top should-do / must-do non-touristy & touristy things to do in SJ ? (San Jose: live, restaurant)

[mysticaltyger]

...And don't forget Santana (aka "Satanic) Row, lol.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

...And don't forget Santana (aka "Satanic) Row, lol.

seems more on the touristy side ?

[neutrino78x]

Alviso, too, don't forget that. It was annexed by San Jose a while back.


Also, all the places listed here. Pretty cool web site:


https://www.sanjose.com/underbelly/u...e/palemen.html

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by bloom

What are your top should-do / must-do both non-touristy & touristy things to do in San Jose area ?

About the only thing I do in San Jose, on the rare occasion I go there, is to walk around Santana Row. Occasionally we'll go to Mucho's Bar (downtown) to watch soccer matches, or go to one of the mexican/latino nightclubs.

For touristy stuff, I would think Santana Row would be on the list. I can't really think of any other tourist destinations there if you're talking San Jose proper.


Now if you're including the surroundings, there's quite a bit more stuff but it'll take some driving.

[nobodysbusiness]

Watch paint dry. Only non-touristy thing to do in SJ.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by nobodysbusiness

Watch paint dry. Only non-touristy thing to do in SJ.

that kinda sums it up if you're talking about San Jose the city (not about surrounding areas.)

[bloom]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Now if you're including the surroundings, there's quite a bit more stuff but it'll take some driving.

What are your best specific examples ?

[neutrino78x]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

that kinda sums it up if you're talking about San Jose the city (not about surrounding areas.)

I don't agree with that. I think people who say that are transplants from the midwest who didn't grow up here, and come here to just do their tech job in their cubicle and go home, and stay at home with their family on the weekend, and then maybe fly back to their flyover state...

There's lots of things to do in San Jose...

-raging waters
-the tech museum of innovation
-various movie theaters
-santa clara paintball (on monterey road in san jose)
-various parks such as Alum Rock Park or Almaden Lake Park, los gatos creek trail, almaden quicksilver park, Japanese friendship garden
-various miniature golf facilities such as Golfland near Oakridge Mall
-Norcal laser tag (also on monterey rd), various other laser tag facilities
-various bowling alleys
-kayaking at alviso slough Inflatable Kayak Report: Kayaking Alviso Slough
-disc golf courses at Kelly Park and Hellyer park.


never been there but apparently there's an 18 hole conventional golf course in San Jose too,
https://www.cinnabarhills.com/


...and that's just what is technically in the city of San Jose. The suburbs within Santa Clara County are basically part of San Jose and offer additional stuff like the Great America Theme Park, K-1 kart racing, more laser tag, the Computer History Museum, the Intel Museum, etc.


San Jose is a desirable area, like Paris or New York City, that's why it is expensive.

[neutrino78x]

Very little in Santa Clara County actually requires driving, if you know your way around public transit or use Google Maps. Just enter your source address and the destination where you want to go and click on the transit icon, and it tells you what bus/light rail to take.

[neutrino78x]

Winchester Mystery House is probably one of the main tourist attractions in San Jose. It was built by the wife of the Winchester who made the Winchester Rifle.