San Jose?

[andrzejpw]

I got an internship this summer in San Jose from mid June to late august. Any words of wisdom? I've never actually been in California (the closest I've come is Las Vegas, and the heat during that time was ridiculous). I company is paying for housing. I'm a few minutes east of San Jose Airport, and suppossedly right next to the train/subway/commuter line/etc stop. What can you guys tell me about the area? Unfortunately, I won't have a car, and renting one is more or less out of the question, as I'll only be 19. How difficult is it to get into San Francisco? What is there to do in the area? Are there any rowing clubs around (going out on a limb here).

-Andrzej

 

[jjcha]

GET A CAR.

I cannot stress this enough - I've lived in Boston, DC, Tokyo each without a car, and you will DIE in San Jose without a car.

This is not an option. If you can't get a car at LEAST get a scooter.

Best,

-Jason

 

[daycart1]

Yeah, its going to be tough to get to "the City" without a car. San Jose has a great museum of Egyptian antiquities--dont' miss it!

Also, with a car you can see great redwoods around Santa Cruz and check out Stanford.

 

[andrzejpw]

The thing is, my options for a car are very limited, especially since I'm 19. Buying a car for 2 months seems like too much of a hassle, especially since I'd have to sell/insure it. Any ideas?

 

[minya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrzejpw Any ideas?

segway

 

[JMT]

If you are going to be staying right next to the airport, from what I recall during my business trips there it is not the best of areas. However, it is very close to downtown San Jose. You can probably catch a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train into The City, and once there you can catch the MUNI, cable car, or a taxi to maneuver around.

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMT If you are going to be staying right next to the airport, from what I recall during my business trips there it is not the best of areas. However, it is very close to downtown San Jose. You can probably catch a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train into The City, and once there you can catch the MUNI, cable car, or a taxi to maneuver around.

Ah, that's the dream, but BART doesn't go down to San Jose. You'll need to take CalTrain from San Jose to San Francisco. The thing is, without a car, you'll need to take the bus (and most likely, buses) to the train station. Total transit time, I'd wager, is probably over two hours, door to door, from most locations in SJ to anyplace in SF.

Best,

-Jason

 

[bln]

Buy a real wreck and skip the insurance (hold your breath).

 

[1911]

everybody is right...if you are gonna stay there and have no car you will hate it and life...at least get a motorcycle or something or start a internet relationship with a girl that has a car no matter how fat she is....seriously, your plan to do without a car is deeply flawed...
cheers!

 

[Jahn]

buy an underpowered vespa. you don't even need a drivers licence for it if the cc is low enough. obviously you won't be passing crap on the freeway tho, stick to the local roads!

 

[blessingx]

My favorite part of the San Jose is San Francisco.

Getting there is easy andrzejpw (CalTrains). There are rowing clubs around. Lake Merced in SF has some. Not sure where else, but they shouldn't be hard to find. At worst, head to Monterey Bay and kayak. Definitely hit Yosemite for at least a weekend. And of course try to attend a Head-Fi meet.

 

[andrzejpw]

Heh, I'm hoping to hit up the Headroom meet again this time. The guy from the company said that my apartment is close to the train, and they are located downtown.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

You're best compromise would probably be a bike. From what I hear, BART is very cool about bikes on trains, buses, etc., so you could quickly get to the nearest station and take the bike in to SF and lock it up whenever you go into town. Parking is a famous bitch in the city by the bay, so a bike will likely save you some hassle.

 

[PATB]

The light rail goes through First street, but you need a car to go everywhere else. There is NO BART connection to San Jose. The closest one is in Fremont. Public transportation sucks here. Make friends in the place you will be working quick, so you can get a ride.

Where you will be working, there is the Skyport plaza, where you can have Italian, Chinese, Indian, American...and whatever food you feel like eating within walking distance. Not to mention lots of sandwich shops.

There are lots of hi-tech companies in that area (actually, the entire San Jose area is full of hi-tech companies!) -- Siemens, Brocade, Infineon, etc. are in the SJ airport area. Law firms abound there too. When I was a first year patent attorney (years ago), I worked at an intellectual property law firm in front of the Hyatt on First Street. That firm had summer associates (interns) every year.

The best part of the SJ airport area is it is between TWO Frys Electronics (Sunnyvale and Brokaw)!

The bad part of working in San Jose, according to summer associates I talked to: not much night life. In a place where the Frys Electronics are busy on Friday nights, there is not much action everywhere else. However, if you are into hi-tech, this is the place.

 

[m0nKeY bUsiNeSs]

If you are by the Airport you should be able to take the #10 (which is free) to the Santa Clara Cal train station form there you can take the #22 downtown. I think the #22 costs $1.75. I've done this alot in getting to and from the SJ airport and it is quite do able and the 10 and 22 come very regularly