The Pros and Cons of Living in San Jose

Posted clarioninnLeave a commentPosted in San Jose Living

Moving to a new city requires you to do a bit of research about the area to ensure it is a good fit in terms of safety, career opportunities, and economy. Even if you are moving to a well-known city, such as San Jose, it is important to learn as much as you can before making that big move because things like weather, traffic, or the price of groceries can have an impact on your long-term happiness. Be sure to read a comprehensive San Jose CA moving guide or two, research local real estate, research the best moving services in San Jose, and consider these pros and cons of living in SA:

Pros

1. Weather

San Jose is a great place to move to if you love the outdoors, gardening, and abundant sunshine. For instance, this city boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year. The summers are long and comfortable, with the average temperatures reaching about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For those wanting to escape a cold climate, San Jose’s comparatively mild winters bring, on average, 60-degree days, which will make you feel as though you are living in a dream. 

2. Employment

San Jose is recognized for its technology-based job opportunities, which are offered by the likes of Adobe, Google, and Facebook. Additionally, the San Jose area is touted as providing the highest level of work satisfaction and happiness. 

3. Food

Along with San Jose’s diverse population comes the amazingly diverse food scene. You can experience new cuisine from a different part of the world almost every day. From Asian to European cuisine, the choices abound, and the food is 100 percent authentic. However, if you lean towards a more Caribbean cuisine, you will not be disappointed. 

4. Things to do

From wine tasting to swimming in the ocean, the region surrounding San Jose offers seemingly endless activities and outdoor fun. However, you can also enjoy a variety of city parks covering up to 16,000 acres. If you like indoor activities, you can visit a variety of art museums. Of course, once you are back outside, you can take the family to Raging Waters for an action-packed day at northern California’s largest water park. 

  • San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
  • Japanese American Museum of San Jose
  • San Pedro Square Market
  • Heritage Rose Garden
  • Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
  • Education

In addition to the highly renowned universities in the area, including Stanford University and The University of California, Berkeley, the city itself is home to San Jose State University, which is a popular choice for students interested in business, science, and engineering. 

If you are relocating with your family, there are several school districts to choose from along with some stand-out elementary schools, including James Franklin Smith and Carolyn A. Clark. In terms of high schools, Los Gatos and Saratoga High come highly recommended.

Cons

1. Traffic

This city ranks among the worst in the nation when it comes to traffic. One of the main reasons for excessive traffic is due to suburb-to-city commuting. Fortunately, there are a variety of routes available, making it a bit easier to find the perfect path to bypass rush-hour traffic. 

2. Cost of living

To say the cost of living for this city is high is an understatement. To help put things into perspective, compared to an overall index of 100 for the United States, San Jose comes in at a whopping 214.5 with the state of California coming in at 149.9. A large part of the high cost of living is because the median home value is around $1,000,000.

3. Meager nightlife

When compared to the multitude of things to do during the day, San Jose nightlife can be perceived as sparse. Therefore, if you enjoy late nights filled with dancing and live music, this city may not be for you. 

4. Cityscape

Although this city has a lot to offer when it comes to beautiful architecture and gorgeous homes originating from different periods, you may not appreciate the increasing number of more modern buildings. 

5. Grocery bags

Whether you choose paper or plastic, you will be charged, at a minimum, 10 cents per bag at the grocery store because of an increased emphasis on protecting the environment. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you bring your own bags each time you go food shopping.

5 Things You Need to Know About Moving to the Bay Area

Posted clarioninnLeave a commentPosted in Bay Area Moving

New residents continue to relocate to the Bay Area month after month due to its perceived status of being among the best cities in the world. Whether looking to move to bring you closer to the big city, closer to nature, or renowned city eateries, SF is a great city to call home. According to Cheap Movers San Francisco, the following are the top 5 things you need to know about moving to the Bay Area.  

You Don’t Have to Drive to All Places

While California is renowned for its traffic jams, many San Francisco residents aren’t tied to their vehicles. A large part of the Bay Area, for instance, is connected via the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). It’s a train that connects San Francisco to the Peninsula before eventually crossing to the East Bay. 

 

Apart from BART, SF residents have numerous alternative transport options. The streets are bike-friendly, and their safety has been enhanced by the presence of organizations such as the San Francisco Bike Coalition. It’s a coalition that is increasingly working to make the streets safer for cyclists and bikers.

 

 

Pack Your Scarves and Your Coats

The temperatures in this area don’t vary much year-round. Typically, residents can count on the city temperatures to average 50-70 degrees throughout the year. Nonetheless, its beachfront location, frequent rainfall, and foggy skies often make the city and its surroundings to feel colder. 

 

Many locals still have a great time spending time on brewery patios, walking along the beach with their dogs, and dining out in restaurants. Regardless of whether it’s raining or sunny, you will never lack an exciting activity to do in the Bay Area.

 

Don’t Forget to Pack your Hiking Boots

Nature lovers will have lots of activities to do! The green space in this city by the Bay is expansive than in any other locality in America. With access to more than 220 parks, locals can picnic and go hiking at any time without having to leave the city boundaries. You can always learn more about the open spaces and available city parks courtesy of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks. 

 

If you take a few minutes’ drives from the city perimeters, you will come across stunning locations such as Marin Headlands, Redwood Regional Park, and Mt Tamalpais State Park. 

 

 

Young Professionals Love It in San Francisco

While the city has something to offer to each person, recent decades have led to San Francisco becoming the go-to town for young professionals and millennials. It’s a reality that coincided with the tech boom that led to the emergence of big brands such as Apple, Facebook, and Google in the Bay Area.

 

A 2008 article compiled by Realtor.com stated that San Francisco was among the best cities in America for millennials. 

All Year Farmers Market

Most parts of the country have no option but to wait for the summer season to begin for them to enjoy local produce and make a visit to the farmers’ market. San Francisco, however, has access to over 15 year-round markets. This includes the must-visit markets such as Heart of the City Farmers Market.

 

Top Communities In Silicon Valley To Call Home

Posted clarioninnLeave a commentPosted in Silicon Valley Communities

Silicon Valley, part of Santa Clara County, was once known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight because of its fertile soil that yielded bountiful delights from vineyards, orchards, and farms. Now, Silicon Valley generates innovative ideas. If you’re moving there, you are in-store for a treat with extensive communities to choose from, top-notch school systems. It’s […]