Best Place to Rent w/ fun around San Jose (San Francisco: sublet, apartment)

[MI2CA]

Hey,
I'm moving from Michigan to the bay area in the summer for an internship and then possibly full time. The job is in central San Jose. I'm looking for a place either in our around the SJ area. Preferably less than a 45 minute commute, I know that if I live north on 101 it will be a reverse rush hour commute for the most part. I've been looking at Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, among some others. I'm 24, can afford up to around 1300 in rent and prefer a place with good nightlife on the weekends and other things to do. What do you think is the best bet? Should I live in Palo Alto so I can go up to the city on the weekends or live south in Los Gatos? Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

[romeoDNB]

MI2CA it's great to hear your going to be interning in the Golden State. You'll enjoy the great year-round weather and the close vicinity of San Jose to other attractions (i.e. Pacific Ocean, SF Bay, the city (SF), the town (Oakland) and Napa Valley).

As far as nightlife, the best places are in the city (SF). But, downtown Mt. View has a couple decent places, same with downtown Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. Downtown San Jose has more of a selection than those cities. All the cities in the South Bay (San Jose, Mt. View, etc...) are connected to one another and there are plenty of ways to get to either one by driving. Downtown Los Gatos is okay if you like the yuppy crowd, but I dont' like it b/c it's basically in the middle of nowhere. Personally, when I go out I usually go to SF, downtown SJ, downtown Mt. View and sometimes downtown Sunnyvale.

[gizmo980]

Hi there! I live on the south Peninsula (near Palo Alto), and it's a great place... as far as night-life, downtown Palo Alto is always hopping on the weekends, mainly with college students on University Ave. Los Gatos also has a nice downtown area, with lots of music clubs and bars. San Jose is alright too, but I personally would rather not live in that actual city. Mountain View is a really nice town - my sister lives there & loves it - and their Castro St. has quite a bit of activity on weekends. All of these places will cost a pretty penny, and you should expect at least $1100-1300 for a decent apartment. I only pay $900 for a 2-bedroom, but I'm in the worst neighborhood! Your cheapest option (aside from where I live) would be San Jose, Santa Clara, or Sunnyvale, which would all be fairly easy commutes into downtown SJ... most "fun" choices are probably Palo Alto, Menlo Park (right next to PA), Mountain View, Los Gatos/Saratoga, or certain parts of SJ - if you really want to be in a more urban setting. Let me know if you have specific questions about these towns!

[MI2CA]

Thanks for the info gizmo & romeo. Your advice kind of confirms what I was thinking, living in or near PA and possibly trying to secure a summer sublet from a college student. I figure that way I can commute to work and go into SF without too much hassle if I want a change of scenary. I visited last week for a recruiting trip but only got half a day to actually drive around which wasn't enough, so I really appreciate the responses. I was in Hermosa Beach last summer and worked in Pasadena and really liked it, but I'm thinking it would be a good idea to try the Bay Area too because it seems like it's a really nice area. Thanks again.

[romeoDNB]

The South Bay has pretty good weather year round. Right now it's been sprinkling here and there and the wind has picked up a bit, but that's pretty much the worst of our weather here. The summers can get up to around the mid 90's. I'd say the average temp year round is about 65-70.

Give the Bay Area a try, it's a great place to live. San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland are like three major cities for the price of one. There are many people from different cultures that call the Bay Area home, it's like a little globe all nestled in a great area.