Cambrian Park sits in southwest San Jose between Willow Glen, Campbell, Los Gatos and Almaden. The name dates to around 1863, when Welsh ranch hand David Lewis named it the Cambrian District after the Cambrian Mountains of Wales.
Before the suburbs this was orchard country. The 1950s-60s build-out filled it with single-story ranch homes, and Cambrian Park Plaza (1953) with its iconic carousel sign became the neighborhood commercial heart.
- Schools
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Bagby Elementary — 9/10
Fammatre Elementary — 8/10
Farnham Elementary (Charter) — 8/10
Price Middle (Charter) — 9/10
Steindorf STEAM K-8 — 9/10
Leigh High — 9/10
Branham High — 8/10 - Getting around
- Highway 85 along the north edge (Camden on-ramp), Highway 17/880 minutes northwest. About 13 min to downtown San Jose, 15 min to Apple Park off-peak. No light rail inside Cambrian; nearest VTA Green Line at Hamilton.
- Nearest major companies
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Apple Park ~7 mi
Netflix ~5 mi
Google ~14 mi
Good Samaritan Hospital ~1 mi
Kaiser Permanente San Jose ~4 mi
Santana Row ~6 mi - Homes
- 1950s-70s ranch homes, typically 1,100-1,600 sq ft on about 6,900 sq ft lots. Pockets of Eichlers, 1990s Mediterranean enclave east of Houge Park (around $2M), post-2000 customs around 4,000 sq ft ($3M+). Townhomes: Camden Village, Good Sam condos on Saidel Dr.
- Landmarks
- Houge Park (Twilight Dr, 12 acres, tennis, playgrounds), Carolyn Norris Park, Cambrian Park Plaza carousel sign (historic 2016), We and Our Neighbors Clubhouse (1910), Cambrian Branch Library (1780 Hillsdale Ave).
- Local favorites
- Heartbeat Cafe, 14392 Union Ave (crepes, open since late 90s); Lanna Thai, 2043 Camden Ave; Al Castello Ristorante; Pizza My Heart; Shima Sushi; Adelita's Taqueria on Curtner; Hineodeya Ramen Bar; Rangoli; Lazy Dog. Daily shopping at Camden Park (Lucky's, CVS, Peet's Coffee). Farmers market Saturdays 9am-1pm at Leigh High, 5210 Leigh Ave.
Questions about Cambrian Park
M TeaShop on Hillsdale Ave and UMe Tea and Snacks on Camden Ave are the local favorites. Milk Tea Lab on Branham Ln is also nearby.
Heartbeat Cafe for crepes, Lanna Thai on Camden Ave, Al Castello for Italian, and Hineodeya for ramen.
Houge Park on Twilight Dr has tennis courts and playgrounds across 12 acres. Carolyn Norris Park is another local green space.
Earthquake insurance is the main consideration for all Bay Area homes. Cambrian Park is not in a high fire severity zone or a FEMA flood zone, so standard homeowner's covers fire and most other perils.
Yes, the farmers market at Leigh High School on Leigh Ave runs Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.
Cambrian School District or Union School District for K-8, then Leigh High or Branham High in Campbell Union High School District. Confirm by address as boundaries affect values.
Highway 85 along the north edge and Highway 17/880 to the northwest. About 13 minutes to downtown San Jose and 15 minutes to Apple Park off-peak.