Downtown Sunnyvale, also known as Town Center, is a beautiful and upscale community at the southern-most extent of the San Francisco Bay. This southern bay area town is known for its quiet residential neighborhoods, a variety of spacious parks, bustling shopping districts, and office parks for industries from aerospace to technology to military, making it one of the most important cities in the heart of Silicon Valley. Downtown Sunnyvale is nestled between the cities of Santa Clara to the east, Cupertino to the south, and Palo Alto to the northwest.
As for the downtown Sunnyvale area itself, consensus among our staff centers it at the intersection of El Camino Real (the 82) and Mathilda Avenue, running north through the Heritage District to the Sunnyvale CalTrain station and the location of the weekly Sunnyvale Farmers Market. If you want to visit downtown Sunnyvale, take the Mathilda Avenue exit from the 101 or 237 freeways and drive south for just over a mile. You’ll find downtown Sunnyvale between Evelyn Avenue and El Camino Real. While the downtown area had started to feel slightly run-down by the mid 2000s, it underwent a complete redesign in 2009, and many of the office and apartment buildings in the area had their exteriors redone to improve the looks of downtown Sunnyvale. It’s now a wonderful, family-friendly destination that has something for everyone.
Things to do in downtown Sunnyvale
First and foremost, there are plenty of amazing restaurants and cafes to enjoy in the town center. Some of these include Hardy’s Bavarian German restaurant, Il Postale Italian, Firehouse Grill and Brewery, Phuong Thao Vietnamese restaurant, and Bean Scene’s local coffee house. Downtown Sunnyvale also features a number of local businesses ready to help you with any of your needs, from attorneys to optometrists to employment agencies and physical therapists, and you’re supporting the local community by using these specialists. There are boutique clothing and book shops, as well as a few big box retailers like Macy’s and Target. You’ll also find a number of buildings ready to accommodate your office, as well as apartments and condos to afford you the option of living and working in downtown Sunnyvale. There’s also the farmers market every Saturday and seasonal events like the summer concert series and the annual Christmas lighting ceremony.
Whatever you choose to do in town center, you will be surrounded by a tasteful and sophisticated environment that will entice you back again and again. |