Eat

San Jose isn’t shy about is its killer food scene. From tiny cafes and hole-in-the-walls to food trucks to modern eateries, San Jose is booming with culinary creatives. Check out the gastropubs in downtown, and the multifaceted collection of cooking at San Pedro Square Market. For international eats, try the Jamaican jerk at Back-A-Yard, the cuban tortas at Bakery Mexico, the pork at A Bit of Havana, and basically any restaurant in Little Italy, Little Portugal, Vietnam Town or historic Japantown. Standard fare for most also means some of the best mexican food you can find, anywhere from sit-down restaurants to tiny hole-in-the-wall spots. A local favorite is La Victoria’s, which has a few locations in the Bay Area including one right near San Jose State in an old house (pro tip: get the orange sauce!).

Party

San Jose knows how to throw a good party when festival time comes around. International culture, art and cuisine are celebrated at Chacho’s Taco Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Mar Yosip Parish Assyrian Food Festival, Polska Fest, Fiestas Patrias, Italian Family Festa, Little Italy Street Festival, Tet Festival, SJ Taco Festival of Innovation, Lunar New Year, and the Obon Festival. Art, music and local craft are spotlighted at the Luna Park Chalk Art Festival, the Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival, the Lil’ Easy Backyard Party, the SoFA Street Fair, and San Jose Jazz Fest (there’s one in the winter and one in the summer). Freaks and geeks make magic happen at Creative Convergence, and San Jose’s FanimeCon is the biggest anime convention in Northern California. There are also numerous festivals for film, families, pets, cars, craft beer and gourmet food, providing plenty of opportunities to connect with your local community.

Be a kid

San Jose is a magical place to be a kid (or a really cool grownup). There’s the Children’s Discovery Museum, The Tech Museum of Innovation, Frontier Village, Raging Waters waterpark, and the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. You can play life-size chess at Santana Row, or play on the biggest Monopoly board in the world at the Guadalupe River Park. In the winter you ice skate on a rink surrounded by palm trees at Downtown Ice, and in the summertime the fountains are turned on for all the kids and the young-at-heart to jump around and play on the splash pads.

Get outdoors

With its inland location, San Jose sees a lot more sunshine than its Bay Area neighbors. So it’s not surprising that most residents have a great relationship with the great outdoors. There over 50 miles of scenic trails, parks and green spaces around town, and thousands of acres of rugged mountains, nature preserves, and redwood forests just beyond the city limits.

711 Paula Ter San Jose, CA

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