Hi Raj,
The area is okay. It is by no means dangerous. I used to live nearby and I like the area and the things that go along with it, but it might not be for everyone. There is no dangerous crime but there is lot of petty theft.
The best way to find out is to visit that place on a weekend and see for yourself.
Thanks,
Karthik

In the order of importance to valuation of properties: School test score, crime rate, income level. That applies to Parents education which translates to income. Except some very new deluxe homes in Evergreen area (foothill), Mt Hamilton with views etc, the trend is the same.

You can go to Palo Alto High School website looking for the criteria and compare that to any Eastside High School see the subtle difference. This does not mean the return on the investment is not as attractive.
Some neighborhood is quite reasonably priced.

Karen is right! (Hi Karen!)

The East Hills area is an amazing value. The schools in the area are, for the most part, terrible. Where else could you pick up a 4 bedroom 3 bath home with a beautiful view for $480k? As a long time resident of the "East Side" I've grown accustomed to the stigma. I know from first hand experience that it's a beautiful area filled with a diverse group of motivated and eclectic people.

You can come to our Alum Rock Neighborhood Association meeting to get a taste of what we're all about.

We meet every Thursday at the Alum Rock Library located on the corner of Alum Rock Ave and White Rd.
http://www.ARNC.com

Raj,
I lived in 95127 for 4 years and in 95148 for the last 21 years. It was the first place that I could afford to buy, my wife and I have raised our children here and we have enjoyed the area. There are areas that may not be suited for your family, but overall the East Valley is a great affordable place to live. There are areas that have been greatly impacted by foreclosures and others areas that are barely affected. In the East Valley and Evergreen you have excellent, good and fair schools, you can check out the API scores online. This area has been looked down upon for quite awhile, but if you are looking for a place to buy and raise your family, this area is affordable and has lot of excellent qualities. I always reccomend this area because you get more bang for your buck! I wish you the best on your search and if you need more help, I can make myself available to you.

One more point to consider - Milpitas, North Valley and even Evergreen were not considered very desireable places to live a couple decades ago. Milpitas probably has had the greatest turnaround of the three areas. This due to a change in demographics which significantly raised school scores. With prices up historically in these three areas, the East Valley will be squeezed upward too over the short run 5-10 years. This is a good place to see great appreciation as regentrification happens. Now the immediate 1-2 year window is skewed dramatically by the foreclosures in that market. So buy low and hold for the long term.

Yes there are great deals in the Alum rock country Club area, but with so much inventory from REO's and short sales, the price has been affected mostly for the worse. There are great opportunities available to buy as well and tremendous views as Karen states.

First you have to ask your self what you are really looking for, investment vs living. There are great investment properties in the east side that would make great rentals.

Good luck.

Karen, East Foothills, even though it's the East Side, is in another area all by it's own. I should have clarified myself better when I said "some areas of 95127". There are BEAUTIFUL homes located up near the golf course and higher and there area many prominent homeowners living there. Evergreen is considered East Side but not considered East Valley. It is a very desirable place to own a home because of the outstanding schools. Good luck :)

Cheryl, you are almost entirely right but I would beg to differ slightly.

I bought my home in the east foothills 5 years ago and the prices in this area were substantially less that other areas. It's because the "east side" has a stigma of sorts; the reputation of the King and Story areas, the perceived notice that it's unsafe on the east side, etc. I don't feel unsafe and never have. Raj, you could google "crime on the east side" and see what it says.

One down side to living on this side of town is the lack of really good restaurants and grocery stores. Eastridge has been updated and looks very nice but the Macy's is a quarter of the size of Oakridge. There is a huge Lucky's across the street from Eastridge that has a very extensive wine section. There's also a huge Save Mart on the corner of McKee and Toyon but beyond that, there's not a lot of choice.

Still, I'd rather have my view and weather the drive up Alum Rock and if I need something special or want to eat out, it's 10 minutes to downtown and 15 minutes to Whole Foods in Campbell.

But that's just me. :o)

Hi Raj,
There are many good people that live in the East Valley area. However, this area has always had lower cost housing, which brings with it a wider socio-economic demographic. Due to this, many of the schools have had lower scores than what you would find on the West side of San Jose. Yes, some blocks have higher crimes statistics, but as Karen said, there are also some very nice homes in the foothills. There are many other riches that come from living in that area, including some fantastic restaurants & tacquerias. I took a client of mine to one and she just loved it!!
You will also find that because the public schools have lower scores, many of the more affluent citizens send their children to private schools. I know many people whose children have gone to St. John Vianney Catholic School and were very happy. There are other choices as well.
To address your concern on crime, you can go to the SJPD.org website to check the information out for yourself. But there are many FABULOUS buying opportunites over there. You just need to look at the big picture, and understand the value of LOCATION and the future values that location will bring.
Good luck on your quest. Please let me know if I can be of service!

Linda Baker

Raj, that is the foreclosure center of Santa Clara County. That is why there is such a big decline in values in some areas like 95116 and some areas of 95127.

As a resident of the east side, I can tell you that unfortunately there is a prejudice about the "east side". There is some crime and a lot of times, when criminals are found, they usually reside in the east side. However, there are areas that are just gorgeous and you can get a lot for your money.

I live in the East Highlands area just above the San Jose Country Club. (Yes......San Jose does have a country club) I have an unobstructed view of the entire Santa Clara Valley and live about 7 minutes from Alum Rock Park. The family that owns the San Jose Flea Market are neighbors as is the Zanotto's who own....well...Zanotto's. The more you travel up Alum Rock, the more beautiful it is. The end of Story Road also has some gorgeous homes with spectacular views. You just have to drive thru some not so nice areas...but it's totally worth it for me.