Pros and Cons of Living in San Jose: An Unbiased Guide (According to a Sleep-Deprived Illustrator Who Can’t Draw Straight Lines)

my hands shake a little when i write this because i haven’t slept more than four hours in weeks, and half of that was spent staring at Adobe Illustrator cursing at bezier curves. but here’s the truth bomb: *san jose almost broke me. it also gave me some of the best tacos of my life and a studio apartment i can barely afford.

let’s get messy.

i moved here chasing freelance design gigs. as someone who lives off project deadlines and overpriced oat milk lattes, i thought this place-tech boom central, silicon valley’s beating heart-would be my canvas. turns out, it’s both my canvas and my battlefield. san jose is sprawling, confusing, and straight-up weird in the best way. it’s filled with people who either just IPO’d or just got laid off, and they’re all driving teslas like it's a religion.

pros & cons: the ink’s still wet

let me set the scene: outside, it’s that weird february-in-california weather where it feels like someone forgot to turn the heat on. crisp mornings, sunny by noon, but false-hope evening breezes that make you wanna wear a jacket and sunglasses. and honestly? san jose isn’t as glamorous as san francisco, but it’s also not trying to be. which is refreshing.

you want facts?

\- average rent for a 1bd in san jose? $2,700+. some studios here cost as much as a brooklyn brownstone in 2010.
\- the job market? tech-heavy. like, everything's tech. arduous, repetitive, oddly glamorous, and boring all at once.
\- safety-wise? depending on where you are, you're either chilling in a bubble surrounded by tesla dealerships or walking past encampments and trying not to look heartbroken.

so let’s get into the real talk.

$\"an$
the pros (what kept me)

1. the job scene is ridiculous. design gigs? yeah, a lot. even if you're a freelancer like me, places pop up every week. check r/sanjose for the real tea.
2. the food is INSANE. there are taco trucks here that honestly deserve Michelin stars. i'm not exaggerating. taqueria la victoria in east san jose is a messy gem. also, if you’re into vietnamese pho, pho thanh does a bowl that could cure existential dread.
3. you’re close to everything. want to hit the beach? santa cruz is 45 minutes. sf? 1 hour if you're lucky on 101. flying out of sfo? easy. sacramento? 3 hours. california is massive, and yet it all feels accessible.
4. chaotic nature = cheap art spots. graffitied underpasses, abandoned malls, and unmarked co-working studios are everywhere. perfect for an illustrator like me who works better in chaos.
the cons (what almost made me leave)

1. no, seriously, the rent. $2.7k/mo for a studio that looks like it was designed by a sad ikea intern? no thanks. yelp reviews don’t lie.
2. freeway everything. and i don't mean that in a cool fast-lane-life way. freeways here are like arteries of stress, clogged and dystopian. google maps is my therapist.
3. roads named after tech bros. the entire santa clara county feels like it was branded by a silicon valley start-up rather than planned by humans.
4. no sidewalks sometimes. especially in east san jose. even a skateboarder buddy of mine said, "yo, i almost died trying to push past a gas station."

> overheard at a coffee shop in japantown:
> “i swear the city council meeting was just three hours of passive-aggressive zoning arguments and someone yelling about raccoons.”

> at a backyard show off almaden:
> “you still gotta pay $40 to park at the lot by the google campus. like bro, i don’t even live here anymore but i still get taxed like it.”

> bartender at a dive bar downtown:*
> “look, we all know it: san jose has potential. it's just drunk, lost, and wearing a tesla badge.”

who should live here?

san jose’s for you if:
\- you're a creative lowkey hustling in tech
\- you want access to both urban sprawl and suburb mediocrity
\- you have a high tolerance for traffic and mediocre weather
\- you like eating really good regional food while pretending you’re in a low-budget indie

san jose doesn’t feel like a city that wants to be lived in, more like one that accidentally became a home. but if you can survive it, you’ll probably grow to love that scrappy energy.

hot tip: check out yelp san jose or hop on r/sanjose before making any major moves. this place isn’t for everyone. but damn, it’s unforgettable.

Pros and Cons of Living in San Jose: An Unbiased Guide (According to a Sleep-Deprived Illustrator Who Can’t Draw Straight Lines)

pros & cons: the ink’s still wet

the pros (what kept me)

the cons (what almost made me leave)

who should live here?

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About the author: Luna Sterling

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