Cambrian is a neighborhood of San Jose, California, located in West San Jose. Though most of the neighborhood is incorporated as part of San Jose, a small portion exists as an unincorporated census-designated place called Cambrian Park. The name “Cambrian Park” was used regularly since the 1950s by the then-San Jose Mercury and San Jose News newspapers (now The San Jose Mercury News) to refer to a portion of the Union school and Cambrian school areas, the latter school named in the 1870s by ranch hand David Lewis of the Jeremiah D. Casey Ranch for Cambria, the Latinized name for Wales (Welsh, Cymru), the country of Lewis’s birth. Due to the relative isolation of adjacent population centers within then rural Santa Clara County, place names and later, municipalities, were often defined by their public school service boundaries. These indistinct boundaries persisted until WWII, after which a rapidly expanding population and demand for municipal services resulted in more precise boundaries being established. The Cambrian Park area continues to be recognized as a distinct, partly unincorporated neighborhood bordering the cities of San Jose and Campbell and the town of Los Gatos.
The commerce center for the Cambrian Park area has always been the Cambrian Park Plaza. Located at the crossroads of Camden and Union Avenues, the center was originally built in 1953. Today the center maintains the country’s charm and construction style, across over 170,000 square feet of stores. Through the years, the center has housed a mix of local shops and national brands. The iconic colorful carousel atop the center sign is currently under evaluation for designation as a historical landmark. This is of particular interest in the community as the center was sold for the first time in 2015, to Texas-based Weingarten Realty. Not all of the general area today considered “Cambrian Park” lies within San Jose’s city limits. A large swath of the neighborhood was annexed by the City of Campbell in 2012, under an agreement. These figures do not include any part of Cambrian Park which has been incorporated into San Jose at the time of the census. Bed Bug Exterminator San Jose
Attractions
- Earl and Virginia Young House is located at 1888 White Oaks Rd, Campbell, CA
- Ainsley is located at 300 Grant St, Campbell, CA
Restaurants and Pubs
- Alams Taqueria is located at 2708 Union Ave, San Jose, CA
- Adelita’s Taqueria Restaurant & Bar is located at 1896 Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA
- Stevie’s Bar & Grill is located at 2705 Union Ave, San Jose, CA
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