I moved away from LA 3-4 years ago to Silicon Valley, with a horrid little stint in Fresno that I really rather not talk about.
We chose San Jose to live in, just because it was cheaper than most places further up the peninsula. We live in a villag-y part of San Jose, but that' on purpose. I've done the "big city" thing after living in Chicago for 7 years, but I'm all done with that. We go up to the City from time to time, just to remember what it was like--the smell of urine and vomit on public transportation, the fear... Yeah. I'm all done with that. But then, I'm married now and in my 30's. YMMV.
In the South Bay cities: Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, San Jose. Crime is usually higher north of the 101, and goes down the further south and west (towards the mountains) you get. But then again, it's Silicon Valley. Crime really isn't that big of an issue unless you're in East San Jose, Oakland or East Palo Alto. There really isn't an area like South Central up here, so I wouldn't worry about it that much. It generally feels a lot safer than So. Cal up here.
Regarding your question: Most cities on the Peninsula are village like, and most of them close down around 9pm. It's a commuter town, and pretty much everybody works 9-5. But, each one usually has a downtown area that gets some foot traffic, but not much. Rents are usually highest in Palo Alto and San Fran, and go down the further away you get from those areas. The cities that have colleges tend to stay open later than the other one's so your options for late night eateries are a bit better there. Those cities are: Palo Alto, San Fran, Berkeley and (downtown) San Jose.
Palo Alto has been getting quite a bit more expensive from what I hear because Facebook is there and is subsidizing rent for people who live close and walk to work. So, the "hip" part of Palo Alto is pretty pricey.
I actually like downtown San Jose, and even though it's less sexy than San Fransisco, it's got a lot going for it. It has a bar scene that stays open late. A couple of tall buildings, so you feel like you're in a downtown. It's rather multi-cult-y so that's nice. And, there's a large condo building or two downtown, so you're seeing a bit more foot traffic after hours. And, there's a couple of neighborhoods around down-town that have some beautiful old craftsman homes that can be rented for pretty reasonable considering the area. San Jose has the light rail, which is surprisingly convenient. You can carry a bike on the light rail, so that helps make up for the lack of coverage. It's not like the public transportation that I was used to in Chicago, but it's actually passable.
Over all, I love the Bay Area. I really think that you'll be happier here; it's really all about the people. They just seem genuinely happier here than they were in LA. So... welcome to the Bay Area.
We chose San Jose to live in, just because it was cheaper than most places further up the peninsula. We live in a villag-y part of San Jose, but that' on purpose. I've done the "big city" thing after living in Chicago for 7 years, but I'm all done with that. We go up to the City from time to time, just to remember what it was like--the smell of urine and vomit on public transportation, the fear... Yeah. I'm all done with that. But then, I'm married now and in my 30's. YMMV.
In the South Bay cities: Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, San Jose. Crime is usually higher north of the 101, and goes down the further south and west (towards the mountains) you get. But then again, it's Silicon Valley. Crime really isn't that big of an issue unless you're in East San Jose, Oakland or East Palo Alto. There really isn't an area like South Central up here, so I wouldn't worry about it that much. It generally feels a lot safer than So. Cal up here.
Regarding your question: Most cities on the Peninsula are village like, and most of them close down around 9pm. It's a commuter town, and pretty much everybody works 9-5. But, each one usually has a downtown area that gets some foot traffic, but not much. Rents are usually highest in Palo Alto and San Fran, and go down the further away you get from those areas. The cities that have colleges tend to stay open later than the other one's so your options for late night eateries are a bit better there. Those cities are: Palo Alto, San Fran, Berkeley and (downtown) San Jose.
Palo Alto has been getting quite a bit more expensive from what I hear because Facebook is there and is subsidizing rent for people who live close and walk to work. So, the "hip" part of Palo Alto is pretty pricey.
I actually like downtown San Jose, and even though it's less sexy than San Fransisco, it's got a lot going for it. It has a bar scene that stays open late. A couple of tall buildings, so you feel like you're in a downtown. It's rather multi-cult-y so that's nice. And, there's a large condo building or two downtown, so you're seeing a bit more foot traffic after hours. And, there's a couple of neighborhoods around down-town that have some beautiful old craftsman homes that can be rented for pretty reasonable considering the area. San Jose has the light rail, which is surprisingly convenient. You can carry a bike on the light rail, so that helps make up for the lack of coverage. It's not like the public transportation that I was used to in Chicago, but it's actually passable.
Over all, I love the Bay Area. I really think that you'll be happier here; it's really all about the people. They just seem genuinely happier here than they were in LA. So... welcome to the Bay Area.