San Jose is the lively, livable heart of Silicon Valley—compact downtown with diverse restaurants, museums, farmers’ markets, local trails and parks, reliable transit, and a steady tech-and-arts energy that makes multi-week stays interesting and convenient.
Big-city options in nearby San Francisco are within roughly an hour, and coastal escapes like Santa Cruz with beaches and redwood hikes are about an hour’s drive, giving you urban nightlife, museums, and outdoor day trips within easy reach.