San Jose and raising kids? (San Diego, San Francisco: environment, job, quiet)

[AKB]

We are living in San Diego right now but are thinking of moving to San Jose, mostly because of its better job market.

My question is this: Is San Jose a child friendly place?
San Diego has a lot to offer to my 3 year old child: the Zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, Lego Land, its beaches, and lots of other child friendly events and activities around the town.
I want to find out if I can provide the same to my child in the new city.

I would like to hear from those who have children in San Jose area... and those who have children and moved from so-cal to the Bay area.

Thank you for your thoughts and comments.

[krudmonk]

There's a smaller zoo at Happy Hollow (Kelly Park), but you can easily drive to Oakland or SF zoos for a fuller experience. There's Raging Waters at Lake Cunningham (SJ) and Great America (Santa Clara) theme parks and even Marine World isn't too far a drive (Vallejo) for a day trip. We have the Children's Discovery Museum and Tech Museum downtown. Beaches are a 45 minute drive, but still pretty cold like anywhere on the coast up here. Some kids prefer to swim at Lake Almaden (south valley) instead. The schools are generally good. If they like singing/acting, there's Children's Musical Theater of San Jose.

I can't think of anything more right now.

[whoIam]

I would agree that San Jose is a child friendly place. It is safe, family-oriented (IMO), convenient, has open spaces and parks, many good public schools and libraries with story hour and the like. Granted, there is nothing in the immediate vicinity that can compare in scale to the Balboa and Griffith Parks of SoCal, but I did find that the area provided a wide variety of smaller, fun and educational places to take youngsters.

The 6-7 year olds I taught would always have loads of fun on our field trips to the Discovery Museum and Happy Hollow (mentioned above), as well as visiting the monarch butterfly grove in Pacific Grove, tide pools at Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz, huge pumpkin patch in Morgan Hill, etc.. I wish I could post the pictures.. they were so happy. When the kids were older, they visited the San Jose Egyptian Museum and Planetarium and some of the California missions. I know there is more but that is what I remember off the bat. Of course, San Francisco (Aquarium, Natural History Museum, Exploratorium, Golden Gate Park..) is doable as a daytrip just as long as you don't try an squeeze too many activities into a single outing. Now that I have young children of my own, I even feel more satisfied taking them to a smaller, more familiar environment where they can have fun and learn in a relaxed way, leaving the huge attractions for when they are a bit older (and don't get weary as quickly). Plus, some people think that nature inspires imaginative thinking.

For now, places like Lego Land are actually initimating to me since the last time we were in the area one of my little ones (terrible two) had an attack of severe whining which escalated to a full-scale meltdown. Just thinking about it makes me think instead of wanting to bring them on a quiet stroll to the Hakone Japanese Garden in Saratoga. I remember when I lived in the L.A. area kids would go to Disneyland all the time.. I wonder if it became less special and more expected.

Anyway, if you do settle in San Jose, please let us know how you think it compares! I, for one, would love to hear, since San Diego seems so attractive as well in many ways.