About San Jose, CaliforniaDespite being ‘only’ the third largest city in California (behind Los Angeles and San Diego, but ahead of its more world-famous neighbor San Francisco), San Jose has been a city of firsts almost from the start. Founded in 1777 as the Pueblo de San Jose, what is now the City of San Jose was incorporated in 1850 as California’s first civilian settlement. It was the site of the first state capitol as well. San Jose’s mild and nearly perfect climate ( highs rarely over the mid-80s and lows rarely below 40 degree F) made San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley home to vast orchards of apricots, prunes, walnuts, and other fruit trees, an agricultural center for nearly 200 years. In the 1960s San Jose’s population boom made it one of California’s premier cities for employment and quality of life, recipient of yet another round of plaudits. The city has outgrown the title “Valley of Heart’s Delight” and has become the Capitol of Silicon Valley, home to such global innovators as Cisco, IBM, eBay and Adobe Systems; its population hovers close to 1.1 million people.
Housing in San Jose can range in price from some bank-owned properties priced at under $200,000 to secluded haciendas with price tags well over $2 million dollars. The surrounding communities of Morgan Hill, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and Cupertino, while smaller, offer a wide price range of housing options as well. San Jose’s vibrant downtown is also the site of high-rise condominium and apartments with light rail access to major employers and commuter trains that run south to Gilroy and north to San Francisco. A resident of San Jose can find housing from apartments to acreage, and rarely have a commute over 30 minutes.
San Jose is frequently the San Francisco Bay Area community of choice for people from all over the globe. As the hub of Silicon Valley’s tech network, San Jose attracts highly paid professionals; San Jose’s median income (Census Bureau, 2007) is $76,963. Thirty-five (35%) of its citizens have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. It is consistently at or near the top of the list of “Safest Big Cities in America”. Although the median home in San Jose, at about $440,000 , is well above the U.S. median, the city was called by Forbes (6/09) “the country’s most-affordable major city.”
U.S. News and World Report (9/09) asked “If you could create the ideal community to raise a child in, what ingredients would you include?” Evaluating educational, recreational, culture and natural resources, blending in low crime rates, well-paying employment, and an enviable
climate(300 days of sunshine per year on average), they concluded that San Jose, CA. is (after Virginia Beach,VA and Madison, AL) the third “Best Place to Grow Up”. Not bad for a city that has itself, done some growing up over that past 232 years! | More Local Area InformationThe city of San Jose is located in Northern California, approximately 50 miles south of San Francisco, and 390 miles north of Los Angeles. San Jose... Read moreSan Jose, California—with its convenient location, exciting careers, and high quality of life—is truly a wonderful place to be. For those who ar... Read moreSan Jose, California offers residents a popular nightlife, museums, shopping, and even its own football team. Considered the capital of Silico... Read moreCampbell, California is known for its charming downtown, safe streets, strong sense of community, excellent schools and moderate real estate prices.... Read moreSanta Clara, California is a city that is known for being both family oriented and business friendly. Like many cities, it offers easy access t... Read moreFor those wanting to live in an upper-middle-class area within Silicon Valley, the town of Milpitas, California should catch your eye. Milpitas... Read moreSereno, in English, means Serene and that's the best way to describe this beautiful, affluent community known as Monte Sereno, California. Thi... Read moreWhat makes Los Gatos such a great place to live is its multifaceted appeal. Located at the base of the Sierra Cruz Mountains is only the start of th... Read moreSunnyvale, California is recognized as one of the main cities that make up Silicon Valley and is one of America's safest cities. Sunnyvale is also ... Read moreSaratoga is one of the most historic, upper-class residential communities in the state of California. Its downtown district pays tribute to thos... Read moreAlviso, California is the perfect city for people who are looking to move to a home with a waterfront view. This city is located near the north en... Read moreLocated in Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California has a very strong economy and is well known as being home to several high tech firms such as Appl... Read moreThe center of technology and Silicon Valley alike Cupertino is home to some of the world's leading technology firms such as Hewlett-Packard, an... Read moreMountain View, California is located in Santa Clara County and is one of the cities that make up Silicon Valley. Microsoft, Google and even NASA al... Read moreLos Altos, California is a small “bedroom community” centrally located in Silicon Valley and only 40 miles south of San Francisco... Read moreLos Altos Hills, California is surprisingly unique for being such a small place. The Town's location along the edge of the Santa Clara Valle... Read moreFremont, California was made from the merging of five smaller communities; Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, and Warm Springs. ... Read moreFremont was first settled with the establishment of Mission San Jose by the Spanish. In the mid 1840's, John C. Fremont mapped the area throug... Read moreAs the “birthplace of Silicon Valley,” Palo Alto, California is one of the most interesting cities on every level. The environment can'... Read moreA community blending the old and new Newark was once considered part of Fremont but the founding fathers wanted to control their own destiny- and ... Read more |
