home / san jose / communications hill
san jose neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Communications Hill, San Jose Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
The hill between SR 87 and Monterey Rd, from Curtner Ave to Hillsdale Ave and Capitol Expwy: planned-development townhomes and homes, the Grand Staircase, open space and Capitol Caltrain.
Communications Hill by the numbers
communications hill by the numbers · live from the mls
- for sale now…
- median list price…
- homes sold, last 12 months…
- median sale price, 12 mo…
- median price per sq ft, sold…
- sale price vs. list…
Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Communications Hill (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in communications hill · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Communications Hill
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Communications Hill from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
Loading listings…
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 (Communications Hill (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Communications Hill came to be
Communications Hill is the hill itself, open grazing land for most of its history, with a telecommunications tower on the summit. The City Council approved the Communications Hill Specific Plan in 1992 for about 500 acres, calling for a dense, walkable hilltop neighborhood with industrial park land along the rail line and Monterey Rd.
Building came in waves. The homes on the west and north slopes, around Olive Hill Dr and Azevedo Pkwy, date from the early 2000s in listing records. On September 30, 2014 the City Council approved amendments to the specific plan, and the city's annexation map records the CommHill No. 1 annexation on the same day, bringing about a quarter of this guide's land into the city. KB Home's Communications Hill 2 project, reviewed as the remainder of the 1992 plan, covers about 320 acres with about 2,200 homes, up to 67,500 square feet of retail and up to 1.44 million square feet of industrial park; listing records show homes from 2019 on Llano de los Robles Ave and new homes from 2026 on Altino Blvd.
The edges are a different mix. A cemetery of about 170 acres on public maps fills the north slope along Curtner Ave. Monterey Rd and the rail line (Union Pacific's Coast Subdivision on public maps, also used by Caltrain) carry industrial and commercial land, and the blocks along them joined the city through Monterey Park and Edenvale annexations from 1955 on.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
Communications Hill Blvd loops over the hill and ties the newer streets together: Altino Blvd, Casselino Dr, Llano de los Robles Ave, Agustin Narvaez St, Adeline Ave, Batista Dr, Azores St, Senhorinha St, Grassina St, Larciano St, Empoli St, Lina St, Manuel St, Beach Hill Farm St, Hillsdale Station Rd and Valley of the Heart's Delight Pl. Short blocks, public stairs and trails connect the terraces.
West of the rail line and north of the hilltop, an earlier set of streets (Azevedo Pkwy, Olive Hill Dr, Monte Vista Dr, Plateau Dr, Winepol Loop and Meadow Pine Pl) holds early-2000s townhomes and detached homes. On the General Plan map the residential land is mostly Urban Residential and Mixed Use Neighborhood, and about 69% of the outline is planned-development zoning, so each project has its own permit conditions and, usually, an HOA.
Along Monterey Rd, Hillsdale Ave and the rail line the land is industrial and commercial: Heavy Industrial, Light Industrial, Industrial Park and Combined Industrial/Commercial together cover about a fifth of the guide on the General Plan map. Open space covers about a third, mostly the slopes. A few parcels are unincorporated Santa Clara County land: homes on Carol Dr, off Canoas Garden Ave just east of SR 87 (ZIP 95125), and, with no homes, a stretch of Hillsdale Ave near Monterey Rd and a hillside pocket above SR 87. Those parcels follow county planning, zoning and building permits; the rest of the hill is City of San Jose.
streets in communications hill
- Communications Hill Blvd
- Altino Blvd
- Casselino Dr
- Llano de los Robles Ave
- Agustin Narvaez St
- Adeline Ave
- Batista Dr
- Beach Hill Farm St
- Hillsdale Station Rd
- Azevedo Pkwy
- Olive Hill Dr
- Monte Vista Dr
- Plateau Dr
- Curtner Ave (north edge)
- Monterey Rd (east edge)
- Hillsdale Ave (south edge)
- Snell Ave
- Carol Dr (county land)
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Communications Hill
- park
Vieira Park
A 1.5-acre neighborhood park at 725 Adeline Ave with a separate 0.5-acre overlook at Batista Dr and Adeline Ave (city parks layer).
- park
Grand Staircase and Communications Hill trails
The city lists the Grand Staircase and the Communications Hill West Trail on the hill's west side; hiking guides count about 252 steps.
- park
Tuscany Hills and Dairy Hill open spaces
About 47 acres on the west side and 13.6 acres on the north-east side of the hill, listed on the city's parks layer under a community facilities district.
- park
Elaine Richardson Park and William Lewis Manly Park
Neighborhood parks of 2.2 acres (2765 Goble Ln) and 1.9 acres (253 William Manly St). The city also lists Azevedo Park, a dog park and a fitness park on Hillsdale Ave as future or pending.
- landmark
Seven Trees Library
Library and community center at 3590 Cas Dr, about 0.4 mile straight-line east of Monterey Rd.
- landmark
Capitol Caltrain station
On Monterey Rd inside the outline; only a few weekday peak trains stop, so check the current timetable.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Communications Hill is in the Franklin-McKinley School District for elementary grades and the East Side Union High School District for high school; the streets just west of SR 87 are San Jose Unified. The county's school layer shows no public school inside the outline; Captain Jason M. Dahl Elementary (Franklin-McKinley) is about 0.3 mile straight-line east of Monterey Rd on Water St. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with both districts.
Franklin-McKinley School District site · East Side Union High guide · San Jose Unified guide
Getting around
- Capitol Caltrain station on Monterey Rd, inside the outline: a few weekday peak trains only.
- VTA Blue Line: Curtner station at SR 87 and Curtner Ave (north-west corner) and Capitol station at SR 87 and Capitol Expwy, about 0.4 mile straight-line past the south-west corner; trains run north to Tamien and downtown.
- SR 87 along the west edge, Monterey Rd on the east and Capitol Expwy on the south; San Jose City Hall is about 3.7 miles straight-line from the center.
- Bikes: buffered bike lanes on Monterey Rd and protected (Class IV) lanes on parts of Communications Hill Blvd, Snell Ave, Hillsdale Ave and Curtner Ave on the city's bikeway map; paved segments of the Highway 87 Bikeway run beside SR 87.
- The hill's own trails and stairs link the hilltop streets to Vieira Park and the open spaces.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Communications Hill: what we check
Buying here
- Read the HOA documents and check current dues; most homes sit in planned developments with shared landscaping, private drives or both.
- Check the tax bill: the city's parks layer lists the hill's open spaces under a community facilities district, which usually means a special tax (Mello-Roos) on the property tax bill. Ask for the exact levy for the parcel.
- Hillside checks: CGS landslide zones cover about 9% of the outline and liquefaction zones about 7% (low ground near SR 87 and Monterey Rd), and the city's flood layer shows a Zone AH strip by SR 87 near Curtner Ave. Read the natural hazard disclosure and ask the HOA for geotechnical and drainage reports.
- Construction is ongoing: later KB Home phases and planned parks mean grading, trucks and new streets for years. Check the city's maps for what is approved next to the address.
- County land: the parcels on Carol Dr are unincorporated Santa Clara County land, with county planning, zoning and permits. Confirm jurisdiction for any address near SR 87 and Canoas Garden Ave.
Selling here
- Have HOA and community facilities district documents ready at listing; buyers compare monthly costs closely.
- Give straight-line distances to the Grand Staircase, Vieira Park, Curtner light rail and Capitol Caltrain.
- Say what is built and what is approved around the home; buyers ask about construction timing.
- On sloped lots, gather geotechnical reports and drainage maintenance records before listing.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Communications Hill questions, answered
Why is it called Communications Hill?
The city has used the name since its 1992 Communications Hill Specific Plan, and a telecommunications tower stands on the summit. A documented origin of the name was not found.
How many steps does the Grand Staircase have?
Hiking guides count about 252 steps. The city lists the Grand Staircase and the Communications Hill West Trail on the hill's west side.
Which school districts serve Communications Hill?
Franklin-McKinley School District for elementary grades and East Side Union High School District for high school. San Jose Unified starts just west of SR 87. Check the exact address with the districts.
Is there a train station?
Yes. Capitol Caltrain station is on Monterey Rd inside the outline, with a few weekday peak trains, and VTA light rail stops at Curtner and Capitol stations on SR 87.
Is any of Communications Hill county land?
A few parcels are. Homes on Carol Dr, off Canoas Garden Ave just east of SR 87, are unincorporated Santa Clara County land, as are a stretch of Hillsdale Ave near Monterey Rd and a hillside pocket with no homes. The rest is City of San Jose.
next door
More San Jose neighborhood guides
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about Communications Hill? 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.
Questions about Communications Hill? Send us a note.
