This American city has long been less popular than its successful neighbor, San Francisco. Over the past decade, it has grown into the main commercial and cultural center of California and is confidently in the lead. Included in the top three largest cities in the state, he entered the front ranks of innovative technologies.
City of the future
Modern San Jose (California) is the oldest city in the state and the third most populous. The unofficial capital of the American Silicon Valley, where the offices of the most famous world corporations are located, is saturated with the spirit of modern technology, and the abundance of glass and concrete houses reminds one more of the fantastic landscapes of the city from the distant future.
A bit of history
According to official figures, the city was founded in 1777. It was the main center of the Spanish colony New California, but no historical monuments of that period have been preserved. It was a small farming village, which in 1850, after gaining independence by the state, became its capital. Undeveloped land began to be built up quickly, and the growth of the electronics industry has turned the agricultural community into a world center of high technology.
Weather in San Jose (California)
Tourists adore this unique city for its wonderful continental climate. The influence of the Pacific current, which is cool, is weakened here, unlike other coastal cities. The mountains that surround it from all sides protect it from heavy rains and strong winds, which is why sunny weather with clear skies reigns here more than 300 days a year. Rainfall is very rare, non-hot summers and warm winters delight travelers from different countries who come here on vacation throughout the year.
Economic development of a commercial center
The economy of the city, in which engineering and computer companies are concentrated, is developing rapidly. The population is also growing rapidly, but it cannot be said that all problems have bypassed the economic center. Housing prices are very high in the city, and about six percent of people live below the poverty line. The beginning of the XXI century was marked by a real race for technological discoveries, each company sought to break ahead and win its customer. At this time, in San Jose, California, hundreds of Internet corporations went bankrupt, and thousands lost their jobs. Residents of the business center never forget that success also has a downside.
In general, the metropolis is considered the richest city in America, and the salaries of the population are recognized as the highest in the country. A locality that is expensive to live in is a popular place for experienced programmers and scientists to work, therefore, the best specialists in the field of computer development rush to dream of realizing in the profession. To date, more than 6,500 companies are registered in the city, employing 250 thousand people.
Investment in the city of two powerful corporations
Huge Apple has already invested $ 300 million in developing San Jose. The state of California and the city council approved the desire of the American company to build an office in the region. Five million square foot-office space is planned to become the headquarters of the technology giant.
And in 2013, the main competitor of the American brand, the South Korean brand Samsung, laid the foundation of its research and development center in the city. And two years later, a 10-story office with an area of more than one million square meters opened its doors. ft. The strategically important facility is the largest investment of the company in San Jose (California). So Samsung plans to increase its presence in the US market.
Strange House - Maze
The city with its laws of life is of great interest to tourists. Its main attractions are numerous museums and a haunted house.
Winchester Villa, recognized as the strangest building in San Jose, stands out. The three-story house erected by the daughter of a major arms manufacturer is a tangled labyrinth in which doors open into blank walls, corridors wind around winding paths, and stairwells end on the ceiling. The hostess thus tried to drive away evil spirits from the house, which, in her opinion, took the lives of loved ones.
An inattentive visitor runs the risk of breaking his neck by breaking windows embedded in the floor, or falling outside through a door that opens out. The frightening labyrinth of 150 rooms with dead ends, secret passages is recognized as one of the most mysterious mansions in the world. Residents of San Jose (California) believe that the spirits living there are still rushing about in search of a ghostly exit.
What else to visit in the city?
The Museum of Science and Technology is located in the very center of the metropolis. His expositions will talk about how modern technology affects people's lives.
The Museum of Art, which harmoniously fits into the landscape of the city of the future, used to be a small gallery where the works of fashionable artists were exhibited, and now it is the largest center of contemporary art.
The library of M. L. King, which appeared 13 years ago, offers visitors free access to modern multimedia resources. A snow-white building is a real architectural masterpiece.
The Egyptian Museum of the Rosicrucians is a true treasury, which contains unique artifacts of ancient Egypt.
The patchwork and textile museum is interesting in that it is the only institution of its kind in America. Every three months, collections are replenished with curious samples.
According to all tourists who have visited such a state as California, the city of San Jose lives in the future, and that is where the thoughts of local residents are directed. Even among friends, all the talk is about high technology. And while they exist, the metropolis will for a long time occupy leading positions in the field of innovative technologies.