Situated at the southern end of the San Jose sprawl as the last city stop in the Bay Area before Santa Cruz and the gateway to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Gatos is a fun, exciting city that has also maintained its small-town vibe. The downtown area is almost L-shaped, where Santa Cruz Avenue connects with Main Street for two different thoroughfares that feel like one together. Along Santa Cruz, there’s the beautifully renovated art-deco-style Los Gatos Theatre ( 43 Santa Cruz Ave.). Excellent cocktails and seasonal eats are served at The Lexington House ( 40 Santa Cruz Ave.); standout pizzas at Oak & Rye ( 303 Santa Cruz Ave.); notable pastas are offered at The Pastaria & Market ( 27 Santa Cruz Ave.); fantastic breads and pastries from Manresa Bread ( 40 Santa Cruz Ave.); and house-made brews are showcased at Loma Brewing Company ( 130 Santa Cruz Ave.). Elsewhere in downtown on the small side streets are creative cocktails from Los Gatos Soda Works ( 21 College Ave.), the unique gluten-free Italian cooking of Polenteria ( 10 Victory La.), and modern Spanish tapas at Telefèric Barcelona ( 50 University Ave., Suite B270).
Beyond downtown, Los Gatos is a residential city with a variety of neighborhoods and parks. Vasona Lake is a beautiful reservoir within a county park ( parks.sccgov.org) that includes a children's railroad pulled by a steam engine and is a must-visit for families. At the far northern tip of the city is the headquarters of Netflix.