Thanks, CF. That’s where we go to eat if I come to visit Mr. on the weekends when he is doing his SV time. There is definitely no shortage of restaurants on Castro Street, and the places seem to be always packed with younger folks. We usually eat late, so by the time we are done, most of the places are closing, and the entire street becomes quiet. Not much nightlife per se.
One year, I booked a hotel in Santana Row in Santa Clara (because someone highly recommended it). Big, big mistake! The place was hopping until way past midnight. Never again for this old fart! But that seems to be pretty much the only nightlife hotspot in the area that I am aware of. Most cities in SV have main streets like the one in Mountain View that empty out after 10 pm. There are a few bars scattered here and there that Mr.'s younger coworkers dragged him to…
There are some Google employees who bike to work from San Francisco. I believe they take the company bus back, but still, that’s hard core. It’s 42 miles.
Silicon Valley is, and always has been, a suburb. With all the negatives of suburban living (it’s not edgy or happening or cool) along with the positives. Young people wanting “fun” young places/things should live in SF. If they can’t afford it, or don’t want the commute, they will just have to accept living in a suburb that’s pleasant, but not edgy or happening or cool.
I have to agree with all the posters suggesting San Francisco. Great place for 20-30 year professionals! A less expensive option in SV that hasn’t been suggested is Campbell. Fun little downtown and closer to Mountain View than SF. Good luck!
Definitely for young, single people the nightlife is really only in San Francisco. Silicon Valley is suburban… we have great shopping and dining, but things really do close up around 10pm. Lots of people who really want to live in SF take Cal Train down to the Peninsula, which could work if a person works in Palo Alto, Mountain View, or Sunnyvale, but it does involve quite a bit of time each day on the train. Most of the younger tech workers we know prefer to live in SF and commute.
@fractalmstr, I was talking about rental prices, but the price of actually owning a home in Silicon Valley is beyond what most people can imagine. Those listings are for Redwood City, which is actually LESS expensive than some other communities in the Valley.
My son is 30 and single and has no desire to own a home, but I wonder what will happen if he’s still in SV a decade from now. He has a friend who’s about 10 years older, with an excellent job and a wife and two kids. The family lives in a two-bedroom unit in an aging garden apartment complex. I can understand why.
I was looking at the Redwood City houses and thinking, wow, those are cheap, barely more than a million dollars. Redwood City is a LOT cheaper than most of the other Silicon Valley cities. Someone mentioned Los Gatos, a lovely suburban town just at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, though not I think ideal for a young single person: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Los-Gatos_CA
Not every restaurant/bar in Palo Alto closes at 10PM. You just have to know where you can hang out. http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/01/16/top-10-palo-alto-area-bars/
I remember when my kids came home from college they didn’t go out until 10PM. We live in a SV suburb.
Yes, Santana Row has become a happening place. I had thoughts to downsize to a condo there, one that does not face the main street.
Precisely my point - there are bars, but they are scattered here and there. Nothing like Capitol Hill or Belltown of Seattle where one can grab a drink after a late night concert or a movie without walking more than a block So for someone who is used to life in a large city, SV would be a bit of a culture shock.
My recommendation for Gourmetmom’s kid: if temporary housing is provided as part of the relocation package, use it to get familiar with the area around the office. Ask folks at work what they do as far as renting and commute go. Visit a few nightlife hotspots and maybe spend some weekends in SF to get a feel for the area. Then find a more permanent place to live!
Those housing costs are why we Californians who make too much to qualify for financial aid still don’t feel like we can afford $60K/yr for college :-).
Of course polo(/golf/tennis) shirts were originally made for doing those sports while wearing…
Redwood City has schools with varying levels of performance, generally correlated to parental education level. For the various schools there, the range in percentage of student parents with bachelor’s or higher degrees ranges from 4% to 93%. It will not surprise you which schools produce higher measures and ratings.
What about… showering? Not every office has those facilities. Of course, if the company has locker rooms and showering facilities, biking to work is so much easier.
We usually eat late, so by the time we are done, most of the places are closing, and the entire street becomes quiet. Not much nightlife per se. 
But that seems to be pretty much the only nightlife hotspot in the area that I am aware of. Most cities in SV have main streets like the one in Mountain View that empty out after 10 pm. There are a few bars scattered here and there that Mr.'s younger coworkers dragged him to…