San Jose, nicknamed the Capital of Silicon Valley, presents an interesting blend between its Spanish Colonial History, its technology-centered business district, and its gorgeous natural setting in the center of the Santa Cruz Valley. With over one million residents, San Jose is the 10th most populous city in the United States. There are over seven million people throughout the Bay Area.
San Jose History
Before the arrival of European settlers, the area of San Jose was inhabited by Ohlone Native Americans. In 1777, it was founded by Lieutenant José Joaquín Moraga as a farming community, making it the first civil settlement in the state. After becoming a part of the United States in 1846, San Jose became California’s first state capital. The city was a center of innovation even in the early 1900s, and its technology boom in the 1990s made it the capital of Silicon Valley, the leading hub for tech innovation. With the advent of Google and Facebook, the symbolic center of Silicon Valley has since transferred to San Francisco.
San Jose History
Timeline of San Jose History
History of Silicon Valley
San Jose Transportation
Getting around San Jose is as easy as hopping on a bus or light rail train. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority offers both bus and rail transportation throughout the valley, and will soon be connected to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco. The San Jose International Airport offers nonstop flights to over 50 cities in the United States and abroad.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
San Jose International Airport
Bay Area Rapid Transit
San Jose Weather
The Mediterranean climate in most of the Bay Area is warm, dry, and sunny.
There are an average of 257 sunny days per year and typically only 38 days per year with any measurable precipitation in San Jose. The average high temperature in July is 83 degrees, and the average low temperature in January is 41 degrees. Summers are considerably cooler in San Francisco, with an average high of only 69 degrees in July.
Cost of Living in San Jose
While not as expensive as San Francisco, the cost of living in San Jose is certainly higher than average.
San Jose residents pay more for groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation, and especially housing. However, household income has risen to $83,787, and job growth for the next ten years is predicted at over 42 percent, nearly 5 percent higher than the United States average. Use the tools below to see how far your current salary will get you in the Bay Area.
San Jose Schools
The city is served by the San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD). With over 30,000 students from kindergarten to senior high in 41 schools, SJUSD is Silicon Valley’s largest district. There are nearly as many college preparatory and religiously affiliated private schools available as there are public schools. The Bay Area is home to some of the top universities in the country. Stanford University, less than 20 miles from the city’s center, is cited as one of the most rigorous and selective universities in the world. Its faculty and alumni have founded some of the world’s leading companies, including Google, Nike, and Hewlett-Packard.
San Jose Unified School District
Stanford University
San Jose School Reviews (Zillow.com)
San Jose Hospitals
Stanford Hospital and its clinics are rated the top in San Jose and are nationally ranked in more than 13 specialties, including cancer care, gynecology, and cardiology and heart surgery. The UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco is nationally ranked in over 15 specialties, and is regularly ranked as the best hospital in California.
Stanford Health Care
UCSF Medical Center
Hospitals in San Jose (Healthgrades.com)
San Jose Real Estate
The vacancy rate in San Jose is only 3.6 percent, and the median home price is $844,700. The majority of homes are within the $500,000 to $749,999 range. The average cost of rent per month for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,006, compared to the United States average of $1,027. These figures are typical for most of the Bay Area, but housing is particularly expensive in San Francisco, with a median home cost of over $1.12 million.
Homes for Sale in San Jose
Apartments for Rent in San Jose
Bay Area Homes
San Jose Hotels
The Bay Area, San Jose included, is home to a number of gorgeous historic buildings, and many of them have been converted into hotels and bed and breakfasts. Hotel Clariana was originally built in 1913 and served as a living and recreation facility for the Young Men’s Christian Association, and it now offers spacious and beautiful guest rooms along with on-site amenities like a fitness center and gift shop. The Madison Street Inn, set in a Victorian house built in 1890, provides a luxurious pool, spa, gardens, and delicious homemade meals on top of its comfortable, elegantly decorated rooms.
Hotel Clariana
Madison Street Inn
Bay Area Hotels (Hotels.com)
San Jose Restaurants
A diverse, innovative region like the Bay Area is of course home to diverse, innovative restaurants. Seiki Ramen, open every day from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., is the ideal spot for a midnight snack in San Jose. Whether that snack is a plate full of edamame or a heaping bowl full of pork belly ramen is up to you. Brenda’s French Soul Food in San Francisco frequently has a line out the door, but practically every patron will tell you that the wait is worth it for a crawfish beignet.
Seiki Ramen
Brenda’s French Soul Food
Best Restaurants in San Jose (Yelp.com)
Things to Do in San Jose
One of the best things about the Bay Area is the way modern, tech-centered urban life coexists with the region’s environment and natural beauty.
That beauty is on full display at the Sunol Regional Wilderness park, consisting of nearly 7,000 acres of wilderness crossed with hiking and equestrian trails and camp sites. The Tech Museum of Innovation, meanwhile, showcases the greatest advancements in science and technology, from the latest in robotics, healthcare, programming, and more.
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