San Jose, armpit of the greater central California landscape, ocean-side free, and with all the glamour of of a killing in Kansas in Cold Blood.

Yet there is a certain charm in the Salinas like dusky images we have of the bygone days (well, they were only 25 years ago, let's not get maudlin!).

Some things, however, have changed for the better WITHOUT bulldozing every building in site at a profit for developers (including both buildings featured on the left).

Feel free to peruse the town that brought us Silicon (sort of- Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino, and Mountain View all have stronger claims), mercury poisioning (that Almaden Quicksilver mine is still pumping it out!), and the Winchester Mystery House (Sarah was a transplant after her husband died- and if the best thing we can offer is a 100+ year old house, we got bigger problems than garbage scandals!) in photos showing "then and now" at:

http://www.bvnasj.org/SanJose19752006.htm