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::Title: San Jose California Travel Guide
::Editor: Brian Lucas <lucas@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
::Filename: north_america/usa/california/san_jose
::Date: 1993 June
::
This document, and other travel information, is available by anonymous ftp
from ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca in the directory rec-travel. For general info
about the rec.travel archive, contact Brian Lucas <lucas@ccu.umanitoba.ca>.
For comments, questions, or additions to this document, please contact
the author/editor, whose address is given above.
========================================================================
San Jose Travel Guide
=====================
EDITOR'S DISCLAIMER: This is a compilation of peoples' posts to the net
regarding San Jose and area. I have never been to San Jose, so I cannot
confirm or deny the accuracy of any of the information in this document.
I'd appreciate it if someone familiar with the area would volunteer to
take over as editor, but at least I'll get the ball rolling with this.
Contributors:
James Bahn jamesb@sco.COM Dec 1991
Gary L Dare gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu Dec 1991
Diane Durbeck durbeck@ti.com
eric arc!eric@apple.com Dec 1991
Wayne Hathaway wayne@ultra.com
Layyr Hunter hunter@work.nlm.nih.gov Jun 1992
James D. Jones jimj@cleanplate.EBay.Sun.COM Jun 1992
Lee Jones leej@sgi.com Jun 1992
Anne Kohutanycz anne@riacs.edu Dec 1991
Jay Marshall marshall@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov> Dec 1991
Donl Mathis donl@glass.esd.sgi.com Dec 1991
Bruce Steinback bruce@ka.novell.com Dec 1991
swanger swanger@ducvax.auburn.edu Dec 1992
Some people posted compilations of articles, where the original author
is not known. Some comments may be incorrectly credited as a result.
-------
GENERAL
-------
To be honest there's really not very much to see or do in San Jose...
(Bruce Steinbeck)
Not a beautiful place, I don't think, but if you like to wander and
come across interesting bits of city that have one kind of character or
another, I suppose it's as good as any. If you like things that are
actually *interesting* and *nice*, try to arrange to get up early in
the morning and scoot on down to Monterey. (Donl Mathis)
There's not much to do here in San Jose / Silicon Valley, but there's
plenty to do in the surrounding areas. Saratoga is a neighboring city,
about 5-10miles from downtown to downtown. (eric)
-----------
ATTRACTIONS
-----------
Alviso Harbor
At the bay-end of 1st St in San Jose. Old, abandoned boats sitting on
mud flats. About as much character as you're going to get.
(James Bahn)
Children's Discovery Museum.
It's best if you have a convenient four year old to borrow, but go alone
if you must. How can you *not* go to a museum that's completely purple?
They went around asking kids what the best color for a museum would be and
the overwhelming choice was purple. If you go alone, you can just
vicariously enjoy the kids enjoying the place. However, it was the first
time *I've* ever gotten to turn on an ambulance siren. Then walk over to
the intersection of 1st and San Carlos and have lunch at Original Joe's.
Perfect day. (Wayne Hathaway)
Flea Market
San Jose Flea market, bring a telephoto, lots of local character(s)
(James Bahn)
Garage, The
Along that same line, there's a new "museum" in San Jose called The
Garage. The name comes from the number of high-tech Silicon Valley firms
that literally started in a garage (such as Hewlett-Packard and Apple),
and it is essentially the history of the Silicon Valley. I have not been
there yet, but it has received rave reviews. It supposedly provides lots
of hands-on activities (hence the quotes around "museum" above) to get
everybody involved. It is downtown, directly across from the Convention
Center. (Wayne Hathaway)
Mirassou Winery
East San Jose. As close to a pretty old winery as you're going to get.
Grape vines might have leaves left on, not sure. (James Bahn)
Murphy Park
Home of the San Jose Historical Museum (or whatever their
name is). They've actually got a small town out there, Victorian-vintage,
complete with running streetcar on weekends. there's also a group of
people out there restoring old streetcars in a warehouse, and you can
watch them and talk to them. (James D. Jones)
Rosicrucian Museum
The San Jose Rosicrucian Museum is at the corner of Park and Naglee.
I like the Rosicrucian museum in Santa Clara - a little on the
campy side, but they've got some really interesting Egyptian stuff.
(Lee Jones) (Diane Durbeck)
Tech Museum
Downtown San Jose. Excellent (and fun) museum of technology.
(James D. Jones)
The Tech Museum is downtown and fun to roam through, lots of hands-on
gizmos. (Anne)
Villa Montalvo
Off highway 9 in Saratoga. Old white mansion, odd trees, free, huge lawn,
classic arches for portraits, etc. (Jammes Bahn)
Winchester Mystery House
Winchester Mystery House: a _very_ peculiar, rambling house built by
the widow of the guy who invited the Winchester Rifle, or something like
that. Full of staircases that go nowhere, odd rooms, things like that.
(James D Jones)
The day her husband died, Sarah Winchester was told by a mystic that she would
die unless she always heard the sounds of construction on her house. For many
years, she added rooms, stairwells, gables, porches, etc. etc. She did indeed
die one stormy day when the carpenters finally decided not to show....
(Larry Hunter)
I've never done the Winchester Mystery House (in 9 years of residence
in San Jose!) because I hear it's way overrated. (Lee Jones)
-----------
RESTAURANTS
-----------
Gombei. Jackson Street.
Go to Gombei in Japantown. It's a japanese "home-style" restaurant,
serving katsu-don, curry, smoked fish, etc. Great food and cheap
prices. [This is on Jackson Street, but apparently a second one has
opened up in Milipitas.] There are several others in J-town that are
good too (Kazoo, Minato and Okayama). (?, Gary L Dare)
Good Earth Restaurant
If you don't mind a specific dish - go to the Good Earth restaurant on
the Alameda (near Santa Clara U) and ask for their Guatamelan chicken
with the skin on. This is *great* stuff - makes my mouth water just
thinking of it. (Gary L Dare)
House of Genji. 1335 North 1st Street.
Right across the street from the LeBaron Hotel is a nice Japanese
restaurant called The House of Genji. The address is 1335 N. 1st
street. If you like good Japanese food than I think you'll enjoy it.
[There was a place right next to it, sorta like the Ichi-Ban Steak
House chain if you're familiar with it; not my cup of sake' -- gld]
(Gary L Dare)
House of Pizza
If you like pizza, I strongly recommend the House of Pizza. It is easily
accessed from Interstate 280 (Vine/Almaden exit, left under the freeway,
and it's immediately on the right). I don't know what style pizza it is,
but it is thin crust, they cut it in squares rather than wedges, and they
put the cheese on top of the meats. Also they have jalapenos as one of
the toppings, which I LOVE. However, if you try them I would recommend
only a HALF order; gotta have SOME non-hot pizza to give the mouth a rest!
They also have a full bar, as well as very friendly people. Plus lots of
TVs, for one of the best sports-watching places around. (Wayne Hathaway)
La Casa. North First Street.
A good Mexican restaurant... This is not a chain - the food is always
good as long as i've gone there (Gary L Dare)
La Taqueria. Off 2nd street.
A good "hole in the wall" Mexican food place. It looks kinda cheesy,
but the food is GOOD and cheap.
Mexico Lindo. North 4th Street near Holiday Inn.
I don't want every hacker in the south bay trying to get lunch at my
favorite Mexican place - "Mexico Lindo" on 4th street in San Jose.
The clientele is about 1/2 Spanish-speaking and half Gringos, prices
are right, and the food satisfies. (Gary L Dare)
Phoenix. (Bookstore Cafe)
In San Jose, there was a place called the Phoenix, but I haven't been
there in over a year, so I don't know if it's still there. It had a
very large eating area, with more space up in the loft, a decent
selection of desserts and of course coffee.
Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant. North First Street at Taylor.
This has great decor and the food is very authentic and - um - different.
(like molten fire ;-) ?) although you get a choice in the amount of
'fire'. The 'authentic' bit comes from having lived 4 years in Ethiopia
nearly 20 years ago.
----------
NIGHTCLUBS
----------
In the south first street area (SOFA) are 2 comedy clubs, both called
The Last Laugh. Next door to the LL on San Carlos is DB Coopers, which
is a popular bar with college age types. Close to the Fairmont Hotel
(and the other Last Laugh) is Gorden Biersch, a very popular brew pub
with the San Jose yuppie crowd. Also in the area is F/X which caters to
a more artsy crowd, and Paradise Beach which is more young jock, surfer
types, and The Oasis which I've never been to, and haven't heard much
about except that it is a popular club. (Gary L Dare)
If you're into brewpubs (where the beer is brewed on-premises) go to
Gorden Beirsch. Excellent beer and very good California cuisine.
Located in downtown SJ. (Jay Marshall)
If you're staying downtown and enjoy beer, try and stop by the Tied
House and/or Gorden Biersch, they are both microbrewerys and I know
Tied House has good beer. I think there are still a couple comedy clubs
downtown too, along with the usual bar scene that I know exists but don't
frequent. (Anne)
JJ's. 3439 Stevens Creek Blvd. 408-243-6441
Its performers are different from the one in Mountain View. The one in
Mountain View has diverse artists and it's a little bigger too. Don't
believe people when they say that JJ's is a dive. Blues clubs can be
more attractive for exactly what they are. (Gary L Dare)