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san jose neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Luna Park & Northside, San Jose Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
North of Washington and Taylor St out to Coyote Creek and US 101: Backesto and Watson parks, the N. 13th St business district, early-1900s cottages and an industrial strip by the freeways.
Luna Park & Northside by the numbers
luna park & northside by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Luna Park & Northside (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in luna park & northside · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Luna Park & Northside
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Luna Park & Northside 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 (Luna Park & Northside (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets)); it may not match every local definition.
sold by the property nerds
Our sales in and near Luna Park & Northside
Since 2012 we’ve handled 2 sales inside the Luna Park & Northside outline that we can match to MLS records: 2 homes we listed. The other photos are our closest listings outside it, measured from its edge.
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the story
How Luna Park & Northside came to be
The Luna Park name comes from an early-1900s amusement park on Oakland Rd, today's N. 13th St. Accounts date its opening between 1907 and 1910 and its end to about 1921; it combined rides, a dance hall, picnic grounds and a baseball field, and the land was later redeveloped (amusement-park history accounts). A 1.26-acre city park at Berryessa Rd and Modern Ice Dr carries the name today, and the city's North 13th Street/Luna Park business district runs along N. 13th St from Jackson St to Hedding St.
Backesto Park, 11.44 acres at 520 N. 13th St on the city's map, was bought with a bequest left in memory of physician John P. Backesto, on land acquired from a pioneer orchardist. The city's map lists 1917 and a local history gives 1920 for the park's start. Its tiled memorial fountain, dated 1922 and made with handmade tiles by Albert Solon, has been restored. The Joyce Ellington Branch Library sits at 491 E. Empire St on the former Grant Elementary site; the school district moved Grant a block away in 1974, and the library building was named in 2001.
Watson Park, 34 acres along Coyote Creek at 1082 Jackson St, opened in 1961 on the city's map. The city closed it in August 2005 after learning it had been built on an old incinerator site (city archive record), and its fields were still closed in 2020; check its current status. North of Hedding St the land turns industrial along the railroad spur and US 101 (Commercial St, Modern Ice Dr), and the General Plan marks about 23% of the outline Light Industrial.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
The numbered grid runs from N. 11th St east to N. 23rd St, crossed by Washington, Empire, Jackson, Taylor, Mission and Hedding St, with Berryessa Rd and Oakland Rd (N. 13th St's continuation) in the north. Courts off N. 21st St and Monferino Dr (De Mattei Ct, Marianelli Ct, Calumet Ct, Glithero Ct, Houghton Ct) and Terrace Dr sit near the creek, and Horning St, Madera Ave, Vestal St and Kinney Dr fill the blocks north of Hedding St.
Most residential land is zoned R-2 two-family (about 29% of the outline) or R-1-8 single-family (about 19%), and R-2 allows two units on a lot. The city's inventory records only about 35 older buildings, most from the 1900s to the 1920s, in Queen Anne, Eastlake and Classical Revival styles. Check ADU and SB 9 rules with the city for a specific lot.
N. 13th St is the commercial spine, a city neighborhood business district of about 21 acres split down the centerline with Japantown & Hensley. North of Hedding St and near US 101, light-industrial zoning covers about 23% of the outline, with a rail spur running toward Old Bayshore Hwy, so check what operates near any address you consider.
streets in luna park & northside
- N. 10th St (west edge)
- N. 11th St
- N. 12th St
- N. 13th St
- N. 14th St
- N. 15th St
- N. 16th St
- N. 17th St
- N. 18th St
- N. 19th St
- N. 20th St
- N. 21st St
- N. 22nd St
- N. 23rd St
- Washington St
- E. Empire St
- Jackson St
- E. Taylor St
- E. Mission St
- E. Hedding St
- Berryessa Rd
- Oakland Rd
- Commercial St
- Modern Ice Dr
- Horning St
- Madera Ave
- Vestal St
- Kinney Dr
- Monferino Dr
- Terrace Dr
- N. 5th St
- N. 7th St
house sales by street, 2021–2026
| Street | Sales | Median price | Per sq ft | Typical lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North 5th Street | 4 | $1.36M | $923 | 6,850 sq ft |
| North 13th Street | 4 | $1.29M | $910 | 5,800 sq ft |
| North 19th Street | 14 | $1.29M | $876 | 5,830 sq ft |
| East Hedding Street | 4 | $1.25M | $872 | 5,620 sq ft |
| North 20th Street | 13 | $1.24M | $975 | 5,690 sq ft |
| East Taylor Street | 7 | $1.23M | $792 | 6,500 sq ft |
| North 18th Street | 13 | $1.21M | $833 | 5,630 sq ft |
| North 15th Street | 18 | $1.18M | $898 | 5,380 sq ft |
| North 16th Street | 17 | $1.15M | $892 | 5,740 sq ft |
| North 17th Street | 19 | $1.1M | $800 | 5,670 sq ft |
| North 14th Street | 7 | $1.08M | $841 | 5,250 sq ft |
| North 21st Street | 9 | $1.05M | $930 | 6,500 sq ft |
| North 11th Street | 5 | $1.02M | $949 | 5,660 sq ft |
| Jackson Street | 9 | $965K | $1,002 | 4,190 sq ft |
| North 12th Street | 21 | $940K | $947 | 5,750 sq ft |
Single-family house sales inside this guide’s outline, Oct. 1, 2021 to Oct. 21, 2026, from MLS records, with each sale counted once. Streets with at least 3 sales (the 15 with the most sales; 3 more streets qualify); prices, price per square foot and lots are medians. The whole city, ranked: The most expensive streets in San Jose.
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Luna Park & Northside
- park
Backesto Park
11.44 acres at N. 13th and E. Empire St (city map), with the restored 1922 tile fountain; an annual chalk-art festival has used the park each September since 2008.
- park
Watson Park
34 acres along Coyote Creek at Jackson St and N. 22nd St, with a 1.7-acre dog park on the city's map. Check which fields and areas are open.
- park
Luna Park
A 1.26-acre city park at Berryessa Rd and Modern Ice Dr, opened in 2010 on the city's map.
- landmark
Joyce Ellington Branch Library
The San Jose Public Library branch at 491 E. Empire St, on the former Grant Elementary site.
- shopping
N. 13th St business district
Shops and restaurants along N. 13th St between Jackson St and Hedding St, the city's North 13th Street/Luna Park business district.
- park
Coyote Creek trail reach
The city's trail map shows a Coyote Creek reach from US 101 down toward E. Julian St along the east edge; check which parts are open.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
San Jose Unified School District serves almost all of the area (K-12). Grant Elementary on E. Jackson St is inside the outline per the county's public-school map. Empire Gardens Elementary on E. Empire St, also inside, closed after the 2025-26 school year; the district names Anne Darling Elementary as its default receiving school. San Jose High (N. 24th St) is about 0.2 mile straight-line southeast of the outline. Census maps put a thin strip along US 101 near Berryessa Rd in Orchard School District. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with the district.
Getting around
- Berryessa/North San Jose BART station is about 1 mile straight-line northeast of the center (about half a mile from the US 101 edge).
- Civic Center and Japantown/Ayer light rail stations are about 0.9 and 1 mile straight-line west.
- San Jose Diridon (Caltrain, ACE, Amtrak) is about 2.1 miles straight-line southwest.
- US 101 runs along the north edge, with I-880 beginning at US 101 at the northwest corner; N. 13th St continues north as Oakland Rd.
- San Jose Mineta International Airport is about 2.3 miles straight-line northwest.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Luna Park & Northside: what we check
Buying here
- Flood: the city's FEMA layer shows Zone D on about 74% of the outline, Zone X on about 15%, Zone AH (base flood elevation 55 feet) on about 6% around Commercial St and N. 5th to N. 7th St north of Hedding St, and Zone AE (including floodway) on about 5% along Coyote Creek near Jackson St and Watson Park. Check the address on FEMA's map and ask about flood insurance.
- Liquefaction: the whole outline is in a state seismic hazard zone for liquefaction; ask about the foundation.
- Neighbors: light-industrial zoning and a rail spur sit north of Hedding St and along US 101. Check current uses, truck routes and noise near the address.
- Older houses: many date from the early 1900s; ask about wiring, foundation and sewer lateral, and check permits for converted garages or added units.
- Freeway noise: US 101 and the I-880 interchange border the north side; visit at rush hour.
- Watson Park sits on a former incinerator site; ask the city about the park's current condition and any cleanup records if you buy next to it.
Selling here
- Point out the straight-line distances to Backesto Park, Berryessa BART and the N. 13th St shops.
- Gather permits for any ADU, garage conversion or second unit; buyers check R-2 zoning closely.
- Disclose flood zone and any flood-insurance history, especially near Coyote Creek.
- Note any recent foundation, sewer lateral or electrical work; these are the common questions on early-1900s houses.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Luna Park & Northside questions, answered
Where does the Luna Park name come from?
From an early-1900s amusement park on Oakland Rd, today's N. 13th St, which ran until about 1921. A small city park and the N. 13th St business district carry the name now.
How big are Backesto and Watson parks?
Backesto Park is 11.44 acres and Watson Park about 34 acres on the city's parks map. Watson Park was closed in 2005 over an old incinerator site, so check which parts are open now.
Is it near BART?
Berryessa/North San Jose BART is about 1 mile straight-line northeast of the center, across US 101.
Is it in a flood zone?
Mostly Zone D (possible but undetermined hazard). About 6% is Zone AH north of Hedding St and about 5% is Zone AE along Coyote Creek. Check the exact address on FEMA's map.
Is N. 13th St part of this guide?
Half of it. The line runs down N. 13th St's centerline between Taylor and Hedding St, so the east side is here and the west side is in Japantown & Hensley; south of Taylor St both sides are here.
What school district serves it?
San Jose Unified, with Grant Elementary inside the outline (Empire Gardens Elementary closed after the 2025-26 school year). A thin strip by US 101 near Berryessa Rd is in Orchard School District on Census maps; check the exact address.
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on the home styles field guide
Home styles in Luna Park & Northside
Luna Park & Northside shows up on this plate in our home styles field guide. Each plate shows how to spot the style from the sidewalk, with live listings opened to San Jose.
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