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The Stunning Storybook Homes of Willow Glen
Willow Glen
Willow Glen is often called San Jose’s local treasure. Not only does it have a historic downtown full of fabulous shops and restaurants, but also the most enchanting storybook homes. I had already checked out San Jose’s storybook homes near the Municipal Rose Garden. I was so excited to discover more in Willow Glen.
Storybook Homes
What is a storybook home? Storybook architecture was created in the Los Angeles area during the 1920s. Storybook homes often have deeply sloped or thatched roofs. They may also have turrets and dovecotes, arched doors and windows, and eyebrow dormers. They are often made of stucco, brick and half-timbering.
Often featuring crooked walls, rustic chimneys, and sometimes cartoonish features, storybook homes soon became the rage across the country.
While most of the homes near the Municipal Rose Garden are from the same period, I found that in Willow Glen, the storybook homes are interspersed with both older and newer homes.
I just love the quaint chimney and the asymmetrical gable on the entryway of this home!
I never tire of seeing the lovely gardens and especially the roses in the San Jose area!
Fun facts about Willow Glen
- During the 1800s there was a marshy area between the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek. Filled with willows and cattails, it inspired the name Willow Glen.
- Before becoming a town, Willow Glen was one of the most prized and valuable farming areas in the Sant Clara Valley.
- Willow Glen Road was renamed Lincoln Avenue in 1865, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
- The area became incorporated as a city in 1927 to avoid the rerouting of the Southern Pacific Railroad down Lincoln Avenue. (Caltrain uses the track rerouted to a different area today.)
- Willow Glen residents voted to be annexed to San Jose in 1936 primarily to join the bigger city’s stage system and avoid having to build their own.
- During the Christmas season, many locals display small, multi-colored light Christmas trees in their front yards, a tradition that started in 1950.
- Today, Willow Glen is one of the most expensive places to live in Silicon Valley. According to trulia.com, the typical home value here is over one million dollars.
For more information, see Willow Glen. Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also enjoy Cottage Love in Carmel-by-the-Sea and 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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Happiness Found: San Jose’s Storybook Homes
According to WalletHub, San Jose is among the top ten happiest cities in the United States in 2021. While they did a study and have data to support this, I can tell you my own reasoning why it should make the list. Everything seems somehow brighter and more vibrant here. The sky is a little bluer, the trees a little greener, and the air a little sweeter. Even though it is a huge city, there is also a peaceful sense of community and small town friendliness. It just exudes some kind of invisible harmonious energy. While visiting the Municipal Rose Garden this past week, I stumbled upon another reason San Jose qualifies for this list. San Jose’s stunning variety of storybook homes! It was a beautiful bit of serendipity, and indeed I felt truly, deeply happy.
I have become a hopeless addict of these magical cottages, ever since I moved to the Monterey Bay area and discovered the Fairy Tale Cottages in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Storybook homes became very popular during the 1920s, especially here in California. Those steeply pitched gables, oddly shaped windows and doors, and crooked little stone chimneys just speak to me. Imagine my delight when I turned on a side street near the rose garden and unexpectedly hit the bonanza!
The majority were on McDaniel and Emery, near the rose garden. I also discovered more of these captivating cottages on Calaveras and Shasta. I was in storybook heaven! It was like stepping into a fairy tale.
I love the quirky tower and the texture of the stones framing the door. The little fence carries over the natural stone theme.
This looks like it is straight out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
The storybook homes here just feel so cozy.
A rose canopy on the front window of this house is simply enchanting.
This house directly faces the Municipal Rose Garden.
I love how the little cut out window on the left mirrors the big picture window.
This should definitely be called Ivy Cottage. 
Surrounded by bird of paradise flowers, this home features whimsical windows and randomly placed bricks near the entryway.
I saved the best for last! I love the quaint stone chimney, little dormer window, and curving pathway of this charming cottage. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed the magical storybook homes of San Jose. They help us believe in a world where fairy tales still exist. And a place where everyone lives happily ever after. And finding happiness in all the little things is what life is all about. You may also enjoy 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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Stop and Smell the Roses in San Jose!
Footfalls echo in the memory, Down the passage which we did not take, Towards the door we never opened, Into the rose-garden~T. S. Eliot.
San Jose is home to some pretty amazing places, including their Municipal Rose Garden. Since I absolutely love roses, I had to check it out. I am so glad I did!
Located at the corner of Naglee & Dana in San Jose, the garden is housed on 5.5 acres. Beginning in April, thousands of colorful roses begin to bloom, creating a vivid and stunning kaleidoscope of color and scent. The garden is home to more than 3500 plantings, and contains over 189 varieties of roses.
A sense of peacefulness overwhelmed me when I entered this oasis. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed to melt away, like ice in the warmth of the sun. It seemed as though time stood still.
There are many pathways to explore throughout the rose garden. Each path leads to new landscapes of color and delight.
In the center of the garden is a huge pool with a two-tiered fountain, called the “reflection pool”. It is surrounded by benches where you can indeed sit and reflect upon the beauty around you.
The Municipal Rose Garden was once home to a prune orchard. In 1927, the Santa Clara County Rose Society voted to create a rose garden. Groundbreaking for the new rose garden took place in 1931, in 1937 it was offically dedicated, and today is a historic landmark.
You can enjoy the colorful blooms here from April through November, although the optimal time to visit is in May.
Did you know that the Rose Garden is also home to brand new, unseen before rose varieties? It is one of only a handful of gardens chosen by the All-American Rose Selections to test new roses before they are available to you and me. In 2010, it was awarded “America’s Best Rose Garden”, beating out more than 130 other public rose gardens in the first nationwide competition of its kind. It is no surprise that it has also been voted the best location to get married. Who wouldn’t want their nuptials held in such a romantic and beautiful place?
I love the names of some of the roses, including “Betty Boop”, “Angel Face”, “Alchymist”, and “San Jose Sunshine”!
The Garden is filled with lush, grassy areas, and at the edge is shaded by majestic redwood trees. You are sure to find the perfect spot to relax. Bring a picnic lunch or a book and enjoy the serenity!
Hours: 8 am to 8 pm daily.Admission: Free.
Location: Dana Avenue & Naglee Avenue, San Jose, California, 95126
Website: Municipal Rose Garden
Thank you for visiting my blog. Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas!
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Vintage Fun in San Jose’s Willow Glen
Willow Glen is known as “San Jose’s Local Treasure”. It is an area filled with quaint vintage houses on quiet tree-lined avenues. It is also home to some unique shops and amazing restaurants.
Magpie welcomes you with a variety of felicities, from jewelry to clothing to home decor to paint. It is one of those unique, creative, quirky places where there is so much to look at you don’t know where to start.
Bertucelli’s La Villa Delicatessen was packed to the gills, even in the middle of the afternoon. It was standing room only. They have outdoor dining and this was also packed. Waiting in line here for handmade ravioli and fresh, delicious sandwiches and desserts is well worth it.
Park Place Vintage carries vintage clothing and collectibles and even has costume rentals!
Petroglyph is a cool ceramics lounge. I have not seen ceramics like this since my Mom painted Peanuts characters for my brothers and me in the 1970s. They supply use of all paints, brushes and art materials as well as assistance. Once your artwork is complete they fire them in on-site kilns for you. They even host group activities. Petroglyph indicates they are “designed as a place to gather, connect, and creatively explore”. I wanted to stay and creatively explore, but so many shops, so little time!
The cozy Mariette Chocolates has not only freshly made chocolates, but also fudge, coffee, pastries, gelato, and hot chocolate. I love the cute little vintage tables and chairs.
Susie Cakes is a super cute vintage bakery with very friendly staff.
The Willow Glen Collective is chockful of antiques and vintage finds.
The cozy outdoor seating at Vin Santo is so inviting.
Downtown Willow Glen frequently hosts festive events, including its annual summer festival, “Dancin’ on the Avenue”, which features music, food, and local wines. On Thursday, February 7th, from 5-8 pm Willow Glen is hosting a “Ladies’ Night Out”, which features “pampering”, as well as refreshments and specials! Sounds like fun to me!
San Jose is home to some wonderful places, and I am adding Willow Glen to the list. For more information, see Willow Glen.
Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, joy, and beautiful vistas!