One city. One Tank. A whole lot of teal.
San Jose is where the world's biggest tech companies were built blocks from where the San Jose Sharks turn SAP Center into the loudest building in the NHL. This is a fan-made guide to both — the city's history and highlights, and the Sharks' young, rising roster.
Why San Jose earns its motto
Founded in 1777 as El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, San Jose was California's first civilian settlement and its first state capital. Today it's the third-largest city in California and the beating heart of Silicon Valley — a genuinely diverse, food-obsessed, tech-built city that rarely gets the credit San Francisco does, despite being right there with it.
Downtown & San Pedro Square
The historic heart of the city, packed with restaurants, breweries, and the open-air San Pedro Square Market.
The Tech Interactive
A hands-on science and technology museum celebrating the valley's innovation roots — great for families and curious adults alike.
Japantown
One of only three remaining historic Japantowns in the United States, with generations-old shops and restaurants.
Santana Row
Upscale shopping, dining, and people-watching along a walkable, European-style boulevard.
Winchester Mystery House
The famously sprawling, staircase-to-nowhere Victorian mansion that's been a city curiosity for over a century.
Guadalupe River Trail
A green corridor connecting downtown to parks and neighborhoods — walkable right past the Shark Tank itself.
How to do a night at the Tank right
Park downtown, walk in
SAP Center sits right at the edge of downtown — park near San Pedro Square and walk the Guadalupe River Trail in.
Eat before puck drop
San Pedro Square Market has options for every craving, all within a 10-minute walk of the arena.
Wear the teal
The Shark Tank is famously loud — the crowd noise is part of the home-ice advantage, not just the roster.
Stay downtown after
Post-game, downtown San Jose's bars and restaurants stay lively well after the final horn.
San Jose, in brief
Getting there
Served by Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, Caltrain, and VTA light rail right to downtown.
Best time to go
Hockey season (October–April) pairs San Jose's mild winters with a full Sharks home schedule at the Tank.
Where it's all happening
Almost everything — downtown, the Tank, San Pedro Square — sits within easy walking distance of itself.