Neighborhood

At Mariani's, corporate housing refers to large, fully-outfitted apartments with all the comforts of home

Santa Clara - and the surrounding neighborhoods of San Jose, Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area - offer an abundance of beautiful views, exciting attractions, unique restaurants, inspiring art and museums, golf and tennis facilities, shopping centers, wineries, parks, acclaimed universities and businesses. Experience Silicon Valley’s and the Bay Area’s diverse and intriguing culture, character, and nightlife . . . all within a short walk or drive of our front doors.

Attractions

• Cedar Fair 's Great America – Great America is Northern California's ultimate theme park for family thrills, exciting rides, shows, concerts, characters, and the beautiful sights above the park on Eagles Flight. The world's tallest double decker carousel greets guests as they enter Northern California's largest family entertainment destination. Located in scenic Santa Clara, Great America features the most rides and attractions in California – from 10 pulse-pounding coasters to the wet and wild water rides of Boomerang Bay, the new 2.7-acre Australian-themed water park that features a variety of slides, splash areas and water activities built inside the existing theme park. Brave the Park's senior coaster, The Demon offering airtime and multiple loops or the fierce new Delirium - the first ever in North America - a powerful spinning pendulum that sends you whirling. Experience a universe of new fun, friends, and adventures as the stars of Nickelodeon come to life. Great America features live stage productions, and is the only place in the Bay Area where kids can meet and play with their favorite TV characters. For more information, visit Cedar Fair's Great America.

• Shoreline Amphitheater – Experience the country's largest outdoor concert venue, featuring top music artists and concerts, plus the latest technical and visual sound systems. Shoreline's featured artists are showcased in an award-winning, state-of-the-art concert facility which delivers an amazing sonic experience. Shoreline also features unique craft booths, eclectic foods, cold beverages and a friendly staff. Check out their website at www.shoreline-amd.com for a list of exciting Shoreline events.

• NASA Ames Research Center – Located on the border of Mountain View and Sunnyvale in Northern California, in the heart of Silicon Valley at the southern end of San Francisco Bay, Ames occupies about 430 acres of land, and hosts a number of federal, civilian, and military resident agencies on the adjoining 1,500-acre former naval air station, now known as Moffett Federal Airfield. Ames offers educational outreach activities to stimulate student interest in science, mathematics, and technology; to attract students to career paths in these areas; and to enhance the knowledge and skills of faculty at all levels. Visit www.arc.nasa.org.

• Moffett Field – Originally the Naval Air Station's home base for the Navy dirigible U.S.S. Macon, Moffett Field is now home to NASA Ames Research Center. Moffett Field's two runways, three aircraft hangars, and 3.5 million square feet of facilities are now a shared federal facility known as Moffett Federal Airfield. Exciting annual air shows over Moffett Field thrill spectators with non-stop aerial action by some of the country's best civilian and military aviators. This year, NASA celebrated 100 years of flight at Moffett Field with the 3rd Annual AirExpo, showcasing cutting-edge research in information technology, aeronautics and space science in historic Hanger One. Among the aerial acts at the 2003 AirExpo were a high-speed demonstration by the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet, aerial maneuvers by the F-16 fighter team, high-speed jet aerobatics, sky diving and combat rescues, and one of the only helicopter acts of its kind in the world. Look out for 2004 AirExpo schedules and dates at www.airshownetwork.com.

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom – America's only combination wildlife park, oceanarium and theme-park, this awesome adventure park features: exciting thrill rides, such as Zonga, the new seriously twisted super-coaster with four full circle inversions and a 70-degree dive; kid's attractions, such as Looney Tunes Seaport, with 12 different rides, attractions and shows; and a unique animal zoo where you can get personal with dolphins, sea lions, sharks, reptiles, giraffes and safari animals. Visit http://www.sixflags.com/ for more information.

• George F. Haines International Swim Center – The world class facility has been home of many Olympic gold medal winners, including Mark Spitz, Don Schollander, Donna de Varona, Chris Van Saltza, Karen Moe Thornton, Steve Clark, Dick Roth, and Claudia Kolb Thomas. Haines, considered by many to be the greatest swimming coach of all time, founded the Santa Clara Swim Club in 1951. During his 24-year tenure, club swimmers won an unprecedented 43 AAU national championships and set numerous world records. The center is the setting for nationally televised sports events, including international swim meets, and synchronized swimming. 2625 Patricia Ave., Santa Clara, 95051. (408) 243-7727.

• Raging Waters – Raging Waters in San Jose is the world's greatest water adventure with maximum thrills, water rides, attractions, shops and food. Experience the new Dragon's Den, which catapults you through mysterious darkness into the abyss of the dragon. Ride the waves in the 350,000 gallon Wave Pool, barrel down 500 feet of splashy twists and high-bank turns plunging into a pool below on the Barracuda Blaster, explore waterfalls, rings, ropes and slides in the Activity Pool, enjoy a relaxing journey through streams and waterfalls on the Lazy River, and many other exciting water adventures. Visit www.rwsplash.com for additional information.

• Elizabeth F. Gamble House and Gardens – Located in Palo Alto, this Colonial Georgian house built in 1902 is set on a 2.3-acre estate. Bequeathed by Elizabeth F. Gamble to the city of Palo Alto, it's now a non-profit community horticultural foundation, featuring formal and working gardens. The estate houses an historic home, carriage house, teahouse and several demonstration gardens. Gardens are available for weddings. Self-guided tours are offered daily, during daylight hours. Call (650) 329-1356 for information.

• Civic Center Park – Located on El Camino Real in front of the Police Administration Building, Civic Center Park is a three-acre park that's beautifully landscaped with colorful flower beds and a large reflecting pool and fountains. This park is the site of the Statue of Saint Clare, the City's namesake. The bronze statue by Anne Van Kleeck, cast by an ancient "lost wax process" in Italy in 1965, was shipped by boat around Cape Horn to Santa Clara and installed that same year.

• Central Park – A fifty-two acre park, Central Park has major facilities. The area west of Saratoga Creek contains two lighted tennis courts, group and individual picnic facilities, children's play area, public restrooms, amphitheater, parking, basketball courts, the Veteran's Memorial, and a 30,000 square foot Community Recreation Center, which is the hub of the City's recreation programs.
  
  East of the creek is the world famous George F. Haines International Swim Center, Santa Clara Tennis Center with eight lighted tennis courts and practice wall, Bob Fatjo Sports Center, open space, a lake, large group picnic areas, parking, public restrooms, a lawn bowling green, exercise course, and 2 lighted softball fields, and the Central Park Library.

• Winchester Mystery House – Beautiful and bizarre, the Winchester Mystery House is an amazing tour for both adults and children. Sarah L. Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, lived in this unfinished house during its perpetual construction. Built in 1884, it occupied the lives of carpenters and craftsmen until her death 38 years later. An architectural marvel, the Victorian mansion is filled with many unexplained oddities, such as the staircase to the ceiling and a door that opens onto a wall. Unlike most homes of its era, this 160-room Victorian mansion had modern heating and sewer systems, gas lights that operated by pressing a button, three working elevators, and 47 fireplaces. From rambling roofs and exquisite hand inlaid parquet floors to the gold and silver chandeliers and Tiffany art glass windows, you will be impressed by the staggering amount of creativity, energy, and expense poured into every detail. For additional information, visit ww.winchestermysteryhouse.com.

• Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park – For families looking for a more natural day of fun, explore Gilroy Gardens - a one-of-a-kind combination of four unique gardens and amusement rides with the mid-20th century history and agricultural roots of Santa Clara Valley. Set among 600 acres of rural countryside in Gilroy, California, Gilroy Gardens features acres of fun and beauty encompassing 19 rides and 21 attractions including theme gardens, food concessions, an event plaza, and 19 of the world famous Circus Trees. For hours of operation, call (408) 840-7100.

• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – California's oldest amusement park and the only major seaside amusement park on the Pacific Coast, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk blends old-time nostalgia with modern thrills. Located on a mile-long beach between Monterey and San Francisco, the Boardwalk is your admission-free hot spot for beach vibes, classic rides, summer concerts, events, and cook-offs. With more than 34 rides and attractions, everyone has a thrilling time. You can have your fortune told in the old-style arcade, take a raging ride on the bumper cars, or brave the giant wood-framed roller coaster, The Giant Dipper, whose unforgettable dips rival any extreme adventure. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk features a carousel and little cars and airplanes for the kiddies. The park's latest rides, the new Fireball and Cliff Hanger, are packed with ocean-view thrills. Other attractions include the Climb & Conquer climbing wall, Venturer Simulator motion theater, Trampoline Thing, the 3-D Fun House, the Boardwalk Grand Arcades, the Casino Arcade and Neptune's Kingdom. The Boardwalk Bowl across the street is a state-of-the-art bowling center for the entire family. Bring a swimsuit, as you'll be steps from the sandy, Santa Cruz beach. The Boardwalk is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, weekends fall through Spring. For information, hours and upcoming events, call (831) 423-5590 or visit www.beachboardwalk.com.

• Santa Clara Convention Center – Distinctive A flexible 262,000 square foot state-of-the-art meeting, trade, and convention complex that has taken its cue from the dynamic business that now surrounds it. Floor plans of the Convention Center's meeting rooms and ballrooms are available online, along with detailed listings of services. SmartCity Networks delivers full telecommunications services and Projection Presentation Technology offers one of the most technologically advanced AV departments in the state. Distinctive pyramids mark the entrance to the state-of-the-art trade and convention complex.

• San Jose McEnery Convention Center – Framed by a 125-foot abstract tile mural, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center encompasses over 425,000 square feet of function space. Designed for convenience and versatility, it offers 143,000 square feet of column-free prime exhibit space divisible by three, an elegant 22,000 square foot ballroom, up to 30 meeting rooms capable of seating up to 2,400 theater-style, and can accommodate banquets to 5,000. The San Jose Convention Center has 30-foot-high finished ceilings, 12 loading bays with drive-on access to the exhibit hall floors, complete audio-visual, sound and lighting services, cellular, standard and ISDN telephony services, and fiber optic and copper cabling throughout the facility with DS-3 high-speed internet access.

• Mission Santa Clara – Located on the grounds of Santa Clara University, this is the eighth of twenty-one missions that were built around California by Father Junipero Serra and his Spanish Franciscan padres. This mission was built in 1777 and is a California historical landmark. For more information, call (408) 554-4023 or visit www.scu.edu/visitors.

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Wineries

• Fortino Winery – This family-owned and operated Italian winery at the south end of Santa Clara County is located in the beautiful Hecker Pass region of Gilroy, CA. Fortino features a tasting room and gift shop that's open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fortino Winery offers romantic vineyard weddings, featuring a large outdoor terrace surrounded by beautiful redwoods and acres of grape vines, scrumptious catering by a professional and personable staff, award-winning wines and champagnes. A second tasting room and gift shop is located in the Gilroy Outlet Center, which has an outdoor event center and banquet facility for weddings, receptions, corporate events, and private parties with on-site catering for up to 350 guests. For information, call (408) 842-3305 or visit www.scvwga.com/fortino.

• Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards & Winery – Located 25 minutes west of San Jose overlooking Silicon Valley from the foothills above Saratoga and Cupertino, Cooper-Garrod is an estate winery and vineyard that's your gateway to the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains. They produce award-winning wines from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay grapes grown only in unirrigated, hillside vineyards. Whether you have an afternoon, a weekend, or a week, begin your wine tasting tour in their tasting room, and they'll direct you to other known and obscure wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains - each with different wines to try and stories to tell. The tasting room is open Monday through Friday, 12 – 5 p.m., and weekends, 11 – 5 p.m. In addition, they have a picnic area, special event facilities, and horse-back rides on trails with panoramic views overlooking San Francisco Bay and the cities of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Campbell, and Los Gatos. For information, call (408) 867-7116 or visit www.cgv.com.

• Byington Vineyard & Winery – Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Byington provides the perfect setting for sipping wines or celebrating special occasions. The manicured grounds of the Byington Estate and its Italianate stone winery chateau create a striking backdrop for any occasion. Whether dreaming of an enchanted wine country wedding or planning a corporate retreat, visit www.byington.com.

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Museums

• Tech Museum of Innovation – The Tech Museum in San Jose is a unique technology museum devoted to inspiring the innovator in everyone. From interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and exciting programs about technologies that affect our daily lives, the Tech is focused on how technology works and the way that it is changing every aspect of the way we work, live, play and learn. Its people-and-technology focus and the integration of advanced technologies into visitor experiences and infrastructure distinguish it from other science centers. The Tech's 132,000 square feet are shared by four major theme galleries packed full of unique exhibits, the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater, an educational center for workshops and labs, an upscale cafe, and a museum store featuring books, gifts, and only-in-Silicon Valley items. For more information or to see current exhibits, visit www.thetech.org.

• Intel Museum – At the Intel Museum, visitors enter the micro-miniature world of computer chips as they learn how they are designed, manufactured and placed into thousands of products in our everyday world. The Intel Museum has 3,500 square feet of interactive exhibits that appeal to both children and adults. It is designed as a self-guided experience, but guided tours may be arranged in advance for groups. For more information, visit www.intel.com/intel/intelis/museum/.

• Children's Discovery Museum Of San Jose – The Children's Discovery Museum opened its doors in June 1990. Since then, the Museum has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors and has offered new interactive exhibits each year that respond to children's diverse educational needs, nurture their cognitive development, and celebrate their role in our lives. For more information, call (408) 298-5437 or visit http://www.cdm.org.

• de Saisset Museum – The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University is the South Bay Area's free Museum of art and history. Its purpose is the cultural enrichment of all people. The museum's collections include thousands of objects, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and 19th century prints by artists such as Albrecht Durer, William Hogarth, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Modernist prints in the de Saisset Collection include works by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. The de Saisset Museum also serves as the caretaker of the University's California History Collection. Through historical objects and artifacts, the California History Collection tells the history of the area from the pre-contact period to the founding of the Mission, through the Gold Rush and early years of the College. Every year, thousands of children from the Santa Clara Valley and beyond are introduced to their region's history through this tour program. (408) 554-4528.

• San Jose Museum of Art – The leading institution dedicated to visual culture in Silicon Valley, the San Jose Museum of Art is a community anchor, ensuring artistic excellence and access for an extraordinarily diverse populace. It is a contemporary art center whose acclaimed exhibitions have ranged across modern masterworks to the newest frontiers of art. A cultural crossroads, SJMA is the largest visual arts education provider in Santa Clara County. It is a source of inspiration, contemplation, and delight for a fast-moving community. It is a Museum of the future. Admission to the San Jose Museum of Art is free every day! Museum Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, call (408) 271-6840.

• Triton Museum of Art – With an emphasis on Bay Area artists, the Triton Museum in Santa Clara exhibits contemporary and historical works. Permanent collections include rotating exhibits of 19th and 20th century American art, including one of the largest public holdings of paintings by Theodore Wores, and Southwest Native American tribal art. Exhibitions extend to include the art of the Pacific Rim, Europe, and beyond. For information and hours of operation, visit www.tritonmuseum.org.

• The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium – The Rosicrucian Order is a worldwide brotherhood claiming secret wisdom handed down from ancient Egypt. The name comes from the order's symbol, a combination of a rose and a cross. Their world headquarters is in the beautiful Rosicrucian Park in San Jose. The most famous park facility is the Egyptian Museum, architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak. The museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western United States and includes a full-size walk-through replica of an Egyptian tomb. The Rosicrucian Park features exotic gardens amidst buildings inspired by ancient Egyptian temples. Papyrus-lined paths lead visitors past walls carved with hieroglyphs, clustered lotus columns, elaborate fountains, and colossal statues of Egyptian gods.

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Universities

• Santa Clara University – Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University is California's oldest institution of higher learning. SCU is a private, Jesuit university with 4,643 undergraduate and 3,417 graduate students. Built upon a 152-year-old Catholic and Jesuit tradition, SCU's academic program helps students develop a foundation in ethics and justice. Located in Silicon Valley, California, Santa Clara University offers a rigorous undergraduate and graduate curriculum in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering. It has nationally recognized graduate and professional schools in business, law, engineering, pastoral ministries, counseling psychology and education. Santa Clara University's education is distinguished by a commitment to inquiry, creative imagination, reflective engagement with society, and to fashioning a more humane world. In 2001 and 2002, SCU was called “A Great School at a Great Price” by US News & World Report and named a “best value” in the West. In 2003, SCU ranked second among master's universities in the West and celebrated the fourth-best graduation rate in the country.

• San Jose State University – Established in 1857, San José State University is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. San José State consists of eight colleges and offers 69 bachelor's degrees with 81 concentrations and 65 master's degrees with 29 concentrations, specialized and certificate programs. Located at the core of Silicon Valley, San Jose State University is an exceptional place for hands-on learning, professional development and personal growth, offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs that promote intellectual inquiry and independent thought. One of the 200 top research universities in the nation, SJSU offers rigorous course work and research opportunities to more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Conveniently located on 154 acres in downtown San José, SJSU offers the excitement of studying at a metropolitan campus where many cultures collide, plus personal attention from faculty members in an intimate college setting.

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Golf & Tennis

• Sunken Gardens Golf Course – Located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California, the Sunken Gardens Golf Course is a public 9-hole, par 3 course. Hole #6 - a 271 yard par 4 – is probably the best challenge on the course. If you can hit that far you will need a perfect draw shot. Sunken Gardens is a great place to practice your game, especially if you're a beginner, but getting around the course may take some time. For more information, call (408) 739-6588.

• Sunnyvale Golf Course – Sunnyvale's municipal golf course is a short, flat course with well-placed trees and bunkers that require good placement off the tees. Most of the holes are straight, but those that aren't have some severe doglegs. Water also comes into play on 6 holes. The most interesting holes on the course are #5, a 296-yard horseshoe-shaped hole, and #8, where you have to avoid a long pond on your right and the pond that guards the front of the green. The last 5 holes have tree-lined fairways and the green at #16 is guarded by another pond. The 18th hole is a favorite, with fairway bunkers in front of the pond that guards the green, which is tiered and rather big with even more bunkers behind it. This course can become very tough in the afternoon as it lies across Hwy. 101 from Moffett Field and the wind can howl. You might even have a P-3 Orion fly over head while playing - the 10th fairway even has runway marker lights on it. For more information, call (408) 738-3666.

• Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club – The Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club, developed on 155 acres of City-owned property, is part of the Santa Clara Trade and Convention Center Complex, which includes the Convention Center. The golf and tennis facility features a championship 180-hole, links-style golf course designed by Robert Muir Graves. The 72 par golf course is 6,704 yards from the Green tees, 6,329 from the Yellow tees, 5,918 from the Black tees, and 5,492 from the Gray tees. The course is a challenging layout for all skill levels, and plays to a rating of 72.8 with a slope of 125. The Club also includes a lighted driving range, a practice putting green, 7 lighted tennis courts, a Golf & Tennis Pro-Shop, locker room and shower facilities, and David's Restaurant, which has a bar and banquet facilities.

• Pruneridge Golf Club – Santa Clara's Pruneridge Golf Club operates a well-manicured 9-hole public golf course that challenges the beginner and is an interesting alternative for the more advanced player. The two level, 44-tee driving range offers an all-weather facility that is complete with practice green for chipping, putting and a practice bunker. The course itself has narrow fairways and a water hazard, and there are some sand bunkers that can affect play. It was re-designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. in the mid-1970s.

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Shopping

• Santa Clara Farmers Market – The third season of the Downtown Santa Clara Farmers Market opens from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday, May 1 through the end of October. Sponsored by the Downtown Santa Clara Merchants Association and the Urban Village Farmers Market Association, the popular activity is on Jackson Street between Homestead Road and Benton Street. The Farmers Market is "certified," meaning that the participants are only selling food items they have produced themselves. The "Growers Certificate" hanging at the farmer's stand is issued by the County Agriculture Commissioner authorizing farmers to sell only the crops listed and grown by them.

• Santana Row The new Santana Row shopping village was inspired by the grand boulevards of Europe. With a weekly Farmers Market, well-known retail shops like Gucci and Diesel, and some stylish restaurants (many from San Francisco like Blowfish Sushi and the Straits Café), Santana Row provides a vibrant and diverse mix of shopping, dining, entertainment and living designed - all with easy access to I-280 and I-880.

• San Jose Flea Market – A California tradition for over four decades, the San Jose Flea Market is the largest open-air market in the US, featuring 8 miles of colorful alleys and treasure-laden corridors where over 2,000 vendors sell their wares across 120 acres of land. More than 4 million people visit annually, so expect a crowd - especially on weekends. Call (408) 453-1110 or visit www.sjfm.com for more information.

• Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair – An integral part of the San Jose community, Valley Fair features more than 225 specialty stores, including Macy's, Nordstrom's and the Pottery Barn. With a host of other great stores like Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, Restoration Hardware, Sharper Image, Williams-Sonoma, Crabtree & Evelyn, The Bombay Company, and Gymboree, as well as specialty food shops like Godiva and Ghirardelli chocolatiers, Cold Stone Creamery, Casa De Fruta, and The Cheesecake Factory, Valley Fair continues to provide you with everything you need to look and feel your best. The convenient freeway location at the Stevens Creek exit off Highway I880 makes getting to Valley Fair easier than ever. Call (408) 248 4451.

• Great Mall Of The Bay Area – The Great Mall is Northern California's largest enclosed outlet mall, featuring over 200 stores and venues. This incredible shopping and entertainment experience includes nine full-service restaurants, an international food court, an entertainment complex, a 20-plex theater, events, and a unique circular racetrack design that allows you to visit every store on a single level, without backtracking. The Great Mall features the best names in retail and entertainment including OFF 5th Saks Fifth Avenue, St. John Knits Outlet, The Sharper Image Outlet, Dave & Buster's, and Vans Skate Park, Century Theatres and unique themed restaurants. For additional information, visit www.greatmallbayarea.com.

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