Better Nightlife: Downtown San Jose or Downtown Palo Alto? (Santa Clara: home, school)

[orzo]

These are two of the better spots for nightlife in the South Bay - which one would you prefer?

[bobby_guz_man]

Wrong forum, mi amigo

[ccm123]

They are both nice, but have different vibes. Palo Alto feels more upscale.

[Wry_Martini]

Depends on what type of nightlife you're looking for.

[sjnative]

I say DTSJ just because there's more quantity, if not quality.

DTSJ's city council and business owners- some of the same people?- want to attract people to DTSJ. They need the revenue. Badly.

Palo Alto's governing body and influential citizens, on the other hand, don't want Palo Alto to be to be an exciting city.

This is firstly because such would undermine its wealthy home owners' NIMBY preferences for a sleepy, upscale community. Just imagine what DTPA would be like if there was a killer nightlife there... imagine how many non-Palo Altans would be attracted to DTPA. Oh, the suburban isolationist NIMBYist horror.

Then there's the issue of the Stanford student's needs to stay focused on school. A killer nightlife wouldn't make it any easier to study hard in one of the nation's most challenging and elite universities.

DTPA could probably easily have a killer nightlife if they wanted it, but they don't.

[gone down south]

Palo Alto nightlife is a few bars staying open to 1am, maybe.

[GioLM]

I really like dtpa, and there are great places to eat and even get a drink...but there is virtually no nightlife.

[jRex]

DTSJ for sure has the better nightlife. There are a lot of things to do in DTSJ. U got the SAP center for hockey games, San Pedro Square for bars/restaurants, SOFA district, and tons of bars/lounges/clubs/restaurants within walking distance for everybody. They are generally located between Santa Clara Street and the SOFA (South of First Ave) district.

search the #DTSJ or #downtownsanjose on intstagram or twitter to check it out.

[chessgeek]

I would also agree downtown San Jose since the hockey/concert arena (used to be named HP Pavilion; now something else) was built. Bars and nightlife increased after that. Before that (pre-1993) I would have rated it about even. Of course, remember San Jose is a much larger city, too.

I remember in the late 70's and 80's Campbell (!) seemed to be the epicenter of South Bay nightlife with the Factory bars/nightclubs complex (at least four or five hopping bars) and Sebastian's at the top of the Pruneyard Tower which was then the tallest in the valley! I know it's off topic a bit...just reminiscing as I enjoyed some good times there. Then the 1989 earthquake destroyed a significant part of the Factory complex and what remains is now primarily business offices. That opened the door for downtown San Jose.

[chessgeek]

I really like San Pedro Square (ate and hung out at Britannia Arms recently). There are traditional family favorites like Old Spaghetti Factory, too and it is the closest dining/entertainment area to the SAP arena (just read the prior post). and has some upscale dining as well. I'll have to try the Cuban restaurant next time I am there (can't remember the name, but it was next to Britannia).