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| San Jose: More than Microchips
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SAN JOSE, CA — It's a sunny Friday afternoon and the Downtown Farmer's Market at San Pedro Square is packed. Shaded
by sycamore trees and bright red and blue awnings over the stalls, shoppers roam amongst fruit and flower vendors,
sampling bites of bright green Mutsu apples and baby bananas. The scent of freshly made crepes wafts throughout.
Later in the day, San Pedro Square hums with life again, as a young, hip crowd throngs the sidewalk tables of this restaurant
row. Some then move on to the gloriously restored California Theatre, passing through a soaring lobby filled
with frescoes and glowing chandeliers, for an evening of world-class opera in season. Others may walk a few blocks
to the galleries of SoFA (South of First Area) for the live music of South First Fridays, and many more walk to the HP
Pavilion to watch the San Jose Sharks or a headliner concert.
There's a new energy to San Jose these days—the sense of something big underway beyond technology news—lots
of growth, a swinging arts scene, trendy nightlife and shopping, and an awesome array of recreation. It's the kind
of buzz that happens when a town has the wind at its back, and the combined momentum of growth and innovation
apart from its Silicon Valley heritage.
With a population of nearly one million, San Jose is the third largest city in the state and the largest in northern California,
yet there's still a small town charm about this place.
About a 45-minute drive south of San Francisco and an hour northeast of Monterey, the capitol of Silicon Valley is
edged by oak-dotted hills and set in a wide valley that was once blanketed with orchards. Basking in the sun (300 days
of sunshine annually), it's both clean and safe—for six years in a row San Jose was crowned the nation's safest big
city. And MostLivable.org ranked this town among the Top 10 Most Livable Large Cities in a recent survey. San Jose's
amazing diversity (more than 40 languages are spoken here) is mirrored in the many flavors of its shops, restaurants,
and festivals—from the San Jose Jazz Festival to Cinco de Mayo.
The town's roots go deep: founded in 1777, it's the oldest civil settlement in California and the site of the first state
capitol. Now, San Jose is the nation's tenth largest city and its skyline is burgeoning, dotted with handsome hotels, one
of America's premier city hall buildings (a gleaming Richard Meier design), a raft of new residential high-rises—with
still more towers going up. The museums are nationally recognized and the strong economy supports everything from
opera, symphony, and traveling Broadway shows, to championship sports teams.
And recently, CNN.com reported that San Jose was ranked as the 8th best fitness walking city in the nation. It's easy
to see why: the weather's great (mean temperature, 70°), and the cityscape is made for walkers, dotted with colorful
paseos and sheltered alleys. And the glories of nature are never far—you can walk for miles in the green corridors of
the Coyote Creek or Los Gatos Creek trail systems or choose between urban and mountain parks of the 45,000-acre
Santa Clara County Parks system.
Whether you're here for a weekend or a week, there's plenty to do, from The Tech Museum to Great America, plus
shopping, dining, world-class golfing and festival hopping. Within a 15- to 45-minute drive, you can be hiking in
redwoods or strolling the charming towns of Saratoga, Los Gatos, or Palo Alto. Or on a daytrip, you can be roaming
gleaming beaches, wineries, or other fun attractions in Santa Cruz or Monterey.
Visit for a weekend or a week—you'll find today's San Jose is an exciting, young city, not set in its ways but still changing
and growing.
Getting Here, Getting Around
It's all easy to access, thanks to a handy airport just 3 miles (and five minutes) from downtown San Jose. Norman
Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) is one of the most convenient and accessible airports in the whole Bay
Area, and the gateway to Silicon Valley boasts 13 airlines and 182 daily departures (including 11 new flights added in
spring 2007).
It's a breeze to get here and to get around: drive down on any of three interstate highways (I-280, I-880, I-680), zip
around on several expressways, or hop on Caltrain (commuter rail between San Francisco and Gilroy) or Amtrak (the
Sacramento to San Jose Capitol Corridor and the LA to Seattle Coast Starlight). The sleek white cars of the light rail
system, run by Valley Transit Authority (VTA), link downtown to businesses and attractions throughout Santa Clara
County.
Fun in the Sun
Wave goodbye to boredom at Great America, a 100-acre theme park with the new 355,000-gallon GREAT BARRIER
REEF™ wave pool inside Boomerang Bay. Located in neighboring Santa Clara, Great America offers the most thrill
rides in Northern California. If getting wet and wild is your goal, you can also visit Raging Waters San Jose, Northern
California's largest water park, with 23 acres and millions of gallons of family fun.
There's more haunting fun at the 160-room Winchester Mystery House, the spooky Victorian mansion created by the
Winchester Rifle heiress. What amazes people most about the house -- besides its quirky history and bizarre features
like the "Stairs to Ceiling" -- is the craftsmanship in the details, from inlaid parquet floors to a spider web-patterned
Tiffany window. Join a Flashlight Tour, and you'll walk through the mansion in the dark, with nothing but the beam of
the flashlight, the moonlight, and your imagination.
One great natural getaway sits just minutes from downtown San Jose—rugged, 720-acre Alum Rock Park. Hop on a
bike, saddle up for some horseback riding, or enjoy a picnic or a scenic hike through San Jose's first and largest park.
There are miles of trails for jogging and bike riding at both Coyote Creek County Park and Guadalupe River Park and
Gardens (plus an award-winning rose garden at Guadalupe park).
One of the newest parks is also one of the most unique: Calabazas BMX Park, where the chutes and berms let young
stunt cyclists grab some pretty extreme air. It's the Bay Area's largest city-funded BMX park and so cutting-edge that
San Jose has been asked by other communities for tips on how to design such a course. But if you just want to kick
back and relax with the family, take a Sunday morning stroll through Kelley Park—the grande dame of the city's parks.
Its 176 acres include the Japanese Friendship Garden, the History Park, and Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.
Voted "Best Place to See Animals" by Bay Area Parent three years in a row, Happy Hollow is a small gem that caters
to little tots. The biggest news: Happy Hollow is about to be transformed with new rides, shops, a restaurant, and zoo
exhibits (set for completion by 2009).
Sizzling Shopping and Dining
It's Sunday afternoon, and a mariachi band in silver-studded charro outfits is serenading shoppers—just another of
the surprises you find at the San Jose Flea Market. Opened in 1960 with only 20 sellers, today it covers 120 acres and
is the largest open-air flea market in America (don't miss the profusion on Produce Row). With the flavors and hues
of a Mexican mercado (market) and the bargains of a garage sale, it's one of the best shows in town.
San Jose is said to boast the largest population of Vietnamese-Americans of any U.S. city, and you can sample the
spicy flavors of this culture at some 200 stores in a unique Vietnamese business area along Story Road near Senter
Road. Nearby, a new Vietnam Town Mall is emerging near the planned Vietnamese Heritage Gardens.
One of the most intriguing shopping areas is Japantown, along Jackson Street centered at 4th Street. It's one of three
remaining Japantown's in the U.S. The restaurants offer plenty of choices, from sushi to Korean BBQ, the shops are
unique and its farmers market is bountiful. One mainstay: Nichi Bei Bussan, here since 1902, sells lovely kimonos
(even sizes for babies), futons, and sandals.
From May to the second Friday in December, The Downtown Farmer's Market at San Pedro Square is hopping on
Fridays from 10-2. Besides an array of colorful fruit and vegetables, you can buy gifts or nosh on walk-around treats
from crepes to Indian delicacies like samosas.
Just 3 miles from the city center, Santana Row has so much energy and high-end fashion, it has been called "Silicon
Valley's answer to Rodeo Drive". True, the Row attracts a young, hip crowd, but actually, the Row has broader appeal,
with some 70 shops, dozens of restaurants, spas, and a chic hotel, blended with luxury residences. There's a really
broad mix of retailers on the Row; luxury shops like Gucci and Ferragamo, plus more affordable ones (Crate & Barrel,
Chico's). European clothing retailer H&M opens its first South Bay location here soon.
Don't miss the wide choices at Oak Ridge Mall, Westfield Shopping Town Oakridge, Westgate Mall, Eastridge Mall,
Valley Fair in Santa Clara, or Gilroy Premium Outlets to the south. A short drive can bring you to the Pruneyard in
Campbell, the outlets of the Great Mall in nearby Milpitas, or the leafy streets of Los Gatos.
San Jose's dining scene just keeps getting hotter. Foodies from the South Bay to the Peninsula, who once thought
they had to travel to San Francisco for superior dining, now have an amazing array of choices right here.
Downtown boasts everything from the innovative cuisine of Arcadia Modern American Steakhouse, helmed by food
legend Michael Mina, to the inexpensive yet excellent comfort food of the Sonoma Chicken Coop and the new, multinational
San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar. And for those on a budget, the humble burrito is elevated to an art
form at local faves like La Victoria, where their special orange sauce will start a fiesta in your mouth. Also downtown,
wine lovers can learn as they taste at The Perfect Finish or The San Jose Wine Center, part of J. Lohr's downtown
San Jose winery. In Santana Row, a new Louisiana-style restaurant debuts early next year, joining a world of other
restaurants, from Amber India to Yankee Pier. And nearby towns like Campbell, Los Gatos, and Saratoga offer more
dining options.
Nightlife and the Lively Arts
San Jose has it all, from plays to ballet, opera, and symphony. The first-rate entertainment is just as innovative as the
high tech companies nearby. Yet ticket prices are a screaming bargain compared to other cities. Plenty of convenient
parking means theatergoers avoid the parking hassles so aggravating in other cities. And the highlights of the dining
and arts scene are packed into a walkable cluster, making exploration, or an evening out, easy.
Looming above the scene is the "big blue box" housing San Jose Repertory Theatre, a professional regional company
that attracts acclaimed directors and actors, including Lucy Liu, Holly Hunter, and Lynne Redgrave. Celebrating its
27th year, the Rep is the only theater of its kind to offer a Creative Playshop subscription series where children improvise
plays based on the theme of the main stage production their parents attend.
The American Musical Theatre of San Jose offers musical touring shows, as well as original productions. Nearby
there's the more intimate stages of the City Lights Theater, San Jose Stage Company, The Improv Comedy Club and
ComedySportz.
The glittering California Theatre is a symbol of the city's commitment to its history and the arts. Dark since the 1970s,
the California reopened in 2004, restored to its 1927 elegance. Now it is the home to Opera San José, Ballet San Jose
Silicon Valley, Symphony Silicon Valley, Cinequest Film Festival, and many touring companies.
"It is a joy to see how my hometown has blossomed into a thriving arts scene," says Irene Dalis, General Director of
Opera San José. And her company is blossoming, too. In 2008, it celebrates its 25th season. Opera here is amazingly
accessible: a season subscription to all four operas starts at only $220.
Ballet San Jose is the second largest company in the state and puts on four top-notch, lavish main stage productions
annually. But it is also very family-friendly; two shows always have shortened versions created for very young
children, with tickets for children costing as little as $16. And the Symphony Silicon Valley, now in its fifth season, is
stronger than ever, with an expanded season that recently included a world premiere—Woody Guthrie's This Land Is
Your Land. Other venues like the Center for the Performing Arts, the Civic Auditorium, Montgomery Theater and HP
Pavilion showcase everything from Broadway musicals to A-list concerts.
Fun Museums and Fine Art
In San Jose's History Park, look for the town's newest museum: The Museum of the Boat People, exploring the culture
and history of the Vietnamese community. The institution is a tribute to San Jose's Vietnamese population, the largest
outside Vietnam.
Downtown, the Tech Museum of Innovation is home to the ultimate immersive movie experience and Northern California's
only domed IMAX screen. Its themed galleries explore the fun side of innovation, the Internet, the human body,
and exploration—so Silicon Valley.
In the giant, purple Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose—ranked by Child Magazine as one of the top ten
children's museums in the nation— kids explore how things work in two floors of interactive fun in exhibit areas with
names like the Secrets of Circles and WaterWays. And on just about any Saturday, and you're likely to see kids in party
hats—it's the latest extremely cool place to hold a birthday party.
The high tech of old Egypt—giant sphinxes, a garden, and a temple—is on display at Rosicrucian Park, home to Rosicrucian
Egyptian Museum & Planetarium. This is the West Coast's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and
home to mummy exhibits and a replicated tomb.
Anchoring the fine arts scene, the San Jose Museum of Art, open daily except Mondays, showcases a range of the newest
frontiers of art; see it all on a museum tour, included in the price of admission.
The South of First Arts Area (SoFA) ripples with nightlife, from the Agenda Lounge, with its multi-level dance floor, to
the Elixir Ultralounge in South First Billiards. Just down First Street, vivid colors splash across the walls of galleries like
MACLA (Movimiento De Arte Y Cultura Latino Americana). And there are astonishing contemporary tapestries at the
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, and cutting-edge works at the San Jose Institute Of Contemporary Art and
Anno Domini. "There's just an excitement now that didn't exist before," notes Brian Eder, who opened his Anno Domini
gallery here a couple years ago.
More change is ahead. One of the top urban designers in America—Ken Kay of Ken Kay Associates, who redesigned
San Francisco's Maiden Lane—will help transform First Street. Over the new two years, a facelift will add a gateway,
broaden the sidewalks for more outdoor dining and art programs, and add artistic elements.
The Sporting Life
Sports help bring a sense of pride and spirit to a city, and San Jose boasts some of the region's most successful pro
teams: the Arena Football League's San Jose SaberCats; the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks; the National
Lacrosse League's San Jose Stealth. They all play at the HP Pavilion, which just completed a $16.5 million renovation.
These aren't old-school kind of teams; they're hip, irreverent, and forward-looking, which kind of describes the fans
they draw. And they're good—in a recent story on the San Jose SaberCats' third league championship, the New York
Times called them "the most successful Arena Football League franchise this decade".
More big news—as of 2008, the San Jose Earthquakes are back; the city is looking into ways to develop a pro soccer
stadium. Santa Clara is reviewing a proposal from the San Francisco 49ers management to relocate to the city of Santa
Clara (just 6 miles from San Jose). The Oakland A's are currently in discussions with the nearby city of Fremont to possibly
relocate. And San Jose is home to a roster of major league sporting events, such as the Amgen Tour of California.
A Focus on Growth and Innovation
Even winning teams don't rest on their laurels, and San Jose continues its focus on growth and innovation. Out at
the Mineta airport, the sleek new North Concourse is rising steadily. It's the first phase of a $1.5 billion project that
will cover three years; by 2010, travelers will zoom through an entirely new terminal complex, with state-of-the-art
baggage systems and high-tech airport operations systems. The plan for new concessions aims to emphasize local
flavors over run-of-the-mill chain stuff, so visitors may just want to pop into the airport for a meal even if they don't
have a flight scheduled.
The airport is so easy that most days, you can grab a cab within five minutes of leaving baggage claim and then it's
just another few minutes' ride to downtown.
The airport is a key link to the world's leading center for innovation and technology. Downtown boasts more than 100
software companies, and citywide there are 6,600 technology companies. The city's redevelopment agency helps San
Jose maintain its lead, investing more than $19 million in business incubators (the Software Business Cluster, the
Environmental Business Cluster, the U.S. Market Access Center, and San Jose BioCenter). And in 2006, it created the
Edenvale Emerging Technologies Fund to support biotechnology and emerging technology companies.
A Re-energized Downtown
Downtown is lively and livable, home to everyone from those dubbed the "Young Digerati" (tech-savvy singles and
couples) to empty nesters. Significant redevelopment investments (some $1.7 billion) have helped spark renewed
interest in urban living.
New housing and amenities brought residents back to the city's core, says Harry Mavrogenes, Executive Director of
the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. "Once we put parks, museums, arts, transit and the Arena in place, it made
downtown an appealing place to live again." They helped save San Jose's history, too, preserving buildings like the
California Theatre, Hotel Montgomery, and others. New corporate neighbors also invigorate the scene—BEA Systems,
Accenture, Acer, and Xactly Corporation are just some of the companies expanding or relocating to the downtown.
Where downtown meets the San Jose State University campus, the soaring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (another
Redevelopment Agency Project) is another site of innovation. A unique city and university partnership, it's the
nation's first such co-managed library. The equivalent of a small town population (7,500) visits daily, drawn by assets
like the world's largest Steinbeck archive (the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies) and the Ira F. Brilliant
Center for Beethoven Studies.
Understanding their importance in an increasingly technological world, San Joseans value reading and libraries. Local
libraries logged more than 7.6 million visits during fiscal year 2006/2007—more than the combined home game attendance
for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's during the 2006 season (5.1 million). And since voters passed
a $212 million library bond measure in 2000, the improvements are already visible. The newest libraries are cool
community gathering places. At the new Edenvale Branch, you'll find an Internet café, community living room with a
fireplace, technology center, teen area, and free programs from Tai Chi to author visits.
Hotels that Keep You Plugged in—or Let You Relax
Lodging choices are better than ever, ranging from the cozy boutique to the grand and gigantic; choose the bustle and
excitement of downtown, a relaxing site in the suburbs, a handy airport location or something in between.
When it opened in 1911, the Hotel Montgomery was downtown San Jose's only first class hotel. It was almost lost to
the wrecker's ball, but heroic efforts saved it. Now, at almost 100, the Renaissance Revival hotel is more exciting than
ever, with Burberry chairs and leather wall coverings and in-room iPod docking stations.
The Montgomery is just one of many hip lodgings in the heart of downtown, a short walk from restaurants, museums
and the arts. Wireless and high-speed access in so many hotels means that you never have to really unplug—unless
you want to.
But why not unwind? There are great ways for both vacation and business travelers to relax. Choose the historic and
artfully restored Hotel Sainte Claire or Hotel De Anza with its remodeled Hedley Club Lounge, featuring live jazz. Or
try the Hotel Valencia, with its Ayoma Spa and a rooftop bar (fittingly, you can get a ‘Martinis and manicures' package).
On a grander scale, stay at the AAA Four Diamond Award- winning Fairmont San Jose and relax beside a rooftop
pool edged by waving palms.
Stay connected to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center at the San Jose Marriott, which beckons with sumptuous
pillow-top beds and in-room 27" flat-screen TVs. Also linked to the Convention Center, the Hilton San Jose hotel boasts
signature Sweet Dreams beds and the fab City Grill.
Beyond downtown, choices range from the elegant Dolce Hayes Mansion to the handy airport locale of the Doubletree
Hotel San Jose. For more information and a complete list of San Jose's 35 hotels, visit www.sanjose.org.
Whether you're unwinding on a weekend or weeklong vacation, or staying over for business, the new energy of San
Jose will have you buzzing to your friends and family about all there is to see beyond high tech corporations. From family
attractions and trendy nightlife to world-class shopping, arts and recreation, San Jose offers something for everyone
looking for a good time.
About The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB)
The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB) mission is to enhance the image and economic well being of San
Jose by marketing San Jose as a globally recognized destination. The SJCVB offers visitors, meeting planners, and
tour operators, a range of services to ensure a successful event and fun visit to San Jose. For a copy of the Official
Visitors Guide, please contact the SJCVB at 1.800.SAN.JOSE (1.800.726.5673) or visit http://www.sanjose.org.
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