Sure'n it tis a green green Garden City we have!

16 years ago

Many folks don't realize it, but before San Jose became 'The Capital of Silicon Valley', its nickname was 'The Garden City' and it was 'The Garden Valley'.

I set out on Monday to find one of The Garden City's most notable mansions. A Mansion in Paradise, for sure, the Hayes Mansion has played a major historical role in the area.

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The upkeep and maintenance today are a joint project of the City of San Jose and the Renaissance Conferance Company. And that is what the mansion is all about today, a retreat for big business to go, relaxe and plan their strategies. But not just business. The Hayes Mansion may also be a place for political elements to go and plan their strategies. Thus the Hayes Mansion, while a California Historical landmark of notable interest does not try to attract attention or aspire to be a tourist attraction. If you go, I would recommend dressing up a bit so that you fit in. I was lucky and had been wandering about downtown SJO in shirt and tie and later wound up taking the remaining moments of Monday to tour it. Security guards ultimately asked me if I was guest when I took a few photos. It was OK, so long as I didn't photograph people.

Oddly enough, the Hayes Mansion/Edenvale Estate are within walking distance of my front door and in 20 years of life in the valley, I had not until recently even known of its existance. This is no Montalvo or Filoli. It's a beautiful mansion to be sure, but ... not much of a garden spot, except that abundant and fully blooming Orange Bird Of Paradise are thickly planted about its numerous guest suites.

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The Mansion today is mostly dining rooms and suites for the guests. There's a lower level passage that connects to some of the suites and ... a full sized fitness spa, completely rigged with numerous exercise machines.

Ok, so earlier in downtown San Jose, running around in shirt and tie, camera in hand, I found this little gem ...

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There are many old Victorians near downtown San Jose, some nicely kept like this one and some in bitter decay. Such wonderful garden spots each might make, but I loathe those telephone and power cables that mar their beauty.

Most of downtown SJO is however a Garden of Steel and Concrete. Gosh, I cropped and cleaned up these photos with Adobe Photoshop 7.0 ...

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Steel Hummngbirds ...

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Guadalupe River Park ...

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A steel catapillar ...

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San Jose's City Hall Rotunda reminds of the Lick Observatory, surrounded by a strange Japanese Rock Garden ...

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And then there's the HP Pavillion, home of the San Jose Sharks Hockey Team. This is Sharks Territory!

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And so what's next in the Garden City?

Yep ...

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Time for some fine Garden City Dining ...

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Tied House serves a variety of Burgers, a number of entres and ... of course beer, eight varieties, no less ...

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No! I did not drink all those beers ... only the ones I truly liked! And Tied house has a beer garden out back ...

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But hey, this is March 12th! Five more days and we'll all be Emerald Islanders! Let's shift down the street two doors ...

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Now this place boasts that it's the only true Irish Pub downtown and has a very wonderful Iris brew on tap to prove it. Erin go Brah!

And San Jose, The Garden City Capital of Silicon Valley is ever up on its etiquette. When I visited Hong Kong, let me tell you, it was a far different story ...

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When you leave that pub on St. Patty's, relief is but a few steps away. But notice that sign "Stopping is a part of Driving." And the other one ... "No Parking Any Time"?

The Garden City also has a sense of humor.

When Monday rolls around, paint your Garden City Green.

Irish Eyes are Smiling. :)

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The Mansion today is mostly dining rooms and suites for the guests. There's a lower level passage that connects to some of the suites and ... a full sized fitness spa, completely rigged with numerous exercise machines.

The Garden City also has a sense of humor.

When Monday rolls around, paint your Garden City Green.

Irish Eyes are Smiling. :)

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Comments (8)

stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago

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bearstate
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago

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bearstate
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16 years ago
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ALL those pics downloaded in seconds..saw all of them. Bear,i'm no expert on San Jose but i think they have a rare fruit garden near some freeway.I dont think anybody has ever posted a single photo of the place. And dont forget the Jacarandas in June downtown...I saw a Ravnea rivularis with trunk and nice crown of fronds near Stevens Creek last year. Looked fine considering it was the spring after the big Jan freeze. And a Mission has a great palm and exotic garden. When it warms up and your surrounded by all the street palms you feel more like in SouCal than bay area...
bearstate
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Stanofh,

I think those Jacarandas are at the intersection of Almaden Expressway and Santa Clara Street. That's a street over to the west from the entrance to San Pedro Square. There are about 5 young trees there, right in front of the old De Anza Hotel. But maybe there's another older stand of them somewhere.

I don't know of any rare fruit garden in San Jose, but I know that they still had some fruit groves growing within the city when I left for Connecticut eight years ago. Half the places I've visited since I returned to the area have been there for years and when I lived here before, I never knew about them, because I wasn't interested in Gardening. So for me, there's a whole world of things in San Jose that are absolutely new to me, even though I'm a long time resident from years ago. I wonder if you are thinking about Casa de Fruita, which is down by Hollister? That's more of a tourist stopover, but can be of interest to some, especially if you want to buy some frest fruit and nuts.

If it's here, I'll find it and take those pics.

Sure'n it tis a green green Garden City we have!

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stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area

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Sure'n it tis a green green Garden City we have!

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stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area

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