As the largest urban center in Silicon Valley, Downtown San Jose is the city’s central business district, cultural and political center, and one of the valley’s biggest tech-industry clusters. San Jose was founded on the banks of the Guadalupe River in 1777, becoming California’s first city and first state capital when it incorporated in 1850. Downtown remained a small, agricultural-based community until an aggressive expansion in the 1950s and 60s. It has grown in the last few decades to produce high-rise residential towers and businesses. To this day, the downtown district is a mix of contemporary buildings and historic ones dating back to their early 1900s construction.
Downtown San Jose homes feature a variety of architectural styles with some dating back to the city’s founding. In addition to tech companies, Downtown includes a large concentration of hospitality services, bars and nightlife, dining options, museums, and community events. It is also the home of San Jose State University, the oldest public university on the West Coast.