Berryessa, San Jose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berryessa
Neighborhood of San Jose
Nickname(s):  North Valley
Berryessa Location in San Jose, California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Santa Clara
City	San Jose

Berryessa is a neighborhood in San Jose, California. It is located in the northern part of San Jose. The area is named after the Berryessa family. They were a well-known family from the Bay Area who used to own much of this land.

What is Berryessa's History?

Berryessa hosted a part of the 2012 Tour of California.

In the late 1800s, Berryessa was a small farming community. It was famous across California for its excellent fruit. Roads like Hostetter Road and Capitol Avenue were once surrounded by apricot and prune orchards. The J. F. Flickinger Fruit Packing Company was a very large fruit packing business. It was located near where Hostetter Road is today.

In the 1960s and 70s, the land with the orchards was developed. It became suburban neighborhoods and businesses. Today, only small parts of the old orchards remain. One example is the Orlando Farm. In 2013, this farm also became housing.

Today, Berryessa is known as a fast-growing "bedroom community." This means many people live here but travel to other places for work. It has good public transportation. This includes VTA light rail and the BART train system.

The old Berryessa Elementary School building was built in 1927. It has a Spanish Colonial Revival style. A famous architect named W.H. Weeks designed it. Since 1983, the building has been used for businesses.

Where is Berryessa Located?

The Berryessa/North San José station for BART.

A bridge in Berryessa Creek Park.

Berryessa is next to Milpitas to the north. This border is along Landess Avenue. To the south, it borders the Alum Rock neighborhood. This border is along Mabury Road.

The Berryessa neighborhood is part of San Jose's Fourth City Council District. Alviso is also in this district. Chuck Reed used to represent this area. He later became the Mayor of San Jose. The current representative for the district is David Cohen.

What Parks are in Berryessa?

Berryessa has several parks for outdoor fun:

• Berryessa Creek Park
• Penitencia Creek Park
• Alum Rock Park
• Boccardo Loop Trail
• Cataldi Park

What is Community Life Like in Berryessa?

A colorful mural in Berryessa.

Apartments at Newbury Park.

The San Jose Public Library has two branches in Berryessa. These are the Berryessa Branch Library and the Educational Park Branch Library.

Berryessa is also home to the famous San Jose Flea Market. This market has been around for a long time.

What is the Berryessa Art & Wine Festival?

The Berryessa Art & Wine Festival is a very popular local event. It has been a tradition for over 40 years.

The festival usually happens in May. It features many artist booths, often over 100. There are also about 14 food booths. These food booths are run by local non-profit groups. "Community Row" has booths from different service groups. They share information with people at the festival. "Business Row" features local businesses from Berryessa and San Jose.

There is a stage area with local performers. You can also find booths from several local radio stations. The festival takes place at Penitencia Creek Park.

How Do People Get Around in Berryessa?

The parking garage at the BART Berryessa/North San Jose station.

Berryessa has good public transportation. It is served by two main systems: VTA light rail and BART.

• VTA light rail stations:
  • Berryessa (VTA)
  • Cropley (VTA)
  • Hostetter (VTA)
  • Penitencia Creek (VTA)

• BART station:
  • Berryessa/North San Jose station

What About Education in Berryessa?

The Berryessa Branch of the San José Public Library.

The Berryessa light rail station.

Town homes in Berryessa.

The Berryessa Union School District runs the public schools in the area. There are also two private schools. These are Saint Victor Catholic School and Milpitas Christian School. Milpitas Christian School started in Milpitas but is now in Berryessa.

Here are some of the public schools in Berryessa:

High Schools in Berryessa

• Independence High School
• Piedmont Hills High School

Middle Schools in Berryessa

• Morrill Middle School
• Piedmont Middle School
• Sierramont Middle School

Elementary Schools in Berryessa

• Brooktree Elementary School
• Cherrywood Elementary School
• Laneview Elementary School
• Majestic Way Elementary School
• Noble Elementary School
• Northwood Elementary School
• Ruskin Elementary School
• Summerdale Elementary School
• Toyon Elementary School
• Vinci Park Elementary School

Images for kids

• 

  King's Crossing at Newbury Park

• 

  Townhomes on Mabury

• 

  San Jose Flea Market

• 

  Café on N. Capitol Ave

• 

  Townhomes on Mercado Way

Who are Some Famous People from Berryessa?

These people either grew up in Berryessa or live there now:

• Peanut Butter Wolf, a DJ and music producer
• Chuck Reed, a former mayor of San Jose
• Rex Walters, a former NBA basketball player and coach
• Jerry Yang, who helped start Yahoo!