San Jose, CA Road Trips

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.

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, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 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.

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. 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), [email protected]. 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). M-F 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.

1 Henry's Hi-Life, 301 W St John St, ☏ +1-408-295-5414. Lunch: Tu-F 11:30AM-2PM. Dinner: M-Th 5PM-9PM, F Sa 4-9:30PM, Su 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. M-F 11AM-10PM, Sa 11AM-9PM, Su 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. Tu-Sa 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.

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. M-F 4PM-2AM, Sa 1PM-2AM, Su 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. Th-Sa 9PM-2AM. San Jose's downtown gay video bar, nightclub and lounge is friendly to people of all persuasions. $5-10.

If you arrive by train, there are no hotels adjacent to the train station, but there are a few that are less than a mile's walk away. Alternatively, from the train station's bus loop, you can take the local bus one or two stops along The Alameda to save your feet. 1 Hyatt Place San Jose, 282 Almaden Blvd (at W San Carlos), ☏ +1-408-998-0400. Ultra-modern decor, event facilities, and a fitness center are available in downtown San Jose, near the west end of the Convention Center. 2 Hotel De Anza, 233 W Santa Clara St (near San Pedro Square), ☏ +1-408-286-1000, toll-free: +1-800-843-3700. A restored historic hotel set in the midst of all the dining and entertainment of the downtown area near San Pedro Square. 3 Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown, 211 S 1st St (at pedestrian only Paseo de San Antonio), ☏ +1-408-282-8800. One of the more intimate Four Points in a classic 1911 building, with a lounge, outdoor patio, bocce ball courts, business and fitness centers. Near the east end of the Convention Center. 4 Hilton San Jose, 300 Almaden Blvd (at W San Carlos), ☏ +1-408-947-4450. Attached to the west end of the Convention Center, this non-smoking hotel is very convenient for convention attendees. It's on the Light Rail route. Pool and jacuzzi, high-speed internet and fitness room. Smaller pets allowed. 5 Westin San Jose, 302 S Market St (at W San Carlos), ☏ +1-408-295-2000. Stately hotel in the heart of downtown San Jose, near the east end of the Convention Center. Member of the Historic Hotels of America.

People who ask, "Do you know the way to San Jose?" (in reference to the 1968 hit song recorded by Dionne Warwick) will be glared at. San Jose is home to one of the Bay Area's three international airports. 1 Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC IATA), 1701 Airport Blvd (about 4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of the downtown area; west of the junction between US Hwy 101 (Bayshore Freeway) & I-880; from either highway the terminals can be accessed via SR-87 (Guadalupe Freeway)). Non-stop air service is available from all regions of the United States including intrastate flights from all major airports in Southern California; from Canada, Japan, Mexico, El Salvador, and the United Kingdom. The main carriers are Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. The following airlines serve SJC: Terminal A (Gates 1-16): Air Canada/Air Canada Express, American/American Eagle, Delta/Delta Connection, Southwest, Spirit, Hawaiian, JetBlue, United/United Express, VolarisTerminal B (Gates 17-30): Alaska/Horizon Air, British Airways, Southwest, ZipAir. (updated Apr 2020) There are two terminals at the airport, Terminal A and Terminal B, which are connected airside. Terminal A includes the international arrivals building, which houses departure gates 15 and 16 (for foreign airlines), U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection facilities and a public arrivals zone for non-travelers to meet & greet international arrivals. International arrivals disembark through Gates 15-18 where passengers proceed downstairs for U.S. immigration and customs inspection.

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). 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).