Sunnyvale Real Estate: The 4 Most Popular Sunnyvale Neighborhoods

Sunnyvale real estate is booming with home buyers trying to secure a little piece of paradise in a Sunnyvale neighborhood for their family to settle down in. Unfortunately, this popular area is made up of a patchwork of small neighborhoods that are not easily or formally defined. This causes a lot of anxiety for those looking to buy. Below is a guide of the most notable Sunnyvale neighborhoods and what each of them has to offer for a home buyer.

 

To be able to navigate the many Sunnyvale neighborhoods, we’ve divided the town according to its 4 zip codes:

 

• 94087
• 94086
• 94085 and 
• 94089

There are many smaller pockets of homes and groupings of streets within these zip codes. It’s important to differentiate between these micro-neighborhoods when looking at where you want to live or buy a home.

 

 

Primarily a residential pocket of homes, Serra Park and Belleville are south of Fremont Avenue and west of Hollenbeck Avenue, which extends to the other side of highway 85. Homes within this boundary are some of the most expensive Sunnyvale neighborhoods, and also the most in-demand. This is largely due to the excellent K-12 schools: West Valley Elementary, Cupertino Middle and Homestead High. All of these schools are conveniently within walking distance to most homes in this Sunnyvale neighborhood.

 

Please note that the elementary and middle schools are actually within the Cupertino school district but still in a Sunnyvale neighborhood.

 

Another nice benefit of this neighborhood is Serra Park, which features a playground, spacious grassy field and tennis courts.

 

 

Just north of Fremont Avenue and up to El Camino Real is the Cherry Chase and Cumberland neighborhood. It is also commonly known as “Cumberland South”. This is a very popular residential area in Sunnyvale real estate, offering some townhomes but mostly single-family homes. The schools are highly rated and include Cherry Chase, Cumberland Elementary, Sunnyvale Middle and Homestead High. De Anza Park and Mango Park are wonderful local parks in this area. The parks are also close to Cherry Chase Elementary and Cumberland Elementary, as well as several well-known Eichler neighborhoods.

 

 

This Sunnyvale neighborhood is known for its bird-named streets, like Quail Avenue, Swallow Drive and Oriole Way. The Birdland neighborhood surrounds Raynor Park, between Dunford Way and Homestead Road to the south. Its proximity to the Apple campus makes it ideal for employees seeking short commutes. Raynor Park is one of the most desirable neighborhoods for buyers seeking “tear downs”. These are popular for a renovation or construction project, due to the large lot sizes and small existing original homes. The largest community-based urban farm in Silicon Valley is also here, Full Circle Farms. It has 11 acres of land just south of the Bryan Osborne Nature Center and Peterson Middle School. The schools here fall within the Santa Clara School District – Laurelwood Elementary, Peterson Middle and Wilcox High School.

 

 

The Heritage District is bordered by Homestead Road to the south, El Camino Real to the north, Hollenbeck Ave to the west and S. Wolfe Road to the east. Fremont High School is located here, as well as many city resources like the Sunnyvale Community Center, Sunnyvale Theater and Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum. Most of the homes are surrounded either by Ortega Park, Panama Park, or Heritage Park, making it a desirable location for quick access to sports and leisure activities. Other nearby conveniences include a 24-Fitness on Fremont Avenue and a remodeled Safeway and Starbucks in the Homestead Square Shopping Center on Homestead Road. Also close by is Las Palmas Park which is a popular Polynesian-themed 24-acre recreation area with a play area, tennis courts and off-leash dog area.

 

 

Washington Park is sandwiched between Central Expressway and El Camino Real (82). While most homes in the 94086 zip code belong to Fremont High, this small section of homes is actually within the Homestead High boundary. This makes them highly desirable for families with school-age children. In addition to single-family homes, there are a fair number of apartments and townhomes in this Sunnyvale neighborhood, as well as a couple of mobile home parks. Washington Park has basketball courts, a play structure, horseshoe pits, a swimming pool and tennis courts. Across the street is the Stratford School Sunnyvale campus, which is a popular pre-K through 5th-grade private school. There is also a small pocket of homes within the highly desirable Cumberland Elementary School attendance boundary.

 

 

The majority of the 94086 zip code falls within either the Fremont High School or Wilcox High School boundaries. Most of Ponderosa, Braly and Gavello Glen is a mix of residential and commercial use, including many business complexes. The Heritage District is the most notable area within this neighborhood, as it contains some of Sunnyvale’s oldest homes and many historical sites. This area is popular with many professionals due to the walkability to good restaurants, shops and the Sunnyvale Caltrain station. Murphy Street is where all the action is, weekly Farmer’s Market and now burgeoning commercial center with a Target, Wholefoods and other businesses.

 

 

The 94085 zip code is bound by 101 to the north and Central Expressway to the south. It features two main parks, Fair Oaks Park and Columbia Park. It also has the Sunnyvale Golf Course, where you can easily book a tee time or plan a tournament. For those looking for private school options, King’s Academy, located adjacent to Fair Oaks Park is a popular private 6-12 college prep school. Just on the other side of Highway 101 are many large local employers, such as Google, Juniper Networks, NetApp, NASA Ames Research Center and of course Lockheed Martin, just to name a few.

 

 

The 94089 zip code on North of Highway 101 including Lakewood Village, multiple mobile home parks, newer townhomes, and condo developments are located near Fair Oaks and Tasman. Lakewood Village is a pocket of homes with lake names, like Lakeknoll, Silverlake and Lakechime that surround Lakewood Park. This Sunnyvale neighborhood features some of the most affordable single-family homes in the area and has seen significant appreciation over the last several years. Most of the portion of Sunnyvale north of Highway 237 is zoned for industrial use. However, the proximity to Mission College, Levi Stadium and the many businesses located near Great American Parkway can make this a convenient location for many.

 

This can all seem daunting at first, but with this guide in hand and our 4-Step Buyer Experience, you’ll be several steps closer to buying your dream property in one of the Sunnyvale neighborhoods. For more information and a no-obligation, 100% pressure-free initial consultation, reach out at www.atriare.com for guidance from our experts in Sunnyvale real estate.