What San Jose is Really Like... (San Diego, Sunnyvale: for sale, apartments, rent)

[bigdumbgod]

The history of San Jose is actually one of its most appealing virtues. An awful lot has happened around here from the Gold Rush on, when San Jose was the state's capital before it was moved to Sacramento. Adobe structures and missions have been around for centuries. Lots of very nice Victorians in and around downtown, as well as old Spanish mission-style houses, including Cesar Chavez' boyhood home. Learn of the past at History San Jose, a museum and recreated oldtown, where many of the area's historic houses and buildings are moved to (got a replica of the old light tower, too). From orchards to wafers - yeah there's been a lot of buildup, but do a Google Earth flyover of the area and you will find more open spaces and water bodies than you might expect.

Oh yeah, and L.A. and SF got sharks, but we got Sharks (#1 in NHL in 09!). You want to see what SJ is all about, go to a Sharks game, with a walk to and from downtown before and after.

[vdy1985]

Go sharks!

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by vdy1985

I'm confused about the worse weather comment? It isn't as hot as the San Fernando Valley, nor does it have as much pollution, and it gets about the same amount of rain,
Sounds like better weather to me.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

Although I like the warmer winter weather further south, winters here are warm enough.

The smog here really is not bad at all. Much cleaner than most places in SoCal (except for the immediate coast). We do get some natural atmospheric haze, but that is true of a lot of places in CA.

[ChromeHuman]

The OP put a really great, balanced perspective on San Jose. I really love living here. You can get on with your life here in peace, and it's convenient to get to just about any kind of activity you'd want to enjoy.

I like being able to relax without worrying about crime. I love being able to get things done without a hassle finding parking. I can visit San Francisco whenever I want. But I definitely don't want to live in a tourist town like SF, where it's cold in June.

I've been in some neighborhoods in LA that look amazingly like some neighborhoods in San Jose. I almost expected to turn a corner and be near home.

Due to the cultural diversity, there are many great ethnic restaurants and supermarkets to enjoy, free of tourists. Especially if you like Asian cuisine. That is one of the very best things about San Jose.

[atlantagreg30127]

Don't forget that San Jose has one heck of a flea market, too.

But um... one word.... "paragraphs".

[kittie7]

I agree with mstnghu2. I grew up in San Jose as well. There is good and bad no matter where you live.. It just depends on what you can tolerate.. I currently don't live in San Jose, but I can't wait to move back.. For me, it's my home town no matter how it changes.. I grew up on east side of San Jose and I never felt that I was not safe... The weather is great and I love that you are never to far from the beach. A weekend get away is always great.. As for the smog.. If you want to see smog, move to sacramento.. It is very smoggy, and Hot! Climate really does make a difference where you live..

[scottshannon]

Hi..I appreciated very much your reply and its depth . I am thinking of moving to San Jose. Would it be possible to dialogue? I am very interested and would like to talk to you, if possible. Thanks. My thinking would be to establish initial contact and then continue via email. Thank you again.

[ccm123]

I think the original post by mstnghu2 is pretty accurate.

[JohnSoCal]

We lived in the San Jose Metro area for several years. The first time we lived there was from 1971-77. We lived there again from 1997-2006. The big change we moticed was downtown San Jose and the cost of housing. In The 70's, downtown San Jose was quite Mexican with several Mexican Restaurants, Mexican Movie theaters, and Mexican stores. Those were all gone when we returned in 1997. Acutally we preferred the old downtown. I can relate very much to the OP's post. In a nutshell we love San Jose. We love the diversity and how well all the ethnic groups are integrated. Even in the 70's our street was like the United Nations and we lived in a new middle class neighborhood in San Jose. We have lived in Los Gatos, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Livermore, as well as an Jose. We always felt that the area was more down to earth than most cities. Of course we could always visit San Francisco when we wanted the city atmosphere which we did quite often.

To me the area is sort of like an old shoe, not particularly attractive but very comfortable. I was a Software Developer so of course I appreciated the opportunities in Silicon Valley.

We moved to Southern California when I retired in December 2006. We also had lived in San Diego. We love where we live now because it suits our preferences and we prefer the warmer weather. However I do have a soft spot in my heart for the San Francisco Bay area.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

We lived in the San Jose Metro area for several years. The first time we lived there was from 1971-77. We lived there again from 1997-2006. The big change we noticed was downtown San Jose and the cost of housing. In The 70's, downtown San Jose was quite Mexican with several Mexican Restaurants, Mexican Movie theaters, and Mexican stores. Those were all gone when we returned in 1997. Acutally we preferred the old downtown. I can relate very much to the OP's post. In a nutshell we love San Jose. We love the diversity and how well all the ethnic groups are integrated. Even in the 70's our street was like the United Nations and we lived in a new middle class neighborhood in San Jose. We have lived in Los Gatos, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Livermore, as well as an Jose. We always felt that the area was more down to earth than most cities. Of course we could always visit San Francisco when we wanted the city atmosphere which we did quite often.

To me the area is sort of like an old shoe, not particularly attractive but very comfortable. I was a Software Developer so of course I appreciated the opportunities in Silicon Valley.

We moved to Southern California when I retired in December 2006. We also had lived in San Diego. We love where we live now because it suits our preferences and we prefer the warmer weather. However I do have a soft spot in my heart for the San Francisco Bay area.

I agree for the most part. SJ is pretty well integrated...although it doesn't have much of a community feeling. It's more everyone is off doing their own thing and as long as you're not doing anything really annoying, people will be pretty tolerant. The biggest down side to SJ is the cost of living. Yes, I know, it was fine for you...but you had a good paying job as a software developer and lived here at a time when real estate costs as a multiple of the area's median income were generally lower than they are now (especially in the 70s, although maybe not so much by the 2nd time you lived here). Those who work outside the tech industry have a much harder time with the cost of living here.