Santana Row, San Jose

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Description

Santana Row bursts with color! A sophisticated European-style development, Santana Row has shops, cafes, fountains, gorgeous architecture, and the most amazing flower baskets! It is the place to be in San Jose. Sit in the sun at an outdoor cafe on Olin Avenue sipping a morning coffee and you'll be uplifted by the sheer loveliness around you! Flowers in myriad yellows, pinks, and purples, like easter eggs, look up at you. A whimsical flower-like fountain makes sparkles with its water. Festive store logos and black-and-white striped umbrellas add to the ambience. It's perfection!
Stroll along the street of Santana Row and all about you will be elaborate architecture with colorful details. Leafy archways over chess tables, a firepit next to a Pinkberry frozen yogurt store, a gothic church gable embellishing a wine room- all these will delight you! There are fountains with giant shells made of clay, open squares for toddlers to dance about in, palms that shimmer in the sun, and best of all the flower baskets! Dutch baskets full of tulips, round pots full of annuals, and hanging balls of flowers with ribbons streaming down. Everywhere you look there is something more beautiful than what you saw before!
Kids will like the Borders bookstore with its upstairs children's section, and the Pinkberry, with its yummy yogurt treats. Try a fruit parfait with mochi instead of granola- yum! There's a French patisserie called Cocola Bakery with chocolate croissants and sunny outdoor seating. On Olin Avenue west of Santana Row there's an open grassy area and a small playground amongst cafes and flowers.
Winchester Mystery Mansion is just a short walk west of Santana Row on Olsen Drive. While you're in San Jose, check out downtown and the fantastic Tech Innovation Museum!
Great Place to Stay:
Amidst all the action yet quiet and calming is Hotel Valencia Santana Row. The rooms have soft, golden lighting and chic black furniture. Little European balconies look out on a pretty courtyard with a stylish fountain. After a good night's rest on their ultra-comfy beds and a free buffet-style breakfast, walk just steps around the corner to the perfect spot on Olin Avenue and have a coffee in the sun. Now you're living!

Photo Gallery

Wine room with decorative gable, resembling Notre Dame in Paris!	Storefronts resembling European city streets.	Fire pit outside Pinkberry Yogurt.
Brick square where people can hang out, toddlers can dance, and chess players can compete at the tables.	Tables for chess.	Hanging ball of flowers.
Fountain with giant clay shells.	Colorful storefront with banana trees in pots on Olsen Drive.	Lovely metalwork flowerbox.
Morning sun outside Cocola Bakery.	Flowerbeds on Olin Ave, with lawn area and fountain behind.	Whimsical fountain outside Starbucks. Grab a coffee and sit in the sun!
Flowerbeds in Easter colors.	Hotel Valencia, right in the action yet peaceful inside.	Calming lobby with black canoes at Hotel Valencia.
Fountain in the lobby at Hotel Valencia.	Balcony overlooking the courtyard at Hotel Valencia.

Directions

From Stevens Creek Blvd, turn south on Santana Row and park in one of the many free parking lots.
Hotel Valencia Santana Row, 355 Santana Row, San Jose, call (866) 842-0100 or (408) 551-0010.
Cocola Bakery, 333 Santana Row, call (408) 551-0018.
Pinkberry Yogurt, 368 Santana Row, call (408) 557-8333.
Borders Books, 356 Santana Row, call (408) 241-9100.
Starbucks Coffee, 3055 Olin Avenue, call (408) 241-3877.

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Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

kj 12/04/2011 15:09	i love this place
jules 03/20/2010 16:19	A nice strong cup of coffee, sunshine pouring down. It's a good morning!