San Jose (CA), Tourism and Travel Information
San Jose, Capital of Silicon Valley
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the United States, and the county seat of Santa Clara County. Anchor to the 31st-largest metropolitan area in the country, it is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay. The San Jose/Silicon Valley area is the population center of the greater San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Combined Statistical Area (CSA), a region of nearly 7.5 million people, making it the sixth largest in the United States.
Once a small farming city, San Jose experienced rapid growth from the 1950s to the present. San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area in terms of population, land area, and industrial development. Its estimated population as of July 1, 2009, was 964,695. The California Department of Finance estimated the population at 1,023,083 as of January 1, 2010.
San Jose was founded on November 29, 1777, as El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, the first town in the Spanish colony of Nueva California, which later became Alta California. The city served as a farming community to support Spanish military installations at San Francisco and Monterey. When California gained statehood in 1850, San Jose served as its first capital. After more than 150 years as an agricultural center, San Jose experienced increased demand for housing from soldiers and other veterans returning from World War II, as well as aggressive expansion during the 1950s and 1960s by annexing more land area. By the 1990s, San Jose's location within the booming local technology industry earned the city its nickname, Capital of Silicon Valley.
Get around
The San Jose downtown area is compact and rather easy to get around on foot. Most of the streets in San Jose are arranged in a grid, but the grid is not strictly aligned with north (more like north-northwest). Street address numbers increase (by 100 every 2 or 3 blocks) radiating from Santa Clara Street (an east/west street) or First Street (a north/south street). Furthermore, Santa Clara Street (and other east/west streets) carry the prefix East or West radiating from First Street; and First Street (and other north/south streets) carry the prefix North or South radiating from Santa Clara Street. This makes it somewhat easy to locate a downtown facility given its street address.
Outside downtown, things are spread out in San Jose, so a car is the most convenient mode of transportation. However, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, VTA, does offer serviceable transit around town. The frequency and hours of buses vary depending on the route and your location, so it's best to check a schedule beforehand. San Jose's Light Rail system (primarily the Mountain View-Winchester route and the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa route) provides quick service to, from and around downtown; a single fare, $2 for 2010, is good for 2 hours.
A VTA day pass lets you use buses and Light Rail lines all day and costs $5 as of 2009. VTA Route #10 serves as a free shuttle between the SJC airport, Caltrain Santa Clara Station, and Light Rail - Metro/Airport Station. DASH (Downtown Area SHuttle), VTA Route #201, another free service connects downtown San Jose and the Light Rail with the San Jose Diridon Transit Center.
The www.511.org website is a wonderful resource for trip planning, whether by car or public transit (or a combination of both). Its Trip Planner spans all Bay Area transit systems. On the go, you can call VTA Customer Service at +1 408 321-2300 and listen to bus schedules on their automated system.
Many roads in San Jose have designated bike lanes and/or wide shoulders. A map of the city's bikeways is available on VTA's website. This, along with typically favorable local weather, makes biking a viable means of transportation within the city. Bus lines, Light Rail and Caltrain all accommodate bikes, making mixed-mode travel a simple affair in San Jose.
Downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose is a mix of offices, shopping, hotels, numerous restaurants as well as a convention center and the SoFA (South of First Area) nightclub district. Check out the San Pedro Square Farmer's Market on Fridays for local and organic produce, or visit the San Jose City Hall and the nearby San Jose State University campus. The new main Library (2003) is a prestigious, award-winning, joint-use Library combining resources of the City and San Jose State University. Get outdoors and take advantage of San Jose's invariably sunny weather on the Guadalupe River Trail or in one of the many city parks. You'll always find a wealth of cultural events at theaters, art galleries, and museums.
- The Tech Museum (Museum of Science and Technology),
201 South Market St (near Park Ave.), San Jose, ☎+1 408 294-TECH (8234).
A great interactive experience for all ages and backgrounds. The Tech Museum allows visitors to see how technology affects their daily lives. Permanent exhibits focus on the internet, the human body, and exploration. You'll also find an IMAX Theater, a cafe, and a retail store featuring merchandise unique to the Silicon Valley. $10 (museum and IMAX).
- San Jose Museum of Art,
110 South Market St (at W. San Fernando St.), San Jose, ☎+1 408 271-6840.
Tu-Su 11AM - 5PM.
Recognized for its contemporary collection of modern art, which highlights movements on the West Coast as well as national and international pieces. The museum started as a small civic art gallery in 1969 and has grown in step with its city. $8 general admission, $5 seniors/students.
- San Jose City Hall,
200 East Santa Clara Street (near S. 4th St.), San Jose, ☎(408) 535-3500.
Designed by architects Richard Meier & Partners, the San Jose City Hall, opened in 2005, consists of a free standing glass rotunda at the center, a council chambers wing to the south, and a separate tower to the east. Tours are available.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library,
150 E. San Fernando St. (at S. 4th St.), San Jose, ☎(408) 808-2000.
A partnership between the San Jose Public Library System and the San Jose State University Library, the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library opened in 2003 as the the largest all-new library west of the Mississippi with 475,000 sq. ft. and 1.5 million items. The King Library is the library for San Jose State University and the Main Branch of the City of San Jose Library System. The Library is free and open to all - no identification or proof of residency is needed to use or enjoy materials within the Library.
- San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles,
520 South First St (near E. William St.), San Jose, ☎+1 408 971-0323.
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM.
The first museum in the US to focus on quilts and textiles, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles has an outstanding collection on a rotating display. Exhibitions change quarterly at this exciting and modern museum. $6 general admission, $5 seniors/students with ID (free for everyone on the first Friday of the month).
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose,
180 Woz Way, San Jose, ☎+1 408-298-5437
Excellent even for grown-ups! Founded by Steve Wozniac (the other founder of Apple). www.cdm.org
Outside Downtown San Jose
- Winchester Mystery House,
525 South Winchester Blvd, San Jose, ☎+1 408 247-2101.
Tours daily 9AM-7PM.
Check their website for a current schedule.. The legend is that Sarah Winchester, Winchester Rifle heiress, was afraid of being cursed by the ghosts of those who had been killed by Winchester guns. She thought that as long as construction continued, the ghosts would be kept at bay. Construction did continue (for 38 years!), resulting in a fantastic house full of mazes, stairs that go nowhere and other odd architecture. Beware: visitors have reported seeing paranormal objects in the house, and the only way you can confirm their claims is to see them yourself! Mansion Tour: $26, Behind-The-Scenes Tour: $23, Grand Estate Tour (combined) $31 (discounted rates for seniors and children).
- Santana Row,
368 Santana Row (near S. Winchester Rd.), San Jose, ☎+1 408 551-4611.
A "European-style" village of shops, restaurants, and high-priced condos, with hotels and great nightlife. There's a year-round farmer's market on Sundays, and during the summer bands play free outdoor music every weekend.
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium,
1664 Park Ave, San Jose, ☎+1 408 947-3636
M-F 9AM-5PM, S-Su 11AM-6PM.
This museum of Ancient Egypt features exhibits funded by the Rosicrucian Order, who have secured artifacts from archaeologists working in the area since the 1920s. Take a tour through a detailed replica of an Egyptian tomb and browse their collection of authentic mummies and artifacts. $9 general admission, $7 seniors/students, $5 children 5-10, free for children under 5.
- Japantown,
Between Jackson and Taylor on 1st-5th Streets in San Jose, ((VTA Light Rail Station Japantown/Ayer)).
The neighborhood surrounding Fifth and Jackson streets (a mile from Downtown) has some good restaurants, retail shops, and cultural facilities. Festivals are held several times a year, and there is a year-round farmer's market on Sundays.
- Willow Glen,
Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, between Willow St and Minnesota St.
This charming shopping district was once the center of a town separate from San Jose. You'll find a variety of small shops and restaurants, as well as a farmer's market and a handful of community festivals and events throughout the year.
- San Jose Municipal Rose Garden,
Naglee Ave, San Jose, between Dana Ave and Garden Dr, ☎+1 408 277-2757.
8AM to half hour past sunset.
San Jose's 5 1/2–acre Municipal Rose Garden, once a prune orchard, draws thousands of visitors each year. The Garden is exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family and features over 4,000 rose shrubs with 189 varieties represented. Hybrid–teas comprise 75 percent of the plantings. free. (37°19′55.8″N,121°55′41.3″W)
- Heritage Rose Garden,
Spring St and Taylor St., San Jose,
Half an hour before dawn to half an hour after dusk.
This garden, initially planted by volunteers in 1995, has a collection of almost 4,000 plants of more than 3,000 rose varieties. free.
