The unique character of the Santana Row structures adds a splash of colorful livelihood to the otherwise boring suburban atmosphere of southwest San Jose.

By Tim Jue / Beat Staff Writer

For an area of Silicon Valley that could easily be mistaken for San Fernando Valley in Southern California — with its six-lane roadways, big-box dominated strip malls and suburban appeal, Santana Row is somewhat of a mysterious success story that literally grew from the ashes.

The Silicon Valley shopping mecca features a string of pricey boutique shops peddling high-end goods along a two-lane street. There are shops like Gucci, H&M, and Brooks Brothers intermixed with fancy restaurants that attract lunchtime crowds from the nearby tech firms everyday.

A Best Buy store and movie theater anchors the northern and southern edges of the Santana Row property.

High-end shoes are on sale at one of the many boutique shops at Santana Row in San Jose.and a gigantic chess board with chess pieces can be found on an island in the middle of the street.

For dining, you really can find just about every type of cuisine along the street — from a Mexican bistro to a high-end dim sum joint serving up decent sized portions of Chinese food. You’ll also find a few chain stores: Ben & Jerry’s has an ice cream franchise on the block. Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee and Tea, and Pluto’s all have one too.

Be forewarned though: expect to shell out a good amount of cash if you’re planning on splurging at Santana Row. The only thing that’ll might help your bank account is not having to pay for parking. There’s a multi-level garage on the property that gives you a chance to spend some time hunting for an open parking spot that won’t cost you anything (we are in the suburbs after all).

Play chess in the middle of the street on Santana Row with these gigantic chess pieces.

But how did Santana Row gain so much popularity so quickly? Perhaps it’s the mixed-modal development: above the shops and restaurants are million dollar apartments attracting the techies from the local tech firms. Shop, eat and live at the complex! Or maybe it’s the high culture orientation of the shops: you won’t find a Ross Dress for Less store opening up along the row anytime soon!

The relatively successful story of Santana Row is not without its setbacks, however. When a portion of it was still under construction on Aug 19, 2002, a huge 11-alarm fire gutted the complex, causing an estimated $120 million in damages.

The Santana Row fire, still remembered by locals in the area who witnessed the huge plumes of thick black smoke rising into the air that August afternoon, was the largest fire in the history of San Jose.

There is no shortage of shops along Santana Row. Places to eat are abundant too.

But from the ashes, the developer of the shopping mecca rebuilt, and turned the parcel of land into a multi-million dollar European-style shopping destination that injected a piece of urbanity into a suburban swath of San Jose.

The outdoor shopping center attracts a diverse number of people daily. You really don’t have to buy anything either, especially if you can’t afford it, — many come to just gawk at the unique architecture and the colorfully painted buildings that look so out of place for a section of San Jose that sees two major highways criss-crossing it.

But from the ashes is Santana Row, a success story that adds a splash of color to the dullness of the neighborhood.

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