Campbell

Located within the vast Santa Clara County, Campbell is a suburb of the busy San Jose and is very much a part of the San Jose area. In fact, it attracts many of the high-tech industry elites of Silicon Valley and wealthy entrepreneurs of its time. Demographically speaking, the area is home to over 40,000 residents. Its inhabitants are largely white, with minorities splitting between asian and hispanic residents. Nestled between US Route 85 and 17, the city’s quarters are dominated by residential terrain, but is most notable for being the original home of Ebay.

Campbell’s residential quarters are saturated with middle to upper-class suburban aesthetics. Neighborhoods are rather flat and brimming with clean sidewalks and quiet, tree-lined streets. Properties are all too commonly plain-looking, with one-story homes laying ground to well-maintained front yards. If you’re looking to rent within the community, you’ll likely pay around $1,300/month while more permanent residents pay anywhere from $500,000 to upwards of $2 million dollars to own their homes. According to the 2010 US Census, median household incomes are estimated at $78,000/year.

For commercial needs, there are a handful of plain, suburban shopping centers sprinkled throughout the community. Campbell Shopping Center acts as one of the city’s main commercial hub and is situated on South Winchester Blvd. The area hosts a variety of eclectic shops including delis, drug stores and quaint neighborhood eateries. Also, Pruneyard Shopping Center is the city’s other commercial center. It provides a plethora of retail complexes and a couple dozen South Bay offices. Elsewhere, you can find a multi-plex movie theatre on the busy intersection of East Campbell Ave and South Bascom Ave.

Just southwest of San Jose proper, Campbell is one of those cities packed with Silicon Valley workers. The median price for homes here is around $525K which is high for most areas but only about average for the Silicon Valley.

The area, though somewhat flat, is quite attractive with several neighborhoods with immaculately kept homes.

As far as renting, a 2-bedroom in the area will run you about $1900, which would be considered high for most areas but is only about average for the Silicon Valley.

The schools in Campbell and the surrounding areas range from solid to above average. There are not really any problem schools (at least on the secondary level) but also not any really outstanding schools.

This is pretty much at the heart of Silicon Valley, so high end restaurants abound, ranging from sushi places to traditional steakhouses. There are also a number of nightspots where you can do everything from get down and dance to just mellow with some buddies.

If you work in Silicon Valley and can afford to live here, this is one of the best cities in the area regardless of your situation.