Lake Cunningham, and the ever popular Kelley Park, which includes Happy Hollow Zoo, the Japanese Friendship Garden, the History Park, and two museums (the Portuguese Historical Museum and Viet Museum), along with plenty of picnic areas, walking paths, lawns, tree groves, and more.
Access to two major lines of public transit, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which will be installed in the next couple of years and current VTA (Valley Transit Authority) connection, makes travel simple. This is a more affordable area in the Valley, but schools do not rate as highly in this area as in others and the crime rates could be better.
