The Essential Silicon Valley?
wooster: The advantage the Valley has isn't so much a collection of discrete items, it's more of a gestalt.I'm a believer in geography influencing thought, so let's start there. The weather is fantastic and there are plenty of awesome things to do all year. Since it'll be summer, try driving up Page Mill and one way or another along Skyline, find someplace to hike. Windy Hill Summit or Russian Ridge would both be good, as they give a great overlook of the area. On a clear day, you can see the ocean, San Jose, and San Francisco from Russian Ridge. On your way out, get lost in the streets of Woodside to get a good sense of just how much wealth has been accumulated here. Hop on 280 North, and head up to San Francisco, get a burrito in the Mission, hang out in Golden Gate Park, watch the sun set from Battery Spencer (http://amid.st/p1197), etc. Spend some time wine tasting in Napa or Sonoma (or Cupertino, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, etc). Wander around the Stanford Campus (although Spring Quarter will be just ending). My point is, people enjoy living here. There's plenty to do, lots of little communities with their own character, and the weather is great. In my view, that's a huge part of the advantage.As far as specific places... try Coupa Café (http://amid.st/p61) in Palo Alto. On weekdays, I usually see a few people pitching ideas, working on iPhone/web/whatever apps, professors having spirited discussions, etc. Most of the area around University Ave is good for that. Buck's of Woodside (http://amid.st/p1) or Sundance (http://amid.st/p1190) are good places to spot VC's, but you'd have to know who's a VC to see them. The Four Seasons (http://amid.st/p1193) in East Palo Alto is usually empty. Garden Court (http://amid.st/p1192) is a little more central and usually a little more happening hotel-wise, although there are several other places in downtown that are good.Most of the big VC firms are either on Sand Hill Road or on Middlefield in Menlo Park, although there are several in downtown Palo Alto. Do a search for "venture capital" in Google Maps, then zoom in on Palo Alto to get a good idea of where to drive if you just want to see where things are at.You'll be in town the same time as Apple's WWDC in San Francisco (http://developer.apple.com/WWDC/). You may want to see if there are any parties you can crash (there will be... check Upcoming.org). Or, just hang out at The Chieftain (http://amid.st/p1183), The Tempest (http://amid.st/p1189), The Thirsty Bear (http://amid.st/p1191) [surprisingly, -not- a gay bar], etc. There is usually a party during WWDC on the weeknights at 111 Minna (http://amid.st/p1194), although there may be guest lists (check Upcoming).Hackerdojo (a hacker space I'm involved in starting) should be open by then. Come check it out: http://hackerdojo.pbworks.com/I could probably go on. Shameless plug: check out my places on Amidst for more specific places in the area: http://amid.st/~andrewReally, the best way to figure it out is to live here.