All About Downtown
Thanks to savvy redevelopment and compact design, downtown San Jose has become the place where everyone comes to live and play, from the protégés hunting for urban nightlife adventures to empty nesters spending their children’s inheritance on fine dining, opera and gallery art. As one of the safest big cities, San Jose invites parents to bring their children to play at two of the most renowned family friendly museums in Northern California – the Children’s Discovery Museum and the Tech Museum of Innovation. Across the street children of all ages splash around in the famous fountains of Cesar Chavez Park, where during the summer crowds gather to sway to Music in the Park or munch on popcorn at outdoor movies. On Fridays May through December you can spot professionals spending their lunch break in San Pedro Square to catch the Farmer’s Market, returning for Happy Hour at the brew pubs and bars. Die-hards stay longer to catch gallery night on First Fridays or to take in a comedy club.
As one of the most walkable and bike friendliest cities in California, lit with over 300 days of sunshine and great weather, San Jose is a haven for walking warriors, pedalphiles and jogging junkies – especially along Guadalupe River Park’s many wildlife-filled trails or downtown’s tree-lined streets. The urban center is home to many unique festivals and events, such as the a stop on the Amgen Tour of California, Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon, Cinequest Film Festival, Vietnamese Spring Festival, Japanese Obon Festival, San Jose Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival and Zero One, where art meets technology. If you hate the idea of taking out a bank loan to pay for parking like in certain cities to the north, San Jose is dotted with free or low-cost parking downtown, and is easily accessible via lightrail.
Need more information on events and things to do in Downtown San Jose? Visit the San Jose Downtown Association's website below:
Restaurants
San Jose Neighborhoods
No city is a singular neighborhood and in San Jose we have many varieties of lifestyles, work and play areas within our south bay nook. While not every neighborhood is listed here, such as suburban living areas like Almaden Valley and North/South San Jose, we do list the major areas that provide unique opportunities to those visiting our city. They include Downtown, Rose Garden, Japan Town, Willow Glen, Little Saigon and West San Jose. In addition we have also listed information on Los Gatos and Campbell, neighborhoods that offer their own unique historical experiences.










































