For a big city, why is San Jose so boring? (San Diego: apartments, home)

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

Can we please stop the tech bashing? Folks, you do understand that Tech, of all forms, has been in San Jose since the 1960's, right? We have had 50-odd years to get used to this, Tech is not something new or something to be feared.

Get over it. It's getting ridiculous. All that tech bashing in SF is because that City is new to Tech, but here in the South Bay tech has been dominant since the 60's.

Yes, it's been dominant. That doesn't mean it doesn't have drawbacks. Those of us outside of tech don't think it's all that wonderful--or we at least can see the negatives as well as the positives. We're not in that inner circle, so you could say it's sour grapes on our part. But maybe there's a grain of truth to the criticism. People inside tech tend to think it's the be-all-end-all. Those of us outside tech find this attitude and overly defensive ones like yours annoying.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by Conrad Gray

I wasn't trolling.Seems like in the South Bay, the excitement doesn't begin until Castro St. in Mountain View at best.

Yes you are, if not intentionally. Even the most ardent anti-San Jose people could never put Castro Street up against Santana Row with a straight face.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Yes, it's been dominant. That doesn't mean it doesn't have drawbacks. Those of us outside of tech don't think it's all that wonderful--or we at least can see the negatives as well as the positives. We're not in that inner circle, so you could say it's sour grapes on our part. But maybe there's a grain of truth to the criticism. People inside tech tend to think it's the be-all-end-all. Those of us outside tech find this attitude and overly defensive ones like yours annoying.

How am I defensive when it's you who's been bashing us tech folks non-stop? Do you notice that most of tech people on this forum doesn't say anything at all? That's because we don't even want to bother with it. We're used to being ridiculed and vilified for being safe, boring, nice-mannered, soft-spoken people. That's been going on for the last 50 years here in the Valley. We just shrug it off because we don't want to add more fuel to the fire.

Once in a while, somebody got to say something.

Look, nobody's perfect. But there's a lot to like about tech people than there is to hate.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

San Francisco & Oakland.

Not anymore, and everyone in the Bay Area knows it.

You see it in many subtle signs. The MTC having more members from San Jose than from Oakland. The High Speed Rail now routing through San Jose via Pacheco Pass instead of through Oakland via Altamont Pass, as was originally planned. Or how the Super Bowl committee opening day last year was represented by 3 mayors: Santa Clara's Matthews, San Francisco's Lee, and San Jose's Reed.

And as the years go on, and San Jose grow exponentially larger, this will only exacerbate the increasing irrelevancy of Oakland. And the Oaklanders know it. They feel it in their bone. They were always the "second banana" in the Bay for a long time, now they're not even that.

You can say that San Jose is the current "second banana". But because of its sheer size in both land and population, it will one day grow to share the spotlight of the Bay Area with San Francisco, something that Oakland could never hope to achieve even when it was "second banana".

[WizardOfRadical]

Meh, I kind of like the low key feeling here in downtown San Jose.

It reminds me of a lite version of Downtown LA like 10 years ago. Like it's just not hip enough yet, but getting there. I'm a few blocks from the University and near a Catholic girls high school, at it is still pretty tame here. Save the tweakers and dirtbags breaking into cars at night.

First Friday's happen and are cool, but seem to also attract an unsavory element as well.

Honestly, I am in my early thirties and hate SF and Oakland. SF is such a ridiculous cluster **** , just trying find a bathroom or parking space can be a chore. And Oakland has the most god awful combination of ghetto people, hipsters, and people priced out of SF with an axe to grind.

Yea, I'm cool over here in San Jose.

[Conrad Gray]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

Yes you are, if not intentionally. Even the most ardent anti-San Jose people could never put Castro Street up against Santana Row with a straight face.

Santana Row is like a super ritzy, glammed-up, manufactured hoity-toity zone. I mean I dig the Yard House and there's cool places there, but it feels kinda 1%, you know? Not really down to Earth.

[Conrad Gray]

Originally Posted by simboticus

It's no SF, and never will be, but I don't think it's boring. Certainly has become a lot better. There are a lot of bars and restaurants downtown that people don't seem to be aware of. What are you looking for and not finding?

Cafe Stritch is open late, offers live music, drinks, food, and coffee. Honestly, the fact that it offers the latter two to the end of the night makes it one of the best venues, period. So why aren't there more places like it in San Jose? Why aren't there places that are open late, have a good vibe, an open environment? I mean the Old Wagon is cool, sure, there are bars like that around San Pedro Square, shame that the square itself closes around midnight.

And as far as clubs go, are there any on par with the ones in SF?

[Matadora]

Big is relative. I grew up in a BIG city and SJ is not a BIG city at all.

As far as SJ being boring...I would not know since I have never hung out in SJ.

[Local123]

If you don't like SJ don't come to SJ. Our real estate is of the highest in the nation. We don't need any help recruiting people.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by Conrad Gray

Santana Row is like a super ritzy, glammed-up, manufactured hoity-toity zone. I mean I dig the Yard House and there's cool places there, but it feels kinda 1%, you know? Not really down to Earth.

You can say that about half of San Francisco. You can say that about all of the Peninsula. Nothing wrong with being all uppity. We all gotta dress up once in a while and look good, no? No one is forcing you to spend money at the Row, in fact most people who come there couldn't afford half of the stores there. Most folks dress up, come there for a social gathering, chill out at Cocola or the central garden and watch people.

And guess what, you don't even have to dress up. The Row won't kick you out if you dress in jeans and t-shirts. For a place that's "uppity", The Row is very welcoming. Kids, strollers, dogs, everyone and everything is allowed, you can be single there and have fun, and you can bring your family and have fun.

A lot of folks always find excuses to put down The Row. I can guarantee you most of them would praise it if it was located outside of San Jose. According to many people, San Jose is "too boring" to have such a cool place as The Row, therefore they try to put The Row down as much as possible. Didn't work but people tried anyway.

I just find this attitude deplorable. In fact, I don't even understand why people have this negative attitude about San Jose. There are a lot of boring cities around the Bay Area, but San Jose tends to get a lot of criticisms that it in no way deserves, and most of it from people who have never even set foot here