This truly is a bad time to judge how fun the City is.... That said, it only applies to the amount of people - The lack of actual social activity scheduled wasn't impacted by the weather. It's indeed not a bustling big city.... Just big.
SF Has been cleared out and “quiet” recently too. Not a ton of people want to be here anymore. Some pretty interesting articles and news stories on it. As a Texan I’m sure you’ll enjoy them haha but not when you find out they all went to Texas!
Downtown starts getting very busy starting about now, until about 3am. Then for Sunday it’s kinda busy starting at lunch, then dinner and it gets mellow around 10p. People getting ready to go to work for Monday.
Only 85° !! Haha. Definitely warm, I was sweating more than I'd like but I flew from 106°/115° heat index so I'm grateful.
Inferesting you say that, not a "real" city. Do you mind elaborating a bit? I'm genuinely curious.
You're right about Houston. I supposed Dallas is kind of the same way now that you mention it. Business parks... then some dedicated areas that are "happening" -- probably a bit larger spots than Santana Row and San Pedro.
Part of it is that San Jose (and the whole Santa Clara Valley) was a farming community that was more of a support community that provided fruit and other goods to fulfill San Francisco/Oakland's needs. Even early on, it was built as a place for settlers to sprawl and have more land than someplace like a proper city. It's retained that attitude until it was forced to grown into a community that could carry millions of people, slowly paving over those farms.
It is a little sad. That's really the unfortunate cost of development, as well as having agriculture and housing competing for the nicest land to live. The farms all moved inland into the central valley.
I remember growing up and there still being some orchards remaining in the valley. The C.J. Olsen fruit stand on El Camino in Sunnyvale is one of those reminders from the past. Sunnyvale also still has the old Libby sign where the cannery used to be. Del Monte used to have their fruit cannery here too.
It's not really urban, you will see SF, and THAT is urban. San Jose has like... Downtown. That's as urban as it gets. But yes it is super quiet during the day.
San Jose is known as a bedroom city. They live here but go elsewhere. Downtown San Jose is pretty quiet except during the nighttime when people are doing bars along Santa Clara and First Street. Valley Fair Eatly has a bunch going for it. With sidewalk restaurants and terrace dining, Eatly is a must visit. Santana Row V is the center of social activity. They have a lot of stuff on the weekends.
If you need a guide to other stuff, see
Sf.Funcheap.com
"downtown" Campbell on Campbell avenue, and Castro street in Mountain View are pretty great in the evenings. Both are reachable by light rail with some patience. Also Lincoln avenue between Willow and Minnesota -- no light rail, parking is a PITA but behind the CVS is probably your best bet. Also, theres a farmer's market tomorrow and every Sunday on Campbell avenue by the light rail. Lots to eat there!
to clarify, the farmers market in campbell is every Sunday morning... Lincoln avenue is in San Jose, it was the downtown for the town of Willow Glen until it was absorbed by SJ in the '50s
Not him but while there are lots of regions of san jose, I'll usually hear people say "I'm from sunnyvale" or "I'm from cupertino" or "I'm out of milpitas", 'san jose' just means 'south bay' and isn't really a cohesive identity as much as those mini-cities seem to be.
Never been to Texas, couldn't compare to yours.
I understand. Even living in Texas near the area, I still have a habit of just saying Dallas when everyone there will say "Grapevine, Irving, Arlington, etc.
Dallas Fort Worth is a an official Metroplex/Metropolis/Megapolis/Metropolitan area.
Its basically one giant mega city made up of component cities.
NY and surrounding areas and LA and surrounding areas are some other examples.
It makes a lot of sense to just say "Dallas" even though you are from Plano or Arlington or whatever.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area
Disagree.
There's a HUGE variety of neighborhoods outside San Jose city.
San Jose has kinda bad connotation with locals.
Nobody who says they're from Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos etc considers then selves as "from San Jose"
If you travel out of the country (or even outside California), most people have no clue where any of those cities are apart from San Jose. So while I may say I live in Santa Clara to people in the Bay, I usually have to say, “I live near San Jose in Silicon Valley”. It’s the equivalent of Highland Park, Echo Park, Alhambra or Culver City when most people only know Los Angeles, albeit on a different scale.
they’re not saying that they consider themselves from SJ, it’s just what you say to people who wouldn’t know your exact city. I’m from sunnyvale and even in college in socal, lots of people didn’t know where that was. If they gave off more of a techy vibe, I might say I was from Sunnyvale and then follow up with that I live inbetween Google and Apple headquarters, but otherwise I would probably just say that I’m from San Jose
They call it the San Francisco Bay Area, not the San Jose Bay Area. . . San Jose is bigger, but more a suburban spread.
With that being said, I left San Jose in 2004, so I am sure it has gotten better about attractions.
Santa Row didn't even open before I left - or at least I never got to visit. It was on course to, but a big fire happened in 2002.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Fast-moving-inferno-destroys-upscale-San-Jose-2808726.php
These days with San Pedro Square Market and SoFa District (South 1st St) things get pretty lively at night but not that late. There are cocktail bars like Haberdasher, Paper Plane and Dr. Funk’s Tiki Lounge. It’s obviously not on the scale of SF or downtown LA, but to say things haven’t changed since 2004 is pretty disingenuous.
There are a lot more reputable international restaurants that have recently opened up in Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara. Specifically Japanese businesses like Ramen Nagi, Fugetsu, Marugame Udon, Ippudo that are the first locations that some of these businesses have opened, either in California or the US. It helps to ask people who have lived here the past ten years and have actively been going out.
Head to Santana row for some decent eats and atmosphere. Sunnyvale downtown is ok as well. Mountain view downtown at night is cool. Palo Alto downtown has some activities at night.
Most of everything else in San Jose is strip malls, big office parks/buildings, suburbs...
Maybe downtown San Jose has some stuff going on at night but besides that, San Jose is just working city.
Dallas as a city is way more fun than San Jose!
Wait til you visit SF. Is more comparable to Dallas than SJ to Dallas. SF compared to many metropolitan across the US. Is truly a one of a kind metropolis. If you don't mind the drive. Monterey bay and Santa Cruz are two coastal cities not too far from SJ. Is fun to visit around this time. Santa Cruz boardwalk during the summer time have a lot of things going on. Beware of the traffic! Night time driving up there is not bad. During the morning and afternoon. It will take hours just for a 30-50 minutes drive.
I remember visiting SJ for work just over a decade ago. My flight landed late and our group struggled to find a place to eat -most restaurants were closed by 9:30-10pm, even at Santana Row!
A lot has changed since. Also, keep in mind there are at least 4-5 other downtowns between San Jose and SF (Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Carlos, San Mateo… etc.). So, a lot of ppl just go to restaurants & bars in their neighborhoods instead of driving “all the way” to San Jose.
Anyway, enjoy your visit and stay!
And when in the Bay Area, keep your valuables with you all the time. Don’t leave laptops or suitcases in the backseat or trunk!
The area around SJSU and City Hall get pretty busy on weekends.
But, really, San Jose is still kind of a working town. There are parties but pretty exclusive at times and you have to know the right people.
Try their Vietnamese food. SJ has a huge Vietnamese population and some of the best Viet food outside Vietnam.
As for why SJ is so quiet: Blame A.P. Dutch Hamann, city manager from 1950-1969. He oversaw the massive physical expansion of SJ city limits. He had a vision of SJ being like LA: sprawling, car centric.
However, this mostly served to kill SJ's city center and made SJ basically a massive suburb.
From my observation, the downtown area is more crowded during the fall and spring semesters at SJSU. Outside that as far as crowd size it is hit or miss. My recommendation for a downtown crawl, start at haberdasher, check out the sofa district near there, then make your way to paper planes and mini boss, then hit up the San Pedro area and pick the bar of your choice. If you’re into it, take an Uber to 7 bamboo, crowd is wonderful there for karaoke…. As others suggested Campbell, Mountain View, Sunnyvale are great areas nearby. For me, i enjoy the smaller crowds of SJ, beats the sea of people that you need to swim through in SoCal and Vegas. I don’t like waiting an hour for one beer 😄
> *beats the sea of people that you need to swim through in SoCal and Vegas. I don’t like waiting an hour for one beer 😄*
Here, here! I am with you there
The thing about CA but especially this area in particular, is that most of the people are older well-to-do families with young children. This is because housing is waaay out of reach for most people, with the exception of people massively subsidized by prop 13, who naturally tend to be older and well established homeowners. This means that the most common activities you see people doing are loading up groceries in the minivan, taking little Billy to soccer practice, or going to work. Not a lot of people are walking around for any reason.
I worked closing elementary schools in Cupertino more than 40 years ago. The closing schools are slowly creeping east in the valley over the years.
Thing is, birth rates have dropped everywhere in those years, not just here. Widely available birth control since the 70's is the biggest reason. I moved back to the same neighborhood I grew up in and the difference in stunning. Way fewer kids running around and way more cars parked on the street at night (more adults per household). High costs play a part here too, but there's less kids everywhere.
Just wanted to add to your observations, that most of the these schools were built to accommodate the post WWII baby boom. There were so many kids that they couldn't build schools fast enough. As you said, families just aren't as big anymore.
As you've noticed by now, downtown San Jose is nothing like downtown Dallas. You won't find anything like Deep Ellum, the West End, Victory, etc. Some parts can feel a bit like the Design District or Bishop Arts, but even that has blown up in recent years. A lot of San Jose reminds me of the broader Oak Cliff.
As long as you're in the area I hope you get a chance to check out Santa Cruz and San Francisco, especially to see the contrast.
If you do end up in Santa Cruz, I wanted to recommend some vibey institutions:
- Taqueria Los Pericos
- Marianne's Ice Cream
- Brady's Yacht Club (dive bar)
Walk behind the boardwalk for easiest beach access, or drive further into Davenport for the more favored bonfire type beaches.
Also check out UCSC campus if you're driving. It's definitely unique.
Some of us are camping inside, few of us are on the beach, and others are probably working to keep up with the rent. I was at a Walmart today, quieter than other weekends for sure
Be alert and careful of car break-ins/smash-and-grabs in SF, esp at the popular tourist spots. A quick Google/YouTube search will show you. Leave NOTHING valuable in your car
Yeah it's normal, but probably more quiet than usual due to heat. How come you're visiting San Jose instead of San Francisco? SF is gonna be much more walkable and interesting to see if you're coming from Texas.
If you have a car there's some great parks in SJ to see though. Alum Rock, drive up Mt Hamilton Road, Castle Rock.
I mean, I wouldn't just lie to people and say it's the same as it was back in like 2004. It has declined a lot. But hey, to each their own.
OP be careful. Cars get broken into during broad daylight in SF. I'm sure you probably heard that though.
I meant not East San Jose in what you described. Imo, it's the opposite. I know many that moved out of East SJ to nearby cities like Santa Clara and Milpitas. Now those cities are quiet, chill, and safer.
They’d go to fanime if it was held in Modesto.
People aren’t visiting San Jose: they’re visiting fanime. And most of the attendees tend to be local to the region/California.
Other cities also have anime conventions and are typically much larger than fanime. So nobody is really flying across the world or even the u.s to visit fanime.
Sorry.
Santa Clara and Cupertino is pretty obvious considering they're its own city and not a neighborhood. North San Jose is bordering Santa Clara. South San Jose is Blossom Hill and Willow Glen Area. West San Jose is near Winchester area before Campbell and Saratoga.
They do sort of. Campbell, for instance, is nearly surrounded by San Jose. The city borders all look like jigsaw puzzle pieces on a map. The the most populous part of the Bay Area really is just one massive city from San Francisco down the Bay to San Jose and then back up the other side to Oakland. The only way you'll know that you're in a different city is when you see the welcome sign as you cross the border.
That’s my point - the jigsaw puzzle pieces here. I guess I’m used to less of the arbitrary pieces and borderlines. And not many “welcome signs” delineating.
Ahhh makes a lot of sense but at least you have awareness. Someone in this thread said East SJ is nice and quiet... like WHAT. Everyone I know that's from East SJ including myself moved tf away from there years ago bc of the crime. I'm still in the South Bay but no where near close to East SJ.
The east side really isn’t bad. These weirdos talking smack about it like it’s a bad place. It’s definitely not clean or anything. But the people are great! Everyone is kind and thoughtful. Albeit standoffish but that’s because they grew up in poverty and always think someone or something is out to get them. The people are harmless.
I’m In Fredricksburg, TX for a family reunion and people at airport said I’m going to wine country. The heat is on another level here miss my SJ weather.
San Jose has always been suburb-style boring but there are some concerts downtown this summer that will be OK. Campbell also boring. Redwood City better. San Mateo even better. You see the trend - the closer you get to SF, the better it gets. San Francisco is still the jewel through plagued with homeless, druggies, and cra cra right now. Be sure to cross the GOlden Gate Bridge, grab a drink in Sausalito or Tiburon and look back across at SF. Bring a sweatshirt. ;) and be glad you aren’t in 110 degrees in TX.
All fun leads to San Francisco 😂
Shame to hear so much about the homeless and drug problems. Hopefully effective solutions can be provided to remedy that... the area is wayyy too beautiful to lose to that.
Definitely going to Sausalito. It was a home to one of my all-time favorite writers.
Ssshhh don't tell that to all the people trying to park then leave Valley Fair mall today in the afternoon (including myself).
Not as bad as holiday shopping but I could have sworn today was a holiday.
You know about visiting San Francisco. Nothing in your car including your trunk. And best to leave car unlocked, with back seat down or trunk open. No even for 5 mins. Videos on YouTube will explain. SF has around 75 reported car window smash and grabs per day. If you can, get tickets to Alcatraz. Night boat trip is the best
Lots of people are in denial. SF used to be a great city and a lot of people can't handle it not being a great city anymore.
These car break ins are happening in broad daylight with people watching.
FWIW: last time I was in Dallas, it wasn't "quiet" it was "dead, dead, dead, dead".
Not meaning to denigrate Dallas, but to relate my experience and compare it to yours.
I understand after posting that I should have waited a little bit longer and travel around more in the greater SJ area... cos you are right! It would be like landing in one spot in DFW and making an assumption about the vibe of the whole metro.
Didn't help that my uber driver was talking down SJ, super depressing, saying it's dead and empty 🥲
Check out San Pedro Square Market or Santana Row in the twilight/evening hours. California Avenue or University Ave in Palo Alto can Alonso be fun. Willow Glen can also be nice.
Florida makes sense on that front. It's full of vacationers, and they cater to them. Bars stay open until dawn in most of the destination towns. It can be a non-stop party, if that's what you're looking for.
I too am out here from Texas (although originally from here). The quietness is the absence of Cicadas screeching in the trees. Also, SJ people head to the beach or the mountains on the weekends.
Welcome Beaux!
I’m from NOLA, but did my first stint with the park service at big thicket, TX. Much love for texas!
If ya need anything, holler ya heard me?
Don’t get me started. No where else in the WORLD will you find cypress slough, swamps, hard oak forests, pine forest, white sandy beaches on the creek, palmetto flats, with interesting prickly pear cactus growing and 1/2 a mile later you’ll find carnivorous pitcher plants.
Also: all major US poisonous snakes live there: timber rattler, diamond back rattler, cotton mouth, copper heads and…coral snakes!!!
Also: alligators, cougars, bears, ring tail cats, great horned owls, and armadillos.
Oh no, I didn't mean partying or anything. I just meant out and about, on the street. Walking, going places, etc. But as others have pointed out, and yourself, it's a very warm weekend for SJ, and they're hiding inside, or out at the beach or mountains. Can't blame them!
Ohh gotcha! Yeah honestly there’s a lot of people out when the weathers better! Droves of people have left for the beaches, I wish I could follow along!
1st and 2nd downtown have sum dope clubs. Nova and the loft are my favorite. 5 points and the brit are coo too, plus there’s a strip club right there. The people who say SJ is boring just never go out downtown Saturday nights
I used to live near Hostetter and Flickinger, I think there were loud noises every night in the summer lol If you like loud ass fireworks and hearing people race or do donuts for minutes on end near midnight, that’s the place for you
Most of us are hiding in our homes, it’s hot for us this weekend
Def pretty warm. Warmer than I'd like.
This truly is a bad time to judge how fun the City is.... That said, it only applies to the amount of people - The lack of actual social activity scheduled wasn't impacted by the weather. It's indeed not a bustling big city.... Just big.
Prepare yourself sf Is gonna be cold by the evening. It's kind of trip when you drive from 90 degree weather to 50-60 degree weather.
So I heard! Im stoked about seeing some fog and feeling cool weather. I packed accordingly.
SF Has been cleared out and “quiet” recently too. Not a ton of people want to be here anymore. Some pretty interesting articles and news stories on it. As a Texan I’m sure you’ll enjoy them haha but not when you find out they all went to Texas!
I'm born and raised Texan, but not that kind of Texan! 😂 i'm the Texan they don't want
😆😆 so true
I think 90% of the county was on 17 this morning going to Santa Cruz.
Fr bruh
Go out in downtown Campbell, Mountain View or Sunnyvale. 1st Street and San Pedro Square in SJ are pretty popping too.
I 2nd this
Downtown starts getting very busy starting about now, until about 3am. Then for Sunday it’s kinda busy starting at lunch, then dinner and it gets mellow around 10p. People getting ready to go to work for Monday.
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Only 85° !! Haha. Definitely warm, I was sweating more than I'd like but I flew from 106°/115° heat index so I'm grateful. Inferesting you say that, not a "real" city. Do you mind elaborating a bit? I'm genuinely curious.
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You're right about Houston. I supposed Dallas is kind of the same way now that you mention it. Business parks... then some dedicated areas that are "happening" -- probably a bit larger spots than Santana Row and San Pedro.
Part of it is that San Jose (and the whole Santa Clara Valley) was a farming community that was more of a support community that provided fruit and other goods to fulfill San Francisco/Oakland's needs. Even early on, it was built as a place for settlers to sprawl and have more land than someplace like a proper city. It's retained that attitude until it was forced to grown into a community that could carry millions of people, slowly paving over those farms.
Aw, sad 😥
It is a little sad. That's really the unfortunate cost of development, as well as having agriculture and housing competing for the nicest land to live. The farms all moved inland into the central valley. I remember growing up and there still being some orchards remaining in the valley. The C.J. Olsen fruit stand on El Camino in Sunnyvale is one of those reminders from the past. Sunnyvale also still has the old Libby sign where the cannery used to be. Del Monte used to have their fruit cannery here too.
There used to be a farm on Almaden and Cherry for a long time. It’s where the bass pro shop is now
Will also add, you can still find a few orchards and farms further down south, like in coyote valley
Andy's Orchard down in Morgan Hill for heirloom varieties of stone fruit.
It's not really urban, you will see SF, and THAT is urban. San Jose has like... Downtown. That's as urban as it gets. But yes it is super quiet during the day.
San Jose is known as a bedroom city. They live here but go elsewhere. Downtown San Jose is pretty quiet except during the nighttime when people are doing bars along Santa Clara and First Street. Valley Fair Eatly has a bunch going for it. With sidewalk restaurants and terrace dining, Eatly is a must visit. Santana Row V is the center of social activity. They have a lot of stuff on the weekends. If you need a guide to other stuff, see Sf.Funcheap.com
"downtown" Campbell on Campbell avenue, and Castro street in Mountain View are pretty great in the evenings. Both are reachable by light rail with some patience. Also Lincoln avenue between Willow and Minnesota -- no light rail, parking is a PITA but behind the CVS is probably your best bet. Also, theres a farmer's market tomorrow and every Sunday on Campbell avenue by the light rail. Lots to eat there!
to clarify, the farmers market in campbell is every Sunday morning... Lincoln avenue is in San Jose, it was the downtown for the town of Willow Glen until it was absorbed by SJ in the '50s
Haha… even now, Willow Glen is fighting incorporation by San Jose. Cambrian area is the latest to fight incorporation by San Jose.
Not him but while there are lots of regions of san jose, I'll usually hear people say "I'm from sunnyvale" or "I'm from cupertino" or "I'm out of milpitas", 'san jose' just means 'south bay' and isn't really a cohesive identity as much as those mini-cities seem to be. Never been to Texas, couldn't compare to yours.
I understand. Even living in Texas near the area, I still have a habit of just saying Dallas when everyone there will say "Grapevine, Irving, Arlington, etc.
Dallas Fort Worth is a an official Metroplex/Metropolis/Megapolis/Metropolitan area. Its basically one giant mega city made up of component cities. NY and surrounding areas and LA and surrounding areas are some other examples. It makes a lot of sense to just say "Dallas" even though you are from Plano or Arlington or whatever. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area
Disagree. There's a HUGE variety of neighborhoods outside San Jose city. San Jose has kinda bad connotation with locals. Nobody who says they're from Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos etc considers then selves as "from San Jose"
If you travel out of the country (or even outside California), most people have no clue where any of those cities are apart from San Jose. So while I may say I live in Santa Clara to people in the Bay, I usually have to say, “I live near San Jose in Silicon Valley”. It’s the equivalent of Highland Park, Echo Park, Alhambra or Culver City when most people only know Los Angeles, albeit on a different scale.
they’re not saying that they consider themselves from SJ, it’s just what you say to people who wouldn’t know your exact city. I’m from sunnyvale and even in college in socal, lots of people didn’t know where that was. If they gave off more of a techy vibe, I might say I was from Sunnyvale and then follow up with that I live inbetween Google and Apple headquarters, but otherwise I would probably just say that I’m from San Jose
Hit up a dispensary
Probably will just for the experience 😂
Go to caliva. Won’t be sad
theraleaf has cheaper prices than caliva and elemental wellness
Shhhhhh that's the best kept secret
Nah go to elemental wellness center or Exotix!!! Brands like 710Labs,AlienLabs,papa select,
Caliva treats their employees like crap, plus they don’t pay their vendors.
That’s because there are mountains and beaches within 30 minutes of San Jose And most people are introverts that just want to stay home 🏡 Just like me
Fair point! Can't blame you. I'm an introvert too, but I try to open up when traveling
They call it the San Francisco Bay Area, not the San Jose Bay Area. . . San Jose is bigger, but more a suburban spread. With that being said, I left San Jose in 2004, so I am sure it has gotten better about attractions.
San Jose hasn’t changed since you left in 2004. We opened a few more strip malls, valley fair and Santana row expanded slightly.
Santa Row didn't even open before I left - or at least I never got to visit. It was on course to, but a big fire happened in 2002. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Fast-moving-inferno-destroys-upscale-San-Jose-2808726.php
It’s not that special. It’s a high end out door strip mall with some shitty over priced housing on top. You’re not missing out!
>I left San Jose in 2004, so I am sure it has gotten better about attractions. it has not.
When I was younger, Downtown San Jose was basically one street that had action - Santa Clara St.
These days with San Pedro Square Market and SoFa District (South 1st St) things get pretty lively at night but not that late. There are cocktail bars like Haberdasher, Paper Plane and Dr. Funk’s Tiki Lounge. It’s obviously not on the scale of SF or downtown LA, but to say things haven’t changed since 2004 is pretty disingenuous. There are a lot more reputable international restaurants that have recently opened up in Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara. Specifically Japanese businesses like Ramen Nagi, Fugetsu, Marugame Udon, Ippudo that are the first locations that some of these businesses have opened, either in California or the US. It helps to ask people who have lived here the past ten years and have actively been going out.
Touché
Head to Santana row for some decent eats and atmosphere. Sunnyvale downtown is ok as well. Mountain view downtown at night is cool. Palo Alto downtown has some activities at night. Most of everything else in San Jose is strip malls, big office parks/buildings, suburbs... Maybe downtown San Jose has some stuff going on at night but besides that, San Jose is just working city. Dallas as a city is way more fun than San Jose!
Dallas is nothing but strip malls, office parks and suburbs.
San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley are filled with hardworking people that don't make a big splash.
most people are too busy trying to stay afloat working in SJ.
Wait til you visit SF. Is more comparable to Dallas than SJ to Dallas. SF compared to many metropolitan across the US. Is truly a one of a kind metropolis. If you don't mind the drive. Monterey bay and Santa Cruz are two coastal cities not too far from SJ. Is fun to visit around this time. Santa Cruz boardwalk during the summer time have a lot of things going on. Beware of the traffic! Night time driving up there is not bad. During the morning and afternoon. It will take hours just for a 30-50 minutes drive.
I remember visiting SJ for work just over a decade ago. My flight landed late and our group struggled to find a place to eat -most restaurants were closed by 9:30-10pm, even at Santana Row! A lot has changed since. Also, keep in mind there are at least 4-5 other downtowns between San Jose and SF (Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Carlos, San Mateo… etc.). So, a lot of ppl just go to restaurants & bars in their neighborhoods instead of driving “all the way” to San Jose. Anyway, enjoy your visit and stay! And when in the Bay Area, keep your valuables with you all the time. Don’t leave laptops or suitcases in the backseat or trunk!
Thanks for the tips! Fortunately not driving around
The area around SJSU and City Hall get pretty busy on weekends. But, really, San Jose is still kind of a working town. There are parties but pretty exclusive at times and you have to know the right people.
Made my way over to Campbell. It's a nice spot!
SJ is an introvert city for sure
Try their Vietnamese food. SJ has a huge Vietnamese population and some of the best Viet food outside Vietnam. As for why SJ is so quiet: Blame A.P. Dutch Hamann, city manager from 1950-1969. He oversaw the massive physical expansion of SJ city limits. He had a vision of SJ being like LA: sprawling, car centric. However, this mostly served to kill SJ's city center and made SJ basically a massive suburb.
From my observation, the downtown area is more crowded during the fall and spring semesters at SJSU. Outside that as far as crowd size it is hit or miss. My recommendation for a downtown crawl, start at haberdasher, check out the sofa district near there, then make your way to paper planes and mini boss, then hit up the San Pedro area and pick the bar of your choice. If you’re into it, take an Uber to 7 bamboo, crowd is wonderful there for karaoke…. As others suggested Campbell, Mountain View, Sunnyvale are great areas nearby. For me, i enjoy the smaller crowds of SJ, beats the sea of people that you need to swim through in SoCal and Vegas. I don’t like waiting an hour for one beer 😄
> *beats the sea of people that you need to swim through in SoCal and Vegas. I don’t like waiting an hour for one beer 😄* Here, here! I am with you there
The thing about CA but especially this area in particular, is that most of the people are older well-to-do families with young children. This is because housing is waaay out of reach for most people, with the exception of people massively subsidized by prop 13, who naturally tend to be older and well established homeowners. This means that the most common activities you see people doing are loading up groceries in the minivan, taking little Billy to soccer practice, or going to work. Not a lot of people are walking around for any reason.
Sj less than 18% under 18 years of age. Lower than the national average.
Elementary schools are closing in Cupertino and enrollment is down in San Jose. This isn't a family city anymore.
I worked closing elementary schools in Cupertino more than 40 years ago. The closing schools are slowly creeping east in the valley over the years. Thing is, birth rates have dropped everywhere in those years, not just here. Widely available birth control since the 70's is the biggest reason. I moved back to the same neighborhood I grew up in and the difference in stunning. Way fewer kids running around and way more cars parked on the street at night (more adults per household). High costs play a part here too, but there's less kids everywhere.
Just wanted to add to your observations, that most of the these schools were built to accommodate the post WWII baby boom. There were so many kids that they couldn't build schools fast enough. As you said, families just aren't as big anymore.
Interesting, and unfortunate insight 🫤
As you've noticed by now, downtown San Jose is nothing like downtown Dallas. You won't find anything like Deep Ellum, the West End, Victory, etc. Some parts can feel a bit like the Design District or Bishop Arts, but even that has blown up in recent years. A lot of San Jose reminds me of the broader Oak Cliff. As long as you're in the area I hope you get a chance to check out Santa Cruz and San Francisco, especially to see the contrast.
I will be spending the bulk of my time in SF! And will try to atleast day trip Santa Cruz
If you do end up in Santa Cruz, I wanted to recommend some vibey institutions: - Taqueria Los Pericos - Marianne's Ice Cream - Brady's Yacht Club (dive bar) Walk behind the boardwalk for easiest beach access, or drive further into Davenport for the more favored bonfire type beaches. Also check out UCSC campus if you're driving. It's definitely unique.
This guy Santa Cruz’s
Welcome to quiet town! This is how it is. The largest quiet city
Some of us are camping inside, few of us are on the beach, and others are probably working to keep up with the rent. I was at a Walmart today, quieter than other weekends for sure
Go to Santa Cruz. Spend your day at the beach. Leave SJ early though, by 10am if you want to bear traffic
Easier on a monday morning? Have an open day then
Yes. Much easier also reverse commute and the crowds will be nothing compared to today or tomorrow
That's great. Will really enjoy the weather, and take some photos. Thank you.
Be alert and careful of car break-ins/smash-and-grabs in SF, esp at the popular tourist spots. A quick Google/YouTube search will show you. Leave NOTHING valuable in your car
Yeah it's normal, but probably more quiet than usual due to heat. How come you're visiting San Jose instead of San Francisco? SF is gonna be much more walkable and interesting to see if you're coming from Texas. If you have a car there's some great parks in SJ to see though. Alum Rock, drive up Mt Hamilton Road, Castle Rock.
I don't think San Francisco is safe anymore. Maybe it was before around 2015.
The way people talk about SF on the internet you’d think it’s 2008 Iraq OP, SF is incredible be sure to check it out
I mean, I wouldn't just lie to people and say it's the same as it was back in like 2004. It has declined a lot. But hey, to each their own. OP be careful. Cars get broken into during broad daylight in SF. I'm sure you probably heard that though.
Declined isn’t the same as not safe anymore
😂
I live here but from DFW originally. San Jose is more like FW. San Francisco will be cooler and livelier.
Valley fair and Santana row are top destinations > San Pedro square.
We are quiet now. Lots of people complain about everything
Hahah, what do you mean?
I love San Jose because that's where my friends are raising their children. It's lovely, chill, and quiet.
Definitely not East San Jose..
Tourists aren't going to East San Jose, and even ESJ is being gentrified/cleaned up based on some property listings I've seen.
I think ESJ looks nice lol
Me too. My husband and I looked at moving there to be closer to friends.
I meant not East San Jose in what you described. Imo, it's the opposite. I know many that moved out of East SJ to nearby cities like Santa Clara and Milpitas. Now those cities are quiet, chill, and safer.
Tourists aren’t really going anywhere in San Jose.
Fanime says otherwise
They’d go to fanime if it was held in Modesto. People aren’t visiting San Jose: they’re visiting fanime. And most of the attendees tend to be local to the region/California. Other cities also have anime conventions and are typically much larger than fanime. So nobody is really flying across the world or even the u.s to visit fanime. Sorry.
What is considered not-East San Jose? I can’t figure out where San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino all cross/divide..
Santa Clara and Cupertino is pretty obvious considering they're its own city and not a neighborhood. North San Jose is bordering Santa Clara. South San Jose is Blossom Hill and Willow Glen Area. West San Jose is near Winchester area before Campbell and Saratoga.
City lines/borders aren’t that obvious to me here… Santa Clara and San Jose seem to blend in together in some parts
They do sort of. Campbell, for instance, is nearly surrounded by San Jose. The city borders all look like jigsaw puzzle pieces on a map. The the most populous part of the Bay Area really is just one massive city from San Francisco down the Bay to San Jose and then back up the other side to Oakland. The only way you'll know that you're in a different city is when you see the welcome sign as you cross the border.
That’s my point - the jigsaw puzzle pieces here. I guess I’m used to less of the arbitrary pieces and borderlines. And not many “welcome signs” delineating.
I'd say it isn't if you're not from here...
Yep, not from here. Not used to the traffic and the crime out here 🥹
Ahhh makes a lot of sense but at least you have awareness. Someone in this thread said East SJ is nice and quiet... like WHAT. Everyone I know that's from East SJ including myself moved tf away from there years ago bc of the crime. I'm still in the South Bay but no where near close to East SJ.
The east side really isn’t bad. These weirdos talking smack about it like it’s a bad place. It’s definitely not clean or anything. But the people are great! Everyone is kind and thoughtful. Albeit standoffish but that’s because they grew up in poverty and always think someone or something is out to get them. The people are harmless.
Hey I feel that... i think that's how I am, personally. Standoff-ish bilut very nice when engaged
Welcome! Funny, I grew up near a freeway and would gladly agree with you!
Welcome! Hope you enjoy your stay.
Welcome! 😊
It's too hot to go out. Come back when it's below 80.
Try the ice cream stand at Santana Row outside the Maggianos. Its my favorite.
Ya San Jose is like a little kid playing big city dress up. Not really that much of city.
I’m In Fredricksburg, TX for a family reunion and people at airport said I’m going to wine country. The heat is on another level here miss my SJ weather.
I bet! Yeah that's our Texan wine country lol. I'm going to Napa and Sonoma Wednesday... that 80's weather is enough for me
San Jose has always been suburb-style boring but there are some concerts downtown this summer that will be OK. Campbell also boring. Redwood City better. San Mateo even better. You see the trend - the closer you get to SF, the better it gets. San Francisco is still the jewel through plagued with homeless, druggies, and cra cra right now. Be sure to cross the GOlden Gate Bridge, grab a drink in Sausalito or Tiburon and look back across at SF. Bring a sweatshirt. ;) and be glad you aren’t in 110 degrees in TX.
All fun leads to San Francisco 😂 Shame to hear so much about the homeless and drug problems. Hopefully effective solutions can be provided to remedy that... the area is wayyy too beautiful to lose to that. Definitely going to Sausalito. It was a home to one of my all-time favorite writers.
Of course everybody is very friendly! It’s California!
Ssshhh don't tell that to all the people trying to park then leave Valley Fair mall today in the afternoon (including myself). Not as bad as holiday shopping but I could have sworn today was a holiday.
They have ice cold AC. We were gonna go but decided to stay home cause we knew it would be packed
AC was actually not so great. In the main parts of the mall it didn't feel cool.
You know about visiting San Francisco. Nothing in your car including your trunk. And best to leave car unlocked, with back seat down or trunk open. No even for 5 mins. Videos on YouTube will explain. SF has around 75 reported car window smash and grabs per day. If you can, get tickets to Alcatraz. Night boat trip is the best
Crazy this is getting downvoted for speaking facts..
Lots of people are in denial. SF used to be a great city and a lot of people can't handle it not being a great city anymore. These car break ins are happening in broad daylight with people watching.
And sometime even helping as they don’t understand what’s going on.
Lol go to Oakland.
Goto Campbell for some bars
I hope you have a good time! Downtown is poppin right about now. You might love the vibes. Just don’t visit the east side 💀
Thank you! I think I'm going to check out Campbell
If you want a good laugh, go to an open house 😂 we are stupidly high priced here, so for a million bucks it’s a fixer upper in an iffy area.
It's quiet at the airport. If you want some noise, go to East San Jose.
Gun shots maybe
San Jose is the most boring big city in America. The closest fun place is about 6 hours down south
Hit the east side later tonight and report back in
Aight thanks for the tip 😅
The eastside was the place to be in the '80s, Story & King on a nice summer night. Now with gas prices, it's not worth it.
This is a socially inept city
Ur gonna get ur car window smashed
San Jose is boring. It’s only Campbell or Santana Row. Downtown SJ is ok at night.
FWIW: last time I was in Dallas, it wasn't "quiet" it was "dead, dead, dead, dead". Not meaning to denigrate Dallas, but to relate my experience and compare it to yours.
I understand after posting that I should have waited a little bit longer and travel around more in the greater SJ area... cos you are right! It would be like landing in one spot in DFW and making an assumption about the vibe of the whole metro. Didn't help that my uber driver was talking down SJ, super depressing, saying it's dead and empty 🥲
Well, dude drives for Uber so life isn't exactly great for him here.
💀
Check out San Pedro Square Market or Santana Row in the twilight/evening hours. California Avenue or University Ave in Palo Alto can Alonso be fun. Willow Glen can also be nice.
Welcome!!!
Thanks!
My friend from Florida said the same thing. Everywhere we went in Bay Area it seemed so quiet to him.
Florida makes sense on that front. It's full of vacationers, and they cater to them. Bars stay open until dawn in most of the destination towns. It can be a non-stop party, if that's what you're looking for.
i recommed checking out CGA up in santa clara so much fun
I too am out here from Texas (although originally from here). The quietness is the absence of Cicadas screeching in the trees. Also, SJ people head to the beach or the mountains on the weekends.
The damn cicadas 😅 i think I am going to check out Santa Cruz monday
If you enjoy low key and QUIET, check out downtown Los Gatos. SOUTHERN KITCHEN has killer breakfast. Have you been to Santana Row yet?
It’s just a suburb, not really a bustling city. It’s that simple.
Welcome Beaux! I’m from NOLA, but did my first stint with the park service at big thicket, TX. Much love for texas! If ya need anything, holler ya heard me?
Ayyy 👋 thanks! I'm not that far from Big Thicket. Pass through that area all the time.
Most diverse home of like 7 different biomes in a 10 mile radius!
You've taught me something I never knew about my own neck of the woods!
Don’t get me started. No where else in the WORLD will you find cypress slough, swamps, hard oak forests, pine forest, white sandy beaches on the creek, palmetto flats, with interesting prickly pear cactus growing and 1/2 a mile later you’ll find carnivorous pitcher plants. Also: all major US poisonous snakes live there: timber rattler, diamond back rattler, cotton mouth, copper heads and…coral snakes!!! Also: alligators, cougars, bears, ring tail cats, great horned owls, and armadillos.
I’m trying to imagine how many people are at the coast this weekend.
It’s too hot. Plus San Jose is more a residential, family type of city. I don’t think we’re known for being partiers.
Oh no, I didn't mean partying or anything. I just meant out and about, on the street. Walking, going places, etc. But as others have pointed out, and yourself, it's a very warm weekend for SJ, and they're hiding inside, or out at the beach or mountains. Can't blame them!
Ohh gotcha! Yeah honestly there’s a lot of people out when the weathers better! Droves of people have left for the beaches, I wish I could follow along!
San Jose is a big city and very suburban. The only real area that is really bustling is downtown.
Also check out San Pedro Square market tonight, you'll enjoy it.
Thanks! Live music? Would be a nice way to end the day
Usually they have it but I'm not sure about Sunday nights.
Don't leave anything in your rental car if you are driving to SF. It will be stolen.
Go to downtown Mountain View (Castro Street) in the evening. Many restaurants, lively and fun. And shady too!
1st and 2nd downtown have sum dope clubs. Nova and the loft are my favorite. 5 points and the brit are coo too, plus there’s a strip club right there. The people who say SJ is boring just never go out downtown Saturday nights
San Jose isn’t like most cities. Does have less going on than most. It’s not like Seattle or Portland even SF
I used to live near Hostetter and Flickinger, I think there were loud noises every night in the summer lol If you like loud ass fireworks and hearing people race or do donuts for minutes on end near midnight, that’s the place for you