Santana Row, San Jose

Santana Row (often called “The Row”) is an upscale, mixed-use district in West San Jose. Located right along Stevens Creek Boulevard and near iconic spots like the Westfield Valley Fair Mall and the famously quirky Winchester Mystery House, Santana Row blends luxury living, retail, tech, and entertainment into a stylish urban hub.

Named after Frank M. Santana, a 1950s San Jose planning commissioner (and also the namesake of nearby Frank M. Santana Park), the site originally housed the Town and Country Village shopping center. Fun fact: it was also home to the very first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, which opened in 1977.

The current development of Santana Row started in 2001 with a $450 million price tag, earning it the title of "the most ambitious project of its kind in the United States" at the time. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing—during construction in 2002, a massive fire broke out in Building 7 (Santana Heights), marking the largest structure fire in San Jose’s history.

Despite the early setback, Santana Row emerged as a major success. By 2010, it was praised as a model of mixed-use development. The 42-acre property now features a curated mix of high-end retailers, local boutiques, 36 dining options, nine spas and salons, a movie theater, and even a luxury hotel. Tech companies like Splunk, NetApp, BlueJeans, and Experian have also set up shop here, giving it a low-key Silicon Valley edge.

With over 24,000 people living within a mile radius and continued expansion into the 2010s, Santana Row remains one of San Jose’s most vibrant and dynamic neighborhoods—a stylish blend of shopping, living, working, and leisure.