Quick question for San Jose residents.

[Sukhoi]

I'm looking at a place just a couple blocks west of W Santa Clara St and S Montgomery St. Is this a decent neighborhood? It's on the west side of the train station. Also how's the walk to the downtown area on W Santa Clara St? I see it's only a little over a mile, so this place I'm checking out seems to have an awesome location. Just want to make sure there aren't any not so good areas in the way.

 

[JohnAn2112]

Street parking will be rough.

 

[thomsbrain]

My work takes me all over San Jose, and especially to the worse neighborhoods. It's not a great area, and Santa Clara Street runs through some really rough neighborhoods on the other side of Downtown, which is only a mile or so wide. By "rough" I mean gangs, shootings, you watch what color you wear, that kind of thing. There aren't any neighborhoods in San Jose where I feel my immediate safety is in jeopardy, but I am a white male driving a reasonably nice car, and no one will mistake me for someone who is banging. But I would never choose to live in many of those neighborhoods, regardless of the practicality of the location. As for your particular spot, I think there's a lot of industrial and government stuff over there. My guess is if you're male and you don't look like someone that a gang member would care about, you're probably fine to walk downtown from that spot.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
My work takes me all over San Jose, and especially to the worse neighborhoods. It's not a great area, and Santa Clara Street runs through some really rough neighborhoods on the other side of Downtown, which is only a mile or so wide. By "rough" I mean gangs, shootings, you watch what color you wear, that kind of thing. There aren't any neighborhoods in San Jose where I feel my immediate safety is in jeopardy, but I am a white male driving a reasonably nice car, and no one will mistake me for someone who is banging. But I would never choose to live in many of those neighborhoods, regardless of the practicality of the location. As for your particular spot, I think there's a lot of industrial and government stuff over there. My guess is if you're male and you don't look like someone that a gang member would care about, you're probably fine to walk downtown from that spot.

Yeah it's a newish (built 2002-2004 I think) neighborhood of condos/townhouses on the south side of Santa Clara west of the train station. I figured it used to be some sort of industrial or ghetto area that was torn down. No other way someone is going to get that much land that close to downtown. It'll be three white males living in the place so we definitely won't look like gang bangers. I'll pursue further.

 

[RagingBITCH]

I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

 

[Sukhoi]

Damn that might be a deal breaker.

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

A couple of reasons: people don't like white (mercury) street lights that much, because of the way skin looks under them. You look ghosty-pale-white, like a zombie. The light is also too harsh.

Generally people prefer yellow. However, San Jose opted for the cheapest yellow, which is not nearly as nice as expensive yellow. That's why these lights look like crap.

 

[slpaulson]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

I read somewhere that it's because of an observatory. It's easier to filter out yellow light than white light.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

I read somewhere that it's because of an observatory. It's easier to filter out yellow light than white light.

that might be plausible. Lick Observatory is on nearby Mount Hamilton (the white domes are clearly visible with the naked eye on the peak), and operated by the UC system. I have no idea if that's why the lights are yellow... personally I hadn't noticed anything special about them.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
Damn that might be a deal breaker.

 

[trmiv]

There isn't anywhere in San Jose where I feel unsafe. A little out of place in some of the more Hispanic areas? Yea. But not unsafe.

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

I read somewhere that it's because of an observatory. It's easier to filter out yellow light than white light.

that is correct.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: trmiv
There isn't anywhere in San Jose where I feel unsafe. A little out of place in some of the more Hispanic areas? Yea. But not unsafe.

That's good. From what I've read on here and a couple other sites most of the violence seems to be hispanic on hispanic, so if you stay out of their way you're fine.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

I hate San Jose. That whole place is ghetto. I went to school there and glad that I'm finished and no longer staying there.

 

[Bullhonkie]

Originally posted by: freesia39

Originally posted by: cRazYdood

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I hate the street lights in San Jose. Why the hell are they street light yellow? It's annoying and ugly.

I read somewhere that it's because of an observatory. It's easier to filter out yellow light than white light.

that is correct.

They're called sodium vapor lamps if anyone's wondering.

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: Tommy2000GT
I hate San Jose. That whole place is ghetto. I went to school there and glad that I'm finished and no longer staying there.

San Jose is ghetto? Haha.... good one...