Loma Linda - San Jose, CA

As the capital of the Silicon Valley and the largest city in Northern California, San Jose remains a hotbed of professional activity, and the Loma Linda neighborhood is no exception. Major tech companies are located throughout San Jose and include Quantum, Altera, Echelon, Oclaro, Adobe, Cisco Systems, eBay, PayPal, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Ericsson, and many more.

The city of San Jose has a thriving arts community and hosts a number of seasonal celebrations and festivals, including the San Jose International Short Film Festival. Head to the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum to learn about local history or the Triton Museum of Art to admire the work of local artists.

You may need to wait for a table at neighborhood hot spot Orenchi Ramen, but you will not regret it. This incredibly popular restaurant serves several types of ramen as well as an assortment of appetizers, such as deep-fried octopus dumplings and okonomiyaki-style french fries. Locals rave about their signature dish: Orenchi ramen, a combination of egg, pork, green onion, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and nori. Top it with a second egg for just $1.

Next door to Orenchi Ramen, sits a hidden gem called Iroriya. Marked only by a lantern, Iroriya serves elegant Japanese dishes made with fresh ingredients. The sashimi platter earns much applause for its freshness and careful presentation, and grilled items such as portobello mushroom and corn score big with the masses. The unique platter of homemade pickles is another favorite.

If you’re more in the mood to get your hands on a satisfying slice of pizza, go to A Slice of New York on Stevens Creek Boulevard. Their authentic New York-style pizza has customers proclaiming it the best pizza in the Bay Area. Try the Rockefeller Center specialty pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, meatballs and fresh chopped garlic.

Though Loma Linda seems more subdued than other neighborhoods in San Jose, there is no lack of nightlife. Loma Linda has several local bars, including the Park Lane Lounge and Woodham Sports Lounge. Visit Park Lane for a quick game of pool and stay for its casual atmosphere and friendly service. Similarly, Woodham’s provides a fun, unpretentious spot to have a few beers and perform some impromptu karaoke. Woodham’s also hosts live local bands.

An overwhelming majority of Loma Linda’s population commutes to work in cars. Residents can easily access several major roadways: The Junipero Serra Freeway (Route 280) runs through the Loma Linda neighborhood, continuing north to San Francisco, and the Lawrence Expressway (G2) leads south to link with Route 85 and north to the Bayshore Freeway (Route 101).

The Lawrence Expressway has carpool and bicycle lanes crossing north and south through the neighborhood. On the north end of the neighborhood, Stevens Creek Boulevard also has bike-friendly lanes running east and west.

The neighborhood has buses that cross through the area, but no subway access. You can reach downtown San Jose on the local bus service for $2 in about 40 minutes or drive in about 15 minutes. Some parking in San Jose requires paid meters, which charge $1 to $2 per hour. Many shopping centers provide free parking lots.

The immediate neighborhood of Loma Linda can be walked. You can hail a cab in Loma Linda, but contacting a service in advance is advisable. Car services such as Uber are readily available.

The Loma Linda neighborhood has several convenient parks: Maywood, Raynor and Portal Parks are free, family-friendly and welcome leashed pets. They provide playground areas, open grassy space and tennis courts. Take advantage of San Jose’s gorgeous weather and toss around a football or enjoy a family barbecue.

It costs considerably more to live in the Loma Linda neighborhood of San Jose than both the national average and average cost elsewhere in California. Gas prices in the area sit around 8 percent higher than the national average.

You can rent a one-bedroom apartment in Loma Linda for about $2,000 per month and grab a beer locally for between $4 and $6.

Residents of the Loma Linda neighborhood have numerous shopping options, from the upscale shops on Santana Row to discount stores at the Villa Shopping Center. Find affordable house goods and other products at area discount stores, including Walmart and Cost Plus World Market just to the east of the neighborhood and Marshalls at the Villa.

Visit the upscale Santana Row to shop at spots such as Penelope Boutique. Penelope provides high fashion choices from celebrity designers. This elegant location wins praise for its incredible customer service.

If you're positively obsessed with Japanese culture, stop by Daiso Japan for imported foods and discount items, or grab the latest issues of anime favorites at next-door Kinokuniya Book Store. Feel like a kid again when you enter Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop in nearby Campbell. This fun little confectionery sells unimaginable amounts of candy charmingly displayed in 1920s decor. It even has its own brand of soda, with flavors such as gingerbread and blue cream.

Grocery shopping poses no problem for residents of Loma Linda. They can easily pop over to Safeway in the Villa Shopping Center or head to nearby Cupertino for Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. For local produce and specialty items such as raw milk and honey, visit one of the area's numerous farmers markets. The two closest, Vallco Farmers Market and Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Farmers Market, open on Fridays year round.