San Jose CA Real Estate and Homes – Community Information

Start Your Utility Services in San José, CA:

City of San José Public Utilities Commission

http://www.sanJoséca.gov/index.aspx?NID=1572

San José, California Community

The City of San José is the third-largest city by population in California, the tenth-largest by population in the United States, and the county seat of Santa Clara County. San José is the largest city within the Bay Area and the largest city in Northern California.

San José is surrounded by rolling hills in Silicon Valley, and is a major technology hub in California’s Bay Area. The downtown historic district is known for its architectural landmarks, from the 1883 Italianate-style Oddfellows building to Spanish Colonial Revival structures. The downtown area is also home to the Tech Museum of Innovation, devoted to the exploration of science and technology.

San José, CA History

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area around San José was inhabited by the Ohlone people. San José was founded on November 29, 1777, as San José de Guadalupe, the first civilian town in the Spanish colony of Alta California. The city served as a farming community to support Spanish military installations at San Francisco and Monterey. When California gained statehood in 1850, San José served as its first capital.

After more than 150 years as a small farming community, the San José area in the mid-20th century contained some of the last undeveloped land near San Francisco Bay. It then began to experience rapid population growth, much of it coming from veterans returning from World War II. San José then continued its aggressive expansion during the 1950s and 1960s by annexing more land area. The rapid growth of the high-technology and electronics industries further accelerated the transition from an agricultural center to an urbanized metropolitan area.

By the 1990s, San José’s location within the booming local high tech industry earned the city the nickname “Capital of Silicon Valley”. San José is now considered to be a global city, and notable for its affluence and high cost of living. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 1,015,785 as of 2014.

School Districts

San José Unified School District is a K-12 school district in Santa Clara County, California. It serves a large portion of the city of San José, California with a student population of approximately 32,000 in California’s Silicon Valley. The district has more than 3,000 staff members who serve students in 42 schools that stretch from the Almaden Valley to downtown San José.

Colleges and universities in San José, California include the following:

Public High Schools in San José Unified School District include the following:

San José Public Elementary Schools:

San José Public Middle Schools:

San José Private Schools:

City of San José Parks Map

There are more than a hundred regional and neighborhood parks in San José. Boasting more than 300 days of sunshine, the weather is ideal for getting outdoors and exploring city parks. San José has over 53 miles of trails and over 200 miles of on-street bikeways connecting residential neighborhoods to places of recreation and work. San José possesses about 15,950 acres of parkland in its city limits, including a part of the expansive Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The city’s oldest park is Alum Rock Park, established in 1872.

Parks in San José include The Children’s Discovery Museum which hosts an outdoor park-like setting featuring the world’s largest permanent Monopoly game, per the Guinness Book of World Records. Kelley Park includes diverse facilities such as Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (a child-centric amusement park), the Japanese Friendship Garden, and History Park at Kelley Park which includes a replica of the San José Light Tower and the Portuguese Historical Museum. Overfelt Gardens features the Chinese Cultural Garden. Plaza de César Chávez, a small park in Downtown, hosts outdoor concerts and the annual Christmas in the Park display. Raging Waters is a family fun water park attraction sitting within Lake Cunningham Park. There is also the Rosicrucian Park, nearly an entire city block in the Rose Garden neighborhood which offers the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, Planetarium, Research Library, Peace Garden and Visitors Center. Other popular park areas include the San José Flea Market, San José Municipal Rose Garden featuring over 4,000 rose bushes, and the Winchester Mystery House in San José.

Visit the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services website for more information.

City of San José Crime Map

CrimeMapping.com provides valuable information about recent crime activity in the City of San José.

San José Chamber of Commerce

Programs to Help Your Business Thrive – Education, Events, Networking and Groups

San José, California Cost of Living

Visit Sperling’s Best Places for info on San José, California cost of living, education statistics, crime rates, health, commute times, and more.

Shopping & Dining

San José offers many opportunities for shopping and dining.

Santana Row

http://www.santanarow.com/

The Plant

http://www.theplantsanJosé.com/

Westfield Oakridge

https://www.westfield.com/oakridge

Eastridge Center

http://www.eastridgecenter.com/

Westgate Center

http://shopwestgatecenter.com/

Westfield Valley Fair (Santa Clara, CA)

https://www.westfield.com/valleyfair

Culture & Arts

The San José Office of Cultural Affairs is the champion of San José’s artistic and cultural vibrancy, resources, and vision. It is the City of San José’s lead agency for supporting the development of a rich arts and cultural environment for this diverse city’s one million residents and its many visitors.  As the largest city in northern California and the capital of Silicon Valley, San José is the hub of a wide array of arts and cultural opportunities.

Museums and other cultural attractions include the following:

San José Public Library

The San José Public Library system is extensive with 24 branches. The library has many programs including adult tutoring, library services volunteers, Friend of the San José Public Library program, teensReach youth advisory council for ages 13-18, TechMentor computer skill sharing program, Homework Club Volunteer program for grades K-8, and ESL club facilitators. Some branches offer public art exhibits, eBooks and eMedia, room reservations, WiFi and computers, and museum ticket reservations. There are also events at the library branches such as baby and toddler story time, computer and ESL classes, arts and crafts, and library book sales.

Hotels & Lodging

Looking to visit? Find the best hotels in San José, California at TripAdvisor.

Established Home Communities:

New Home Communities:

(page excerpts from wikipedia.org)