Santa Clara University - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

Although most enjoy the campus itself, many students are unimpressed with the city of Santa Clara, and to some extent, San Jose. Aside from the student housing next to campus, the nearby neighborhoods are not geared toward young people. Many students feel that the nightlife suffers because of the lack of bars and clubs near campus that usually exist at larger universities. It also does not help that El Camino Real, the “main” street in the area, is widely considered one of the ugliest streets in the country.

However, as the definition of “local” becomes broader, the opinions brighten. They may not be crazy about Santa Clara as a city, but they like it as a part of the Bay Area. There are many interesting places nearby (San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Monterey) to appeal to both the urban and outdoorsy types. The students seem to appreciate the options that the location affords them.

Free Profile Tools

Do I Stand A Chance?

Calculate YOUR chances of admission at every school CP covers!

__%

Personality Match

Calculate YOUR personality match with every school CP covers!

__%

What'll It Cost Me?

Estimate your out-of-pocket costs at every school CP covers!

$__,___

Students Speak Out

learn1014 says: Santa Clara University 2014 Business

Social Life and Location A The Cal train system helps students travel to San Francisco. Santa Clara also provides concerts and comedy shows that students can afford. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 13, 2010 Report

Anonymous says:

It’s a good place to be. Sometimes... It’s a good place to be. Sometimes I get bored, but I can always go to San Francisco or Santa Cruz or something. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Santa Clara is not the most... Santa Clara is not the most exciting city. I spend the majority of my time within a mile radius of the University, where there are a lot of student houses and apartments. Anything beyond that is not that interesting, unless you are making the drive to Santa Cruz or San Francisco. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Santa Clara is definitely not a... Santa Clara is definitely not a college town or activity center, but there are many interesting things to do and see within driving distance. There are tons of bars, restaurants, and music in San Fran. If you like the outdoors, there’s camping in Big Sur, skiing and snowboarding in Tahoe, and the beach in Santa Cruz. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The campus and right around it are... The campus and right around it are cool, but then there is a big dead zone. If you’re leaving the immediate area, you have to pretty much go all the way out of San Jose to do anything cool. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about San Jose:
• San Jose is the oldest civil settlement in California, founded in 1777.
• San Jose is the third largest city on the West Coast and one of the safest big cities in the nation.
• San Jose gets 300 days of sun a year, and the average temperature is 70 degrees. Hard to beat that!
• San Jose is the epicenter of Silicon Valley, the technological capital of America.
• Options abound for the outdoorsy type; beaches, mountains, forests, and wine country can all be found within 50 miles of the city.

Famous Locals:
Fatty Arbuckle (comedian)
Neal Cassidy (Beat writer)
Brandi Chastain (soccer player)
Cesar Chavez (labor leader)
The Doobie Brothers (musicians)
Jim MacMahon (quarterback, Chicago Bears)
Stevie Nicks (musician, Fleetwood Mac)
Steve Wozniak (co-founder, Apple Computer, Inc.)

Write for Us!

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more >