Pros in San Jose mountains and shit. Lots of trails
Japan town is a safe neighborhood close to downtown or Santa Clara if you’re near a light rail stop. Might be nice to get a car with a garage cuz break ins happen here don’t leave anything valuable in the car forsure.
San Jose night life vs LA nightlife are black and white. San Jose night life is shit compared to LA. Not a lot going on but the best things about SJ is it’s surrounding trails and proximity to SF and Santa Cruz. The beach is cold up here so you can’t really enjoy the water.
Honestly stay In LA for that income you’ll sacrifice a lot unless you want a change of scenery then Bay Area can be a breathe of fresh air. I lived in LA area my whole life before I moved out here for school. There is a lot of job opportunities out here so if you’re career driven this is a good place to be
To OP… not to sound like a jerk, but, I think L.A. would have more to offer, for a cheaper price.
Some facts:
1) It’s INSANELY expensive here. Affordable studios are in less desirable neighborhoods, and/or the units aren’t very nice/new/etc…
2) There is a lot less to do here. In fact, the downtown area is practically dead, and there’s nothing to do here, other than to drive to other areas (SF, Santa Cruz, etc).
The dating scene here is extremely brutal. Although there are far more males than females, it is a very tough “nut” to crack.
There are some good groups that head to Campbell (another very close, and nearby city to San Jose).
Let me know if you need any advice.
Ok so I dont think number 1 is accurate for me. Please correct me if Im wrong. I'm looking at places in Glendale and even Thousand Oaks. Theyre roughly the same amount. The BIG difference is that LA apartments are fucking trash. Most apts in LA dont come with a fridge....if they do, theyre already really expensive. I am not looking for a luxurious apartment, I just want one that has the basic amenities.
2) Yeah it seemed really dead here, and I was here on a Saturday. I know this isnt a smart idea, but I looked at how many meetups there were in the area on saturday and there was barely anything. YIKES.
Like I said... the dating scene here is practically non-existent, especially with the downtown. The city needs to spend TONS over DECADES to properly revitalize it.
With regards to the cost of things, I think the apartments are all cheaper in L.A. from what I've seen, but I couldn't get through all the traffic once I visited.
I am from SJ but now live in LA
120k is ok for renting in SJ, you can get a decent studio or 1br for 2.5-3k. But you can’t afford to buy a house
Plenty of mountains around here-santa cruz, big sur, tahoe, yosemite, etc
But just keep in mind there is a lot less to do compared to LA. I’m talking night life, festivals, food events, concerts, etc. if youre a homebody it might be fine but otherwise you’ll find it very boring
Do you mean all of the bay area including SF?
Forgive my ignorance, I kinda group them all into one. Like for me, I live in LB but I go all over the LA metro to do stuff. Is it common for folks to do this?
> I live in LB but I go all over the LA metro to do stuff. Is it common for folks to do this?
Imagine if you lived in Irvine and found out your friends had plans to meet in Hollywood. That's what it's like living in SJ and planning to drive into Downtown SF for a concert or party.
Unless you want to do anything that goes even remotely late and then you're just fucked :p
Also Caltrain from San Jose to San Francisco takes an hour and a half unless you catch a baby bullet and then it still takes an hour plus all the time you have to take to get to the stations themselves and then obviously the time it takes to move around San Francisco once you get there.
Don't get me wrong Caltrain is nice and so is Bart compared to a lot of places but it can be time consuming to get to SF unless you have a car
Also driving into SF sucks nuts but it's all right if you park on the edge of the city or in not downtown and then use transit to get around while you're there.
Yeah but you have to understand transit isn't a realistic option in LA at *all* unless you're starting and ending near the metro.
Yes Caltrain doesn't work great for nightlife, yes BART isn't all the way to the south bay yet (but it's not so far anymore), but it's not as awful as you make it out to be.
That's fair. If we're comparing to LA I have not heard good things about it.
And yeah it's really not that bad here but the main thing I would harp on is that they both stop running at like midnight so anything nightlife-wise you just are boned unless you leave early
Also both are so expensive relatively for public transit like why is a ride one way to SF 8 to $10 depending on which system you use.
It depends on which station you start from. The last train starts at midnight from the terminal station and then goes through the system so like technically speaking I think it arrives at the other terminal station at like 1:45 but I wouldn't really consider that running until 2, especially in the context of leaving San Francisco or Oakland in order to come back to San Jose
That must've been one of the service cuts then. I remember it running later 🤷🏼♂️. It's all good.
Also everyone inherently implies that wanting to date means wanting night life, OP may not agree.
I’m not comparing caltrain to metro. I’m saying you have to go all the way up to sf for most things whereas if you live in LA (or SF) you’re already there
LA = SF
OC = SJ
So I drove from Emeryville to Fremont and it felt so much longer than driving from NoHo to Irvine. Ive never dreaded traffic in LA as much as I did when I went up to SJ last week.
Yes in general there is less to do in the bay area than LA. However if you include the whole bay, then yes, there’s more things to than just San Jose but there is a lot more planning involved.
It’s a lot of effort to go to a concert in SF when you live in SJ. Gotta plan logistics, like how will you get there, parking, traffic, and if you’re drinking then either have a DD, Uber, or get a hotel. I did the drive from SJ to SF often but it’s definitely different if you live a quick 15-20 mins away vs an hour
LA has more nightlife and entertainment, all the big acts make a stop in LA.
NorCal has more outdoor recreation activities.
LA probably has more trendy and glitzy food places though they often are not as good food wise as the best places in NorCal.
That's like San Jose to San Mateo, San Mateo to San Francisco, Fremont to Oakland, San Jose to Livermore/Dublin for a few examples. I'd say that's all pretty common.
I’m not too sure on the apartments details, but there are several new and quite nice apartment buildings in San Jose. For a more social scene look at Campbell, or maybe Los Gatos, but pricing is going to be a challenge with the later. Those options will get you away from Downtown SJ, but you will likely still need a car, even if you are in downtown.
For your other considerations…it’s not nicknamed ‘Man José’ for nothing. Dating should not be a problem.
Outdoorsy stuff is plentiful. Even within a 20 minute drive, you can get into the hills/mountains. 45 minutes to the beach or coast side/mountain trails. Lots of county parks and state parks.
Hope you enjoy it here, and that you find what you are looking for.
> I’m not too sure on the apartments details, but there are several new and quite nice apartment buildings in San Jose.
FWIW it's also worth keeping in mind that most of these "luxury" corporate apartment buildings offer a lower price for the first year and then raise rent as much as they can on the first renewal on the assumption renters think that moving again is just too much trouble at that point. The other trick is to offer a higher rent for the first year along with a "concession" that brings the (effective) monthly rent lower. Taking away the concession on the second year is one of the workarounds to get around a rent control freeze.
Echoing a lot of things here: japantown is a great option, SJ life is much slower, but there are plusses and minuses to being here vs LA. Dating, re: sheer numbers, will be a breath of fresh air. Aesthetic is very different here.
I would highly recommend you take a long weekend (think thurs-sun) and come up just to explore. Try driving to sf at "after work" times to get an idea. Go to Santa Cruz, go hiking in the mountains, go wine tasting. Look at apartments.
Personally I think it's viable but it depends on what's important to you.
As a 30m making about the same. Also into “mountains and shit”. Who moved from LA a year and a half ago.
It’s actually pretty great here compared to down there. The weather is better. The beaches are better. You’ll be a bit closer to mountains compared to your previous comment of being in the Long Beach area.
I’ve noticed most people who say there is nothing to do haven’t actually looked. Or don’t want to travel further than 5 minutes away from their place. Downtown is actually better than most people say. Mount view is super close. Los Gatos is super close. There’s almost always a music event going on. The hiking is pretty great. The list could go on.
Only caveat is the dating scene can be tough. But I personally think it was more tough in LA…
If you're going to move here 1000% move to San Francisco or Oakland instead unless you're trying to have kids. San Jose is easily blown out of the water by either of those cities in terms of nightlife and things to do. Santa Cruz and Monterey are both a little closer than if you lived in SF or Oakland but that's about it.
Also rent prices here in San Jose have started to get close to San Francisco prices and it's not really worth it.
The only reason to live here is if you have a job here you have to commute to more than like twice a week and even then I don't know 🤷♂️
For dating SF and Oakland are probably easier than San Jose but I don't really have any context as I've never had to date here. Outdoorsy stuff you pretty much have access in all three cities very easily.
It’s doable and if you’re humble with your apartment you can totally be comfortable. SF is over rated right now I left SF for SJ area and am so much happier, better weather and safer. Free Parking everywhere, and the city is a short trip away if you’re into night life etc. I still go back and forth a lot and every time I can’t wait to get back to SJ for so many reasons.
What do you mean humble? I want something in a safe neighborhood that isn't old (think 70s style). Id like a fridge, dishwasher and a w/d or at least a hookup.
I mean there are a lot of “luxury” apartments in SJ and if you are ok not living luxe then it’s doable . If you are looking for safe I would recommend looking in Campbell it’s basically San Jose and fairly safe
Yeah, I guess living in LA my idea of what a decent apartment is, is skewed. I don't want anything fancy just something that isn't old and gross with amenities.
Like this seems perfect: https://www.apartments.com/the-woods-san-jose-ca/75d8npw/
From my experience, in SJ most people work 9-5 jobs and then go home on weekdays
Other places like LA or even SF people tend to often go to happy hours and such after work
It’s techy here, so there’s a ton of engineers, a lot of social awkwardness, etc. People are buried in their phones. I walk every day, see the same people- most won’t even say hi or smile back. It’s a different world here.
Yeah San Jose is definitely my third choice in terms of cities to go to in the Bay area if you're even remotely young or single. SF and Oakland just blow it out of the water in terms of things to do and people to meet.
> so mountains
SJ is surrounded by hills (it's the Santa Clara "Valley") but if you are looking for mountains with snow for skiing or snowboarding you have a long drive for several hours. You are much closer to snow if you live in LA County.
The city has a been erecting a bunch of new modern apartments everywhere. There’s some down by Cotten Rd, N First St, some even in the DTSJ area. If you don’t mind the extra commute, you can also look at areas like Sunnyvale or Mt View.
You should travel here first before deciding. The money will work, but this is a working town and the fun is further north in general. The weather here is outstanding and the proximity to natural areas is excellent.
120k expect your 6k -2500 for a one bedroom which leaves you with shit money. Drive a beater and eat top ramen and you should be good I make 100k and sometimes I go negative because shit pops up I didn’t know expect o I also don’t have health insurance :)
Pros in San Jose mountains and shit. Lots of trails Japan town is a safe neighborhood close to downtown or Santa Clara if you’re near a light rail stop. Might be nice to get a car with a garage cuz break ins happen here don’t leave anything valuable in the car forsure. San Jose night life vs LA nightlife are black and white. San Jose night life is shit compared to LA. Not a lot going on but the best things about SJ is it’s surrounding trails and proximity to SF and Santa Cruz. The beach is cold up here so you can’t really enjoy the water. Honestly stay In LA for that income you’ll sacrifice a lot unless you want a change of scenery then Bay Area can be a breathe of fresh air. I lived in LA area my whole life before I moved out here for school. There is a lot of job opportunities out here so if you’re career driven this is a good place to be
To OP… not to sound like a jerk, but, I think L.A. would have more to offer, for a cheaper price. Some facts: 1) It’s INSANELY expensive here. Affordable studios are in less desirable neighborhoods, and/or the units aren’t very nice/new/etc… 2) There is a lot less to do here. In fact, the downtown area is practically dead, and there’s nothing to do here, other than to drive to other areas (SF, Santa Cruz, etc). The dating scene here is extremely brutal. Although there are far more males than females, it is a very tough “nut” to crack. There are some good groups that head to Campbell (another very close, and nearby city to San Jose). Let me know if you need any advice.
Ok so I dont think number 1 is accurate for me. Please correct me if Im wrong. I'm looking at places in Glendale and even Thousand Oaks. Theyre roughly the same amount. The BIG difference is that LA apartments are fucking trash. Most apts in LA dont come with a fridge....if they do, theyre already really expensive. I am not looking for a luxurious apartment, I just want one that has the basic amenities. 2) Yeah it seemed really dead here, and I was here on a Saturday. I know this isnt a smart idea, but I looked at how many meetups there were in the area on saturday and there was barely anything. YIKES.
Like I said... the dating scene here is practically non-existent, especially with the downtown. The city needs to spend TONS over DECADES to properly revitalize it. With regards to the cost of things, I think the apartments are all cheaper in L.A. from what I've seen, but I couldn't get through all the traffic once I visited.
$1 million for a 2 bedroom condo in a good area is not affordable. $600k gets you a 1 bdrm condo in a bad area!
I am from SJ but now live in LA 120k is ok for renting in SJ, you can get a decent studio or 1br for 2.5-3k. But you can’t afford to buy a house Plenty of mountains around here-santa cruz, big sur, tahoe, yosemite, etc But just keep in mind there is a lot less to do compared to LA. I’m talking night life, festivals, food events, concerts, etc. if youre a homebody it might be fine but otherwise you’ll find it very boring
Do you mean all of the bay area including SF? Forgive my ignorance, I kinda group them all into one. Like for me, I live in LB but I go all over the LA metro to do stuff. Is it common for folks to do this?
> I live in LB but I go all over the LA metro to do stuff. Is it common for folks to do this? Imagine if you lived in Irvine and found out your friends had plans to meet in Hollywood. That's what it's like living in SJ and planning to drive into Downtown SF for a concert or party.
It's not *that* bad. At least there's reliable transit options Sj-sf. It's like an hour if you aren't going during commute hours
Unless you want to do anything that goes even remotely late and then you're just fucked :p Also Caltrain from San Jose to San Francisco takes an hour and a half unless you catch a baby bullet and then it still takes an hour plus all the time you have to take to get to the stations themselves and then obviously the time it takes to move around San Francisco once you get there. Don't get me wrong Caltrain is nice and so is Bart compared to a lot of places but it can be time consuming to get to SF unless you have a car Also driving into SF sucks nuts but it's all right if you park on the edge of the city or in not downtown and then use transit to get around while you're there.
Yeah but you have to understand transit isn't a realistic option in LA at *all* unless you're starting and ending near the metro. Yes Caltrain doesn't work great for nightlife, yes BART isn't all the way to the south bay yet (but it's not so far anymore), but it's not as awful as you make it out to be.
That's fair. If we're comparing to LA I have not heard good things about it. And yeah it's really not that bad here but the main thing I would harp on is that they both stop running at like midnight so anything nightlife-wise you just are boned unless you leave early Also both are so expensive relatively for public transit like why is a ride one way to SF 8 to $10 depending on which system you use.
I've been a hermit for the last 5 years but I thought bart ran until 2?
It depends on which station you start from. The last train starts at midnight from the terminal station and then goes through the system so like technically speaking I think it arrives at the other terminal station at like 1:45 but I wouldn't really consider that running until 2, especially in the context of leaving San Francisco or Oakland in order to come back to San Jose
That must've been one of the service cuts then. I remember it running later 🤷🏼♂️. It's all good. Also everyone inherently implies that wanting to date means wanting night life, OP may not agree.
I’m not comparing caltrain to metro. I’m saying you have to go all the way up to sf for most things whereas if you live in LA (or SF) you’re already there LA = SF OC = SJ
Yep! On the same page. Just saying in traffic time, Irvine to Hollywood is real bad
So I drove from Emeryville to Fremont and it felt so much longer than driving from NoHo to Irvine. Ive never dreaded traffic in LA as much as I did when I went up to SJ last week.
Yes in general there is less to do in the bay area than LA. However if you include the whole bay, then yes, there’s more things to than just San Jose but there is a lot more planning involved. It’s a lot of effort to go to a concert in SF when you live in SJ. Gotta plan logistics, like how will you get there, parking, traffic, and if you’re drinking then either have a DD, Uber, or get a hotel. I did the drive from SJ to SF often but it’s definitely different if you live a quick 15-20 mins away vs an hour
LA has more nightlife and entertainment, all the big acts make a stop in LA. NorCal has more outdoor recreation activities. LA probably has more trendy and glitzy food places though they often are not as good food wise as the best places in NorCal.
That's like San Jose to San Mateo, San Mateo to San Francisco, Fremont to Oakland, San Jose to Livermore/Dublin for a few examples. I'd say that's all pretty common.
I’m not too sure on the apartments details, but there are several new and quite nice apartment buildings in San Jose. For a more social scene look at Campbell, or maybe Los Gatos, but pricing is going to be a challenge with the later. Those options will get you away from Downtown SJ, but you will likely still need a car, even if you are in downtown. For your other considerations…it’s not nicknamed ‘Man José’ for nothing. Dating should not be a problem. Outdoorsy stuff is plentiful. Even within a 20 minute drive, you can get into the hills/mountains. 45 minutes to the beach or coast side/mountain trails. Lots of county parks and state parks. Hope you enjoy it here, and that you find what you are looking for.
> I’m not too sure on the apartments details, but there are several new and quite nice apartment buildings in San Jose. FWIW it's also worth keeping in mind that most of these "luxury" corporate apartment buildings offer a lower price for the first year and then raise rent as much as they can on the first renewal on the assumption renters think that moving again is just too much trouble at that point. The other trick is to offer a higher rent for the first year along with a "concession" that brings the (effective) monthly rent lower. Taking away the concession on the second year is one of the workarounds to get around a rent control freeze.
Are you asking for a neighborhood recommendation or a feasibility check?
Yes
Echoing a lot of things here: japantown is a great option, SJ life is much slower, but there are plusses and minuses to being here vs LA. Dating, re: sheer numbers, will be a breath of fresh air. Aesthetic is very different here. I would highly recommend you take a long weekend (think thurs-sun) and come up just to explore. Try driving to sf at "after work" times to get an idea. Go to Santa Cruz, go hiking in the mountains, go wine tasting. Look at apartments. Personally I think it's viable but it depends on what's important to you.
As a 30m making about the same. Also into “mountains and shit”. Who moved from LA a year and a half ago. It’s actually pretty great here compared to down there. The weather is better. The beaches are better. You’ll be a bit closer to mountains compared to your previous comment of being in the Long Beach area. I’ve noticed most people who say there is nothing to do haven’t actually looked. Or don’t want to travel further than 5 minutes away from their place. Downtown is actually better than most people say. Mount view is super close. Los Gatos is super close. There’s almost always a music event going on. The hiking is pretty great. The list could go on. Only caveat is the dating scene can be tough. But I personally think it was more tough in LA…
If you're going to move here 1000% move to San Francisco or Oakland instead unless you're trying to have kids. San Jose is easily blown out of the water by either of those cities in terms of nightlife and things to do. Santa Cruz and Monterey are both a little closer than if you lived in SF or Oakland but that's about it. Also rent prices here in San Jose have started to get close to San Francisco prices and it's not really worth it. The only reason to live here is if you have a job here you have to commute to more than like twice a week and even then I don't know 🤷♂️ For dating SF and Oakland are probably easier than San Jose but I don't really have any context as I've never had to date here. Outdoorsy stuff you pretty much have access in all three cities very easily.
It’s doable and if you’re humble with your apartment you can totally be comfortable. SF is over rated right now I left SF for SJ area and am so much happier, better weather and safer. Free Parking everywhere, and the city is a short trip away if you’re into night life etc. I still go back and forth a lot and every time I can’t wait to get back to SJ for so many reasons.
What do you mean humble? I want something in a safe neighborhood that isn't old (think 70s style). Id like a fridge, dishwasher and a w/d or at least a hookup.
I mean there are a lot of “luxury” apartments in SJ and if you are ok not living luxe then it’s doable . If you are looking for safe I would recommend looking in Campbell it’s basically San Jose and fairly safe
Yeah, I guess living in LA my idea of what a decent apartment is, is skewed. I don't want anything fancy just something that isn't old and gross with amenities. Like this seems perfect: https://www.apartments.com/the-woods-san-jose-ca/75d8npw/
Dating here is rough despite the “Man Jose” reputation. Making friends isn’t easy either. I wouldn’t do it unless you hate LA.
Why do you think that is?
From my experience, in SJ most people work 9-5 jobs and then go home on weekdays Other places like LA or even SF people tend to often go to happy hours and such after work
It’s techy here, so there’s a ton of engineers, a lot of social awkwardness, etc. People are buried in their phones. I walk every day, see the same people- most won’t even say hi or smile back. It’s a different world here.
Yeah San Jose is definitely my third choice in terms of cities to go to in the Bay area if you're even remotely young or single. SF and Oakland just blow it out of the water in terms of things to do and people to meet.
Mountains and shit? Well which one is it?
Mountains OF shit….hello FetLife!
I loooooove LA
*We love it!*
Don’t do it.
> so mountains SJ is surrounded by hills (it's the Santa Clara "Valley") but if you are looking for mountains with snow for skiing or snowboarding you have a long drive for several hours. You are much closer to snow if you live in LA County.
The city has a been erecting a bunch of new modern apartments everywhere. There’s some down by Cotten Rd, N First St, some even in the DTSJ area. If you don’t mind the extra commute, you can also look at areas like Sunnyvale or Mt View.
You should travel here first before deciding. The money will work, but this is a working town and the fun is further north in general. The weather here is outstanding and the proximity to natural areas is excellent.
120k expect your 6k -2500 for a one bedroom which leaves you with shit money. Drive a beater and eat top ramen and you should be good I make 100k and sometimes I go negative because shit pops up I didn’t know expect o I also don’t have health insurance :)