1. This Is Sharks Territory
And if you don’t think so, you might as well just leave San Jose.
2. CREAM Is There For All Your Late Night Ice Cream Cravings
Is there anyone who hasn’t wanted a snicker doodle and banana walnut ice cream cookie at midnight?
3. Tacos At Angelou’s Are The Perfect Way To End Any Day
There’s no shortage of great tacos in San Jose, but Angelou’s Mexican Grill is a local favorite because their totally awesome taste is uncontested.
4. San Jose Locals Actually Cheer For Earthquakes
Not the natural disaster, of course. The San Jose Earthquakes is the city’s Major League Soccer team. They have the best rally cry ever, inspired by the movie Goonies—“Goonies never say die!”
5. But They’ll Barely Flinch At A Real Earthquake
When you sit between two major fault lines and get a couple of moderate earthquakes a year, you pretty much learn how to ignore anything below a four on the Richter Scale.
6. Is It San Jose Or San José?
Don’t ask someone from San Jose how to spell the name of their city…because well…a consensus hasn’t quite been reached. Technically the city council adopted the diacritical mark in 1979, but official city documents have continued to spell it both ways.
7. It’s Totally Okay To Roll Through A Stop Sign
Okay, so it’s totally not. It’s actually totally illegal. But everyone in San Jose does it anyway.
8. Everyone From San Jose Is More Tech Savvy Than You
Even if they’re some of the very few who don’t work in the tech industry, living right in the heart of the Silicon Valley has a way of rubbing off on the residents of San Jose.
9. They’ll Brag About Waking Up To A View Of The Mountains
Because when you’re in a valley, you literally can’t avoid the view.
10. Except When It’s So Foggy That You Can’t See The Mountains
That can also totally happen sometimes, but you learn how to embrace the thick-as-pea-soup fog after a while.
11. Yes, The Weather Is Actually That Perfect
When your average summer high is 80 degrees, and a January day is 60, it’s hard to complain about the weather.
12. But Somehow They Manage To Find Something To Complain About
It doesn’t matter how perfect the weather is, a 60-degree day will still have everyone pulling out their winter coats.
13. Can’t Afford A Vacation To Japan? No Problem
San Jose boasts one of the largest authentic Japanese neighborhoods in the United States, and Japanese culture has a huge influence on the city.
14. The Single Barrel Is The Best Way To Get Drinks In Style
Ever wanted to drink at a speakeasy-style saloon where all the bartenders have on their best 1920s garb? So does everyone from San Jose.
15. The Winchester Mystery House Is Actually As Awesome As Everyone Says
If you’ve ever wondered what the most haphazard construction in the world looked like, you’ll find the answer in this historic house. The still unfinished mansion is full of strange hallways, hidden rooms, and supposedly various ghosts.
16. You’re Required To Love Hiking If You Live In San Jose
With amazing trails, incredible views and tons of green space, it’s hard to imagine any reason why you wouldn’t.
17. But A Trip To See The Redwood Forests Will Really Blow Your Mind
San Jose’s hiking trails are great, but the nearby Big Basin Redwoods State Park is where San Jose nature enthusiasts really flock to on the weekends.
18. Everyone Looks Forward To The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest
The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest just celebrated its 25th year in 2014. It’s not hard to see why it has staying power—it’s one of the major events of the summer.
19. Watch Out For The Light Rail When You’re Walking On The Sidewalk
Yes, the light rail trains can totally just drive on the sidewalks downtown. Cyclists, however, are banned from the sidewalks, so at least you don’t have to worry about that.
20. Even Better—Avoid Getting Smashed By The Light Rail By Taking It
San Jose has seriously awesome public transportation if you want to get around downtown.
21. Smash Mouth Is Kind Of A Guilty Pleasure
And kind of a deep personal shame. The band best known for that song that was played at every public school fundraising event ever is from San Jose.
22. Everyone’s Dad Worked At IBM
If you ask anyone in San Jose what their dad did for a living, you’ll get exactly the same answer.
23. Don’t You Dare Call It A Suburb
Unless you really really want to annoy a San Jose local. Come on! It’s the third largest city in California!
What do you have to explain to out-of-towners about San Jose? Tell us in the comments below!
