The Washington Area Community Coalition-WACC envisions a neighborhood where residents are secure from the threat of crime, streets are safe and attractive, residents have quality affordable housing, and there are safe places for the community to interact and children to play.
The Washington area is a community with many strengths, including its family orientation, cultural identity, and stability. Over time, however, these strengths have been challenged by high crime rates, substandard housing, marginal condition of public infrastructure, and other issues. The City of San José is committed to improving living conditions in neighborhoods facing such challenges. The Washington Neighborhood Revitalization Plan is designed to focus City services and programs toward comprehensive improvements in Washington by combining the strengths of the community with the resources of the City.
The 550-acre Washington revitalization area (click here for a 250kb map) is bounded by Route 87 to the west, Interstate 280 to the north, South First Street/Monterey Road to the east, and the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks south of Bellevue Avenue to the south.
In 1990, there were 10,136 people residing in the Washington area. The revitalization area is comprised of five individual neighborhoods: Guadalupe-Washington, Tamien, Goodyear-Mastic, Cottage Grove, and Alma-Almaden (Figure 2). Housing in this area consists primarily of single family homes, with a mix of duplexes, fourplexes, apartments, and townhouses. The area also contains Washington Elementary School, the Tamien multi-modal transit station, various community facilities, and commercial and industrial businesses.
The portion of Washington north of Alma Avenue was part of the original City of San José. During the early 1900's, this area was a thriving Italian immigrant community known as "Goosetown." The Cottage Grove and Alma-Almaden areas were gradually annexed to the City between 1930 and 1957. Many of the homes and structures in Washington date back to the late 19th century. The area contains some recognized historic structures, including the former Woodrow Wilson Junior High School on Vine, and the Roma Bakery building on the corner of Grant and Almaden.
Old maps that include the Washington Area can be seen:
There are four active neighborhood associations in the Washington area.
Guadalupe/Washington Neighborhood Association
The Guadalupe – Washington Neighborhood Association (GWNA) was established in 1992, and encompasses the area bordered by Interstate 280, South First Street, and Route 87.
GWNA meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:45pm at the Washington Elementary School, which is located at 100 Oak Street. This meeting is open to everyone and interpretation to Spanish.
The Guadalupe-Washington Neighborhood Association (GWNA) was established in 1992, and encompasses the area bordered by Interstate 280, South First Street, Willow Street, and Route 87. GWNA meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at the Washington Elementary School, 100 Oak Street at 6:45 PM. This meeting is open to everyone with interpretation in Spanish. For more information contact
Tamien Neighborhood Association
The Tamien Neighborhood Association (formerly the Almaden – Vine Neighborhood Association) encompasses the area bordered by Willow Street, Almaden, Alma Avenue, and Route 87. It renamed itself after the construction of the Tamien Station in 1992, and has been active since the 1980’s.
Tamien meets monthly on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at the P – Track Portable, which is located at 1197 Lick Avenue. This meeting is open to everyone and interpretation is available in Spanish.
For more information, please contact Tamien Neighborhood Association at tamienna@hotmail.com.
Alma Neighborhood Association
Welcome to the Alma Neighborhood Association, "We put commitment to our community first"
We believe that there is no substitute for caring when it comes to our community. Our Village is part of the district seven community. George Shirakawa is our council member representative. Our area encompasses the perimeters of the streets Alma and Monterey to Alma and Little Orchard to San Jose Avenue. The Alma neighborhood is a family oriented community, and predominantly Spanish speaking. We have approximately four hundred fifty residents.
Our meetings are hosted on the third Monday of every month. Meetings are held at the Alma center at 7:00pm. Everyone is welcomed to come, and our association is open to new members and new ideas.
So if you want to learn what’s happening in our community, get involved in a community project, or just make a new friend, please join us, or call (408) 270-6457, ask for Deborah Morillo for further information.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Goodyear/Mastic Neighborhood Association
The Goodyear/Mastic neighborhood invites all Goodyear/Mastic neighborhood residents to attend the neighborhood association meetings to bring for new ideas for change in our neighborhood. Neighborhood association meetings are held on the fourth Monday of every month at the Alma Senior Center located at 136 W. Alma Ave. Meetings will begin promptly at 6:30pm.
Since it is foundation in the year 2000, the Goodyear/Mastic Neighborhood Association has accomplished the following:
Now in the new year of 2002 the Goodyear/Mastic Neighborhood Association continues to bring change in the neighborhood and will begin implementing the Washington SNI plan to give the Goodyear/Mastic Neighborhood better street lighting, more park space, street sweeping, and community center improvements.
E-Mail Goodyear/Mastic Neighborhood Association at GoodyearMastic@aol.com
There are no parks within the boundaries of the Washington area. The nearest park, Biebrach Park, is located approximately half a mile from Washington, at West Virginia Street and Delmas Avenue. The park includes play equipment, playing fields, and a swimming pool. Washington School serves as the primary recreational facility for the community by allowing public use of the basketball courts, turf field, and play equipment after school hours.
The Alma Youth Center provides indoor recreational opportunities and is pursuing funding for the enhancement of its outdoor recreation area. The Center also provides outdoor handball courts.
There are several public and private facilities in Washington that provide resources and support for the community.
One of the focal points of the revitalization area is Washington Elementary School. It is the only educational facility located in the area. It also serves as the primary recreational facility for the community by allowing public use of the basketball courts, turf field, and play equipment after school hours. Its cafeteria and classrooms are also used for a variety of community meetings.
Washington is home to the Biblioteca Latinoamericana, San José's Spanish language branch library. The Biblioteca is an important educational and cultural resource to the Hispanic community in San José. A new Biblioteca is under construction on the southwest corner of South First and Oak Streets in conjunction with the new Washington Area Youth Center (see below). The new Biblioteca will be the largest branch in the San José Public Library System and will house one of the largest Spanish language collections in Northern California. The Biblioteca provides educational programs for the community, including adult and preschool age residents, and is an important resource for community outreach efforts.
A new youth center is currently under construction adjacent to Washington School. The new Washington Area Youth Center will help focus programs and services to young people in the area. The Center will offer recreational classes (i.e., dance, martial arts, strength training, and exercise) as well as educational programs and support groups for young mothers, parents, and youth.
For more information, please contact the WUYC at (408) 938-6731.
The Alma Senior Center offers ongoing activities for senior citizens, including daily lunches, exercise and dance classes, Lotería (Spanish bingo), arts and crafts, and blood pressure checks. The center also organizes special events and trips for its members. For more information, please contact the Alma Senior Center at (408) 275-1315.
The Alma Youth Center provides a variety of recreational and educational programs for youth ranging from ages 5 - 17 years old. Activities include Art & Crafts, Games, Tournaments, Clubs, Sports, Cooking, Workshops, Computer and Internet Access. For more information, please contact the Alma Youth Center at (408) 275-1316.
This non-profit organization provides critical services to residents throughout San José. It distributes food and clothing to families in need, provides assistance in finding housing and employment, and offers educational and self-improvement programs. Sacred Heart also distributes lunches to the homeless. Sacred Heart is currently constructing a new center at the northwest corner of South First and Alma Streets that will enable it to continue to serve Washington and broader San José community.
The church is a focal point of the community both architecturally and socially. It is a primary gathering place for area residents for social events as well as religious services. The Church also provides various services to the community, including meals for the homeless at Martha's Kitchen.
The Center for Employment Training (CET), located at 701 Vine Street, is a valuable resource to the residents of San José, as well as the Washington area. CET offers classes to build and enhance employment skills, including computer training.
CET also teaches a variety of workshops for personal enrichment. CET is housed in a facility that was originally constructed as a middle school. As such, in the past, their playfields were utilized by neighborhood residents as additional open space.
South First Teen Resource Center
The City of San Jose, "Turn it Around" South First Resource Center for teens is dedicated to offering youth the tools to broaden their knowledge of various types of arts and stimulate personal growth. The South First Resource Center will be in collaboration with various bay area artists and community based organizations to divert local youths' attention toward a more positive outlet.
The Mayor and City Council set aside $900,000 in discretionary funds for implementation. The Advisory Group allocated these funds toward various improvement items based on the needs and concerns of the community.
Total $900,000
This Washington Area web page sponsored by eNative, "Know YOUR neighborhood!"
