Upper Eastside

The Upper Eastside is the elevated residential corridor that climbs east-southeast from St. John’s College up Camino de Cruz Blanca and its tributary streets. Distinct from the Historic East Side proper — which stays closer to the Plaza at lower elevations — the Upper Eastside is hillside country, with homes set above the city looking back over the basin toward the Jemez. The elevation gives the area cooler summer evenings, longer light, and city views that are difficult to replicate elsewhere in Santa Fe.

The architecture leans toward larger estate homes, many built in the past forty years to take advantage of the views. Hillside lots support sprawling single-level designs as well as multi-level homes that step down the slope. A handful of older traditional adobe homes remain, but the prevailing character is custom contemporary or contemporary-traditional with significant glass and outdoor living space. Hacienda del Cielo and the Camino de Cruz Blanca compounds are representative.

The neighborhood sits within walking range of St. John’s College, the foothills trails, and Atalaya Mountain — the trailhead network behind the college is one of the city’s best-loved walking and trail-running networks. The Plaza is a short drive but not a comfortable walk; the practical orientation of life here is east toward the foothills rather than west toward downtown. The New Mexico Museum of Art and the Plaza’s cultural anchors are five to ten minutes by car.

Webster Estates has handled significant Upper Eastside transactions on Camino de Cruz Blanca and the surrounding streets. Inventory is thin in any given year — properties of this caliber don’t turn over often — and prices reflect both the view value and the lot quality, typically opening well above $2 million and reaching considerably higher for premier estates.

What is it like to live on the Upper Eastside?

The Upper Eastside is hillside living oriented toward the foothills rather than downtown. Most homes have city and Jemez views, mature trees, and outdoor living spaces designed around the long light at this elevation. Daily life often includes the Atalaya Mountain trailhead network behind St. John’s College, walkable from many addresses. The Plaza is a short drive but not a comfortable walk. The trade-off is steeper terrain and longer driveways than the Historic East Side proper.