Willow Glen
If you want to see how the other half of Silicon Valley lives– meaning the Digerati who’ve decided to download a family – head south of downtown to historic Willow Glen. This picturesque, walkable community features charming residential streets and a well-planned downtown, featuring a variety of casual and outdoor restaurants, day spas and shops on Lincoln Avenue between Willow Street and Minnesota Avenue. Boutiqes range from antiques and home décor to gifts and clothing. Children’s and teen’s literature lovers must check out Hicklebee’s, a local landmark bookstore. Favorite eateries include Opa!, Willow Street Pizza, Jake’s and Siena Bistro. Petroglyph’s ceramic lounge is a popular hangout for artists of all ages. The tree lined streets of downtown Willow Glen offer a small-town feel nestled in the city of San Jose — the 10th largest city in the nation. Stroll downtown Willow Glen and find sidewalk cafes, coffee shops, boutiques, vintage shops, strollers parked outside unique kid stores, and doggie water bowls everywhere. Grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner, deposit a check, book a trip, rent a costume, get your eyes or teeth checked, drop off your clothes for cleaning, or pick up your prescription. All this and more with free, convenient parking on the street and in the public parking lots, including a large number of public parking spaces located in the Bank of America lot. Downtown Willow Glen offers over 250 retail, dining, service and professional businesses waiting to give you that personal service that only a small business owner can provide. Annual street festivals showcase our area to the greater San Jose and Bay Area to thousands of attendees. Visit us and discover San Jose’s best kept secret! http://www.wgna.net/ https://www.facebook.com/WillowGlenNA/info
Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill is located in southern Santa Clara Valley, approximately 12 miles south of San Jose, 10 miles north of Gilroy, and 15 miles inland from the Pacific Coast. The Valley is approximately 4 miles wide and is surrounded by the Santa Cruz mountain range to the west, and the Diablo mountain range to the east. Parks and open spaces abound, making Morgan Hill one of the last communities in the region with a charming, small town atmosphere. The first school was built in 1894, but was soon outgrown and in 1907 a new elementary school and high school were constructed. Then in 1924 architect William H. Weeks designed and built a new grammar school, selling the old Morgan Hill Grammar School Building to the Morgan Hill Grange Association. By the 1920s, the City was known for its agricultural products including prunes, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, walnuts, and almonds. The region boasted prosperous vineyards until Prohibition demanded that production temporarily cease. Around the 1950s, Morgan Hill experienced an economic transformation from an agricultural center to a suburban residential community. Growth began to accelerate rapidly in the 1970s as Silicon Valley developed and workers were attracted to Morgan Hill’s small-town atmosphere, sense of community and reasonable housing prices. On November 3, 1973 the Morgan Hill Civic Center and library were proudly dedicated to the community of 7,000. By 1980 the population increased to approximately 18,000 residents. The 2000 census confirmed that 33,000 citizens called Morgan Hill their home.https://youtu.be/fxtiaasfMq0 Geography Morgan Hill is approximately 24 mi south of downtown San Jose, 13 mi north of Gilroy, and 15 mi inland from the Pacific coast. Lying in a roughly 4-mile-wide southern extension of the Santa Clara Valley, it is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. At the valley floor, Morgan Hill lies at an elevation of about 350 feet above MSL. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city encompasses an area of 12.9 square miles, all land. Although there are no natural lakes or ponds within the city limits, there are several flood-control and water storage reservoirs in the adjacent hills which are operated by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with recreational activities such as boating, etc., administered by the Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation. Morgan Hill is located within the seismically active San Francisco Bay region. The significant earthquakes in the region are generally associated with crustal movements along well-defined, active fault zones. The nearest known active faults are the San Andreas Fault, approximately 12 mi southwest, and the Calaveras Fault, approximately 0.99 mi northeast. Both faults have produced major earthquakes in the past, and have estimated maximum credible Richter magnitudes of 8.3 and 7.3, respectively. The 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake registered at a 6.2 magnitude. Neighborhoods Morgan Hill is a diverse city with a variety of neighborhoods to choose from. Some of the most popular neighborhoods include: Downtown Morgan Hill: The downtown area is the heart of the city and is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, and businesses. There are also several parks and green spaces in the downtown area. Coyote Valley: Coyote Valley is a large, rural neighborhood located on the north side of the city. The neighborhood is home to a variety of ranches and farms. Morgan Hill Estates: Morgan Hill Estates is a newer neighborhood located on the west side of the city. The neighborhood is home to a variety of housing types, including single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. There are also several parks and green spaces in the neighborhood. San Martin/South Morgan Hill: San Martin/South Morgan Hill is a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood located on the south side of the city. The neighborhood is home to a variety of housing types, including single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. There are also several parks and green spaces in the neighborhood. Buena Vista: Buena Vista is a historic neighborhood located on the east side of the city. The neighborhood is home to a variety of Victorian homes and businesses. These are just a few of the many neighborhoods in Morgan Hill. Each neighborhood has its own unique character and charm. When choosing a neighborhood to live in, it is important to consider your needs and lifestyle. Economy The economy of Morgan Hill, California is strong and diverse. The city is home to a number of large corporations, including Safeway, Peet’s Coffee, and Specialized Bicycle Components. Morgan Hill is also home to a number of smaller businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs. The city’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area also makes it a popular destination for commuters. Morgan Hill is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The city has a strong economy, a beautiful setting, and a vibrant community. Here are some additional details about the economy of Morgan Hill, California: Top employers: Safeway, Peet’s Coffee, Specialized Bicycle Components, Morgan Hill Unified School District, City of Morgan Hill, and Santa Clara Valley Water District Major industries: Agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and tourism Median household income: $128,373 Unemployment rate: 2.1% Cost of living: Morgan Hill has a high cost of living, but it is still lower than the cost of living in San Francisco and other major cities in the Bay Area. Crime rate: Morgan Hill has a low crime rate. Quality of life: Morgan Hill is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The city has a strong economy, a beautiful setting, and a vibrant community.
Sunnyvale
Visitors and residents enjoy Sunnyvale’s beautiful, clean suburban setting, efficient, high-quality city services, low crime rate, quality schools and 18 prize-winning parks. Through its innovative and cost-effective Public Safety Department concept, which combines traditional fire and police functions into one department, the city offers its citizens and businesses an award-winning record of safety and efficiency. Some of the nation’s most successful business and industrial leaders are located in Sunnyvale, including AMD, Network Appliance and Yahoo!. Residents can drive within an hour to many distinguished educational institutions, including Stanford University, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University and University of California. Foothill, De Anza, West Valley and Mission Community Colleges and Cogswell College are only minutes away, offering high quality community college classes and programs. As one of the major cities that make up California’s high-tech area known as Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale is the birthplace of the video game industry, former location of Atari headquarters, and the location of a fictional computer game company in the 1983 film WarGames. Many technology companies are headquartered in Sunnyvale and many more operate there, including several aerospace/defense companies. Sunnyvale was also the home to Onizuka Air Force Station, often referred to as “the Blue Cube” due to the color and shape of its windowless main building. The facility, previously known as Sunnyvale Air Force Station, was named for the deceased Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka. It served as an artificial satellite control facility of the U.S. military until August 2010 and has since been decommissioned and demolished. Sunnyvale is one of the few U.S. cities to have a single unified Department of Public Safety, where all personnel are trained as firefighters, police officers, and EMTs, so that they can respond to an emergency in any of the three roles. Geography Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the heart of Silicon Valley. The city has a total area of 22.7 square miles, of which, 22.0 square miles of it is land and 0.69 square miles of it (3.09%) is water. Its elevation is 130 feet above sea level. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real and Highway 101 and is bordered by portions of San Jose to the north, Moffett Federal Airfield and NASA Ames Research Center to the northwest, Mountain View to the northwest, Los Altos to the southwest, Cupertino to the south, and Santa Clara to the east. The city is home to a variety of natural features, including Stevens Creek, Cuesta Park, and Baylands Park. Sunnyvale also has a number of man-made features, including the Sunnyvale Municipal Airport, the Sunnyvale Public Library, and the Sunnyvale Heritage Park. The climate in Sunnyvale is mild, with an average temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The city experiences an average of 15 inches of rain per year. Neighborhoods Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, with a population of 152,258 as of the 2020 United States Census. It is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is home to many high-tech companies, including Google, Apple, and Yahoo. Sunnyvale has a diverse range of neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and flavor. Here are some of the most popular neighborhoods in Sunnyvale: Alum Rock: Alum Rock is a diverse neighborhood located in the eastern part of Sunnyvale. The neighborhood is home to a mix of single-family homes, apartments, and businesses. Alum Rock is close to several parks and shopping centers, making it a great place to live for people of all ages. Baylands: Baylands is a newer neighborhood located in the southern part of Sunnyvale. The neighborhood is home to a mix of single-family homes and apartments, as well as a few businesses. Baylands is close to several parks and recreation areas, making it a great place to live for people who enjoy the outdoors. Brookhaven: Brookhaven is a quiet and family-friendly neighborhood located in the northern part of Sunnyvale. The neighborhood is home to a variety of single-family homes, as well as a few apartment complexes. Brookhaven is close to several parks and schools, making it a great place to raise a family. Cuesta Park: Cuesta Park is a charming neighborhood located in the central part of Sunnyvale. The neighborhood is home to a mix of single-family homes and apartments, as well as a few businesses. Cuesta Park is close to several parks and restaurants, making it a great place to live for people of all ages. El Camino Real: El Camino Real is a historic neighborhood located along El Camino Real. The neighborhood is home to a variety of single-family homes, as well as a few businesses and restaurants. El Camino Real is close to several parks and shopping centers, making it a great place to live for people of all ages. These are just a few of the many great neighborhoods in Sunnyvale. No matter what your needs or interests, you are sure to find a neighborhood in Sunnyvale that is perfect for you. Economy Sunnyvale is a major center for the technology industry, and is home to many high-tech companies, including Google, Apple, and Yahoo. The city’s economy is driven by the technology sector, and it is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. The city’s unemployment rate is 2.4%, which is well below the national average of 3.8%. The median household income in Sunnyvale is $126,000, which is significantly higher than the national median of $67,521. The city’s poverty rate is 5.4%, which is also below the national average of 12.3%. Sunnyvale is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The city has a strong economy, a high quality of life, and a diverse population. If you are looking for a place to call home, Sunnyvale is a great option. Here are some of the key economic indicators for Sunnyvale: Unemployment rate: 2.4% Median household income: $126,000 Poverty rate: 5.4% GDP per capita: $145,000 Number of businesses: 12,000 Major industries: Technology, manufacturing, healthcare, education Major employers: Google, Apple, Nvidia, Applied Materials, Santa Clara University Sunnyvale is a thriving city with a strong economy. The city is home to many high-tech companies, and its unemployment rate is
Saratoga
Tucked away in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, Saratoga is a lovely residential community with a small-town feel. The city is well known for its excellent schools, fine dining, unique shops, and distinctive cultural institutions. Saratoga offers a high quality of life to its residents and a chance to escape the hustle of Silicon Valley.
Santa Clara
The City of Santa Clara won an All-America City award in 2001 from the National Civic League in a highly competitive program that selects ten communities from throughout the United States for the prestigious honor. All American City DelegationA 54-member delegation—representing business, government, community groups, and private citizens—went to Atlanta to persuade a panel of judges that Santa Clara deserved the recognition for its achievements. Santa Clara was one of 30 cities qualifying as finalists. “It was a thrilling experience for all of us who were in Atlanta, but winning this award should make every single person in Santa Clara feel proud of our community,” said then Mayor Judy Nadler. “There are thousands of cities in the United States, but Santa Clara is one of only 10 to be called an All America City in the new millennium. It’s a tremendous honor.” In addition to Mayor Nadler, City Council Members in the delegation included Pat Kolstad, Patricia Mahan, John McLemore, and Aldyth Parle. Elected Police Chief Steve Lodge and City Clerk Judy Boccignone also represented the City in Atlanta. All America City Delegation To be named an All-America City, a community must demonstrate successful resolution of community issues through collaborative effort of local business, government and nonprofit organizations. In its application, Santa Clara identified as its two major current challenges the need for more affordable housing and the decision on how to reuse the large parcel of state surplus land, the former site of Agnews Hospital. Geography Santa Clara is drained by three seasonal creeks, all of which empty into the southern portion of San Francisco Bay; these creeks are San Tomas Aquino Creek, Saratoga Creek, and Calabazas Creek. There are some significant biological resources within the city including habitat for the burrowing owl, a species of special concern in California due to reduction in habitat from urban development during the latter 20th century. This owl uses burrows created by ground squirrels and prefers generally level grasslands and even disturbed areas. Coyotes have also become active in the area in recent years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 18.4 square miles, all of it land. Neighborhoods Santa Clara is the home of Santa Clara University, the oldest institution of higher learning in California, and Levi’s Stadium, the future home of Super Bowl 50 and the San Francisco 49ers. Santa Clara has a diverse range of neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and flavor. Here are some of the most popular neighborhoods in Santa Clara: Downtown Santa Clara: The downtown area is home to many businesses, shops, and restaurants, as well as the Santa Clara Convention Center. It is a vibrant and lively area that is always bustling with activity. North San Jose: North San Jose is a growing neighborhood home to many tech companies. It is a great place to live if you are looking for a job in the tech industry. East Santa Clara: East Santa Clara is a diverse neighborhood that includes residential areas, parks, and the Santa Clara University campus. It is a great place to live if you are looking for a family-friendly neighborhood with easy access to amenities. Rivermark: Rivermark is a master-planned community that is home to a variety of housing options, including single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. It is a great place to live if you are looking for a community with a sense of place and a variety of amenities. Kentfield: Kentfield is a quiet and suburban neighborhood that is home to a mix of single-family homes and apartments. It is a great place to live if you are looking for a peaceful and family-friendly neighborhood. Lawrence and El Camino: Lawrence and El Camino is a diverse neighborhood that is home to a mix of single-family homes, apartments, and businesses. It is a great place to live if you are looking for a neighborhood with a variety of amenities and a sense of community. These are just a few of the many great neighborhoods in Santa Clara. No matter what your needs or interests, you are sure to find a neighborhood in Santa Clara that is perfect for you. Economy Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, California, with a population of 129,498 as of the 2020 United States Census. It is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is home to many high-tech companies, including Intel, Google, and Nvidia. The city’s economy is driven by the technology sector, and it is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. The city’s unemployment rate is 2.4%, which is well below the national average of 3.8%. The median household income in Santa Clara is $126,000, which is significantly higher than the national median of $67,521. The city’s poverty rate is 5.4%, which is also below the national average of 12.3%. Santa Clara is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The city has a strong economy, a high quality of life, and a diverse population. If you are looking for a place to call home, Santa Clara is a great option. Here are some of the key economic indicators for Santa Clara: Unemployment rate: 2.4% Median household income: $126,000 Poverty rate: 5.4% GDP per capita: $145,000 Number of businesses: 12,000 Major industries: Technology, manufacturing, healthcare, education Major employers: Intel, Google, Nvidia, Applied Materials, Santa Clara University Santa Clara is a thriving city with a strong economy. The city is home to many high-tech companies, and its unemployment rate is well below the national average. The median household income in Santa Clara is significantly higher than the national median, and the city’s poverty rate is below the national average. Santa Clara is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Cupertino
The Town Gets a Name The village of Cupertino sprang up at the crossroads of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road (now DeAnza Boulevard) and Stevens Creek Road. It was first known as West Side, but by 1898, the post office at the Crossroads needed a new name to distinguish it from other similarly named towns. John T. Doyle, a San Francisco lawyer and historian, had given the name Cupertino to his winery, in recognition of the name bestowed on the nearby creek by Pedro Font. In 1904, the name was applied to the Crossroads and to the post office when the Home Union Store incorporated under the name, The Cupertino Store, and moved to the northeast corner of the Crossroads Many of Cupertino’s pioneer settlers planted grapes in the late 1800s. Vineyards and wineries proliferated on Montebello Ridge, on the lower foothills, and on the flat lands below. Around 1895 the flourishing wine industry was struck by phylloxera (a root louse). It virtually destroyed 75% of the vineyards in 5 years. A few of the more substantial vineyardists resorted to grafting, while many others switched to French prunes (prunes are a type of plum which dries without spoiling), peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, walnuts, and almonds. As these orchards flourished the valley became known for the spring profusion of blossoms. Many more people passed through the Cupertino area first by electric railway and later by car to view all the blossoms in the “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Because of the electric railway, the Monta Vista area of Cupertino developed. Monta Vista was the name of its first housing tract. Geography Cupertino is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. The eastern part of the city, located in the Santa Clara Valley, is flat, while the western part of the city slopes into the Santa Cruz Mountains. Cupertino borders San Jose and Santa Clara to the east, Saratoga to the south, Sunnyvale and Los Altos to the north, and Loyola to the northwest. Several streams run through Cupertino on their way to south San Francisco Bay, including (from north to south): Permanente Creek, Stevens Creek, San Tomas Aquino Creek and its Smith Creek, the Regnart Creek and Prospect Creek tributaries of Calabazas Creek, and Saratoga Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29 km2), 99.99% of it land and 0.01% of it water. Neighborhoods Cupertino is made up of numerous subdivisions, most of them developed since the 1960s. Most of Cupertino’s contemporary properties were developed around 1960. The area between Stevens Creek Boulevard, Miller Avenue, Bollinger Road, and Lawrence Expressway contains 224 Eichler homes, built during the 1950s. Two of the newest parts of Cupertino are among its oldest housing tracts. Monta Vista and Rancho Rinconada were developed outside of the city’s boundaries in the 1950s and before. Rancho Rinconada was annexed in 1999 and the last part of Monta Vista was annexed in 2004. The neighborhood of Seven Springs is at the southwestern tip of Cupertino and was developed in the late 1980s. The newest and most northwestern neighborhood, Oak Valley, borders Rancho San Antonio Park and was developed around the turn of the millennium. Cupertino is known for its high housing prices as the majority of residential properties are multimillion-dollar homes as of the priciest housing market peak of 2022, with the entry-point into a single-family home at around 2 million dollars in the Cupertino HS area, and the entry point at around 2.6 million dollars in the Monta Vista HS area. Many smaller homes start from the high $2 millions, mid-size homes start from the mid $3 millions, and larger executive homes start from mid $4 millions and can go up to as much as $7 million, as of the 2022 peak. However, townhouses and condos with similar square footage are relatively less expensive, owing mainly to negligible lot sizes and the many common walls and areas. Over the course of thirteen and a half years since the last late 2008 housing market crash, overall real estate prices have more than tripled. Economy Cupertino is one of many cities that claim to be the “heart” of Silicon Valley, as many semiconductor and computer companies were founded there and in the surrounding areas. The new worldwide headquarters for Apple Inc. is located there in a modern circular complex. It is a 150-acre campus between Interstate 280, N Wolfe Rd, E Homestead Rd and along Tantau Ave one mile east of the old campus. The nine properties (50-acre) south of Pruneridge Avenue were bought in 2006, the property (100-acre) north of it in 2010. On June 7, 2011, Steve Jobs gave a presentation to Cupertino City Council, detailing the architectural design of the new building and its environs. The campus houses 13,000 employees in one central four-story circular building surrounded by extensive landscaping, with parking mainly underground and the rest centralized in a parking structure. In 2002, Cupertino had a labor force of 25,780 with an unemployment rate of 4.5%. The unemployment rate for Santa Clara County as a whole was 8.4%. One of the major employers in the area is the aggregate rock quarry and cement plant in the foothills to the west of Cupertino, the Permanente Quarry. Owned and operated by Lehigh Southwest Cement, it was founded by Henry J. Kaiser as the Kaiser Permanente Cement Plant in 1939. It provided the majority of the cement used in the construction of the Shasta Dam. It supplied the 6 million barrels (950,000 m3) of cement over a nine-mile (14 km)-long conveyor system. The cement plant is the sole reason for the railroad line that runs through the cit
Los Gatos
If you’re enamored with the authentic California wine country lifestyle, it’s hard to imagine a town more perfect than Los Gatos. Once an agricultural town, Los Gatos retains its 19th century charm with Victorian architecture and streets lined with quaint, upscale shops, wine bars and eateries. If you’re an antiques addict, this is the perfect town to window shop and lunch
Campbell
Campbell is another charming town where you can stop for shopping, clubbing and dining or pass by on your way to the Santa Cruz mountain vineyards. Although not a major technology city like many of its neighbors, Campbell is the original home of eBay and of its creator, Pierre Omidyar. Settled in 1851 by hay farmer Benjamin Campbell, whose original 160 acres of apricots and prunes today comprise Campbell’s historic downtown, which offers pedestrian friendly streets with fun shops, cafes and pubs. Downtown Campbell has become one of the valley’s emerging nightlife destinations, with DJ music and dancing at the Cardiff Lounge, revelry at Katie Bloom’s, live music at the King’s Head and the conversion of the Gaslamp Theater into an ultralounge. There’s also a wide range of restaurants from pubs to French cuisine. The historic Ainsley House, an English Tudor-style home built by local canning tycoon John Colpitts Ainsley in the late 1920s, is now called the Campbell Historical Museum, featuring period furnishings and docent-led tours. The adjacent carriage house is home to the Wyland R. Morgan Gallery, which hosts various exhibits, a video on Campbell’s history and a gift shop. The surrounding gardens, based on the original 1926 sketches of San Francisco landscape architect Emerson Knight, are impressive for their color and variety. The Campbell Community Center, a converted high school now on the National Register of Historic Places, offers a skateboarding park, concerts, plays and sports facilities for locals and visitors. Each May, downtown Campbell hosts the two-day civic festival with rides, 250 food and crafts booths and a tribute to the veritable dried fruit that played such an important role in Campbell’s history.
Mountain View
Nestled between the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Francisco Bay, Mountain View is a diverse community, ideally located in the heart of the Silicon Valley (10 miles north of San Jose and 35 miles south of San Francisco). Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the location of many high technology companies. In 1956, William Shockley established Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Mountain View, the first company to develop silicon semiconductor devices in Silicon Valley. Today, Mountain View houses the headquarters of many of the world’s largest technology companies, including Google and Alphabet Inc., Unicode Consortium, Intuit, NASA Ames research center, and major headquarter offices for Microsoft, Symantec, 23andMe, LinkedIn, Samsung, and Synopsys. Today, high technology is the foundation of the local economy. Few remnants are visible of the city’s agricultural past. In 1990, Kevin Duggan began his position as city manager. He built a relationship with Google, Inc., and issued a long-term lease to it and other technology companies. As of 2014, those leases generate over $5 million per year in city revenue. The Castro Street downtown area also benefited from a special tax district. In 2016, the city’s voters approved a rent control ordinance. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.3 sq mi , of which 12.0 sq mi is land and 0.27 sq mi (2.26%) is water. The city borders Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay to the north, Los Altos to the south, and Moffett Federal Airfield and Sunnyvale to the east. Mountain View is located in the south-eastern and south western section of the San Francisco Peninsula., at the north end of State Route 85, where it meets U.S. Route 101. State Route 82 follows the route of the historic El Camino Real through Mountain View. The city is bounded to the northwest by Palo Alto, to the north by the Bay, to the south and southwest by Los Altos, and to the east by Sunnyvale and Moffett Federal Airfield. To the west lie the Santa Cruz Mountains. The city was named for these, which separate it from the Pacific Ocean. The two ranges demarcate the Santa Clara Valley. Neighborhoods Most of Mountain View consists of residential neighborhoods. Business parks are located mostly in the North Shoreline neighborhood, north of Highway 101 and east of Highway 85. The Blossom Valley neighborhood comprises five smaller neighborhoods: Springer Meadows, Varsity Park, Blossom Valley Estates, Springer Trees, and Gest Ranch. The neighborhood’s ranch-style housing was built in the 1950s and 1960s on orchard land. The Cuernavaca neighborhood is located off Crestview Drive near the Sunnyvale border. This neighborhood used to be the location of a cherry orchard, and later a nine-hole golf course and swim club before it was turned into housing, which was completed in 1989. Most of the housing in Cuernavaca is Spanish-style, with red tiled roofs. The Monta Loma neighborhood is located between the bounds of San Antonio Road, Middlefield Road, Rengstorff Avenue and Central Expressway. Currently Monta Loma houses a collection of California-style mid-century modern houses by Joseph Eichler, John Calder Mackay, and Mardell Building Company. Economy Mountain View is one of the major cities that make up Silicon Valley, and has many notable Silicon Valley companies either headquartered there or with a large presence. As of 2018, major tech companies such as Google and Mozilla were headquartered in Mountain View. In 2018, the comparison site CareerBliss ranked the city number 1 in the United States on its list of Happiest Cities to Work for 2018. After voting to increase the minimum wage incrementally in 2015, in December 2017, the Mountain View City Council implemented a mandatory $15 minimum wage, to apply to employees who work two or more hours a week. At the start of 2018, Mountain View raised its minimum wage to $15. Starting on January 1, 2019, the minimum wage was to be “adjusted annually based on the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose regional Consumer Price Index.” A proposal to slow down the rate of the wage increases by a year was defeated in a City Council meeting on December 4, 2018. Subsequently, on December 30, 2018, it was announced that Mountain View’s minimum wage would rise to $15.65 on January 1, 2019, with the increase delayed by one year for companies with 25 or fewer employees. As of January 2020, the minimum wage in Mountain View is $16.05 per hour.
San Jose
San Jose, officially the City of San José. Spanish for “Saint Joseph”, is a major city in the U.S. state of California and the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 population of 1,013,240, it is the most populous city in both the Bay Area and the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland Combined Statistical Area, which has a 2015 population of 7.7 million and 9.7 million people respectively, the third most populous city in California (after Los Angeles and San Diego), and the tenth-most populous in the United States. Located in the center of the Santa Clara Valley on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, San Jose covers an area of 179.97 sq mi. San Jose is the county seat of Santa Clara County and the main component of the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area, with an estimated population of around two million residents in 2018. San Jose is notable for its innovation, cultural diversity, affluence, and sunny and mild Mediterranean climate. Its connection to the booming high tech industry phenomenon known as Silicon Valley sparked Mayor Tom McEnery to adopt the city the motto of “Capital of Silicon Valley” in 1988. Major global tech companies including Cisco Systems, eBay, Adobe Inc., PayPal, Broadcom, Samsung, Acer, and Zoom maintain their headquarters in San Jose. San Jose is one of the wealthiest major cities in the world, with the third-highest GDP per capita (after Zürich and Oslo) and the fifth-most expensive housing market. It is home to one of the world’s largest overseas Vietnamese populations, a Hispanic community that makes up over 40% of the city’s residents, and historic Japanese and Portuguese neighborhoods. The rapid growth of the high-technology and electronics industries further accelerated the transition from an agricultural center to an urbanized metropolitan area. Results of the 1990 U.S. census indicated that San Jose had officially surpassed San Francisco as the most populous city in Northern California. By the 1990s, San Jose had become the global center for the high tech and internet industries, making it California’s fastest-growing economy. San Jose is located within the Santa Clara Valley, in the southern part of the Bay Area in Northern California. The northernmost portion of San Jose touches San Francisco Bay at Alviso, though most of the city lies away from the bayshore. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 180.0 sq mi , making the fourth-largest city in California by land area (after Los Angeles, San Diego and California City). San Jose lies between the San Andreas Fault, the source of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the Calaveras Fault. San Jose is shaken by moderate earthquakes on average one or two times a year. These quakes originate just east of the city on the creeping section of the Calaveras Fault, which is a major source of earthquake activity in Northern California. They say San José is going to become another Los Angeles. Believe me, I’m going to do everything in my power to make that come true. — “Dutch” Hamann, 1965 Neighborhoods The city is generally divided into the following areas: Central San Jose (centered on Downtown San Jose), West San Jose, North San Jose, East San Jose, and South San Jose. Many of San Jose’s districts and neighborhoods were previously unincorporated communities or separate municipalities that were later annexed by the city. Besides those mentioned above, some well-known communities within San Jose include Japantown, Rose Garden, Midtown San Jose, Willow Glen, Naglee Park, Burbank, Winchester, Alviso, East Foothills, Alum Rock, Communications Hill, Little Portugal, Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Almaden Valley, Little Saigon, Silver Creek Valley, Evergreen Valley, Mayfair, Edenvale, Santa Teresa, Seven Trees, Coyote Valley, and Berryessa. A distinct ethnic enclave in San Jose is the Washington-Guadalupe neighborhood, immediately south of the SoFA District; this neighborhood is home to a community of Hispanics, centered on Willow Street. In 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau released its new population estimates. With a total population of 1,015,785, San Jose became the 11th U.S. city to hit the 1 million mark, even though it is currently the 10th most populous city (Detroit once had over 1 million residents but started a long decline below 1 million). It is currently the largest U.S. city with an Asian plurality population. Racial and ethnic composition 2020 2010 1990 Asian 37.2% 31.7% 19.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 31.0% 33.2% 26.6% White (Non-Hispanic) 25.1% 28.7% 49.6% Mixed 7.9% 2.7% n/a Black or African American 2.9% 2.9% 4.7%
