Santana Row
6.1Friend Score / 10$$$
Known forsantana rowshoppingupscalerestaurants
San Jose's manufactured Mediterranean-style shopping village: 50+ upscale shops, 30 restaurants, a CineArts theater, and Hotel Valencia, all built in 2002 to look old. It's polished and genuinely pleasant for a stroll, dinner, and people-watching — just don't expect anything authentically San Jose. Parking garages are free; weekends get packed.
Key facts
| Hours | Hours not verified |
|---|---|
| Price | $$$ |
| Phone | — |
| Website | — |
| Nearest transit | VTA buses 23, 523 (rapid), 59, and 60 stop at Stevens Creek/Winchester by the Row; the 60 connects to the airport and Milpitas BART |
| Time needed | 2-4 hours for shopping and a meal |
| Best time to go | Weekday afternoons for easy parking; warm weekend evenings for the people-watching scene |
| Last verified | July 12, 2026 |
Friend Score
6.1/10- Value6.0
- iconic6.5
- Freshness9.2
- Crowd level5.0
- Authenticity4.0
- Accessibility7.5
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get to Santana Row by transit?
- Yes — VTA buses 23 and 523 stop on Stevens Creek at the Row, and the 60 runs from the airport and Milpitas BART to Winchester right in front. It's roughly a 20-30 minute bus ride from downtown San Jose.
- Is Santana Row worth it for visitors who don't shop?
- For a meal and an evening stroll, sure — it's attractive and easy. But if you have limited San Jose time, Japantown or the Story Road Vietnamese corridor will give you something you can't get in any upscale district in America.
- What is Santana Row exactly?
- An open-air 'lifestyle center' — a purpose-built shopping street with 50+ stores, 30 restaurants, a movie theater, and a boutique hotel, styled like a European village. It opened in 2002 and does the fantasy well, but it's a mall at heart.
- What are Santana Row's hours?
- Shops generally run 10am-9pm Monday-Saturday and 11am-7pm Sunday, with restaurants and bars open later. Individual businesses vary, so check a specific store before a targeted trip.
- Santana Row or Valley Fair — what's the difference?
- They face each other across Stevens Creek Boulevard. Valley Fair is a huge conventional indoor mall; Santana Row is the outdoor, restaurant-heavy, dressed-up version. Shoppers hit Valley Fair; date nights happen on the Row.
- Is parking free at Santana Row?
- Yes — self-parking in the garages is free every day, and valet outside Hotel Valencia runs about $7. On weekend evenings the garages fill; the ones on the Winchester side usually have space when the main garage doesn't.
- Is Santana Row expensive?
- The shopping skews upscale (designer and premium brands), and restaurants run mid-to-high. But strolling, the plazas, and people-watching cost nothing — plenty of locals come just to walk it with a coffee.
- Is Santana Row good for a night out?
- It's one of San Jose's better ones — wine bars, cocktail spots, and restaurants with patios that stay lively into the evening, especially Friday and Saturday. It's a see-and-be-seen crowd; dress accordingly or don't, nobody checks.
Nearby in Ask San Jose
- Winchester Mystery HouseAttraction0.4 km · 5 min walk
- Falafel's Drive-InRestaurant1.05 km · 13 min walk
- San Jose Municipal Rose GardenPark1.91 km · 24 min walk
- Rosicrucian Egyptian MuseumMuseum2.67 km · 33 min walk
- Crema Coffee Roasting Co.Café3.28 km · 41 min walk
Where to stay near Santana Row
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