Seven Trees East, San Jose, CA

Seven Trees East is the slice of San Jose's Seven Trees area that stretches east to Coyote Creek and the US-101 corridor, with Senter Road along its western side. The creek greenbelt on its far edge gives it something the surrounding tracts lack. Homes in Seven Trees East are older mid-century tract houses on flat lots. Most blocks are purely residential, with the commercial frontage left to Senter Road, and this is one of the quieter stretches of the wider Seven Trees area. The Coyote Creek Trail is the reason to take a walk here. It is paved the whole way, with a city stretch near Tully Road to the north and a long county section running south from Hellyer County Park toward Anderson Lake. Hellyer itself, a short drive away, has a velodrome, Cottonwood Lake for fishing and a splash pad in the warm months. Senter Road is the food street. Banh Cuon Tay Ho is known for its delicate steamed rice rolls, Oc Lau Nuong draws a crowd for seafood and garlic noodles, and Lopez Taqueria covers the everyday burrito. Out on Capitol Expressway, BackAYard Caribbean Grill is known for its jerk chicken and its oxtail plate. The Seven Trees Community Center and branch library on Cas Drive are a short drive west, with a gym, a weight room and group study rooms beside Solari Park. Groceries and other errands happen along Senter and Monterey roads, usually by car. It is not a showpiece and does not pretend to be. For a budget-minded buyer who values the creek trail and a settled street on the East Side of the south valley, the eastern end of Seven Trees is worth a look.