Is San Jose better than Sacramento or it just a more expensive version? (San Francisco: condo, hotel)

[CalmJamie]

I have a job opportunity in SJ for the San Jose/Evergreen community college district and I wanted to hear from people that have either lived in both San Jose and Sacramento or have spent/are spending a good amount of time in both. I currently live in Sacramento, but I'm not from here and I have to say that for my personal tastes of what a city is, Sacramento is dreary, small, my allergies attack me every spring and I am not satisfied here. From asking friends that have lived in SJ, it seems like it can be compared to Sacramento and I fear that if I get a job there, I will find myself still searching to have that big city feel and not staying in SJ for too long - like a 2 year maximum! The main thing that saves SJ and makes me consider it is its close distance to SF and it being in the bay. I have extended family and friends in SF and I am a single woman that needs to mingle and I know cities like SF attract many singles. So what are your opinions?

[04kL4nD]

Personally, I'd rather live in Sacramento than San Jose. The nightlife is a lot better and I think the people are less stuck up and pretentious. If you don't like Sac, you might like San Jose, but don't expect it to be San Francisco or anything vibrant or all that exciting. In reality, Sac and San Jose are probably more similar than they are different- the biggest differences being income level and industry.

[chessgeek]

If San Jose is not vibrant enough for you, then San Francisco is less than 50 miles away (and between 40-45 if you choose to live in west San Jose). It is ironic that you are comparing Sacramento and San Jose. I just spent some time recently in downtown San Jose with a friend from a suburb near Sacramento who used to live in San Jose and she regards San Jose as cleaner and feels a little safer to her. We ate lunch at Original Joe's Italian restaurant (still thriving and has been around since the late 1950's) and had a cocktail after at a nearby hotel before she went home on the train. She was in town for her high school reunion.

I think San Jose is significantly more comfortable in the summer (generally upper 70's to 80's for highs in downtown San Jose vs. 90's and around 100 degrees for Sacramento). I think San Jose has the better restaurants and maybe Sacramento has slightly more nightlife. I like that San Jose State provides downtown with some college presence/vibe where as Sacramento State is a good five miles east of downtown Sacramento. I do agree that Old Town Sacramento is nice and I enjoy occasionally having an appetizer and drink on the Delta King riverboat on the Sacramento River when I visit.

You will pay more in San Jose, but likely earn more, too and you are only planning on living in San Jose for two years or so. You are also less than an hour from the coast in San Jose if driving to the Santa Cruz area and it is slightly more than an hour to the Monterey Peninsula. Those are things to consider, too. I think San Jose would be a good choice for you.

[roadwarrior101]

There are pros and cons to both, to be honest. I can't say that one is better than the other. Here are my thoughts:

-Weather: SJ is milder in the summertime than Sacramento and probably a tad warmer in the winter (not as much tule fog influence). The air quality is noticeably better in SJ. Sometimes, I personally crave a bit more heat than SJ typically offers, but most would say that the weather in SJ is a little better.
-Cost of living: Big difference. I know others say you'll earn more, but probably not much working in education. You'll get significantly less for your money in SJ and you may have to lower your standard of living expectations.
-Restaurants: Probably a little better in SJ, but I've eaten well in Sac. I honesty don't think either are on par with SF.
-Nightlife: I don't really care for the nightlife in SJ. It tends to be either ghetto or nerdy. Its probably a little better in Sac, but then again, neither are SF.
-Recreation: In SJ, you're close to Monterey/Carmel. However, in Sac, you're closer to Tahoe/Yosemite. Both are about 2 hours from Napa. I'd say its a wash.

SJ is an ok place, but I don't think it warrants the high cost of living. This is more due to the top employment market in the tech sector, as opposed to being a world-class city, as you have in SF. Personally, I would not make the move, although I do think you'd have less allergy problems.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

There are pros and cons to both, to be honest. I can't say that one is better than the other. Here are my thoughts:

-Weather: SJ is milder in the summertime than Sacramento and probably a tad warmer in the winter (not as much tule fog influence). The air quality is noticeably better in SJ. Sometimes, I personally crave a bit more heat than SJ typically offers, but most would say that the weather in SJ is a little better.
-Cost of living: Big difference. I know others say you'll earn more, but probably not much working in education. You'll get significantly less for your money in SJ and you may have to lower your standard of living expectations.
-Restaurants: Probably a little better in SJ, but I've eaten well in Sac. I honesty don't think either are on par with SF.
-Nightlife: I don't really care for the nightlife in SJ. It tends to be either ghetto or nerdy. Its probably a little better in Sac, but then again, neither are SF.
-Recreation: In SJ, you're close to Monterey/Carmel. However, in Sac, you're closer to Tahoe/Yosemite. Both are about 2 hours from Napa. I'd say its a wash.

SJ is an ok place, but I don't think it warrants the high cost of living. This is more due to the top employment market in the tech sector, as opposed to being a world-class city, as you have in SF. Personally, I would not make the move, although I do think you'd have less allergy problems.

As someone who has lived in both cities, I think the post above pretty much nails it on every point. I prefer SJ to Sac. However, it isn't 2x or 3x better, but it IS 2x to 3x the price (Count on housing costs being at least double). So you'll have to ask yourself if it's really worth it. Will your salary here really be 2X or even 1.5X what you make in Sac? Is a job here going to give you a good chance at future career advancement? If the answer to both of those is "no" or "probably no", then don't do it. If at least one of them is a "yes", then you have to play the trade off game and decide on what's most important to you.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by chessgeek

I think San Jose would be a good choice for you.

Props to chessgeek, who is among the minority when it comes to talking about San Jose's good points!

Now let us get back to the "Let's Talk Trash About San Jose" Show.

San Jose is an incredibly horrible place. People here are all nerdy, introverted, filthy rich, and yet lifeless. There are no culture here (Asian and Latino way of life are not counted as cultures, sorry). Everyone drives a car, which is not cool. To be cool, you must bike.

Here, everyone lives in a nice single family home with a yard. That is not COOL. To be cool you need to live in sardine cans and trip over the homeless sleeping on your condo building's front door.

San Jose is a family-oriented city. That is just simply NOT COOL. I mean, a place that place an emphasis on raising kids to be productive citizens of the world? THAT IS SO NOT COOL....

San Jose is not a place for singles.

It has nerdy, introverted men who are too damn nice to be fun--but can be quite a hoot if you accept their offer to a Quakes game or Monday night trivia at the Market .

SJ has good women who have too much integrity to throw themselves onto the first man they see at a bar/gym/library--but can be pleasantly receptive if you ask them to a Sharks game or a South First Friday night market jaunt.

You see, San Jose single scene just suck. I know, you can't just barge in a get a date, as a man, or get numbers thrown at you, as a woman.

OP, do not come here. San Jose sucks a million ducks man! Stay in Sacramento! Who cares about the lack of jobs and the horrific weather, at the end of the day, you are COOL. That's all that matters.

[Local123]

San Jose is so much better IMO. I have lived in SJ nearly my whole life and visited Sac and there is no way in a million years you could pay me to move from here to there. And clearly the cost to live in SJ versus Sac supports that it is a more desirable place to live. And I have had friends whine about having to move from SJ to Sac because they can no longer afford to live here. I have never met someone who moved to Sac because they thought it was better..it's just cheaper. Some of the posters here seem to be living in an alternate universe. Even if you don't love SJ specifically it's location and whether alone rule over Sac.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by Local123

San Jose is so much better IMO. I have lived in SJ nearly my whole life and visited Sac and there is no way in a million years you could pay me to move from here to there. And clearly the cost to live in SJ versus Sac supports that it is a more desirable place to live. And I have had friends whine about having to move from SJ to Sac because they can no longer afford to live here. I have never met someone who moved to Sac because they thought it was better..it's just cheaper. Some of the posters here seem to be living in an alternate universe. Even if you don't love SJ specifically it's location and whether alone rule over Sac.

I'd say it all depends upon where you live. If you're comparing living in a nice area of Sac (say Folsom), to having to live in a not so nice part of SJ as that's all you can afford, I'd say that Sac would be better. Yes, it is true that as a whole, the Bay Area has a lot more to offer than Sac. However, I'd also argue its mainly about what is surrounding SJ, as opposed to the city itself. I don't think SJ as a city is really all that great, with the exception of the job market and the nice climate.

[Local123]

I completely disagree. I love the city of San Jose itself. I think the weird hate for San Jose is completely contrived and played out. There are gorgeous areas of San Jose itself and there is a ton to do in the city and surrounding areas. There are many good schools and cute older homes and I feel safe living here. When friends come visit from out of state they say they'd move to SJ in a heart beat if they could afford it. I have been all over San Jose and just like any big city there are some less than desirable areas but there are a lot of great neighborhoods..way more good than bad. Willow Glen, Almaden, Cambrian Park, The Rose Garden, West San Jose (where I grew up) etc. There seems to be a real disconnect in these threads because growing up in SJ and raising a family here myself I do not encounter the SJ hate. People seem genuinely happy to get to live here.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Some of the areas of strip development bear a superficial resemblance to Sacto but that is where the similarities end.