SAN JOSE INSPIRATION MAP

Contributions to date: 40. Those sites marked with asterisks [**] are no longer existing.

Make a contribution! All are welcome.

62 South Thirteenth Street

"I found this building by accident when I was studying architecture. I used to drive back roads and had been driving the Old Oakland Road which eventually becomes 13th Street. I thought the building was really beautiful and later discovered that it was a Maybeck, a rarity in San Jose." - Leonard Gabriele

The Balcony of the Alumni Building at Santa Clara University

"It's a hidden place where you can look over the gardens. Me and my friends used to hang out there all the time freshman year." - Maureen Oh

A Bite of Wyoming

"This place reminds me of countless breakfast outings with my Mom and sister. It also reminds me of the creepy mannequins in the bathrooms and gigantic buffalo head hanging on the wall! Great food and great memories." - Lia 

Photo: Rich Gutierrez

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

"I've been exploring the hills in the Mt. Umumhum range for many years now. The rolling hills, oak woodlands, and familiar sound of scrub jays make me feel at home, and have always inspired me. There have been so many times when I'm out on walks where an idea will come to me, seemingly from nowhere, that has turned into a song or an idea for a project." - Robert Raymond

Almaden Road, South of the New Almaden Area

"I moved away from San Jose and have come back to visit a few times. A lot of more developed areas didn't feel like I remembered from a few years ago. Driving around the border of where San Jose meets wilderness or farmland reminded me more of my experience of the area growing up. It's also a good reminder of the longer view of history of the whole county before tech took over the entire narrative." - Anonymous

The Alameda

"Most of the shops there aren't tech oriented. When I was a kid, I hated growing up in San Jose because I thought it was boring and there was nothing to do. As I've gotten older, the city has gotten more crowded as Silicon Valley blows up and it feels like nobody is truly from here anymore. The Alameda boasts queer spaces, an art supply shop, and a recycle bookstore. People that flock here aren't just from San Jose, but love and care so much about San Jose. Communities are formed here." - Anonymous

Alum Rock Park

"Finding a bit of nature among the urban sprawl of San Jose always made me happy. My family really loved going here to hike, learn about wildlife, enjoy a picnic, and spend time with each other in this serene setting." - Margaret Ann Purdy

"The mineral baths that smell like rotten eggs. Also, the snakes that breed in the creeks during spring." - rebel green

Alviso Marina County Park

"This spot has been maligned for too long! Desolate vistas, gorgeous waterbirds, the faint smell of trash. It is often deserted, especially in winter. I like to come here alone with a notebook on an overcast day and soak in the great gloominess of it all. There's a ghost town hidden out here—to find it seems treacherous--but knowing it's still there disintegrating inspires me. - Li Patron

Bascom Avenue

"Born & raised on this street. I've worked mostly in this area. Done a lot of photography. Love all the old light-up signs. The only place that feels like home . . ." - Rebecca D.

Caffe Frascati

"The millennial dream realm, filled with aspiring musicians, artists, poets, all walks of earth striving to make something happen even if they are struggling. <3 I've grown with the environment a lot on Tuesday Open Mic Nights. They have been supportive overall." - Jane Ruby

Photo: Alex Pansoy

Campbell Trailer Park**

"Long story short, my grandparents, my mom, and I used to live in a trailer park in Campbell (117 Gilman Avenue, Campbell CA 95008). When I was in my twenties, it was sold and the land was developed to accommodate luxury condos. I'm a business student and I get the financial aspects, but at the same time I can't ever really go back to the house I grew up in, which is kind of a bummer. Currently, the whole street is undergoing renovation. Older homes on nearby Sam Cava were demolished as well. Also, on Railway Avenue, just around the corner from Gilman and Sam Cava Lane, more luxury condos are being developed. Is it gentrification or progress? I guess that would depend on your perspective." - Alex Pansoy

Chiaramonte's Deli

"This spot in San Jose's Northside is a reminder of the time this was a mostly Italian neighborhood. They still offer homemade lasagna and raviolis. You can buy a bottle of Chianti to accompany a meal. The original neon sign is as awesome as the location, directly across the street from another icon, Rollos Donuts. " - Jackie Vasquez

CC image courtesy of Flickr.

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

"The exhibits in this museum are simple, yet creative. Definitely brings me back to when I was a child. My imagination runs wild there." - Mike

Dottie's Pond

"Many stories surround this spring. First the natives living amongst those hills were very ill. One day a black-robed woman appeared and told them to shoot an arrow up. When they did, a luscious spring appeared where the arrow landed, and the spring healed them. Dottie's Pond also has many tales of drowning Dottie or Dottie drowning her baby. It has always been a very special place for me where I meditate, communicate with creatures, and feel at peace. When San Jose first became a city, the Bernal's bottled water from the spring and brought it down by horse to sell." - Rachel Schmidt

Dulceria Mi Carnival

"A tiny shack of a store, it has served as THE spot to get a pinata, not the cheap ones, but a real one, here in San Jose. Through 25 years, it has gone largely unchanged, representing to me the color, character, and make up of the East Side. Also, the owners are my aunt and uncle, and it's served to me as a gathering spot for platicos and abrazos with them, my cousins, and abuelitos." - Carlos Velazquez

The East Side

"Gente de mi raza just trying to make it out here." - H

Hamburger Mary's**

"I wanted to write a little piece about HAMBURGER MARY’S which was a trans and gay friendly bar/restaurant in San Jose in the early to mid 90’s. It was actually where SAN PEDRO SQUARE MARKET now sits. I was brought there a lot when I was younger because my dad and uncles loved the burgers and would show me the drag shows. It was a known cruising space and absorbed an older gay club called ‘ST JAMES INFIRMARY.’ Anyway, I cant seem to find many pics or stories, I might check some old library files this week, I was a bit disappointed, but I did find this funny early YELP style review I thought I’d share. THIS REVIEW IS FROM 1995." - Rich Gutierrez 

Guadalupe River at W. Santa Clara Street

"I've seen it flood, I've seen it dry. But like San Jose, it will have the right amount of current if we all do our parts. :)" - Anonymous

Guadalupe Creek River Trail at Coleman Avenue

"I live in downtown San Jose, right where downtown meets Japantown, and work in Santa Clara. This means that when I bike to work, I take the Guadalupe Creek River Trail around the airport. Biking to work is often the best part of the day, because I see the entire ecosystem shift. Downtown merges into the river. You can see the economy change by the way residents and animals interact with the water, the trees, and the nearby parks. Every season is different. When I bike under the highway and around the airport, I am reminded that every square foot of San Jose brings its own stories, some dramatic, some tragic, some historic." - Julia Halprin Jackson, Play On Words

The Happy Dog Patio Garden

"In the spring, there are so many little birds and beautiful flowers. It is a hidden gem in an unlikely place, a hot dog restaurant. It is great to just go and mellow out for a while. It is in the corner between Happy Dog (It used to be Supreme Dog and Top Dog before that) and the Naglee Park Garage Restaurant. You may have to buy something to eat or drink there. When everything is in bloom, it is worth it. I think they have some vegan dogs. When you are done, you will be wanting to draw birds and flowers like there is no tomorrow. There is also a cool mosaic piece there." - Anthony Barbaria

Hillview Park on Adrian and Ocala

"I grew up down the street from this park and would often have family picnics there and go to Hillview Library with my brother and sister. My parents had their wedding reception at the Hank Lopez Community Center, which was in between the park and library. I felt a very special connection to this place, it felt almost like an heirloom. When I write I often think about my childhood and am inspired by the places, people, and feelings that comforted me and taught me lessons as a child. - Cristal

The Old South First Street**

"In the late 90s, South First St between San Carlos and Reed was epicenter of the artistic, punk and counter culture that existed on the margins of San Jose. Cafe Babylon was where spoken word poetry nights happened. The Cactus Club was the punk and music venue where they would have all ages nights. Pirate Cat records became the home base of the underground punk scene with shows in the back room. Cafe Matisse was the more corporate spot where the goths would hang out. It was the arts district before the city designated it such, displaced and gentrified everything that actually organically made it worthy of being called that." - Adam W.

James Lick High School During Free Swim**

"For some reason I always find myself writing about free swim, which I went to practically every day in the summers as a child. Something about the two pools—one empty and only for diving, the other crammed full of small bodies—compels me. My memories of the cramped pool are probably mixed with memories of San Jose High School's free swim, which was my other summertime spot in those days." - Li Patron

Japanese Friendship Garden

"With just a hedge to separate the Garden from the bustling Senter Road, the feeling of being someplace magical and far from the hustle of the city inspires a kind of quiet and peace that is too often disrupted and hard to find." - May N.

CC image courtesy of Flickr.

Joyce Ellington Branch of the San Jose Public Library

"So many Saturdays spent walking down Empire Street with my sisters, flip-flops smacking in unison against hot sidewalk. Scouring shelves and triumphantly returning home with worlds of wonder in one bag and wondrously large Guadalajara burritos in the other." - Kat

MACLA/Movimiento De Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

"I will forever tell people about the storefront office and black box theater that put up with hardcore shows, spacy teenagers, and poetry slams as a testament to why South First has long been the coolest block in America." - ​Elaine

Municipal Rose Garden

"Sensory overload!" - Erick Sáenz

Photo: Pedro R.

Mural at Story Road and Hopkins Drive

"I'd like to share this mural located at Story Road and Hopkins, a couple blocks from where I grew up. The Payless, 7-11, and the mural have remained unchanged since I first laid eyes on them 18+ years ago." - Pedro

CC image courtesy of Flickr.

New Almaden Trail

"I love the country charm tucked away from the bustle. Hiking in that area of Quicksilver Park you can imagine the old ruins and hear your own thoughts." - Jackie Brown

Overfelt Gardens Park

"It's looking a little beat up nowadays because all the ponds have been emptied and the grass is covered in weeds, but it still has a meditative vibe to it. My favorite part is the Chinese Cultural Garden, with its cool pagodas and statues. I <3 ESSJ." - Anonymous

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Palm Trees Along St. James Park

"St. James park has gone through so many transformations throughout San Jose's history, but specifically in mine it has changed from a park I'd go to with my grandfather, to a place I served homeless, to a place I laid in, a place where I passed through and a place I'd exercise at. It's un-moving and has been there long enough that its guts probably fall deep below it, never to be shown or removed despite the changing skin. Old pics of St. James park show it enveloped with palm trees and walkways. Now there are a just a few lining it, but they remind me of its past and the way they lean towards the sun makes me feel some kind of way. I appreciate its strength and it inspires me when so many things transform."  - Rich Gutierrez

CC image courtesy of Flickr.

Pearl Avenue Branch Library

"Although it is a small neighborhood library, it has access to the entire library collection. I order books of all manner of subjects and they are delivered for me to pick up and read. I learn, I enjoy, I'm inspired, and all this is free for the taking." - Jeannie

Recycle Bookstore

​"This place has an awesome eclectic range of books, from classics, textbooks, travel, sci fi, esoterica, comics, etc. Cozy bookstore cats that love being petted too!" - Elisa

Rosecrucian Museum

"Ever since I was a kid, I've felt there was something magical and otherworldly about this place. It's wonderfully out of place in this neighborhood, has a beautiful grounds and garden, and of course the amazing ancient artifacts. Also the ties to an old school mystical secret society make this place even more amazing." - Kelly McLachlan

​"It's weird back there--like a made-up place continually in the process of proving it's real. I don't feel like I'm in town anymore. I don't believe in their particular alchemist jive, but I feel the strangeness just the same. Any moment a bell could chime and render the entire place into elemental shapes.” –Anonymous, but this is Amy Brown

Roy's Station Coffee and Tea

"Roy's Station is inspiring to me because it, like Japantown, has transformed throughout the ages. It started out as a gas station and has since been transformed into a coffee shop which serves as a community hub. At any time, the patio is crammed with people talking, having meetings, collaborating, studying, and doing other creative things." - Rob Adams

San Pedro Square Market

"I get inspired working at San Pedro Square Market, shamelessly eavesdropping on business meetings and interviews. It feels like a small town when I'm there, and running in to someone I know is especially sweet since I haven't been in San Jose all that long. Every social tie I make is a conscious effort to ingrain myself into this new town." - Amy

Savers Thrift Store

"It's a modern day treasure hunt for things to use or make." - Jackie Brown

The San Jose Flea Market

"I can still smell the stale beer from those little beer cars. And the SJ Flea always inspired my artwork, as well as all the used goodies I'd find there." - Jody Lopez

Veteran's Memorial of San Jose

"I love this place because it's a place of stillness and calm in the middle of a busy and frantic city. It's an oasis of wilderness amidst urban sprawl. " - Ariel De La Torre

Vegetarian House / Master Ching Hai

"Everything about it is inspiring! The delicious vegetarian Vietnamese food, paintings done by the Supreme Master Ching Hai, and her collection of bedazzled outfits in a museum in the back. This was the fancy​ vegetarian place and many a birthday/special event was celebrated there." - Elisa

All photos were taken by the editors unless otherwise noted.