Welcome to Campbell
Campbell is situated in the southern portion of the
Santa Clara Valley, with
Highway 17 passing through eastern Campbell and
Highway 85 to its south. The historic downtown section sits just west of the railroad in the central area. The southwestern area of Campbell is known as the San Tomas neighborhood and varies somewhat from most of Campbell in the size of its lots and styles of housing. Hamilton Avenue is one of the northernmost roads in Campbell. The largest park in Campbell is Los Gatos Creek Park near Highway 17, and the second largest is John D. Morgan Park.
Campbell is home to the
Pruneyard Shopping Center, a sprawling open-air retail complex that was involved in a famous
U.S. Supreme Court case that established the extent of the right to free speech in
California. Today, the
Pruneyard Shopping Center is home to the South Bay offices of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Although not a major high-tech city like many of its neighbors, Campbell is the original home of
eBay and of its creator,
Pierre Omidyar.
Most residences are single-family homes, although there are some areas with
condominiums,
duplexes, and apartments. Single-family homes typically have one or two
bathrooms and three or four
bedrooms and are between 1,000 square feet (93 m2) and 1,600 square feet (150 m2) on
lots typically measuring about 6,000 square feet (560 m2). The vast majority were built in the 1950s through 1970s. There are pockets of older homes, mostly near
downtown, often in demand for their architectural styles.[
citation needed] There are also pockets of newer, much larger homes about 3,500 square feet (330 m2), mostly built in the 1990s on subdivided lots previously occupied by homes dating from the first half of the 20th century. Most of Campbell's apartments are located in northern Campbell on Hamilton and Campbell Avenues.
Campbell's downtown is located near where Campbell Avenue intersects with the railroad. The downtown has many shops, bars, and restaurants.
