San Jose, California, the county seat of Santa Clara County, is located in the western part of the state. It is the third largest city in California. San Jose is part of the San Francisco Bay metropolitan area, which is the fourth largest in the United States.
San Jose is known as the "Capital of Silicon Valley." San Jose still boasts a large agricultural and food-processing industry, but the majority of the economy is now technology driven. Specific sectors include computer hardware, software, electronics, metals, rubbers, plastic, chemicals and aeronautics. The actual area known as "Silicon Valley" is nearby the city.
Major employers of the city include Adobe, Cisco, eBay, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, as well as San Diego State University and Santa Clara County. San Jose has the third highest cost of living the United States. This is mainly because of housing costs that have been rising exponentially in the past several years. However, the citizens of San Jose still have the highest disposable income for any U.S. city of its size. The location and availability of jobs entice many to make the move here, keeping local San Jose movers busy.
History:
San Jose was originally occupied by the Ohlone Indians for many years before the first European settlements in the 18th century. The first settlement not for the use of a military base or mission in the San Jose area was founded in 1777.
Captain Fallon captured the area in 1846 and got the settlements in California to join the United States. The largest mercury mines in the country were discovered near San Jose during the California Gold Rush. The city built the San Jose Electric Light Tower, in 1881, in an attempt to replace the city's gas streetlights; the tower collapsed in 1915. The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco caused some buildings in San Jose to be destroyed. In 1933, Brooke Hart was murdered, and a public riot ensued where the rioters lynched the two men who confessed to the murder.
A.P. Hamann was the city manager of San Jose from 1950 to 1969 and he was responsible for very high growth rates and many improvements in the city. After Hamann's term, anti-growth plans were put into place in an attempt to cap the growth and size of the city. However, during the 1980's and 1990's, a technology boom hit the city which led to a large increase in population, housing costs, and income in the area.
Tourism:
San Jose International Airport is within five miles of the city and Oakland and San Francisco are both with fifty miles of the city. The city features the San Jose Sharks of the NHL, as well as several smaller collegiate and professional teams. Popular parks within the city include Alum Rock Park, Kelley Park, and Rosicrucian Park. The downtown area of the city features most of the artwork that is available. Additionally, some of the downtown buildings feature unique architecture and a lower skyline because of a height limit due to the nearby airport.
Climate:
Like the rest of the Bay Area, San Jose has a Mediterranean climate. San Jose is semiarid; mountains on three sides of the region shelter the area from rain. San Jose experiences little rainfall.