Guidebook for San Jose

Carolyn
Guidebook for San Jose

Essentials

A good, generally economical choice for groceries.
236 locals recommend
Trader Joe's
635 Coleman Ave
236 locals recommend
A good, generally economical choice for groceries.
A smaller downtown location, close to public transportation.
54 locals recommend
Safeway Market
54 locals recommend
A smaller downtown location, close to public transportation.
lots of prepared foods to go and an onsite brewery at this location.
350 locals recommend
Whole Foods Market
777 The Alameda
350 locals recommend
lots of prepared foods to go and an onsite brewery at this location.
Nice clothes, decent discounts.
Neiman Marcus Last Call
1230 Great Mall Dr
Nice clothes, decent discounts.

Shopping

The closest full service grocery store within driving distance.
235 locals recommend
Safeway
2760 Homestead Rd
235 locals recommend
The closest full service grocery store within driving distance.
For everything and anything you may have forgotten.
147 locals recommend
Target
533 Coleman Ave
147 locals recommend
For everything and anything you may have forgotten.
A handy pharmacy.
29 locals recommend
CVS
821 The Alameda
29 locals recommend
A handy pharmacy.
A fancy outdoor mall modeled after Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Great place for a stroll and some people watching. The Cinearts Theatre is very comfy.
818 locals recommend
Santana Row
Santana Row
818 locals recommend
A fancy outdoor mall modeled after Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Great place for a stroll and some people watching. The Cinearts Theatre is very comfy.
A good mall nearby, parking can be tight as they are remodeling at the moment.
488 locals recommend
Westfield Valley Fair
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd
488 locals recommend
A good mall nearby, parking can be tight as they are remodeling at the moment.
Decent shoes and clothes at better prices than the regular Nordstrom.
Nordstrom Rack Westgate Mall
1600 Saratoga Ave
Decent shoes and clothes at better prices than the regular Nordstrom.
Gear, outerwear, sporting goods.
10 locals recommend
REI
130 East El Camino Real
10 locals recommend
Gear, outerwear, sporting goods.
Shoes, clothes, sporting goods.
Sports Basement Campbell
1875 S Bascom Ave
Shoes, clothes, sporting goods.
No membership needed, beer, and alcohol too.
The Wine Club
1200 Coleman Ave
No membership needed, beer, and alcohol too.
They have cheap gas here too.
140 locals recommend
Costco Wholesale
150 Lawrence Station Rd
140 locals recommend
They have cheap gas here too.

Food Scene

Great coffee and a Bay Area institution, started in Berkeley in the late 60's. Peet's begat Starbucks. This is what I serve at home.
52 locals recommend
Peet's Coffee
1295 The Alameda
52 locals recommend
Great coffee and a Bay Area institution, started in Berkeley in the late 60's. Peet's begat Starbucks. This is what I serve at home.
A 10-15 minute walk from the house.
134 locals recommend
Chipotle Mexican Grill
3952 Rivermark Plaza
134 locals recommend
A 10-15 minute walk from the house.
8 min walk from the house.
Vito’s Trattoria
90 Skyport Dr
8 min walk from the house.
Cheap Mexican food nearby.
47 locals recommend
La Victoria Taqueria
140 East San Carlos Street
47 locals recommend
Cheap Mexican food nearby.
I love this place for high quality Vietnamese cuisine.
13 locals recommend
Vung Tau
535 E Santa Clara St
13 locals recommend
I love this place for high quality Vietnamese cuisine.
American food, two miles or so by car.
48 locals recommend
Panera Bread
4180 N 1st St
48 locals recommend
American food, two miles or so by car.
The closest restaurant, 2 1/2 blocks away.
6 locals recommend
IZAKA-YA
1335 N 1st St
6 locals recommend
The closest restaurant, 2 1/2 blocks away.
Right next to the Japanese restaurant Izakaya on the corner, a mere 2 1/2 blocks away.
6 locals recommend
Jade Cathay Chinese Restaurant
1339 N 1st St
6 locals recommend
Right next to the Japanese restaurant Izakaya on the corner, a mere 2 1/2 blocks away.
Some people are nuts about this place.
19 locals recommend
In-N-Out Burger
550 Newhall Drive
19 locals recommend
Some people are nuts about this place.
Finger lickin' good BBQ served in a no nonsense atmosphere. Betcha won't see another tourist here.
6 locals recommend
Smoking Pig BBQ Company
1144 N 4th St
6 locals recommend
Finger lickin' good BBQ served in a no nonsense atmosphere. Betcha won't see another tourist here.
A coworker says this place has very good catfish among other specialties!!
Lillie Mae’s House of Chicken and Wafflez
1240 Coleman Ave
A coworker says this place has very good catfish among other specialties!!
A teensy little New Orleans style place recently opened by our local 3 star Chef David Kinch. If you're looking for fried green tomatoes, oysters, or a Po Boy look no further.
9 locals recommend
The Bywater
532 N Santa Cruz Ave
9 locals recommend
A teensy little New Orleans style place recently opened by our local 3 star Chef David Kinch. If you're looking for fried green tomatoes, oysters, or a Po Boy look no further.
Do you have $700 and three hours to spare? 3 Michelin stars generally require advance planning but you can always pop in for a drink and see how the other half lives. Dress appropriately. Los Gatos is a 10 minute drive down the freeway, there are loads of other restaurants to accommodate more plebian budgets too.
22 locals recommend
Manresa
320 Village Ln
22 locals recommend
Do you have $700 and three hours to spare? 3 Michelin stars generally require advance planning but you can always pop in for a drink and see how the other half lives. Dress appropriately. Los Gatos is a 10 minute drive down the freeway, there are loads of other restaurants to accommodate more plebian budgets too.
Great local produce, meat, fish, and prepared foods. Year round.
19 locals recommend
Campbell Farmer's Market
South Third Street
19 locals recommend
Great local produce, meat, fish, and prepared foods. Year round.
10-15 minute walk from the house.
150 locals recommend
Starbucks
101 E Santa Clara St
150 locals recommend
10-15 minute walk from the house.

Entertainment & Activities

Ice skating! Indoors, year round, skate rentals. Check their website for public skate nights, you'll be skating on the rinks the San Jose Sharks practice on. Sports bar upstairs overlooks 3 rinks.
13 locals recommend
Solar4America Ice (San Jose)
1500 S 10th St
13 locals recommend
Ice skating! Indoors, year round, skate rentals. Check their website for public skate nights, you'll be skating on the rinks the San Jose Sharks practice on. Sports bar upstairs overlooks 3 rinks.

Arts & Culture

The San Jose Giants, farm team for the SF Giants, free tickets are easy to come by at the Trader Joes on Coleman.
14 locals recommend
San Jose Giants
588 E Alma Ave
14 locals recommend
The San Jose Giants, farm team for the SF Giants, free tickets are easy to come by at the Trader Joes on Coleman.
A small old fashioned theatre with new, cushy seating. Vibrant downtown setting.
27 locals recommend
Los Gatos Theatre
43 N Santa Cruz Ave
27 locals recommend
A small old fashioned theatre with new, cushy seating. Vibrant downtown setting.
A pretty funky place, bowling, billiards, and a real dive bar on the premises.
4th Street Bowl
1441 N 4th St
A pretty funky place, bowling, billiards, and a real dive bar on the premises.
A Casino? Yes, they actually have a good sports bar with about 15 large screen TV's and occaisionally live music. 10 minute walk.
19 locals recommend
Casino M8trix
1887 Matrix Blvd
19 locals recommend
A Casino? Yes, they actually have a good sports bar with about 15 large screen TV's and occaisionally live music. 10 minute walk.

Parks & Nature

Great place for a run, head north from the airport.
24 locals recommend
Guadalupe River Trail
Guadalupe River Trail
24 locals recommend
Great place for a run, head north from the airport.
My favorite place for a hilly trail run.
168 locals recommend
Rancho San Antonio County Park
168 locals recommend
My favorite place for a hilly trail run.
Park at the first parking lot before the main gate if you can get a spot and run the south rim trail.
95 locals recommend
Alum Rock Park
15350 Penitencia Creek Rd
95 locals recommend
Park at the first parking lot before the main gate if you can get a spot and run the south rim trail.

Getting Around

Hop on the Caltrain for points north and the City by the Bay!
134 locals recommend
San Jose Diridon Station
65 S Montgomery St
134 locals recommend
Hop on the Caltrain for points north and the City by the Bay!
Bicycle Express
131 E William St
With a little advance planning these folks will deliver a nice rental bike to you.
Black Sheep Bicycle Rental
With a little advance planning these folks will deliver a nice rental bike to you.
VTA, Valley Transit Authority is San Jose's public transport. The Gish station is just 2-3 short blocks away. Take the light rail north to Sunnyvale and Mountain View or downtown to connect to CalTrain for trips to San Francisco.
Gish Station (North)
VTA, Valley Transit Authority is San Jose's public transport. The Gish station is just 2-3 short blocks away. Take the light rail north to Sunnyvale and Mountain View or downtown to connect to CalTrain for trips to San Francisco.