Neighborhood in San Jose · Santa Clara County

Willow Glen

Willow Glen lies southwest of Downtown San Jose, with Lincoln Avenue’s shopping and dining district at its commercial center.

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Storefronts and a Willow Glen street sign along Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, photographed in March 2021. — Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, photographed in March 2021

Lincoln Avenue shops, neighborhood recreation and a library with art-glass windows

About Willow Glen

Willow Glen lies southwest of Downtown San Jose, with Lincoln Avenue’s shopping and dining district at its commercial center. Residential streets extend beyond that corridor, while Willow Street–Frank Bramhall Park and the branch library on Minnesota Avenue provide public destinations within the wider neighborhood.

Lincoln Avenue and the wider neighborhood

Downtown Willow Glen follows Lincoln Avenue between Coe and Minnesota avenues, with shops, cafes, restaurants and local services. The business association traces the area’s development from drained agricultural land and orchards into a town with its own commercial street.

The neighborhood association describes a wider residential area southwest of Downtown San Jose, as well as a smaller historic center around Lincoln and Minnesota. Those different uses of the Willow Glen name explain why the shopping corridor is only one part of the neighborhood.

Play and sports at Willow Street–Frank Bramhall Park

Willow Street–Frank Bramhall Park is at 1320 Willow Street. Its facilities include softball fields, basketball and tennis courts, picnic areas and playgrounds for younger and older children.

The park provides a recreation setting away from Lincoln Avenue’s storefronts. The city identifies both reservable picnic areas and spaces used on a first-come basis, along with a parking lot and restrooms.

City of San Jose — Willow Street–Frank Bramhall Park

Art glass at the Minnesota Avenue library

Willow Glen Branch Library is at 1157 Minnesota Avenue. Its west wall incorporates Wind in the Willows, a 2008 work by David Ruth made from 54 individually crafted art-glass windows.

The windows vary in size and are arranged asymmetrically to evoke light filtering through tree branches. The work can be seen from inside and outside the building, adding a specific architectural feature to this neighborhood library.

Check these on a visit

Try these in person before you commit to an address in Willow Glen.

Follow Lincoln Avenue’s commercial stretch from Coe toward Minnesota Avenue.
Find the play areas and courts at 1320 Willow Street as a separate park stop.
Look for the art-glass windows on the library’s west wall at 1157 Minnesota Avenue.

Neighborhoods and districts near Willow Glen

The closest neighborhoods and districts in San Jose, measured center to center.

2.8 miJapantownSan Jose’s Japantown centers on North Fifth and Jackson streets north of City Hall.

All San Jose neighborhoods and districts

Schools near Willow Glen

The 6 closest schools within 5 miles, including any outside the city. Being nearby does not mean a home is zoned for a school: confirm attendance zones with the school or district.

All schools in San Jose

River GlenK–8
about 0.2 mi · Public · Grades K–8 · 463 students
Willow Glen ElementaryElementary
about 0.5 mi · Public · Grades K–5 · 660 students
San Jose Montessori SchoolPreschool
about 0.7 mi · Private · Grades Pre-K–K, TK · 8 students
Willow Glen AcademyPreschool
about 0.9 mi · Private · Grades Pre-K–K · 1 students
Gardner ElementaryElementary
about 0.9 mi · Public · Grades K–5 · 385 students
Hammer Montessori at Galarza ElementaryElementary
about 0.9 mi · Public · Grades K–5 · 309 students

Distances are approximate. They are straight lines from the centre of Willow Glen, not travel distances, and a home at the edge of the area can be noticeably closer to or farther from a school.

Sources & data notesReferences, reporting periods, and how to use this information

Information on this page is compiled from multiple sources and provided for general information. It may be incomplete or out of date, and we do not guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Independently verify important details with the original source, relevant authority, or a qualified professional before making decisions.

Statistics keep their reporting periods. Survey estimates are not current asking prices or quotes for an individual property. Displayed values are rounded.

Lincoln Avenue businesses, former town and orchard landscape
Willow Glen Business Association — District and historySource checked 2026-10-18
Broader neighborhood, historic center and Lincoln Avenue business district
Willow Glen Neighborhood Association — Neighborhood geographySource checked 2026-10-18
Park at 1320 Willow Street, fields, courts and play areas
City of San Jose — Willow Street–Frank Bramhall ParkSource checked 2026-10-18
Library at 1157 Minnesota Avenue and public art
San Jose Public Library — Willow Glen BranchSource checked 2026-10-18
David Ruth’s art-glass windows in the branch library
City of San Jose — Wind in the WillowsSource checked 2026-10-18

Photo credits

Image credits and license
Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, photographed in March 2021
Creator: Cristiano Tomás
Original source
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: Resized and converted to WebP; may be cropped for display.
Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, photographed in March 2021