Berryessa, San Jose, California
Encyclopedia
The Berryessa District or North Valley in San Jose
, California
is located in the northeast portion of the city, between Coyote Creek
and the Diablo Range foothills
. The neighborhood borders Milpitas
along Landess Avenue to the north and the Alum Rock
neighborhood of East San Jose
along Mabury Road to the south
. The name comes from a member of the prominent Basque
–Spanish Berreyesa family
: Nicolas Berreyesa, a Californio
settler who was granted Rancho Milpitas
in 1834. The residential neighborhood is part of the Fourth City Council District, along with Alviso, and was represented by Chuck Reed
prior to his election as Mayor of San Jose. The district representative is now Kansen Chu
.
In the late 19th century, Berryessa was a small farming community well-known across California
for its high-quality fruit. Hostetter Road, Capitol Avenue, Piedmont Road, and Lundy Avenue were formerly surrounded by apricot
and prune orchards. The J. F. Flickinger Fruit Packing Company, one of the largest fruit packing companies in the Santa Clara Valley
, was located around present-day Hostetter Road. In the 1960s and 1970s, however, the orchards were developed into suburban residential neighborhoods and businesses. Tiny remnants of these lands remain today, including the Orlando Farm on Capitol Expressway and the Mattos' apricot orchard off Piedmont Road.
The name North Valley is sometimes used by locals to refer to Berryessa. Informal use of the term sometimes also includes parts of Milpitas and Alviso to mean the northern portion of the Santa Clara Valley.
, Piedmont Middle School, Sierramont Middle School
, Morrill Middle School, Vinci Park Elementary School, Laneview Elementary School, Ruskin Elementary School, and Cherrywood Elementary School.
San José Public Library
operates the Berryessa Branch Library.
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is located in the northeast portion of the city, between Coyote Creek
Coyote Creek
Coyote Creek is a river that flows through the Santa Clara Valley in California, United States.-History:Coyote Creek was originally named Arroyo del Coyote by Padre Pedro Font when the de Anza Expedition reached it on Sunday, March 31, 1776....
and the Diablo Range foothills
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
. The neighborhood borders Milpitas
Milpitas, California
Milpitas is a city in Santa Clara County, California. It is a suburb of the major city of San Jose, California. It is located with San Jose to its south and Fremont to its north, at the eastern end of State Route 237 and generally between Interstates 680 and 880 which run roughly north/south...
along Landess Avenue to the north and the Alum Rock
Alum Rock, California
Alum Rock is a census-designated place in Santa Clara County, California, United States and a community of San Jose. The CDP, which excludes all annexed areas, had a population of 15,536 at the 2010 census. Alum Rock was named after a rock formerly thought to be composed of alum in nearby Alum...
neighborhood of East San Jose
East San Jose
East San Jose is the name for several neighborhoods east of downtown San Jose, California. These neighborhoods include:* King and Story* Alum Rock* East Foothills* Little Portugal-Demographics:...
along Mabury Road to the south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
. The name comes from a member of the prominent Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
–Spanish Berreyesa family
Berreyesa family
The Berreyesa family was a substantial clan of Basque-heritage Spanish-speaking settlers in early Northern California who held extensive land in the greater San Francisco Bay Area...
: Nicolas Berreyesa, a Californio
Californio
Californio is a term used to identify a Spanish-speaking Catholic people, regardless of race, born in California before 1848...
settler who was granted Rancho Milpitas
Rancho Milpitas
Rancho Milpitas was a Mexican land grant in Santa Clara County, California. The name comes from the Nahuatl word for maize and could be translated "little cornfields". The grant included what is now the city of Milpitas.-History:...
in 1834. The residential neighborhood is part of the Fourth City Council District, along with Alviso, and was represented by Chuck Reed
Chuck Reed
Charles Rufus "Chuck" Reed is the current Mayor of San Jose, California.-Biography:Reed was born in Garden City, Kansas. Reed's high school basketball team became Kansas State Champions despite being from a very small, rural school. He joined the United States Air Force in 1970 after attending the...
prior to his election as Mayor of San Jose. The district representative is now Kansen Chu
Kansen Chu
Kansen Chu is a San Jose City Councilmember, representing District 4, which encompasses the communities of Berryessa, Alviso, and North San Jose. Elected in June 2007, Chu is the first Chinese-American to serve on the City Council. Chu is a member of the City’s Neighborhood Services and Education...
.
In the late 19th century, Berryessa was a small farming community well-known across California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for its high-quality fruit. Hostetter Road, Capitol Avenue, Piedmont Road, and Lundy Avenue were formerly surrounded by apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
and prune orchards. The J. F. Flickinger Fruit Packing Company, one of the largest fruit packing companies in the Santa Clara Valley
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...
, was located around present-day Hostetter Road. In the 1960s and 1970s, however, the orchards were developed into suburban residential neighborhoods and businesses. Tiny remnants of these lands remain today, including the Orlando Farm on Capitol Expressway and the Mattos' apricot orchard off Piedmont Road.
The name North Valley is sometimes used by locals to refer to Berryessa. Informal use of the term sometimes also includes parts of Milpitas and Alviso to mean the northern portion of the Santa Clara Valley.
Education
Beryessa Unified School District operates public schools. Schools in Berryessa include Piedmont Hills High SchoolPiedmont Hills High School
Piedmont Hills High School is a comprehensive public four-year high school located in the Berryessa neighborhood of San Jose, California, USA. It is part of the East Side Union High School District and is the second highest performing school in the district, based on California's Academic...
, Piedmont Middle School, Sierramont Middle School
Sierramont Middle School
Sierramont Middle School is a three-year middle school located in East San Jose, California and is a part of the Berryessa Union School District. It is currently a California Distinguished School....
, Morrill Middle School, Vinci Park Elementary School, Laneview Elementary School, Ruskin Elementary School, and Cherrywood Elementary School.
San José Public Library
San José Public Library
The San José Public Library is the public library system of San José, California.Its central library, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, is also the main library of the San José State University. The building of the library in 2003 was the largest single library construction project west of the...
operates the Berryessa Branch Library.
See also
- creeks
- Berryessa CreekBerryessa CreekBerryessa Creek is a seasonal creek in northeastern San Jose and Milpitas. Its main source is located in the Los Buellis Hills slightly west of Felter Road. Berryessa Creek has many tributaries, including Piedmont Creek, Calera Creek, and Penitencia Creek. In the summer, Berryessa Creek is mostly...
- Penitencia CreekPenitencia CreekUpper Penitencia Creek is actually one of two creeks by the name Penitencia Creek in northeastern Santa Clara Valley of California. They are both tributaries of Coyote Creek....
- Berryessa Creek
- light rail stations
- Berryessa (VTA)Berryessa (VTA)Berryessa is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock–Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of VTA's Capitol light rail extension.-Location:...
- Cropley (VTA)Cropley (VTA)Cropley is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock–Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of the second phase of VTA's Tasman East light rail extension....
- Hostetter (VTA)Hostetter (VTA)Hostetter is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock–Santa Teresa line....
- Penitencia Creek (VTA)Penitencia Creek (VTA)Penitencia Creek is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock-Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of VTA's Capitol light rail extension.-Location:...
- Berryessa (VTA)