Moving to San Jose from east coast. What to expect? (San Francisco: apartments, rental)

[headingwest236]

Moving to San Jose from Baltimore, where I was born and raised. I hate the weather here and crime is an issue, so I've decided to move to San Jose. I have a few questions:
#1 How bad are the earthquakes, and how frequent are they? The only one I've felt is a 5.8 which we had last august. To be honest I'm terrified of them.
#2 How hard is it to find an apartment/condo, and how much do they cost?
#3 What recreational activities are there?

Thanks!

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by headingwest236

#1 How bad are the earthquakes, and how frequent are they? The only one I've felt is a 5.8 which we had last august. To be honest I'm terrified of them.
#2 How hard is it to find an apartment/condo, and how much do they cost?
#3 What recreational activities are there?

Thanks!

1 - Rarely do we have bad earthquakes. I was in the 7.1 in 1989, which was pretty bad, but I'd say that those type of earthquakes only have once per generation, if that. We had a 5.8 in 2007, but it probably didn't feel as strong as where you are. Here, due to the mountains, earthquake waves don't carry as well, so the equivalent shaking/damage would be less. Also, buildings constructed from the late 1970s onwards are built to strict earthquake standards (e.g., no brick buildings), so they tend to hold much better than back east. I think about them in the back of my mind and have an earthquake survival kit in my garage, but I don't let it consume my life.

2. It depends upon your location. If you are in parts of San Jose (less desirable), you may be able to find 1 bedroom apartments for $1200-1500. Where i live in Mountain View (nicer area), they tend to be over $2,000 and they go fast. If you want a prime location, you'll have to pay a premium for an apartment and it may take longer to find one.

3. Lots of recreational activities. Outdoor activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, mountain climbing, etc abound. You're only 45 min from the beach of Santa Cruz or less than an hour from SF, which is great for walking around. The weather is great most of the year, so you can easily do other outdoor activities such as golf or tennis. You have professional sports (Sharks and Earthquakes in SJ, Giants/49ers in SF, Raiders/Warriors in Oakland). Lots of concerts always happen at local arenas. You have ballet/symphony's, etc. There are tons of great restaurants all over the SF Bay Area. You can do some wine tasting in the mountains above San Jose, but you're only about an hour and a half from the great wine regions of Napa-Sonoma. There are also great weekend getaways, such as Monterey, Yosemite or Lake Tahoe. Tons of things to do here and you can't go bored if you are active.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by headingwest236

Moving to San Jose from Baltimore, where I was born and raised. I hate the weather here and crime is an issue, so I've decided to move to San Jose. I have a few questions:
#1 How bad are the earthquakes, and how frequent are they?

We have been living here a year and a half and have felt two mild earthquakes. They were brief and just rattled the apartment for a few seconds.

Our friends have been here six years and they felt a larger one a few years ago which was able to shake books from the bookshelves.

#2 How hard is it to find an apartment/condo, and how much do they cost?

Renting a normal, decent two-bedroom apartment will cost anywhere from $1500 - $2000. Apartments are everywhere in the area. Easy to find.

#3 What recreational activities are there?

Hiking and camping in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Going to the beach and the boardwalk in the town of Santa Cruz.
fishing in local area lakes
lots of meetup groups for volleyball, tennis, etc.
hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains
A medium sized downtown for nightlife

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by headingwest236

Moving to San Jose from Baltimore, where I was born and raised. I hate the weather here and crime is an issue, so I've decided to move to San Jose. I have a few questions:
#1 How bad are the earthquakes, and how frequent are they? The only one I've felt is a 5.8 which we had last august. To be honest I'm terrified of them.
#2 How hard is it to find an apartment/condo, and how much do they cost?
#3 What recreational activities are there?

Thanks!

just wondering ... why San Jose?

[headingwest236]

Originally Posted by jaijai

just wondering ... why San Jose?

Well I'm in the computer science field and I know many large technology corporations are in the San Jose/South Bay area. Also, I want to live in a big city, but San Francisco seems too crowded and expensive.

[headingwest236]

Another question: How useful is the CalTrain and VTA and do any of you use them?

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by headingwest236

Well I'm in the computer science field and I know many large technology corporations are in the San Jose/South Bay area. Also, I want to live in a big city, but San Francisco seems too crowded and expensive.

Well, SJ is a bit less crowded but not much less expensive. I wouldn't use favorable cost of living as a reason to move here. If you're looking for a cheaper tech-heavy area, I would recommend looking into Seattle, Austin or RTP.

[OrangeSunset]

You should be doing the happy dance now. You are going to LOVE it! Just the weather alone is a reason to be happy. Earthquakes are rare, very rare! Check craiglist.com for rental listings. There are lots to do in the bay area, not only in San Jose...everything is within reach, from amazing nature spots to great city hang-outs. Enjoy!

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by headingwest236

Another question: How useful is the CalTrain and VTA and do any of you use them?

The VTA in my opinion is the slowest public transportation I've ever seen in my life. I don't consider it useful.

The Caltrain, on the other hand, is useful.

[headingwest236]

Another question: Would any of you take San Francisco over San Jose? Thanks again for the great responsds.