Best area to live in San Jose for a single man (Mountain View: apartment complexes, for rent)

[Seige]

I am moving to San Jose in a month for a new job and am starting to look for apartments there.

I have heard that the bay-area is heavily male dominated ( for obvious reasons) and was wondering which areas are nice for a single 25yr old man.

I don't want to live in areas where the ratio is screwed too much.

I can go a little far outside of San Jose but I don't want a commute of 30 mins unless the place is a gem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[SickOfCalifornia]

When you factor out the gay men, you stand a fighting chance anywhere you go!

[Seige]

factor that out!

how is downtown sanjose ?

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by SickOfCalifornia

When you factor out the gay men, you stand a fighting chance anywhere you go!

I don't think SJ has a disproportionate number of gay men like SF.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Seige

factor that out!

how is downtown sanjose ?

I live downtown and I LOVE it. However, I also work downtown, so that's a big part of the appeal. If your job is located downtown, it's a no-brainer--I think you'll like being able to walk to work and lots of other stuff.

There are a fair number of bars & clubs downtown, although I can't really comment on the ones for straight people. I'm one of those gay men SickofCalifornia mentioned.

The most popular area for young single professionals would probably be Palo Alto, followed by Mountain View. But both would probably be more than 1/2 hour commute. They are nice, but IMO are overrated and overpriced (esp. Palo Alto) in an already very expensive area. And I think you're smart for wanting a short or non-existent commute!!!

Downtown has its share of dumpy apartments, so it's always good to walk around and check things out. Sketchy pockets and nice areas can bump right up against each other, but overall downtown is safe. I recommend googling Westwood Properties. They are my landlord and I like them. They own a lot of older buildings with character downtown. You won't get lots of amenities with them, but you will get reasonable rents, in well maintained older buildings (instead of cookie cutter apartment complexes).

There are also newer apartments/condos for rent downtown but they tend to be quite expensive.

[JayJunior]

I agree with Mystical - if you work downtown, living there is great. If you don't work in downtown, don't bother living there. It's not cheaper to live there, in fact because of the close proximity to SJSU you often pay MORE for LESS. I lived on 7th & San Fernando and worked at Market & San Fernando - it was a 10 minute walk to work which was great. However, if you have to go anywhere in your car and don't have a reserved parking spot at your place you can forget about parking until after all the night classes are out - say after 9pm. Parking in Downtown is a nightmare.
Also, the transient problem in Downtown get worse and worse every year. If you don't mind being asked for food/money/cigarrettes every block on your way to anywhere it's OK. I got really tired of that after a year or so of living it and that was many years ago. I'd estimate there are 10x the amount of homeless in the downtown area than there were when I lived there.
The Downtown scene "ain't what she used to be" either. If you are into the "Ultralounge" experience, great, otherwise it's pretty bland anymore. And SJ cops are THE WORST I've ever seen. The worst of the worst are the downtown patrols. When the bars get close to closing time they come out like cockroaches in force, blocking off streets and just being pricks in general.
To be honest I can't imagine why anyone would WANT to move to San Jose anymore... I've lived in this area for over 40 years and for the last year or so I have been making plans to get outta dodge. This place was great in the 70's & 80's, but between the ridiculous cost of living, the traffic, the pollution, the lack of "culture", the crime, the gangs, the homeless... Well, I guess the weather is still nice.
If you're relocating here from out of the area try Los Gatos or Campbell. Close enough to be an "easy" commute, but just nicer in general. Farmer's markets, resaurants, festivals, etc. are all easy to find in those areas without all the wannabe thugs roaming around and without the huge crowds that the downtown area events get. If you want to see what Downtown is really like, do a search on Downtown San Jose Cinco De Mayo news stories. It's becoming a breeding ground for animals with no pride in their town or basic human decency. Downtown Campbell is "the" spot at the moment for nightlife. If I were single that's where I'd be going and when my single friends come to town, that's where we head and always have a great time. On my street in Los Gatos there are currently at least 5 buildings with apartments for rent - walking distance to several grocery stores, reastuarants, pet store, liquor stores, etc. The Los Gatos Creek Trail goes on for miles and is BEAUTIFUL, Vasona Park & Lake are maybe 5 minutes by bike or a 10 minute walk. Highways 17 and 85 are 3-5 minutes away and they will get you anywhere you need to go. I've found LG people to be a LOT more friendly than SJ folks in general too. If you've got to be in SJ, try the Cambrian area (near Hwy 85 & Union Ave) or the Westside (Saratoga Ave & Prospect Ave). Avoid downtown, the area directly south of downtown, the East Side and unless you're absolutely rolling in money, Willow Glen. The Almaden area is popular, but I have no idea why...Lots of McMansions, one huge shopping mall and nothing much else. Highly over-rated (and expensive) area.
IMHO, the absolute BEST thing about Downtown SJ is Sonia's Cheesesteaks on William St. That's pretty much the only reason I go downtown anymore and yes, I absolutely DO go out of my way to eat their sandwiches! You couldn't pay me to live down there again.
I hope this all doesn't discourage you. San Jose is VAST and there are still places that are decent, they are just getting harder and harder to find. Good luck in your search!

[Seige]

Thanks for your replies. After the responses, it seems Downtown Campbell is a good place.
I can live around in MountainView etc but I want to keep the commute real short. So for now, gonna stick with some place closer.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by JayJunior

If you want to see what Downtown is really like, do a search on Downtown San Jose Cinco De Mayo news stories. It's becoming a breeding ground for animals with no pride in their town or basic human decency.

That's just one night of the year, not representative of the rest. San Jose is still in the top three safest (large) cities in the country. If you lived around 7th/San Fernando, you were near panhandler central at 10th, due to all the halfway houses there near SJSU.

For a better idea of the downtown scene, the OP should check out Music in the Park on Thursdays, the San Jose Jazz Festival, and Downtown Farmers' Market in San Pedro Square for starters. San Jo does outdoor stuff well.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by JayJunior

I agree with Mystical - if you work downtown, living there is great. If you don't work in downtown, don't bother living there. It's not cheaper to live there, in fact because of the close proximity to SJSU you often pay MORE for LESS. I lived on 7th & San Fernando and worked at Market & San Fernando - it was a 10 minute walk to work which was great. However, if you have to go anywhere in your car and don't have a reserved parking spot at your place you can forget about parking until after all the night classes are out - say after 9pm. Parking in Downtown is a nightmare.!

Unless you have an assigned space, parking is a nightmare. Most apartments downtown do overcharge, but that's why I like my landlord, Westwood Properties. They are more reasonable. But I agree, if I didn't work downtown, the appeal would be greatly reduced.

Originally Posted by JayJunior

Also, the transient problem in Downtown get worse and worse every year. If you don't mind being asked for food/money/cigarrettes every block on your way to anywhere it's OK. I got really tired of that after a year or so of living it and that was many years ago. I'd estimate there are 10x the amount of homeless in the downtown area than there were when I lived there.!

This is blown way out of proportion. I've lived downtown for 2 years and I can count on one hand how many times I've been asked for money.

SJ cops are jerks, I agree. I don't go to bars & clubs, but SJ doesn't have a reputation of being a great club place.

Originally Posted by JayJunior

To be honest I can't imagine why anyone would WANT to move to San Jose anymore... I've lived in this area for over 40 years and for the last year or so I have been making plans to get outta dodge. This place was great in the 70's & 80's, but between the ridiculous cost of living, the traffic, the pollution, the lack of "culture", the crime, the gangs, the homeless... Well, I guess the weather is still nice.

It sounds like you want it to be the suburban and semi-rural place it was 40 years ago. Not gonna happen.

I agree with you on:

Cost of living

Traffic (that's why I live a block away from where I work)

Lack of culture: to a degree. Not as good as it should be for a large city, but not as bad as some make it out to be.

Weather: Yes, it's great.

I disagree with you on:

Gangs/Crime: The crime rate has dropped precipitously in SJ as in most parts of the US over the last 15 years. SJ is safe by large city standards.

Homeless: It's the same as it's been the last 30 years, no better, no worse.

Pollution: This one is totally false. The air was much more polluted here in the 1970s than it is today (as is true in most places). SJ violates the Federal pollution standards once every few years at most. With improved technology & ever stricter standards, the air quality will continue to improve.


I also agree that downtown Campbell is becoming an "in" spot. Although I would guess the rents there are a bit higher (not sure, though). Los Gatos is great if you can afford it (and that's a bit "if" there). Their downtown also has parking issues. Depending on where you work, it can also be a bit of a commute.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

If you lived around 7th/San Fernando, you were near panhandler central at 10th, due to all the halfway houses there near SJSU.

Thanks for pointing this out. I live a few blocks away and never get panhandled. Downtown can be "spotty" that way. You can live a few blocks away from a bad spot and have a totally different life experience.