- What is Mountain View known for?
Mountain View was named because of its bird's eye view of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's most famous for being home to Google headquarters, Googleplex. Google provides city-wide free wi-fi for everyone in the area. Microsoft, Symantec, Intuit and LinkedIn offices also have large office complexes in the city.
- What state is Mountain View in?
California Mountain View State
- What is there to do in Mountain View today?
Part nerd nirvana, party paradise and gastronomical haven, Mountain View is home to an eclectic mix of museums and tech houses, with an upbeat and lively downtown housing a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.
- Catch the Wind at Shoreline Kite Flying Park
Located adjacent to the shoreline amphitheater and the golf link, with a large expanse of open space and strong bay winds, the kite park is an ideal setting for kite flying, and the official kite flying area of the city. If you are not into kite flying, you can still visit the park to see a full range of kite performers.
See the Largest Collection of Computer Artefacts at Computer History Museum
You don’t have to be a geek to visit the Computer History Museum. Multi-media exhibits take you on an educational and fun tour of the computer’s evolution over time. Everything from room-size computers to palmtops, phones, consoles, self-driven cars — it’s all here. Starting with the ancient mechanical calculator, working up to early machines, going into Apple, Microsoft, and Google, exhibits are well presented with text, short videos and interactive demos. Grab a bite at the cloud café and pick up a souvenir from the gift shop on the way out.
Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Swing a Club At Shoreline Golf Links
Located at the shoreline, with the beautiful view of the mountains and the bay, golfers here can play the link-style 18 hole golf course. The well-manicured course provides a good challenge to all level of golfers. The course has some fun par 3s and hazards to work around. And there is nothing like kicking back at the lakeside café, after a good game of golf.
Shoreline Golf Links, 2940 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Take Selfies with Google Android Lawn Sculptures
This one is especially for the shutterbugs and selfie lovers. The Android statue garden is located at 1981 Landings Drive. Very popular among tourists, it is a must visit even for locals. And if you can get yourself invited over to the Google campus, there are lot of fun activities for guests to indulge in.
Android Lawn Sculptures, 1981 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Check Out Incredible Restaurants and Cafes at Castro Street
If you’re looking for a lavish meal with friends, a romantic dinner, or a quick bite, Castro Street is the place to be. The street teems with global taste and you can find just about any cuisine at every price. Watch belly-dancing at Morocco’s restaurant, eat sushi at Bushido, spicy Indian treats at Sukoon, or pan-Latin tapas at Cascal. Plus Chinese, Italian, French, Greek, Thai, Mongolian, Korean, fusion, crêpes, ice creams, it’s all here.
Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA
Go Windsurfing at Shoreline Aquatic Center
The Shoreline Aquatic Center offers windsurfing, sailboat, kayak, pedalo and canoe for rent. For amateurs, there are windsurfing, sailing and kayaking classes and you can sign up to play kayak polo. Set by the bay with gorgeous views of the mountains and miles of trail, it is a great place for hikers and bikers. Catch the most stunning view of the sunset from the park or grab a bite at the café. The lake gets covered with a variety of shorebirds during migration making it an ideal spot for bird watching.
Shoreline Aquatic Center, 3160 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Enjoy a Coffee Tasting Class at Red Rock Coffee
The atmosphere here is chilled, relaxed, and the place is filled with plenty of smart people either studying, hanging out or coding. With free wifi and plenty of power points to plug the laptop in, this two level café is where it’s happening. Sign up for their monthly coffee tasting sessions, which includes four fresh roasted coffees, a 12-ounce bag of coffee from the tasting and a bit of coffee knowledge. The open mic evenings every Monday at Red Rock have a cult following.
Red Rock Coffee, 201 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA
Check Out Aliens at the SETI Institute
Scientists associated with the SETI Institute have been searching for extraterrestrial civilizations since the 1960s. The institute is situated on a pleasant campus and consists of research labs and centers to provide information to the public. Nothing gets cooler than a bunch of scientists who believe in, and are trying to make contact with others, lightyears away. Visit the SETI campus, or be a part of the SETI at home project.
SETI Institute @ 189 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Shop at an Award-Winning Farmer’s Market
A pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning is visiting the best and biggest farmers’ markets in the Bay area. This Farmers’ Market showcases over 80 farmers and vendors every Sunday, from 9am to 1pm, hosted by the City of Mountain View at the Caltrain Station year-round. Walk around, sample and stock up on an incredible selection of freshly grown produce and flowers.
Farmer’s Market, Mountain View Caltrain, 600 W Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA
Go Clubbing At Upbeat Pubs and Bars
Castro street turns upbeat and lively at night with its many pubs and lounges. Stephen’s pumps it up with DJs, theme nights, a two-level dance floor, brews and cocktails to keep nightlife lovers satisfied. Irish beer flows freely and music is thumping as the party scene turns wild on weekends at Molly Magees. Huge dance floor, über-cool ambiance, a hip crowd and cheap drinks makes Opal a crowd puller.
Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA
Is Mountain View CA a good place to live?
Mountain View is in Santa Clara County and is one of the best places to live in California. ... In Mountain View there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Mountain View and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Mountain View are highly rated.
- Is it expensive to live in Mountain View?
Our cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount below 100 means Mountain View is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means Mountain View, California is more expensive. Mountain View cost of living is 315.4 USD Housing is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference. The median home price in Mountain View is $1,286,300 USD
- How safe is Mountain View?
The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Mountain View is 1 in 37. Based on FBI crime data, Mountain View is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to California, Mountain View has a crime rate that is higher than 74% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.
- Is Mountain View a suburb?
Mountain View is a suburb of Oakland with a population of 2,066. Mountain View is in Contra Costa County. Living in Mountain View offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. ... Many families live in Mountain View and residents tend to be liberal.
Why is Mountain View called Mountain View?
Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, in Silicon Valley. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mountain View is one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley. It has a population of 82,739.
- How do I get to Mountain View?
Mountain View is one of the major cities that make up Silicon Valley, and has many notable Silicon Valley companies either headquartered there or with a large presence, including Google, Symantec, Nokia and Microsoft.
By air
Mountain View is reachable from all three Bay Area airports:
San Francisco: Take a short ride on the BART train to Millbrae station, then take Caltrain southbound service.
San Jose: Take a free shuttle to Caltrain's Santa Clara station and then take the northbound train service. Also, you can take a free shuttle to the VTA Metro/Airport station and take the VTA light rail.
Oakland: Take a shuttle van service. This is the least desirable of the three airports in terms of distance. You can also take a shuttle to the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART station, take BART to Millbrae station, then take Caltrain southbound.
By train
Caltrain service connects Mountain View to San Francisco and San Jose. There are two stops. Most trains stop at downtown (Castro St) stop.
It is possible to connect to Amtrak trains via San Jose Diridon station via Caltrain.
There is also a VTA light rail service that connects downtown to several suburb locations in the south bay. VTA light rail can also be used to connect to the Amtrak Capitol Corridor train (to Sacramento) in Santa Clara.
Get around
For travel within Mountain View itself and the neighboring area, The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) operates bus and light rail service. The Caltrain , which runs all the way from San Francisco to Gilroy stops in Mountain View as well. Caltrain also provides relatively easy access to both San Francisco and San Jose Airport.
See
Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd (near Highway 101), ☎ +1-650-810-1010,. W-Su 10-5. World's largest and most complete computer history museum, documenting the area's primary industry. $15.
Castro Street. Castro Street is a charming district full of ethnic diversity and interesting local businesses. Although there is a strong Asian presence among restaurants and shops, many different cultures are represented along these blocks. There is a weekly farmer's market and on certain Thursdays it is home to a great street fair with vendors and a classic car show. Also convenient access from public transportation by way of several trains and buses. If you live near this area or in most of Mountain View, Google provides free Wi-Fi internet all over.
Google Headquarters, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy. Drive around the large campus of buildings to see where all the geeks work. Make sure to take a picture in front of the huge Android statue at Building 44 (1635 Charleston Road).
Shoreline Wildlife Refuge Area and Trail, In Shoreline Park at the end of Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, ☎ 650.903.6392, [2]. Once the site for dumping trash, Mountain View closed this area as a dump and turned it into a park instead. Now it's a beautiful 700-acre park with a saltwater lake, golf course, rolling grassy hills, and bay trails.
Hacker Dojo (hackerspace), [3]. Non-profit community center for geeks.
Do
Shoreline Amphitheatre, 1 Amphitheatre Parkway (Off Shoreline Boulevard near Highway 101), ☎ 1-650-967-3000,. Outdoor concert venue with huge tent cover, location for many large Bay Area concerts as well as community events.
Century Cinemas 16, 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., ☎ +1-650-960-0970. Large movie theater with ample parking showing recent big movies.
Shoreline Aquatic Center, 3160 N. Shoreline Blvd (in Shoreline Regional Park at the end of Shoreline Blvd), ☎ +1-650-965-7474, . Water sports center with boating, windsurfing, and other aquatic activities. Equipment rental available.
Go to the Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings.
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Federal Airfield, off Highway 101, Mountain View; visitor Center, ☎ 650.604.6497. Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm. Founded in 1939, Ames Research Center has evolved into one of the nation’s premier research labs. Ames provides the products, technologies and services that enable NASA missions and, in turn, expand human knowledge.
Reach new heights and go Kite Surfing, where the wind in Mountain View is free! Go here to check it out: Shoreline Park at Mountain View, 3070 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Stevens Creek Trail, . Walk, jog, or bike along the scenic Stevens Creek Trail that runs along a small creek into the Stevens Creek Shoreline Preserve. Unique scenery include a tree farm, the Google complex, Moffett Field, and an open space preserve.
Arisa Thai Massage, 4546 El Camino Real Suite 202, Los Altos, CA, ☎ (408)663-8070,. Known for their signature massage combining Thai, Swedish, and Deep Tissue modalities. Located in the rustic Village Court Shopping Plaza near Chef Chu’s. The studio is quaint and private - perfect for couples. massage sessions starting at $85/hr.
Buy
Mountain View is the home of many big box stores including REI, Best Buy, Ross, and Costco near the Hwy 101 Rengstorff exit and Walmart, Target, and Safeway in the San Antonio shopping center.
Eat
Castro Street is the main downtown area with many restaurants and bars. East and South Asian food is available in abundance, but it is by no means the only choice. Watch the hours of operation; most restaurants in Mountain View are not open very late.
Kirin, (on Castro Street). 11 AM-midnight every day. Look past the fish tank crawling with lobsters outside and look in for some cheap and tasty Chinese food. Parking is accessible and the service is quick.
Maru Ichi Japanese Noodle House, 368 Castro St, Mountain View, ☎ (650) 564-9931. Kumamoto-style ramen joint offering homemade noodles, plus soba & udon served in savory broths with fresh toppings.
Fu Lam Mum Sea Food Restaurant, (on Castro Street). 11 AM-2:30 PM, 5 PM-midnight every day. Dim sum is the staple of this restaurant, so come here hungry! Most dim sum plates cost between $3-5, and with the endless parade of food being served, you're guaranteed to walk away full. The shrimp and pea sprout dumplings come recommended.
Tied House Cafe and Brewery, (one and a half blocks off Castro on Villa), [8]. American. Local brew house with beer garden.
Chez TJ, 938 Villa St. (next to Tied House), ☎ (650) 964-9647, [9]. Swanky, Michelin-starred restaurant. Worth the splurge. Expensive.
Bangkok Spoon, (one block off Castro Street on Villa).
Gelato Classico, (on Castro Street). Italian ice cream.
Taquería Los Charros, (one block off Castro on Dana St). Mexican food. Excellent tacos, and many other choices.
Hong Kong Bistro, (on Castro Street). Western-style food from Hong Kong, vestiges of a colonial era.
Cascal, 400 Castro St., . Excellent Latin American Tapas, particularly good for sharing food in groups. A little on the pricy side.
Vaso Azzurro, 108 Castro St., . Italian food, served in a restaurant with substantially-Italian-speaking staff
New Mongolian BBQ, (on Castro St., near Dana St.). Relatively inexpensive all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ (fill a bowl with ingredients and sauce, and it will be cooked for you)
Cafe Baklava, 341 Castro St., . Turkish food
Scratch, 401 Castro Street (Castro and California, across Castro from Cascal), ☎ 650-237-3131. Updated American comfort food. It has a great bar with unusual, craft selections of American distilled spirits. Also, good soups, salads, and appetizers. Main courses are inconsistent but many are quite good.
Amarin Thai Cuisine, 174-176 Castro St. (near Villa), ☎ 650-988-9323,. Good Thai food. Also has branches in Santa Clara and San Jose.
There are some wonderful Mexican restaurants in the area serving Poblano style food.
Vive Sol, 2020 W. El Camino Real, ☎ +1-650-938-2020. Specializes in cuisine from the Pueblo region of Mexico. An outdoor seating area makes this a great place to go on a warm summer evening.
La Fiesta, 240 Villa St. (about a 10 minute walk east of Castro St., just past a bunch of car mechanic shops), ☎ +1-650-968-1364, [15]. Mexican food
There are other great eateries in Mountain View not on Castro Street:
Krung Thai,. Thai.
Amber, Indian.
Garden Fresh, 1245 W El Camino Real, ☎ 1-650-961-7795. Vegetarian Chinese.
Chilis Grill & Bar, 2560 W El Camino Real, ☎ (650)941-2227 .
Drink
Sleep
- Best Western Mountain View Inn, 2300 W El Camino Real, ☎ +1 800 785-0005 (fax: +1 650 962-9011), .
- Comfort Inn Mountain View, 1561 West El Camino Real, ☎ 650-967-7888.
- Hotel Strata Mountain View, 93 W El Camino Real, ☎ 650-967-6957, .
- Holiday Inn Express – Mountain View, 2700 W. El Camino Real, ☎ +1-650-559-9115 (fax: +1-650-559-9045), . checkin: 2:00 PM; checkout: 11:00 AM.
- Hotel Zico, 200 E. El Camino Real, ☎ 6509698200,.
- Quality Inn & Suites Hotel, 5 Fairchild Dr, ☎ +1-650-934-0155 (fax: +1-650-968-9562), [24]. checkin: 3:00PM; checkout: noon.
- Ramada Mountain View, 55 Fairchild Dr, ☎ +1-650-967-6856 (ramada.mtview@gmail.com, fax: +1-650-964-4542),. checkin: 3PM; checkout: noon.
- Super 8 Mountain View, 1665 El Camino Real, ☎ 650-969-9641,. Services include free breakfast, Wi-Fi and parking
- Hotel Avante, 860 E El Camino Real, ☎ 650-940-1000, . Boutique hotel with services including free breakfast, Wi-Fi, weekday shuttle, on-site parking and more.
Stay safe
While one of the safest cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mountain View is not immune to crime. As with all cities, avoid walking alone after dark unless necessary, and make sure to not leave valuables in your car. Stay alert of your surroundings, and utilize common sense.
In general, the Mountain View police has excellent response times and should be contacted in the event you feel threatened.
Rengstorff Park
While perfectly safe during the day, at night the park and its surroundings have historically served as a hotspot for gang activity and should generally be avoided if possible.
- North of Middlefield
The strip between Middlefield Road and Highway 101 is markedly lower income than the rest of the city, and as such has higher rates of crime. Avoid walking away from the main roads at night.
How far is San Francisco from Mountain View?
33 miles - The distance between San Francisco and Mountain View is 33 miles. The road distance is 37.8 miles.
- How far is Mountain View from Oakland?
31 miles - The distance between Oakland and Mountain View is 31 miles. The road distance is 39.5 miles.
- What airport do you fly into for Mountain View CA ?
San Jose -- What is the nearest airport to Mountain View? The nearest airport to Mountain-View is San Jose (SJC) Airport which is 8.6 miles away. Other nearby airports include San Francisco (SFO) (23.2 miles), Oakland (OAK) (23.8 miles), Sacramento (SMF) (94.7 miles) and Fresno (FAT) (137.9 miles).
- How do I get from San Francisco to Mountain View?
Train or bus from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Mountain View? The best way to get from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Mountain View is to Caltrain which takes 1h 28m and costs $12 - $17. Alternatively, you can line 398 bus and bus and line 22 bus, which costs $6 - $12 and takes 1h 43m
How far is Mountain View from San Jose?
Distance between San Jose and Mountain View is 17 kilometers (11 miles). Driving distance from San Jose to Mountain View is 21 kilometers (13 miles).