Last evening Lauren and I went to Santana Row for a little window shopping fun. Since I didn't have anything for my blog today I decided to take my camera along to share a little bit of Silicon Valley with you. For those of you who used to live in this area and have since moved away (and I know there are quite a few of you out there), this is where the old Town and Country Village shopping center was located...across the street from Valley Fair Shopping Center. As you can see, it's a whole lot different than that old shopping center!
Santana Row was started when Silicon Valley was in it's hey-day before the big dot-com bust. By the time it was finished it was post 9/11 and companies were laying off and people were moving out of the area. Everyone was wondering how this upscale shopping center would make it but it has, and the restaurants are always packed every time I come here!
On the ground level are restaurants and shops and up above are condos and lofts.
Below is Anthropologie...
Vera Bradley...
A better peek through the window...
Burberry is here...
And Gucci...
And lots of other shops too...
There are even tables set up to play chess...
or you can play chess on the ground... 
One of my favorite restaurants...
Lots of pretty plants and flowers...
This is why Lauren wanted to go...
I love seeing the areas around where bloggers live...whether it's a small town or New York city, I find it so interesting! I hope you enjoyed your little window-shopping tour at Santana Row in Silicon Valley!
55 comments:
What a beautiful area! I'm so glad these shops made it, even after a large number of people had moved away! Thanks for posting these gorgeous photos! I'm blogging on my lunch break & it felt like being there! I feel refreshed now & ready to go back to work! Patti
Hi Cindy, Thanks for the lovely tour of those shops! It is so fun to see such different landscape than we we have in the boring midwest. I have never seen a palm tree in person! Im glad you are enjoying your summer with Lauren before school starts. Thanks for a lovely post. You have been my inspiration and I have just started setting up my blog... Im afraid... Thanks again,
Michelle from Illinois
Cindy,
Thanks for taking us along shopping! Your "Silicon Valley" is very similar to "Crocker Park" near my sister just west of Cleveland Ohio. It's similar, right down to the chess game. I always try to make it there to do a little shopping when I visit!
Did you mean that this place is where the Old Town (Old Train Depot) used to be in/near San Jose? Tami E.
Beautiful shopping area but I bet you don't find the bargains like you do in the thrift stores!! Someone has to pay for all the pretty!
blessings
mary
What a fantastic tour! So much wonderful scenery to soak in.
I started a blog with a friend, a few weeks ago. It's called Creatively fit. We are a group of bloggers that walk, click and connect. We're getting exercise and getting creative by taking pictures of where we walk. It's so much fun. Please stop by and feel free to join us!
Have a great day!
Cindy
Here's the blog if you'd like to have a look.
www.photophit.blogspot.com
We have Maggiano's in Colorado, also. Love the food there. Your whole shopping area looks like a fun place to window shop. Thanks for sharing it with us! Sally
Cindy,
My parents literally live like a hop, skip, and a jump from Santana Row, but I rarely go there... Now that's sad. Thanks for the tour! Maybe this weekend I'll walk over.
Toodlepeeps.
Window shopping would be fun in such a beautiful area.
Carolyn
All lovely photos but the one that caught my eye is the Fish Taco store...my husband grew up in S.Cal and is always talking about fish tacos...I guess its a cultural thing because I don't think anyone else in TN has ever heard of them....
This must be a beautiful place...thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks for the tour. It looks like a lovely place to just go and sit and people watch! The shops are a little rich for my pocketbook but it's fun looking. Wish I could go to Sur La Table!
Thanks for sharing, have a great week end.
Sandy
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I love the many places to sit and grab a bite or just to chill out by the creative/artistic fountains.
The chess is my favorite. It's just a very playful piece. Of course, with such amazing sighs, the tour is its own reward.
Nicolette
http://www.furnitureanddesignideas.com/
I enjoyed seeing the fountains. The Lofts and Apartments above the shops and restaurants reminds me of the Solidaire (downtown) neighborhood in Beirut. All modern and redone yet a little old world looking. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the tour! Never been there but would love to go. And oh I would love to shop in that Verra Bradley shop! I bet you both had fun. Your photos ere wonderful.
Thanks for the tour. Looks like a great place to roam around.
Hi Cindy,
Lovely picturesof a lovely place,
that looks like a lot of fun to visit. Enjoyed them very much,
and bet you and Lauren had a fun
evening.
Blessings, Nellie
It looks like a fun place to hang out and people watch. I have been to Maggiano's in St Louis...great food! Thanks for the great idea for a post! A little tour of my town!~Patti
Beautiful tour! I like the Vera Bradley store the best. I love the decor!
~WOW! Cindy it's all gorgeous!
This is exactly my idea of a fun vacation. Love the Vera Bradley store and the chess pieces.
~Blessings, ~Melissa :)
Hi Cindy; I really enjoyed all the great photos. Thanks for the tour it was fun.
Hugs;
Alaura
How pretty! I'd love to live in the condos above the shops! But this is the first I've heard that Town and Country is gone. *sigh* The only thing you can count on is change!
Oh wow! So inviting... I'd love to stroll around there someday! Seriously though and I hope this isn't weird, but I absolutely LOVE those palm trees! WOW!!!!! Anyone who loves palm trees over Gucci must be odd, but I can't help it they are super cool! ;)
Hugs, Jenny
You always make me homesick! I was born and raised in Campbell/San Jose, and I graduated from Westmont High School! I was just blogging about Los Gatos the other day (I got married there).
I worked at Dan Howard Maternity in the old Town & Country. I can't get used to all the changes in that area. I moved in 1998 and so much has changed. I get lost now when I'm town, and I never thought that was possible.
I love your blog and I especially love it when you talk about Campbell (and Willow Glen!)
Hi Cindy,
What a neat shopping area. My eyes popped open when I saw a whole shop devoted to Vera Bradley. I have two VB purses. A gift shop close to me has a nice selection of VB in their store. My hubby noticed some on sale and I found one I loved at 40% off. I was so happy. I always enjoy your posts. Have a nice weekend.
Teacup Lady (Sandy)
For someone who wasn't sure what she was gonna blog about, I think you came up with some very pretty pictures!
Thank you....
Thank you for us to cover off a such beautiful area!!!!
Cathy
Cindy,
I think blog entries like this one are particularly fun and interesting. We get to see your world, through your eyes.
What a beautiful area to shop, grab a bite to eat, and just walk through. The landscaping is just fantastic. I love the abundance of flowers and lush greenery! There is something to be said about that Northern California climate. :-) It's perfect.
Marilyn (in Dallas)
Thanks for the glimpse Cindy; it looks fab!
Cindy,
Two other great places at Santana Row are Kara's Cupcakes, they are the best ever, and Pluto's for yummy salads.
Cindy, that was fun. Thanks for taking us there with you via pictures.
I wouldn't buy anything there, but it would be fun to browse around, sit by the fountains, and watch the people and see how the "other half" live! ha!
I like nice things, but I never pay that much for them. I always say you can make things look like they cost a lot but for a much cheaper price. (:>)
It is beautiful there. The weather was probably nice,...and I too like the Palm trees.
So glad you had the time with your daughter before school starts.
Take Care,
Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
Forget Paris!
I'm going to Silicon Valley!
That looks like soooo much fun! It's a lovely place, isn't it. I'm glad it's survived the poor economy....Wish I could be there!
Blessings,
Spencer
Hi Cindy! A very nice place! I love your country.I've visited it for three times. I know New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Tampa, Orlando. I love the american aplle pie with vanilla ice cream! Delicious! I love pizzas from New York!I love Victoria's Secret. Well, I love to go to USA! Bye. Maria Lúcia.
I love it when you take your camera along. I agree that it is really cool to see where people live or where they've been that I'll never get to go. TFS! xox D*
Lovely photos! But they make me realize how small the country is, or how branded it is, as this could be the city I live in here in the southeast. Similar new architecture, and many of the same stores, looking the same. Interesting, isn't it.
I've never been to silicon valley before even though I lived in California before we moved to Connecticut when I was 16. We were from northern CA though.
I got a real kick out of the store called 'footcandy' What a funny name.
Thanks for the window shopping tour. Liked it a lot.
♥ Rebecca
What beautiful pictures... I enjoyed looking at all of them!
I'm putting up a new post tomorrow of my 3 New Pillow Designs. If you get a chance, stop by for a visit and say hi!
Have a great weekend,
Aimee
I love your blog. Very beautiful.
Kisses
Carol
Cindy, what a pretty area. Even though I'm not too far away, I have never visited Santana Row. It really is beautiful. I am jealous of all the weekend excursions you've been taking, I need to leave behind my chores and start doing that once in a while. Next time Lauren doesn't want to join you, take me :)
Thanks, Cindy! Since I can't take little trips right now, I am so glad you are taking me with you on yours. It's always fun for us, isn't it? Real, or "virtual" we love to look around. xo Lidy
Beautiful photos, Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing.
How wonderful everything looks! Looks like a fun place to visit, wish I were closer.
If you ever want a great Spa day...Visit the Burke Williams spa there! What a great time! Santana Row is a fun day. Not many shops I can spend $ in, but fun to walk around and eat!
wow oh wow oh wow
a lovely tour, one day I can afford to step in those shops
lol
Sarah
What a wonderful shopping experience that would be! Thank you for the fun tour, I would love to check out some of those shops! Hugs, Cindy S
I love looking at your pictures when you take a trip! It makes me feel like I'm there. Such a pretty shopping area. Please keep it up, I enjoy your blog so much!
What a pretty area! I love the flowers on the lamp posts and the iguana (cannot recall which species) fountain. My friend and I ate at Maggiano's Saturday before we went to the Broadway production of Grease. I have enjoyed your excursions this summer since I have not been able to take my own. I love day trips like that and cannot wait until I can take some again. Thank you so much for sharing yours with us!
Downtown Disney looks like this. I wonder if they fashioned it after this place, gorgeous!
I love Santana Row! My husband and I spent 6 weeks in the Bay area two summers ago with our job and we went to Santana Row several times. It's such a beautiful area. We had brunch at a restaurant there that was delicious and we had a great steak at another restaurant on one of our date nights! It's such a great shopping area.
Thanks for sharing your photos of Santana Row - whenever I am visiting Gilroy and family I always try to make a trip there - I love the place and the stores!
Rochelle
I like Urban Outfitters the best!
My daughter and I visited Santana Row last winter. Pinkberry had just opened. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
wow!!next time I will come there!! I love Vera Bradley Store!!! hugs
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