Santa Clara, California SperlingViews

I moved to Silicon Valley (from Alabama) in September 2005 and I have been here almost 2 years now. My opinion of Santa Clara, and this area in general, is very mixed. All of my family and friends are back in AL, meaning I am here all on my own. The 2 MAIN things that take getting use to here is the cost of housing and the people.

I am sure many are familiar with the cost of living here and many assume that what you make at your job evens it out in a way. Well, that may be true for people who are just starting their careers out of college, but thats not talked about. It is EXTREMELY common for people to change jobs every year or two in order for a wage increase. It is much more rare to meet people in a company who has been there for over 6-7 years. Where I am from in AL many people are in there jobs for 20-30 years.

Commenting on the people of Silicon Valley...
Its not that people are rude here, but unlike in the deep South, people in the Silicon Valley dont just talk to a stranger for no reason. They dont say hello to you when they see you coming ang going to work and they rarely help a woman who obviously needs help with her groceries. Many of the men rely on AAA rather than bother to get their hands dirty and change a flat tire. Where I am from in AL we associate AAA with AARP, something the elderly need.

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What are you use to? - 6/28/2007

I moved to Silicon Valley (from Alabama) in September 2005 and I have been here almost 2 years now. My opinion of Santa Clara, and this area in general, is very mixed. All of my family and friends[read more...]

very good city - 6/10/2007

Santa Clara is in CA and known as Bay Area. Very good city and it has lot of good places to see for tourists. It has good center for the IT companies, lot of job for IT engineers, lot of public[read more...]

QUALITY OF LIFE - 1/27/2007

Santa Clara is the best place to live in the Silicon Valley. Friendly people, beautiful trees, and its own power[read more...]

overpriced - 1/15/2007

You just do not get much for your money in California. we like the school and the area @ RIVERMARK ,the new community we moved into, but we cannot afford the townhomes here that start at 700,000. we[read more...]

Speaks for itself - 6/29/2006

This is one of the best climates around, in my opinion. The temperatures are moderate year-round. There is a brief winter rainy season and then it is sunny and mid 70s the rest of the[read more...]

Silicon Valley - 6/5/2006

The entire area is way too expensive. We can barely afford our two-bedroom condo and my husband is a Ph.D. engineer. The weather is great but forget about affordable housing around here. If you[read more...]

Cost of living in Santa Clara - 4/21/2006

Cost of living is high, but the price is worth it. Great City government, good utility rates and located in the south bay of San Francisco Bay Area...right in the heart of Silicon[read more...]

San Diego - 2/22/2006

I love this city but the cost of housing and the traffic are making it increasingly less[read more...]