Google-provided internet in Mountain View? (San Jose, San Francisco: apartment, buying a house, buying)

[thetaxman]

Can anyone tell me if Google really provides the entire city of Mountain View with Wi-Fi?

Also, can someone give me a general overview of Mountain View? I'd like to relocate to either MV or Cupertino and I'm trying to decide between the two. My job will be in SJ and, while I'm familiar with the area and like it there, I do not want to live in SJ. Also, I know Cupertino is a bit closer to SJ, but the difference in distance does not bother me.

Just to clarify, The question of Google-provided internet is not one of the reasons I want to move to Mountain View.

[jbunniii]

I lived in Mountain View for two years and never could receive a Google signal in my apartment, not even on the patio. Apparently there are a few dead spots in Mountain View, and I lived in one of them. Also, from what I've heard anecdotally, the signal tends to be pretty poor indoors even if you're not in a dead spot, so you may need an outdoor antenna if you want to use their service.

[sandy7]

I'm with jbunniii about the wifi.I think you need to list out 5 factors that matter the most to you and compare them across cupertino and mtn view.

[zitsky]

Whether you get the Google wifi signal will depend on where you are. I had one of the transmitters located right outside my house so I had a decent signal on most of my property. I still kept my regular internet service though. It did come in handy when I moved recently and had my home service turned off.

I think Mountain View is a great community and plan to move back there in a few years. It has a great downtown area with tons of restaurants, a bookstore that sells new books, another big used bookstore and many other interesting things. Cupertino is great if you have kids and care about the school system (Mountain View is good too). You will do more driving in Cupertino than you would in Mountain View.

Depending on what part of San Jose you work in, the commute from Mountain View can be nice or it can be a pain. You are doing a reverse commute so you will get some traffic, but it shouldn't be too bad. San Jose is an OK place but no one tends to go downtown much for socializing. They keep trying to revitalize it as a destination but folks either go to Santana Row (a newish upscale shopping center) or they go up to San Francisco for entertainment.

Houses would definitely be cheaper in San Jose. Another option you can consider is Sunnyvale. It's probably the cheapest housing outside of San Jose. They are renovating their downtown which will be very nice when they are finished. You would also be close to Mountain View to take advantage of everything going on there. From Sunnyvale or Mountain View you might be able to commute to work on Central Expressway and never deal with the traffic on highway 101. I worked in the area for 10 years before I ever had to drive to work on highway 101 and deal with all the stop and go traffic.

[thetaxman]

Thanks for the responses guys/girls.

If I had to list 5 things that are among the most important to me they would be:
1. Safe
2. A reasonable amount of things to do (I come from a city of 30,000 so this won't be hard)
3. Some people my age at least (I am between 20 and 24)
4. Good places to eat (once again, this won't be hard considering where I come from)
5. Decent nightlife (I don't go out often though and when I do it will probably be in SF or SJ)

Also, I don't have any kids and I'm not planning on buying a house anytime soon. I will share a place with roommates to keep the cost down and keep me entertained. I'm also not planning on staying for a long time, just long enough to get experience in my industry and then jump to a private company (not necessarily in the BA).

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by thetaxman

Thanks for the responses guys/girls.

If I had to list 5 things that are among the most important to me they would be:
1. Safe
2. A reasonable amount of things to do (I come from a city of 30,000 so this won't be hard)
3. Some people my age at least (I am between 20 and 24)
4. Good places to eat (once again, this won't be hard considering where I come from)
5. Decent nightlife (I don't go out often though and when I do it will probably be in SF or SJ)

Also, I don't have any kids and I'm not planning on buying a house anytime soon. I will share a place with roommates to keep the cost down and keep me entertained. I'm also not planning on staying for a long time, just long enough to get experience in my industry and then jump to a private company (not necessarily in the BA).

Mountain View has all those things, and in my opinion, is a lot more interesting despite being much smaller. Downtown is very busy most nights and especially busy on Friday/Sat/Sun. We even have a few upscale clubs and several good bars & pubs downtown. Plus you're an hour at the most from San Francisco, depending on traffic.

[thetaxman]

Originally Posted by zitsky

Mountain View has all those things, and in my opinion, is a lot more interesting despite being much smaller. Downtown is very busy most nights and especially busy on Friday/Sat/Sun. We even have a few upscale clubs and several good bars & pubs downtown. Plus you're an hour at the most from San Francisco, depending on traffic.

Awesome! Thanks for being so helpful zitsky. I will definitely be checking out Mountain View. I didn't realize downtown was that vibrant. Would you happen to know what the singles scene is like there?

[sandy7]

Mtn view absolutely wins hands down seeing those 5 factors you brought up

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by thetaxman

Awesome! Thanks for being so helpful zitsky. I will definitely be checking out Mountain View. I didn't realize downtown was that vibrant. Would you happen to know what the singles scene is like there?

I don't know too much about the singles scene, since I've been married for 18 years... but I do know there are several "hip" bars and clubs that cater to different age groups. There are two "Irish" style bars I can think of (not what I'd call hip!), two dance clubs/night clubs, one more for Latin crowd, another that has more of a mixed group (nothing says you can't go to both), one more upscale bar with a dress code etc. That doesn't even count the many restaurants with their own bars, including a very nice Tapas place (Cascals) that has it's own very nice bar where many people hang out. Almost any restaurant in Mountain View these days has it's own happy hour or bar scene. The great thing is you can something very casual and informal or more elegant depending on your personal taste.

I think there are plenty of singles in the area, lots of very intelligent people, and folks who are into outdoor activities, and/or intellectual conversations.

[thetaxman]

Originally Posted by zitsky

I don't know too much about the singles scene, since I've been married for 18 years... but I do know there are several "hip" bars and clubs that cater to different age groups. There are two "Irish" style bars I can think of (not what I'd call hip!), two dance clubs/night clubs, one more for Latin crowd, another that has more of a mixed group (nothing says you can't go to both), one more upscale bar with a dress code etc. That doesn't even count the many restaurants with their own bars, including a very nice Tapas place (Cascals) that has it's own very nice bar where many people hang out. Almost any restaurant in Mountain View these days has it's own happy hour or bar scene. The great thing is you can something very casual and informal or more elegant depending on your personal taste.

I think there are plenty of singles in the area, lots of very intelligent people, and folks who are into outdoor activities, and/or intellectual conversations.

Perfect info. Thanks for your help zitsky!