Help! City girl moving to california!!! (San Jose, San Francisco: employment, neighborhoods, living in)

[shea123]

Hello helpful people-

I am a graduate student and I accepted a job in California. I will be moving there with my fiancé and we both have only lived in urban cities like Chicago and Washington DC. I hate long commutes, hence why I always opt to live in the citynear my work. However, I will be working in Silicon Valley.

I stayed in Milpitas over the summer for work, SNOOZE, and now I will be moving permanently. I hear to get the city feel you need to live in SF or Oakland. We don't want to live in SF due to lack of diversity, and Oakland may be too far. Do you think we will be happy living in San Jose? Are there any other cites to consider? We just want to live in a place where there are things to do and everything in town doesn't close at 10PM.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Verio]

SF not diverse? I've never heard that before... in fact the opposite.

If you wanna say lack of diversity, I'd say Washington DC is one of the least diverse places.

[sonarrat]

Definitely do Oakland if you're after diversity.

[Nell Plotts]

Frankly I wouldn't choose either SF or Oakland if you are working near San Jose or Mountain View, the commute is just too long and the cost of gas high.

The hours worked by silicon valley professionals precludes much partying during the week. Live close to where you work, travel to SF or Oakland on the week ends. After your first year of employment you will know the neighborhoods and can move to something that better suits your style.

[tireeskye]

Lack of diversity in San Francisco?!
Also, you didn't say where your job will be.
Silicon Valley is rather general.
And if you hate commuting, you'll need to live near your job which, i imagine, is neither in Oakland or S.F..
You may be stuck in a community that isn't ideal for you.
Santa Cruz may be fun for you and finance but, even if you work as close as San Jose, the commute is brutal during commuter hours but many people do it .... which is why it's so brutal.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Verio

SF not diverse? I've never heard that before... in fact the opposite.

If you wanna say lack of diversity, I'd say Washington DC is one of the least diverse places.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. If I were young, wanted diversity and had a decent job lined up in the general bay area I would think San Francisco before anywhere else. Now if someone really doesn't want a commute, San Francisco might not be such a good location.

NIta

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by shea123

Hello helpful people-

I am a graduate student and I accepted a job in California. I will be moving there with my fiancé and we both have only lived in urban cities like Chicago and Washington DC. I hate long commutes, hence why I always opt to live in the citynear my work. However, I will be working in Silicon Valley.

I stayed in Milpitas over the summer for work, SNOOZE, and now I will be moving permanently. I hear to get the city feel you need to live in SF or Oakland. We don't want to live in SF due to lack of diversity, and Oakland may be too far. Do you think we will be happy living in San Jose? Are there any other cites to consider? We just want to live in a place where there are things to do and everything in town doesn't close at 10PM.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You could consider a city on the peninsula like Mountain View or Palo Alto. Those have lots of restaurants and bars. They are popular with the younger 20-30 yo crowd. A commute from that area to Milipitas wouldn't be so bad. You'd still run into traffic on 237 but it's not so bad.

[Nell Plotts]

The OP seems to be defining diversity as the % of blacks in the population. In the Bay area "diversity" is much more complex.

When I was in HR we had an intern from Talladega. After a week I met him for coffee. He commented, "Things are different here." My response was, in effect, "Yes, race is not a concern. Results are."

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

The OP seems to be defining diversity as the % of blacks in the population. In the Bay area "diversity" is much more complex.

When I was in HR we had an intern from Talladega. After a week I met him for coffee. He commented, "Things are different here." My response was, in effect, "Yes, race is not a concern. Results are."

I worked a temporary job for the past two weeks, and I agree that results speak louder than skin color. They started with six of us, representing four different ethnic groups. By the time I quit to follow a new job offer, there were two - me (white) and one other guy (black). On the day I quit, the owner told me that each one of us produced more in one day than the four guys he let go, put together, and he wished he didn't have to let me go. If you come to work to work, you will be rewarded here.

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

I worked a temporary job for the past two weeks, and I agree that results speak louder than skin color. They started with six of us, representing four different ethnic groups. By the time I quit to follow a new job offer, there were two - me (white) and one other guy (black). On the day I quit, the owner told me that each one of us produced more in one day than the four guys he let go, put together, and he wished he didn't have to let me go. If you come to work to work, you will be rewarded here.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the OP's original question. I don't believe that one situation can tell me anything about the work ethic of various minorities.