1. Communications Hill Grand Staircase

1. Communications Hill Grand Staircase

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San Jose, CA

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Communications Hill Grand Staircase

4.2 (33 reviews)

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View of staircase from street (lower level)
Annabelle R.

This is a unique multilevel staircase with a charming semicircular balcony mid-level, as well as concrete trails going in both directions (in case the steps aren't enough of a workout for you). Certainly great for photos, lovely views and plenty of trees lining the area. Unless you're a resident of this neighborhood, it has its drawbacks... no public restrooms, no seating (except for on the steps, which doesn't look particularly appealing with a lot of foot traffic), and limited street parking (two entrances to the staircase and areas to park in the neighborhood... top set of stairs at Lina Street and Casselino Drive, bottom set of stairs at Mullinix Way and Montevarchi Street). All of that being said, I got to enjoy sunset views here this past Monday, the place surprisingly a bit crowded on a weekday evening, but not too congested or unbearable. Worth a visit if you've never been.

Kanika K.

One of the best simple walks for sunsets and views of San Jose. The area has plenty of street parking! Great for dogs and easy walk after a long day!

Tina L.

First strike at this 252 step grand staircase and it really didn't excite me. Yeah you got the AM boot camp class going up and down. lol I'll give it to them for the view but that's about it. Try Coit Tower stairs up and down for your daily juice! I don't know if this is where I'd like to take my daily walks to, looking for more incline for sure.

Sunset view on a cloudy day at communication hill
Ratna J.

Beautiful place to catch the sunset or sunrise with your dog and love ones. Parking maybe hard to find so I advise that you come one hour earlier

houses on this hill
Connie W.

Each day before going into the office in South San Jose, I would park my car by Hellyer Park and do a morning prayer walk or backward jog.  As I get to my favorite spot, I would stare into the distance and admire a community of houses on a hill with a tower at the center. It reminds me of the Bible verse from Matthew 5:14. "You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can't be hidden." One day, I found this hill as I drove by 87 and Capitol Ave so I was excited to explore this hill.  It was the beginning of May during a break of showers so the sky was overcast with muted lighting and empty streets, a beautiful day for me and my camera.   I walked up the empty Grand Staircases, enjoying the vast city view against the surrounding mountains.  I tried to look for my favorite spot but couldn't pinpoint it.  As I was walking to the tower at the top of the hill, a peacock happened to be crossing the street, caught him on my camera.  Later, I did a walk on the trail along the perimeter of this hill.

Jessica A.

Great place for getting some vertical exercise in with a good view! I recently visited since I hadn't been in a while and it hasn't changed. It's a great spot for some exercise but also great for photos. The steps themselves are a bit narrow. If you do decide to visit, you can park in the residential area but be mindful of residents here since it is located in the middle of the neighborhood.

Benny H.

Came here for a quick walk and overall it's a bit nice. A ton of people are here though, even on off-peak hours. It's basically a nice little set of stairs in a maze of townhomes. The views are great, and the stairs have pretty cool trees next to them as you go up. However, as I mentioned earlier a lot of people and since many are here to exercise by going up and down the stairs many aren't going to social distance and wear masks. Still, the views were great, and my daughter enjoyed it. Nice overall.

The infamous stairs
Michael C.

Communications Hill is known for the infamous steps... A very popular local exercise spot in South San Jose with a majestic looking staircase and scenic hilltop views, especially during Sunset and Sunrise. Accessible year-round and good for all skill levels. I do feel for the local residents of the area...The stairs are located in the middle of a neighborhood. I'm sure many homeowners who moved to the Communications Hill neighborhood didn't expect their neighborhood to become one of the trendiest fitness destinations in the Bay Area.

S. Anne T.

Great place for a paved run/walk/stair stepper workout with a view. You can do multiple "loops" around the paved path depending on how many miles you're looking to get in. It does get really hot if you're coming during high heat index times and there is zero shade, so be prepared for that. Spf 50+ and a hat for sure. Otherwise, sunsets and sunrises are probably the most beautiful in terms of views. There is plenty of street parking. If you get lucky, you might catch the sheep, which is a big attraction for the kiddos and adults alike. You will pass by visitors and residents alike, most are quite friendly and respectful of the area with plenty of trash cans.

View from the bottom
Huy V.

For the amount of people that use these stairs, I don't get how there are there only 10 reviews for this place (I guess 11 now). This place deserves more praise. After my first visit, I was a BIG FAN. And every visit afterwards, I was a complete air conditioning system. This is one of the best place for an efficient lower body HIIT workout (HIIT = high-intensity interval training). It's about 120 feet elevation gain for 1 full lap. I like running the whole staircase, 2 steps at a time from bottom to top. I say the stairs are "efficient" because I can knock out a really good workout in about 30 minutes (5-6 laps) and feel accomplished. After 2-3 laps, I feel like I just contracted COVID and I'm in the intensive care unit. Just outside of the staircase area, there are paved trails. You can hike, run, skip, crawl, or even moonwalk the trails. This ain't In-n-Out; you got options. (...and yes, I do like In-n-Out). Be courtesy around this area, as it is residential and people do live here.

Great for photos!
Angel L.

Really cool how there's a staircase like this one in a residential hub. I always see people take graduation/prom/wedding engagement photos here so I wanted to come check it out spontaneously since I was in the area! We passed by lots of people walking/working out and everyone was super friendly congratulating my friend and I for graduation (we were taking photos for fun). The staircase facilitates a sense of community/belonging and also a healthier and active lifestyle in this area - love it!

Eduardo P.

Communications Hill is one of those places you have to visit especially if you live in San Jose. It's a gated-type community but it sure is one of the loveliest neighborhoods you'll ever see. What really attracts people to this area is the famous staircase that overlooks San Jose, making for an awesome view as well as a hot spot for people who come to get their workouts in (and believe me, it gets pretty crowded in the early morning). Aside from the steps, it is also a great place to have a scenic walk or to take your bike for a stroll. Since it is a residential area parking can be tricky so be careful you don't block someone's space. Either super early in the morning or at sunset, the view from the staircase is perfect for photography. As of this writing, they are constructing Communications Hill to be even bigger now. Lastly, the BEST time in my opinion to go is during the early Spring time when the yellow flowers (I don't know the name) on the hills start to blossom making it look extremely vibrant and pretty. Enjoy it!

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4 months ago

during the night, cant see much of the view with the green panels up due to security or during construction?

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2 years ago

Nice place to just see a sunset. It's partly residential. Couldn't find a dedicated place for parking.

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I love going here for exercise. This is a beautiful place to see the sunset in and go for a long walk or run at. :)

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Ask the Community - Communications Hill Grand Staircase

Is the nice view accessible to seniors/ADA?

How many miles is the loop?

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Review Highlights - Communications Hill Grand Staircase

I say the stairs are "efficient" because I can knock out a really good workout in about 30 minutes (5-6 laps) and feel accomplished.

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Japantown San Jose - Kogura Gift Shop

Japantown San Jose

4.2(168 reviews)
5.0 miDowntown

As small business month is quickly approaching I was thinking how wonderful and vibrant a community…read moreJapantown San Jose is. There so many seasoned and new diverse small business owners here in the heart of Japantown. Classic Loot, Zonkey, Roy's, Santo Market, Taqueria Corona, Minato, Hukilau, Kazoo are among my families favorites. We have also enjoyed and welcomed new businesses too like Banne (yummy sourdough) and Furbaby Fancy petgrooming (the most posh and elite pet grooming experience) into our rotation as well! I should have just listed all the businesses here! So proud of the businesses that contribute to our community!

There's definitely a lot of history, community love, and shops and restaurants here. It's smaller…read morethan the other Little Tokyo in LA and Japan Town in SF (I think), but because we came around midday lunch time on a Tuesday after Fanime, not many stores or restaurants were surprisingly open? Maybe it's due to being after Memorial Day or because most of them were night time dinner service only restaurants. Either way it's much cleaner than Little Tokyo in LA and with less jump scares and trash everywhere. Easier to find parking and more affordable, in a sense, than Japan Town SF. Stopped by the Japanese grocery store and Santo Market while we were here. Fun to kill a couple of hours, I suppose. I just gotta come back here again when more things are open !

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Japantown San Jose - Tōno Coffee Project - a San Jose pop-up

Tōno Coffee Project - a San Jose pop-up

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Bay Wheels e-bikes

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Santo Market

Moffett Field

Moffett Field

4.8(14 reviews)
14.2 mi

Located in heart of Silicon Valley, Moffett Field is a catchall for a variety of business and…read moregovernment facilities. Its more notable residents are NASA Ames, Moffett Federal Airfield, The Moffett Field Historical Society, and a burgeoning Google presence. The field was founded in 1931 when residents of Santa Clara Country raised just under a half a million dollars to purchase the farmland to then sell it to the U.S. Government for the princely sum of $1 dollar in order to build what was then known as NAS Sunnyvale in 1933. The US navy wanted to use the base for Airship operations. Upon the death of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who was a huge proponent of Airship operations, the base was changed to NAS Moffett Field on 1 September 1933. To support airship operations the massive Hanger One was built. The Hanger which at the time was one of the largest freestanding building in the world covered a whopping 8 acres. After the tragic los of the Airship USS Macon, the navy turned control over the base to the US Army. Following WWII the navy regained control of the base and during the Cold War was one of the primary West Coast bases for anti submarine aircraft such as the P-2V and the P-3 Orion. In 1939 NACA the precursor to NASA opened up research facilities on the base including the ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex. Following the military drawdown during the post Cold War period the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) identified the base as unneeded and thus was decommissioned and turned over to NASA) The base now is run by NASA and they have actively rented out space to a variety of companies like Google etc. Lockheed martin Space Systems is collocated on the base as well as the 129th Air national Guard Squadron. There is also housing and other projects. In a nod to its Navy roots a Navy Commissary remains on the site and is open. Visitors are allowed on base with government issued ID if they have business there. In addition there is a museum on site that you can visit as well. Its hours are limited so check the website for more information. Also as a note traffic laws are STRICTLY enforced by the NASA police and that goes for bikes and vehicles so behave yourselves.

This review is based on the experience of my boyfriend being sworn in at Moffett Field to join The…read moreNational Air Guard/Air Force branch. Not to be sappy and cheesy but I am humbled to say that I am a very proud Air Force girlfriend :) It's crazy because you may just be passing by Moffett Field casually when you are driving the freeway. However, actually being on the Field itself is just a whole new experience. You will honestly never look at it the same during your casual drive, (in an AMAZING great way) once you experience being out on the Field. So many of the Airmen/women were very nice, respectful, and very informative with the process of joining the branch. They all definitely treat each other like family whether you are a new or old member. It's funny in a great way how many of them try to convince you to join Air Force as well haha! It truly was an honor being able to be out on the field and meet many Airmen/women who are serving our country. It makes me so happy knowing my boyfriend is following his dreams and now a part of such a strong/passionate branch. Shoutout and many thanks to them all for serving our country.

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Moffett Field
Moffett Field
Moffett Field

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Communications Hill Grand Staircase - landmarks - Updated July 2026

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