Stephen L. wrote: >Hey, I've got a plant trip out to Intel in Sunnyvale, California next >week, and I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands. Where are >good, cheap, young-person, college-oriented, places to visit? I'm not >looking for nice restaurants, since I don't have the money, but I am >looking for an atmospheric, good meal, that will (somehow!) show me what >Sunnyvale and San Jose' have to offer! >I'm inclined to visit with the "alternative/progressive" (those labels >are such BS though) crowd, so I'm would also like to check out any kind >of coffee houses, and those kind of (liberal) gathering places that have >begun to spring up. What about night club type places? Any >recommendations? I'll be there on Thursday evening, Friday, and >Saturday morning, so I'm making at least part of the weekend! >Give a somewhat decent description of where the places are, what >streets, cross streets, or I guess I can look places up in the phone >book. Directions would be helpful too! If it makes any difference, I'm >going to be staying in the Hilton in Sunnyvale. >Steve >"Intelligent immaturity is a virtue" -Steve Lacy Actually, a nice restaurant isn't nearly as costly as some of the nightclubs in the area. In San Jose, the F/X Club and DB Coopers seem fairly popular, although I've never been, as they also seem too expensive. If you like to gamble, there are also a couple of card casinos/nightclubs in town. Since you'll be there sort of over the weekend, get a copy of the Mercury News and look in the Eye section- they usually list what's going on at all the clubs, at what times, and how much it'll cost along with any other pertinent info (like directions). You can also get coupons and stuff at the back of the Eye. There's a lot of stuff around San Pedro street in San Jose, and if you want a good coffee house, you can also go to the Oaks in Cupertino; the Coffee Society is a nice place. If you like Reggae music, then you might want to check Ola's on the corner of Wolfe and Homestead (near HP). It's a Carribean/Cajun/African restaurant with a reggae bar attached. They usually get bands to perform on the weekends. I don't know if there is a cover, but dinner there is damn good. There is also a comedy club somewhere in Sunnyvale, but I don't know where. I used to go to the Last Laugh in San Jose, but comedy clubs don't seem to do well in the area. Oh well. As for restaurants, if you are anywhere near First and Trimble come happy hour, try Una Mas Taqueria. They have some of the best tacos in San Jose, in my opinion. I already mentioned Ola's. There is also Pasand, an Indian place on El Camino Real, right where Lawrence Expressway crosses over. Pacific Fresh on Mathilda has great seafood, and the prices aren't all that high. My favorite Chinese restaurant in the area is in Cupertino, on De Anza Boulevard (if you take Mathilda south, it becomes Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road which becomes De Anza Boulevard), near Nob Hill Foods. It is called Loon Wah. Their prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere is relaxing, and the food is great (they also have good service). I think that's about it right now, but if you want more, just email me. There is a wealth of good restaurants in the Santa Clara Valley. :-Dan
San Jose, CA