Ranked as 7th on the "Top 100 Best Places to Live 2015" list from Livability, Santa Clara, California, is the place to move to. Known for having an excellent mixture of old and young residents, Santa Clara is the perfect place for any newcomer. There are many excellent shopping plazas, large theme parks, historic museums, and vast educational opportunities. When you want a perfect balance of work, life, and play, take a look at what Santa Clara has to offer.

Central Location in California

Santa Clara is a great central location, allowing easy access to get where you’d like to be in California. It’s near all the major expressways. San Francisco is just 45 minutes away. Oakland is 50 minutes away. San Jose is a short 15-minute drive.

Public transportation such as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Amtrak, and CalTrain are the three largest options. There are no excuses for not dining, shopping, traveling to sporting activities, or finding other social and entertaining engagements to partake in.

Great Educational Opportunities

Viewed as one of the best educational districts in the United States, the Santa Clara Unified School District has a low, average class size of 30 students. This makes it easy for students to get special one-on-one attention that they deserve. There are four post-secondary schools in the Santa Clara area: Jesuit College, Mission College, Golden State Baptist, and the largest, Santa Clara University.

Green-Friendly Town

You may not have thought much about moving to a green-friendly community; however, there are many perks of doing so. Santa Clara has its own greenhouse. Many of the homes are now solar powered, decreasing utility costs as well as providing a healthy environment. Silicon Valley Power is Santa Clara’s electric utility company. Santa Clara also participates in a recycled water program, which all their park and school sites use. Just living in Santa Clara makes it easy to say that you are giving back to the planet.

Great Mixture of Suburban and City Life

Santa Clara has a broad mixture of suburban and city life. There are 23 main neighborhoods, making Santa Clara the 48th largest community in California.

• There are many great apartments in the community such as the Tuscany Santa Clara.
• If you’re looking for a close commute downtown, the Agnew neighborhood is for you.
• The El Camino Real is a luxurious area to live in; it's in walking proximity of parks, shopping, and entertainment.
• The Lawrence neighborhood earned the nickname Urban Suburbia. It’s a mixture of older homes and new homes, where there are great amenities for renters such as fitness centers.
• For those wanting to live in the center of downtown, the Victorian and new luxury apartments await you. You’re within walking distance to great activities, and the freeway is right there to hop on and travel to San Jose or San Francisco.

Key Employers in the Area

Santa Clara has a 2.67 percent job growth and a low 5.1 percent unemployment rate. This is mainly due to its perfect positioning in the Silicon Valley area. With key employers -- such as Intel, Google, Texas Instruments, Applied Materials, and Great America -- in the area, work is available for many. The Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce has helped entrepreneurs get their start as well.

Wonderful Blend of Lifestyles

There is so much to do in the greater Santa Clara area for the young and active adult lifestyles. Between the Walter E. Schmidt Youth Activity Center and the Santa Clara Senior and Teen Center, there are activities to participate in each day. You can take your family and your pets to any of the 38 recreational parks to enjoy a morning, afternoon, or evening of fun and relaxation. Also, those seeking amusement have California’s Great America right there. There is a host of museums, fine dining establishments, and theaters to visit as well.

Santa Clara is a beautiful environment to wake up to each day. The climate, gorgeous mountain and ocean views, and cultural experiences make it all worthwhile.