A plan for San Jose

El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe (literally, the Town of Saint Joseph of Guadalupe) was founded by José Joaquín Moraga in 1777 near the present day intersection of Guadalupe Parkway and West Taylor Street. In 1797, the pueblo was moved to the Plaza Pueblo (now Plaza de César Chávez), around which San Jose grew.

True to its location in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose is now home to the headquarters of many tech companies such as Cisco Systems, eBay, and Adobe Systems.

There are so many different neighborhoods in the large geographic area of San Jose that, depending on where you are, you might not know if you're still in the same city. Like most Bay Area towns and cities, San Jose is an expensive place to live (many basic houses easily top $1M in price). Some of the hip areas to live these days are in San Jose's downtown area, for those who prefer urban living, or Santana Row for a mixed living, shopping and dining community. You can find vintage California charm in the neighborhoods of Willow Glen and Rose Garden. The woodsy area of Almaden Valley is known for its excellent schools, and Silver Creek is known for its subdivisions of sprawling "McMansions." Evergreen is in East San Jose, right at the foothills of the city. Evergreen has some more affordable housing and is very residential. Since it is at the foothills, east San Jose is not as accessible as the other neighborhoods. Evergreen has excellent views of the foothills and many parks and recreational areas. Groseprick Park is right in the heart of Evergreen and offers a mile long loop, basketball courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, and hiking trails.

Downtown

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 City Hall (2005) and the nearby San Jose State University campus. The main library (2003) is a 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.

Visitors will notice that Downtown San Jose's office towers are relatively short by American standards for what is one of the most prominent cities in the United States. This is because of an unfortunate decision early in the city's history to point the airport towards downtown, resulting in a mandatory height limit. However, Downtown San Jose's sunny streets are more pleasant than the dark, forbidding concrete canyons seen elsewhere.

1 The Tech Interactive (Museum of Science and Technology), 201 S Market St (near Park Ave), ☏ +1-408-294-8324, info@thetech.org. Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11AM-5PM. A great interactive experience for all ages and backgrounds. The Tech Museum allows visitors to see how technology affects their daily lives through 130,000 square feet of hands-on activities, exploratory labs and design challenge experiences. Permanent exhibits focus on the Internet, the human body, and innovation. You'll also find an IMAX Theater, a cafe, and a retail store featuring merchandise unique to the Silicon Valley. Adult $36; child, student or senior $28 (museum and IMAX). (updated Aug 2024)

2 San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S Market St (at W San Fernando St), ☏ +1-408-271-6840. Thu 4–9PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat Sun 11AM-3PM. 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. $20 adult, $15 seniors, 17 and under free. (updated Aug 2024)

San Jose has two major professional sports teams, some fantastic amusement parks and a variety of theater and comedy venues to entertain you throughout the year. The city also hosts a colorful array of festivals and conventions and offers plenty of shopping options.

Sports

1 San Jose Sharks. The SAP Center, formerly known as HP Pavilion (aka "The Shark Tank"), hosts this National Hockey League team, which has enjoyed success since their inception in 1991. Watch one of the more famous traditions as the team enters the rink out of a 17-foot high shark head. (updated May 2024)

2 San Jose Earthquakes, PayPal Park, 1123 Coleman Ave, ☏ +1-408-556-7700. The Bay Area's Major League Soccer team. The "Quakes" opened their new stadium, now known as PayPal Park, for the 2015 season.

Bay FC, PayPal Park, ☏ +1-833-GOBAYFC (4622932), tickets@bayfc.com. Started play in the National Women's Soccer League in 2024, sharing PayPal Park with the Quakes.

3 San Jose Giants. San Jose's single-A minor-league baseball team (affiliated with the San Francisco Giants) plays in the California League from April to September. Games are held at historic San Jose Municipal Stadium. The BBQ area next to left field is a hit with fans before the game.

4 San Jose State Spartans, ☏ +1-408-924-SJTX (7589). Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM. The Spartans represent San Jose State University in NCAA Division I sports. Most of the school's six men's and 13 women's teams compete in the Mountain West Conference.

5 Cinnabar Hills Golf Course, ☏ +1-408-323-5200. 27-hole course ranked among the top ten in Northern California.

6 Silicon Valley Skydiving, toll-free: +1-800-386-5867. Offer fun jumps, coaching, tandems and AFF at San Martin Airport. (updated May 2022)

Amusement parks

7 California's Great America, 4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, ☏ +1-408-988-1776. Mostly 10AM–10PM from June to August; weekend hours vary seasonally. With roller coasters, thrill rides, children's attractions, the South Bay Shores water park, and Vegas-style live shows. Parking costs $30. $40+. (updated Jul 2026)

American

1 Henry's Hi-Life, 301 W St John St, ☏ +1-408-295-5414. Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:30AM-2PM. Dinner: Mon-Thu 5PM-9PM, Fri Sat 4-9:30PM, Sun 4-9PM. Special hours during NFL and NHL seasons. A brick BBQ and steakhouse popular with local guys on their way to or from a Sharks game. Located close to the Shark Tank as well as the Guadalupe River, the restaurant has survived floods of both hockey fans and water. $15-30.

2 Amato's Restaurant, 1162 Saratoga Ave (in Maple Leaf Plaza), ☏ +1-408-246-4007. Mon-Fri 11AM-10PM, Sat 11AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-7PM. This tiny shop in West San Jose specializes in cheese steaks and hoagies. 35 sandwiches on the menu and sizes from 7 to 24 inches. $6-30.

3 A Slice of New York, 3443 Stevens Creek Blvd, ☏ +1-408-247-5423. Tue-Sat 11AM-midnight. This establishment specializes in New York pizzas/slices, Calzones and Strombolis. $3.25-30.

Ike's. The California sandwich chain has half a dozen San Jose locations. Lots of tasty vegetarian and vegan options. (updated Jun 2019)

4 In-N-Out Burger, 550 Newhall Drive (On Coleman, W of I-880), toll-free: +1-800-786-1000. and 2 other San Jose locations. $5–10.

5 Bill's Cafe, 1115 Willow St (and 4 other San Jose locations), ☏ +1-408-294-1125. 7AM–PM daily. For a weekend (or weekday) brunch, Bill's can get pretty packed, and for good reason. They offer an overwhelming selection of breakfast crowdpleasers like omelettes, Belgian waffles and a dozen different styles of eggs Benedict. For lunch, they serve homemade soups, meal-size salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps. There's also a full bar, low-carb menu options and outdoor patio seating. $10–30.

6 The Loft, 90 S 2nd St (downtown, less than 1 block from VTA Santa Clara Street Light Rail stop), ☏ +1-408-291-0677. Mon–Wed 11AM–10PM, Thu–Sat 11AM–1:30AM, Sun 11AM–11PM. Meat, seafood, vegetarian. The salmon pasta with capers in a white sauce and the sun-dried tomato and garlic soup are delicious. They also have a Campbell location, called Capers. $100 gift cards are sold for $70 (rarely $50) at local Costco stores. $12–29.

Nightlife in the Downtown area is a mix of lounges, clubs, and bars which, according to locals, have either greatly improved the scene or marked the beginning of its decline. Santana Row has a number of upscale clubs and bars and has been the new hotspot since 2005.

1 Goosetown Lounge, 1172 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1-408-292-4835. 9PM-2AM daily. Willow Glen's neighborhood bar and cocktail lounge; if you're into a late night pops and enthusiastic renditions of 'YMCA', this karaoke hotspot may be for you. $5-10.

2 San Jose Bar & Grill, 85 S 2nd St, ☏ +1-408-286-2397. Mon-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 1PM-2AM, Sun 5PM-2AM. Since one Happy Hour just isn't enough, the Grill offers all kinds of specials on wings, burgers and drinks throughout the week. It's a good place to watch sports, especially Sundays during football season. Weekly karaoke and DJs on weekend nights. $5-10.

3 Splash, 65 Post St, ☏ +1-408-993-0861. Thu-Sat 9PM-2AM. San Jose's downtown gay video bar, nightclub and lounge is friendly to people of all persuasions. $5-10.

On foot

The downtown area is compact and rather easy to get around on foot. Most of the streets 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.

Downtown Willow Glen, Campbell and Japantown are also easy to navigate on foot. Going from one neighborhood to the other on foot is not easily feasible except for some neighborhoods directly adjacent to Downtown (such as Japantown and the Alameda area).

By car

Outside downtown, things are spread out in San Jose, so a car is the most convenient mode of transportation. Interstate 280 is the fastest route East–West, for example from the Valley Fair Mall or Santana Row, to the West, to Downtown, or from Downtown to Alum Rock Park. California 87 (to and from the airport) and Interstate 280/California 17 (from Rose Garden to Campbell and vice versa) offers fast North-South travel.

Lyft and Uber provide rideshare service to all of San Jose. Waymo robotaxis are also available, but they only serve San Jose north of Interstate 280 and west of the I-280/I-680/US 101 interchange (including both the airport and the downtown areas). Waymo does not serve the eastern or southern parts of the city.

Public transit

The Santa Clara Valley Transit 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. The Light Rail system also provides quick service to, from, and around downtown and Diridon Station.