The Willow Glen area has a long and storied history. Willow Glen began as a marshy area with numerous Willow trees surrounding the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River. It was drained in the early 1900’s and planted with orchards. Later, houses and roads were built over the farmland and Willow Glen began to urbanize, with Lincoln Avenue developing as its downtown shopping area. In the 1920’s a railroad was proposed to run through the middle of the community, and area residents joined together to successfully prevent the railroad from dividing the town. In 1927, the area was incorporated as the town of Willow Glen. By the 1930’s the growth of the community made it necessary to join the City of San Jose and in 1936, the town of Willow Glen ceased to be as it became annexed into the City of San Jose.
The neighborhood homes throughout Willow Glen include a wide range of architectural styles: Bungalow, Neoclassical (Queen Anne Cottage and Neo-Colonial), Craftsman, Mission and more. The town is primarily a driving or walking town, but it is well served by light rail stations near its borders that provide access to the downtown and the Caltrain system. Willow Glen is known for their many events throughout each year: Dancin’ on the Avenue, Founders’ Day, Willow Glen 5K Run/Walk, and many other wine & beer festivals. If you look hard enough while walking downtown you’ll find our Sereno Group Willow Glen office on Lincoln Avenue!
The schools in Willow Glen are also a primary draw to the region. Willow Glen is served by the San Jose Unified School District, but nearby Booksin Elementary School is one of the top schools in the area with regularly high test scores. Willow Glen High School is also well regarded in the region with strong academic and sports programs. Willow Glen spans primarily across the 95124 and 95125 zip codes and is defined by the local Realtor MLS as MLS Area 10.
