San Jose/Bay Area

[_Martyr_]

Hi guys,

I just heard that Im going to be spending 4 months doing an internship in San Jose, California. Im really looking forward to it, cant wait infact, but I know next to nothing about the area. Do any of you know the area well? Im looking for info on accomodation (ive heard this is going to be expensive...), transportation, good places to eat/drink, general things to do or anything else that might help. Whats the "feel" of the area? Thanks in advance guys! :2thumbsup:

[Vladimir]

I don't know if anyone here lives there. It should be fun though.

[_Martyr_]

Cheers yeah, looks that way! Was worth a shot! :laugh4:

[Decker]

I live in the Bay Area, about a 2-3 hour drive up the East Bay side in San Leandro. I only used to go there when the San Jose Earthquakes used to play there. I wish I knew more about San Jose, besides the fact it's one of the fastest growing cities in California. Obviously you should look around the downtown area for entertainment, and if BART runs through there you can take it all over the Bay Area. I know the San Jose Sharks are in the playoffs so you might want to try to get tickets(but they're probably hella expensive), but it'd be worth it! Here's a quick link to help you out:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/attract.html

BTW what kind of internship are you doing?

[Don Corleone]

I've heard a lot of people compare Northern Californa, especially the greater Bay area, to Tuscany in terms of climate and appearance. I've not been to Tuscany, so I cannot confirm this assesment, but I have spent more than a few business trips in Silicon Valley. It's where my company headquarters are.

First, there is a light-rail train and an extensive bus service for getting around the area. There's also a train (the BayAreaRapidTransit) you can take to get up to San Francisco (40km) or Oakland (65km). You don't absolutely need a car, but it will make your life a lot easier. San Jose itself has a somewhat small downtown area and the rest of Silicon Valley sprawls.

That being said, the dining and bars in San Jose are actually quite good. There is a university there. There's a strong Asian influence (Indian/Pakastani as well as Chinese and Vietnamese) in addition to the contemporary American and Mexican influences.

I'm not too sure about the club scene (I'm married and have been since I started going 5 years ago) but I can vouch for the bar/pub scene. There's always a few good watering holes in downtown (I'm not sure if it's still in business but the Flying Pig was always one of my favorites).

There's lot of outdoors type activities (hiking, cycling, pick up games of soccer, football and softball). If you can get up into the mountains, there's some wilderness like terrain, but to get there you will most definitely need a car.

And if I have business taking me out there this summer, I'll give you a shout so we can enjoy a ~:cheers:

[Decker]

I must warn you tho about using cars. Gas is a b*tch. Almost 4$'s! So BART to any distant spots in the Bay and then bus to travel around the local area. O yea, you really, must, and should have a look at San Fransisco's Pier 39 and the surrounding bay front, it is really cool. Also the Giants and A's are playing so if you feel like going to any Baseball games, you should go to them. Also Monterey is a very good place for a visit and check out its famous aquarium which is really cool and well worth the car ride. I think it has a golf course down there that is used for the PGA Tour, so if you like golfing you might want to check it out. There are some good beaches on the peninsula like Half Moon Bay which is really popular and also has a world famous big wave surfing spot.

[_Martyr_]

Hey guys, sorry Im only replying now. I've been kept really busy with exams. Thanks for all the info! The internship I will be doing is with Cisco, really looking forward to it! :) The description of the climate sounds ideal, I dont like it when it gets too hot. Some of the people who I will be living with (there is a group of interns going over) have driving licenses so we're considering buying a bashed up old car. On a related point, how easy/difficult is it to pass a driving test over there? You guys mostly drive automatics right? Can I even do that on a student visa? How much is a beer in a pub/bar over there?

Definitely DC, if you're around, give us a shout and we can go for a pint or two! ~:cheers:

[Ice]

Hey guys, sorry Im only replying now. I've been kept really busy with exams. Thanks for all the info! The internship I will be doing is with Cisco, really looking forward to it! :) The description of the climate sounds ideal, I dont like it when it gets too hot. Some of the people who I will be living with (there is a group of interns going over) have driving licenses so we're considering buying a bashed up old car. On a related point, how easy/difficult is it to pass a driving test over there? You guys mostly drive automatics right? Can I even do that on a student visa? How much is a beer in a pub/bar over there?

Definitely DC, if you're around, give us a shout and we can go for a pint or two! ~:cheers:

I'm not from California, but I've obtained a driver's license in Michigan and Pennsylvania. In short, it's not very hard. If you know how to parallel park, you are fine. A lot of Americans drive automatics, but a lot also drive sticks. It just depends on what you want.

I'd assume, if you are here legally on a student visa, that you would be able to get a driver's license.

Not sure about beer in the pubs. I generally drink cheap crap that we get 21+ year olds to buy. :beam: