san jose neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Buena Vista, San Jose Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
City of San Jose blocks between Leigh Ave and Meridian Ave from W. San Carlos St to I-280, around Buena Vista Park, with a small county pocket on Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave north of Scott St.
Buena Vista by the numbers
buena vista by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Buena Vista (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in buena vista · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Buena Vista
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Buena Vista from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
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Listings come from MLSListings and other MLSs through IDX and show their listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent. The map outline is the neighborhood boundary used by our listing search (Buena Vista (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Buena Vista came to be
Buena Vista sits just east of Burbank, and unlike Burbank it is almost all City of San Jose. The city's map of neighborhood associations draws it from Leigh Ave to Meridian Ave between W. San Carlos St and I-280, about 171 acres. The county's unincorporated land here is a pocket of about 12 acres on Richmond Ave and the east side of Leigh Ave north of Scott St.
City annexation records show how it happened. 'Burbank No. 1' brought in Menker Ave, Mayellen Ave and the south ends of Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave on February 27, 1947; 'Burbank No. 4' added Chiechi Ave and the Parkmoor Ave edge in 1954; and a string of small 'Sunol' annexations from 1957 to 1990 took in pieces of Willard Ave, Buena Vista Ave, W. San Carlos St and the Meridian Ave frontage. Then on November 19, 2008, 'Buena Vista No. 2' annexed about 40 acres on Page St, Willard Ave, Buena Vista Ave, Douglas St and Douglas Pl.
The city's historic inventory lists about a dozen houses here from a 2000 county survey, with estimated dates from about 1910 to the late 1930s: Craftsman bungalows, a Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial Revival and Colonial Revival houses, a Tudor and a 1930s Spanish Eclectic house, on Menker Ave, Mayellen Ave, Richmond Ave, Page St and Willard Ave. They are inventory entries, not landmarks, and private homes with no public access.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
The west half is single-family. Menker Ave and Mayellen Ave run south from W. San Carlos St on R-1-8 zoning, with lots of about 6,600 sq ft and Buena Vista Park between them; south of Scott St, Richmond Ave and the east side of Leigh Ave are also R-1-8 city blocks, and the city's tract map shows a 46-lot tract on the Richmond Ave and Menker Ave blocks there.
The east half is mixed. Buena Vista Ave, Willard Ave and Page St carry the city's mixed-use neighborhood (MUN) zoning, with urban village zoning near W. San Carlos St and planned-development sites, including small-lot courts such as Willard Garden Ct, Sandra Kay Ct, Stoa Way, Serena Ct and Eugenia Ct on parcels of about 1,000 to 1,300 sq ft. Lots run larger on Page St (about 8,500 sq ft) and Willard Ave (about 7,300 sq ft) than on Buena Vista Ave (about 5,000 sq ft). Chiechi Ave and Douglas St fill the corners by Parkmoor Ave and Meridian Ave, and the city's tract layer shows recent tract maps of 20 and 6 lots near Meridian Ave and a new one recorded near Page St in 2025.
City line: everything here is City of San Jose except Richmond Ave (both sides) and most of the east side of Leigh Ave between Scott St and the W. San Carlos St frontage, plus two Scott St lots by Richmond Ave. Those parcels are unincorporated Santa Clara County land with San Jose addresses: county planning, county R1-n2 zoning and county building permits, the Burbank Sanitary District for sewer and the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District (county maps). The west side of Leigh Ave is in the Burbank guide. Check the county parcel record for any address on Leigh Ave or Richmond Ave.
streets in buena vista
- W. San Carlos St
- Leigh Ave
- Richmond Ave
- Menker Ave
- Mayellen Ave
- Buena Vista Ave
- Willard Ave
- Page St
- Scott St
- Chiechi Ave
- Douglas St
- Parkmoor Ave
- Meridian Ave
- Willard Garden Ct
- Sandra Kay Ct
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Buena Vista
- park
Buena Vista Park
A 0.4-acre city park between Mayellen Ave and Menker Ave (495 Mayellen Ave / 498 Menker Ave on the city's parks layer).
- park
Meridian Linear Plaza
A 0.64-acre strip at 349 Meridian Ave on land the city's parks layer lists as owned by Caltrans.
- park
O'Connor Park
A 2.21-acre city park at Race St and Auzerais Ave, about 0.1 mile straight-line east of Meridian Ave at Douglas St.
- shopping
W. San Carlos St
The commercial edge on the north; the city's growth-area map shows the W. San Carlos St (Mid) and (East) urban villages along it, each marked as having an approved plan.
- landmark
Race St light-rail growth area
The city's growth-area map also shows the Race St Light Rail (West of Sunol) urban village over the blocks from Buena Vista Ave to Meridian Ave south of about Douglas St, marked as not yet having an approved plan.
- landmark
San Jose City College and Valley Medical Center
Across I-280, San Jose City College (2100 Moorpark Ave) is about 0.5 mile straight-line from Buena Vista Park and the Valley Medical Center campus about 0.9 mile.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Census district maps put most of Buena Vista in the San Jose Unified School District, kindergarten through high school. Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave north of Scott St, and a narrow strip west of Buena Vista Ave, are in the Luther Burbank School District, a one-school K-8 district whose campus, Luther Burbank Elementary (4 Wabash Ave), is about 0.5 mile straight-line from the middle of the area; those blocks fall in the Campbell Union High School District for high school. The nearest San Jose Unified campuses on the county school map are Abraham Lincoln High (555 Dana Ave), about 0.7 mile straight-line, and Merritt Trace Elementary (651 Dana Ave) and Herbert Hoover Middle (1635 Park Ave), each about 0.9 mile. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with the district.
San Jose school districts · Campbell Union guide · Campbell Union High guide
Getting around
- VTA light rail (Green Line): Race station is about 0.2 mile straight-line from Meridian Ave at Parkmoor Ave and about 0.5 mile from the middle of the area; Fruitdale station, across I-280, is about 0.5 mile from the same corner.
- VTA 23 runs on W. San Carlos St with stops at Leigh Ave, Buena Vista Ave and Meridian Ave among others (VTA route page).
- I-280 ramps run along Parkmoor Ave and at Meridian Ave (county road records).
- Bikes: Scott St, Willard Ave and Douglas St are marked bike boulevards, and Parkmoor Ave and Meridian Ave have buffered bike lanes (city bikeways map).
- San Jose Diridon station is about 1.1 miles straight-line from the middle of the area.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Buena Vista: what we check
Buying here
- County pocket: on Richmond Ave and most of the east side of Leigh Ave north of Scott St, the county handles planning, zoning (R1-n2) and building permits, and the Burbank Sanitary District is the sewer district. Confirm the jurisdiction and tax rate area on the county parcel record.
- Zoning varies by street: R-1-8 on Menker Ave, Mayellen Ave and the city blocks of Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave; mixed-use (MUN), urban village and planned-development zoning on Buena Vista Ave, Willard Ave and Page St. Ask the city about ADUs, SB 9 and nearby development applications.
- Courts and planned developments: for homes on Willard Garden Ct, Sandra Kay Ct, Stoa Way and similar courts, read the CC&Rs and check current dues.
- Hazards: the city's FEMA-based flood layer shows the whole outline as Zone D (possible but undetermined hazard). The state liquefaction zone touches less than 1% of it, at W. San Carlos St and Meridian Ave. Read the natural hazard disclosure.
- Older houses: surveyed homes date from about 1910 to the late 1930s, so ask about foundations, wiring and the sewer lateral; the Parkmoor Ave blocks sit next to I-280, so visit at different times of day.
Selling here
- State the jurisdiction plainly; for Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave addresses, have county permit records ready.
- Give the school district from the Census map for the address (San Jose Unified on most streets, Luther Burbank on Richmond Ave and Leigh Ave north of Scott St) and tell buyers to confirm with the district.
- Lot sizes swing from about 1,000 sq ft in the courts to about 8,500 sq ft on Page St, so give the exact county figure.
- Give straight-line distances that matter here: Race light rail station, San Jose City College and Diridon station.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Buena Vista questions, answered
Is Buena Vista part of San Jose?
Almost all of it. Richmond Ave, most of the east side of Leigh Ave north of Scott St and two Scott St lots are an unincorporated county pocket of about 12 acres with San Jose addresses; every other street is City of San Jose (county unincorporated-areas map, county road records).
When did Buena Vista join San Jose?
In stages. Menker Ave and Mayellen Ave were annexed in 1947, Chiechi Ave in 1954, and Page St, Willard Ave, Buena Vista Ave, Douglas St and Douglas Pl on November 19, 2008 ('Buena Vista No. 2', about 40 acres), per the city's annexation records.
Which school district serves Buena Vista?
San Jose Unified on most streets; the Luther Burbank School District, with Campbell Union High, on Richmond Ave, Leigh Ave north of Scott St and a strip west of Buena Vista Ave (Census maps). Check the exact address with the district.
How close is light rail?
The Green Line's Race station is about 0.2 mile straight-line from Meridian Ave at Parkmoor Ave and about 0.5 mile from the middle of the area; Fruitdale station is across I-280.
Is Buena Vista in a flood zone?
The city's FEMA-based map shows the whole area as Zone D, possible but undetermined hazard; the state liquefaction zone touches only the W. San Carlos St and Meridian Ave corner. Check the address on the FEMA and state maps.
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about Buena Vista? Let's run your numbers.
Eric, Janelle and the Boyenga Team have sold more than 2,520 Silicon Valley homes, $2.6+ billion in all, since 1996. Get a value, a plan, or a straight answer about a street.
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