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Both cities have very similar planning. Phoenix's downtown is obviously much taller and larger but from a distance I think both downtowns look very similar because of the height limits. Other than that both cities have a vast area of flat housing. San Jose is very expensive but is close to San Francisco. Also both cities are surrounded by mountains. Which city do you prefer to live in, in terms of scenary and ammenities?
Last edited by fashionguy; 04-27-2010 at 02:44 AM..
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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I have an immense amount of family in San Jose, and the only thing I like better about San Jose is the drive to San Francisco. It's very scenic. I also like the wide variety of food options in San Jose as compared to the one in Phoenix. That's pretty much it.
I'm not very knowledgeable about either cities' economy, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't San Jose a better economic hot bed compared to phoenix because of it's tech hub? Because of that, I'd pick San Jose, but if Phoenix has good job opps as well, I'd take Phoenix in a heartbeat since San Jose is too damn expensive.
Overall, San Jose is more urban and cosmopolitan-feeling than Phoenix across the entire city. SJ has more defined ethnic enclaves (various Asian and Hispanic communties) It is also more than twice as dense as Phoenix (5750 p/square mile in SJ, 2937 p/square mile in Phoenix). Phoenix, though, being the hub of the area, does have more cultural amenities overall within city limits.
Neither city is particularly urban or dense, of course, but many parts of Phoenix feel like you're in a poorly planned strip-mall suburb with a grid of 6-lane highways.
San Jose also has wide roads and strip-malls, but nowhere near to the extent of Phoenix. It is a much more controlled sprawl in SJ, and there are many more semi-walkable "nodes" across SJ than there are in Phoenix.
This is definitely a "skinniest kid at fat camp" situation, but I would choose SJ without hesitating--not even considering surronding area and cities.
Phoenix has its pluses, but San Jose has way more imo.
The trees, the weather, the proximity to the ocean, the proximity to San Francisco(50 miles), the low crime, the astonishing racial and ethnic diversity, the very high pay, the cultural and recreational amenities etc.
No, Phoenix is on another level. Check satellite photos and see how much more of Phoenix is dirt lots and parking.
If you're having to compare both cities simply from satellite photos, perhaps it's best you don't comment and leave it to people who have actually visited both cities.
I can't give advice about Phoenix, but I like San Jose for it's proximity to San Fran, Napa, etc. San Jose itself is a lot of urban sprawl. I have a friend who lives in San Jose, but he and the wife get a hotel in San Fran about one Sat a month. They can usually get a nice hotel for under $150 right in town and spend most of the weekend doing the city thing. A day trip is very easy as well. So if access to a major and very urban city is important, San Jose is a good choice.
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