Santa Clara (California)
From Wikitravel
Santa Clara is a town in the South Bay part of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California.
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Understand
Santa Clara, California is a small city of big contrasts. If any city can claim to be the center of "Silicon Valley" it is this town of just over 100,000. The headquarters of Intel, AMD and National Semiconductor are all here. At the same time, Santa Clara is one of the oldest settlements (by Europeans) in Northern California. The Mission Santa Clara de Asis was established in 1777, and the Jesuit-run Santa Clara University is the oldest university in California, having been founded in 1851. Dozens of 19th century homes are well-maintained by their 21st century owners in the "old quad," the earliest residential area, adjacent to the university.
Yet another contrast is the diversity of the local population, driven by the tech boom of the 1970's -1990's. Visitors from Asia and Europe frequently overhear strangers speaking their native languages. Specialty markets offer native ingredients from around the world, and the Indian and East Asian restaurants are some of the best in the Bay Area. But many of the best places in Santa Clara are tucked away in nondescript strip malls. This is a town that you could drive right through and see nothing of any interest. It's also a town that you could explore and enjoy if you know where to look.
Get in
Just west of San Jose, Santa Clara is adjacent to San Jose Mineta Airport.
By train
Caltrain stops at Santa Clara Station, on the west side of Santa Clara University. Though Caltrain doesn't really stop at San Jose Mineta Airport, the free Airporter bus shuttles passengers between the airport and the Santa Clara Caltrain station.
The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) is an Amtrak express train running from the central valley towns of Stockton, Tracy, Livermore and Pleasanton to San Jose. The train stops at the Santa Clara Amtrak station at Lafayette and Tasman, near the Santa Clara Convention Center. Only a few trains run per day.
Get around
See
- Intel Museum http://www.intel.com/museum/index.htm
- Mission Santa Clara
- Santa Clara University
- Agnews Development Center, Located at the corner of Lafayette Ave and Agnews Rd, this complex of buildings was previously known as the Agnews Insane Asylum. Founded in 1889, the facility's original buildings collapsed in the "San Francisco Earthquake" of 1906, killing more than 100 people. The new buildings - including the still-standing auditorium and clock tower - reflected a more modern attitude toward the mentally ill. The smaller buildings with larger windows were designed to comfort, rather than imprison, the mentally ill that had no place in society. The state of California moved the last few hundred residents out in the mid 1990's, and sold the campus to Sun Microsystems, who promised to preserve the grounds and certain historic buildings, and make the auditorium and executive mansion available for public use. A small local history museum is located at the auditorium.
- Triton Museum of Art http://www.tritonmuseum.org/
- Harriss-Lass Historic Museum - This 19th century house has been restored and converted to a museum of local history.
Do
- Great America, Nestled among the office buildings is one of the Bay Area's largest amusement parks. Yes, from their cubicles they can hear you screaming on the roller coasters. Information at http://www.pgathrills.com/
- Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club, 5155 Stars & Stripes, tel. 408-980-9515
Buy
- Westfield Shopping Town at Valley Fair
- Farmer's Market
- Starving Musician
Eat
Splurge
- Parcel 104, 2700 Mission College Blvd. (at the Santa Clara Marriott), 970-6104, http://www.parcel104.com . One of the best restaurants in the South Bay is hidden at the ground floor of the Santa Clara Marriott, just off the Great America Parkway at highway 101. The cuisine is a sophisticated example of California cuisine (light dishes, good fish, flavorful fruits and fresh vegetables), combined with Asian influences such as Japanese ingredients. Excellent wines and desserts too. Prepare to spend and enjoy.
Midrange
- Gaesung Tofu, 2089 El Camino Real (at the corner of El Camino Real and Scott, in the strip mall behind the Union 76 station), 248-8638. Among the dozen or so Korean restaurants in Santa Clara, Gaesung is one of the best. Their specialty is the tofu based hot-pot stews of Korea. The restaurant is not entirely vegetarian, but does offer vegetarian dishes.
- Yuki Sushi (http://www.yukisushi.com/index.html), 1827 Pruneridge Ave (in the Cedar Tree Shopping Center at the corner of Pruneridge and Winchester), 248-9144 (Fax 260-1988). Lunch: Tu-Fr 11:30AM-2:00 PM, Dinner: Tu-Sa 5PM-9:30 PM, Su 5PM-9PM. Closed Mondays. A small restaurant with excellent sushi, Yuki Sushi also has specialty rolls with innovative combinations of western and Japanese ingredients. Vegetarian entrees, noodles, donburi and teishoku are also on the menu. The restaurant usually fills up fast. Take-out is available.
Drink
Sleep
Get out
Cope
- Santa Clara City Library (http://www.library.ci.santa-clara.ca.us/) (2635 Homestead Road) was rebuilt completely in 2004. The library has a number of internet terminals and a cafe. If you want to get one of the terminals, arrive when the library opens, or try a weekday when the kids are in school.
External links
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