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Living in San Jose, California:
Tips for Moving and Visiting

36 local experts
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If you've been wondering what it's like to live in or visit San Jose, the Crowdsourced Explorer community can help. We asked 36 people living in San Jose what someone who is considering moving to or visiting there should know. Here are their pros and cons, tips, and advice:

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36 comments on “San Jose”

You can enjoy the performances by San Jose’s diverse population at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts and later take a photo with the famous polar bear statue in the performing arts plaza. The city is home to the San Jose Sharks. You can go witness one of the best hockey teams at the equally iconic SAP Center or watch the San Jose Earthquakes play soccer at the recently built Earthquakes Stadium.

Racheal, says: 2020

San Jose has a population of over 900,000 people. It is a very diverse city and is the center of Silicon Valley. Some people only know San Jose when you refer to it as a city just 40 miles south of San Francisco. You can find many malls and shopping centers throughout San Jose.

Ashley, says: 2020

San Jose, CA is a college town, with great nightlife. There is plenty of access to the California junior college system. You want to live here because the cost of living is being worked on to come down. You have access to a great library infrastructure and accessible medical care. San Jose is sometimes a step out of the Bay Area rat race in general.

Bridget, says: 2020

San Jose, CA is a large, multicultural city known for being the center of Silicon Valley. Many of those living in San Jose work at technology companies in nearby cities or commute to San Francisco. There are many districts in San Jose, each with their own unique characters, such as Willow Glen, Cambrian, and Evergreen. While the housing prices are very high, the warm, sunny weather makes living in San Jose worthwhile.

Amanda, says: 2020

San Jose is a wonderfully diverse city with numerous opportunities. It is in Silicon Valley, making it a perfect place if you hold a job in the technology industry. The city is rich with different cultures creating an incredibly well-rounded food scene. The downtown showcases different architecture and businesses that really make San Jose shine.

Jessica, says: 2020

San Jose is in Northern California, and is often referred to as the “Heart of Silicon Valley.” In addition to technology, San Jose is also known for its mild climate, plentiful hiking and biking trails, and open space preserves. Downtown San Jose is home to a vast number of restaurants, theaters, and museums.

Katherine, says: 2020

While San Jose, California, is a beautiful place, the cost of living is extremely high. In fact, housing prices have increased in the past few years to attain the highest rental costs in America. But the positives of living in San Jose, such as weather and scenic beauty, greatly outweigh the negatives.

Taylor, says: 2020

San Jose could be considered the home of Silicon Valley, known for the boom of technology that started in the 1980s. The cost of living is very high, comparable to San Francisco and New York City. However, that also means that one could obtain a high paying job and create a career.

Elaina, says: 2020

Remnants of San Jose’s partnership with the military can still be seen today with the empty Almaden Air Force Station looking down on San Jose from Mount Umunhum, a developing scenic destination for the people of San Jose. As San Jose developed in the late 70s and early 80s, it became a center for innovation and new technology with schools, such as San Jose State University, adding thousands of bright engineering and computer science graduates to companies like Cisco Systems, PayPal, and eBay.

San Jose is an incredibly diverse place. There are endless jobs for engineers and software developers. It is at the heart of the Silicon Valley, where several well known CEOs have built their successful companies. The weather can be described as perfect year-round. Fall is my favorite because of the auburn colors that fill the neighborhoods trees.

San Jose is a wonderful place. It is quite warm even during winter time. There are many places you can visit and it is a very good place to get a job. It is expensive to live in but is worth it. San Jose also has many jobs from being an a fast food worker to an engineer.

Lauren, says: 2020

San Jose is a very quiet place and making a lot of noise would disturb residents. This city is a place full of industries and factories, so don’t expect a lot of parks around. The best part about it is that there isn’t a lot of traffic and people reach their destinations quite easily.

Connie, says: 2020

From sports games to scenic routes, San Jose allows you to experience everything in between, and that is why most people tend to love this city. For those who look toward moving to San Jose, its environment is exceptionally inviting. San Jose features a temperate climate with an average high of 70°F and an average low of 50°F throughout the year. Check out the Tech Interactive to unravel scientific mysteries through hands-on activities or experience the natural landscape of San Jose on the Coyote Creek Trail or the Guadalupe Creek Trail.

Depending on which part of San Jose you land yourself in, you will have overwhelmingly different experiences. Certain areas will show you suburbs and nature trails, while others will show you how the wealth gap affects people. Although the neighboring city of Los Gatos has only a single high school, San Jose contains upwards of five different high schools. As is true of California in general, San Jose is a melting pot of people from all walks of life. This means that if you are open to the experiences San Jose offers, you could leave with a breadth of new perspectives.

Haylee, says: 2020

San Jose is also home to historical landmarks such as the Winchester Mystery House, a building with winding hallways and stairs to nowhere built by Sarah Winchester in 1884 to protect her against the ghosts of those who were killed by Winchester rifles. Although San Jose was built to be the Los Angeles of Northern California, it has become something far greater. People love the city for the people it has and what it stands for: innovation.

San Jose is a big city that offers areas far from the hustle and bustle while still maintaining an active social scene, wide range of food, and world-renowned organizations. However, the cost of living in incredibly high, and there are cities bordering San Jose that have better housing markets and cheaper apartment costs. SJC is a great city, but still has many of the issues most major cities face.

Michelle, says: 2020

If moving to San Jose, consider three major factors: weather, local activities, and cost of living. weather in San Jose are typically very moderate, with temperatures averaging 80 degrees in summer and 60 degrees in winter. Residents of San Jose often choose to go on hikes at local trails or visit Valley Fair mall. Unfortunately, the cost of living in San Jose is very high, with residents spending an average of $2,500 on rent for apartments.

Ashley, says: 2020

San Jose, CA, is a beautiful city and known as the Silicon Valley of USA. Anybody looking for opportunities in the field of Information Technology should plan on moving here without any hesitation. People here are friendly and you can learn about many cultures here. San Jose is the best city the United States of America.

Shannon, says: 2020

Downtown, you can experience excellent cuisine from Korea, the Caribbean, Greece, the Middle East, Japan, among many other places. San Jose’s schools work to prepare the problem solvers of tomorrow through rigorous STEM education. San Jose also has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world. Although the County of Santa Clara is the city’s major employer, San Jose hires thousands of people to work at IBM, Adobe, and Western digital. With how inviting San Jose is, it makes sense that it has a population of over one million.

Leonard, says: 2020

San Jose has a great public library system, parks, and awesome public transportation. San Jose is a hub that is part of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Jose has many good hiking trails that are easily accessible. Also, San Jose is easily accessible from Mountain View, and Sunnyvale. People actually talk to each other also.

Today, with its multicultural residents and enriching history, San Jose is a wonderful place to move to with all the things you can see and all the experiences you can have. San Jose features many notable landmarks that can not be found in any other city in America. It is home to the Hayes Mansion, a vast Mediterranean Revival styled estate with over 210 guest rooms that are elegantly covered in marble and hand-carved wood, in addition to the Chinese Cultural Garden, a site that exemplifies traditional Chinese architecture and flora.

Michelle, says: 2020

San Jose is one of the largest cities and is only increasing its economic growth with large businesses moving in, and plans to create transit villages, office towers, and revitalize the”Center of Silicon Valley.” There are also great hiking areas around San Jose and great restaurants. The city is also incredibly diverse and there’s many groups that want to help you get in San Jose!

Living in San Jose is a privilege. With the richness in technology and arts, San Jose has an endless amount of things to do whether it is to eat stunning food or to attend the biggest events in the city. The opportunities here are endless.

San Jose has a variety of fun places to eat and sightsee. While everything in the city is great, there are some cons such as heavy traffic every morning and in the evening. Besides traffic, San Jose is the best city as the Silicon Valley has a lot of jobs to offer to those that are in the area.

San Jose contains new buildings that are just as modern as the technology it produces. The city hall features a central rotunda covered with glass as well as a main tower with elegantly placed brise soleils to emphasize the building’s modern nature. With all these man-made structures and the natural landscape surrounding the city, there is always something to see in San Jose.

moving here requires that you know how to deal with horrible traffic, constant road construction, high cost of shelter and housing, due to every computer companies on earth, in this area. It is in a valley that is surrounded by hills and mountains… a great place and play.

Vanessa, says: 2020

There are several considerations to living in San Jose, California. the weather is mild and pleasant. Secondly, there are many innovative employers, bringing creativity and high salaries to the region. Thirdly, the influx of many people from various countries brings cultural diversity, unique and intriguing cuisine and opportunities for learning.

San Jose is the most populous city in Northern California and the tenth most populous in the United States. The city lies in the Santa Clara Valley with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west, the San Felipe Hills in the east, and a portion of the San Francisco Bay in the north. Historically, San Jose was known for its wide-ranging orchards, but following World War II, San Jose shifted its economy from agriculture to manufacturing with contracting done for the United States War Department.

In San Jose, residents are presented with numerous educational, occupational, and recreational opportunities. It is a beautiful and bustling city with a population of about 1,000,000 people. It is important to be aware that San Jose does have an extremely high cost of living. Anyone moving to this city must be prepared to face potential financial challenges.

San Jose is a diverse city teeming with opportunities. Though it is known for being the heart of the Silicon Valley, San Jose has a rich history that is too often forgotten. It was both a mining and farming city. Many fruit orchards thrived on the fertile soil. Minerals in the mountains, like mercury, were extracted in the mining business. These businesses allowed San Jose to become a large city early on in California’s history. It eventually became the state’s first capital, and now is considered the capital of technological innovation worldwide.

San Jose is the heart of the Silicon Valley and the third largest city in California. It is a mecca for the tech industry but that can make it a lonely place at times: with everyone busy setting up their business ideas, genuine human contact can seem hard to find.

Stephanie, says: 2020

San Jose is the best city in Santa Clara county. It is also known to have the highest gay population after San Francisco.

Quadaisha, says: 2020

What should you know when moving to San Jose? When moving to San Jose there is lots of diversity. Also, the house prices in San Jose are high. The job market is competitive, so you need to have a wow factor. The last thing know about San Jose is the weather is great.

Stephanie, says: 2020

San Jose is a very busy and culturally diverse city. Someone moving to my city will be exposed to meeting many people from diverse backgrounds and having the opportunity to be able to try many ethnic cuisines from the wide variety restaurants in the area.

Kimberly, says: 2020

San Jose and Silicon Valley are the ultimate places to work for those people who love anything high tech. Moving to San Jose for work is one of the most common reasons people choose to move and many of the companies treat their employees like royalty. Salary could also play a key factor. Salaries in San Jose are high.

Briana, says: 2020

San Jose is the heart of Silicon Valley. The Bay Area is filled with lots of creative people and ideas. There are plenty of activities to occupy time on the weekend. The beaches are really nice in summer, but they are also really busy.

Cynthia, says: 2020

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