Once a small agricultural town carpeted with acres of plum, apricot and peach orchards, San Jose is now famous worldwide as a high tech capital where Silicon Valley giants Cisco, Adobe and eBay have put down roots. Most people equate San Jose with silicon chips, but a slew of recent enhancements is changing all that. A two-decade-long campaign to revitalize San Jose's downtown has brought an influx of new shops and restaurants as well as the restoration of some old classics--the 1911 Montgomery Hotel reopened last year as a boutique hotel and the California Theatre, a 1920s movie palace, is now the new home for Opera San Jose. This October, a new city hall designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier (of Getty Museum fame) officially opens to the public.

Friday

4:00 Art Moves
When night falls, the SoFa district (South of First) lights up with nightclubs and restaurants. Stop by the Institute of Contemporary Art to see work by local and national artists (451 South First Street, 408-283-8155, sjica.org). If you can't make it by 5:00 p.m. when the gallery closes, the "Night Moves" program features new media installations in the front and rear windows, viewable around the clock. When you're done soaking up the art, walk a block to Original Joe's and soak up a dry martini. The Rocca family has been serving traditional Italian food here since 1956. Sidle up to the bar and watch the tuxedoed waiters bustle through the aisles (301 South First Street, 408-292-7030).

6:00 Dinner at Seven
Housed in a sleek industrial space, Seven (754 The Alameda, 408 280-1644) serves American fare with a French influence. Slip into a round leather banquette and watch identical twin chefs, Russel and Curtis Valdez, at work in the open kitchen, turning out dishes like pan-seared fish served with citrus couscous, onion rings, a relish of diced beets and tangerine, and greens.

8:00 A Taste of India
Just a short drive down The Alameda, the India Movie Center (1433 The Alameda, 408-287-1433) screens grandiose Bollywood productions nightly for San Jose's large Indian population. Enjoy the soap opera storylines, sense-defying costume changes and strangely infectious musical numbers with a cup of chai and a samosa. Many of the films have English subtitles, but check the schedule to make sure: www.imc6.com.

Saturday

7:30 Fuel Up at Flames
While you wait to be seated, make sure to ogle the display case of jaw-droppingly large cakes for which Flames Coffee Shop is famous. Everything at Flames is generously sized. The Belgian waffle with two eggs and bacon will fill you up or build your own omelette from over thirty ingredients. (449 South Winchester Blvd, 408-246-8154)

9:00 House of Spirits
Haunted by the ghosts of those killed by the rifle her father invented in the 1850s, Sarah Winchester turned her $20-million family fortune into a 38-year-long, 160-room architectural psychodrama. The Winchester Mystery House opened to the public in 1923 and has been one of San Jose's major attractions ever since. College students deliver tours from well-rehearsed scripts and "The Gift Shoppe" is full of tourist tchotchkes, but the mansion itself remains an intriguing mystery. Wander the maze of rooms and wonder about the mind of a woman who worked without a blueprint, building windows into floors and designing doors that opened onto sheer drops. (525 South Winchester Boulevard, 408-247-2000, Admission is $19.95. www.winchestermysteryhouse.com)

11:00 Walk Like an Egyptian
In 1927, the Rosicrucian Order, a society devoted to studying ancient mystical traditions, set up headquarters in San Jose and spearheaded a crusade to preserve Egyptian antiquities. Over the years, their collection has grown to become the largest in the Western United States and is currently housed in a museum modeled after the Temple of Amon at Karnak. Walk through the Peace Garden where native Egyptian plants--papyrus, olive, palm, aloe and iris--frame a reflecting pool and prayer temple. (1342 Naglee Avenue, 408-947-3636, www.egyptianmuseum.org)

12:00 Lunch al fresco
American ingenuity and Middle Eastern flavors collide deliciously at the Falafel Drive-In (2301 Stevens Creek Boulevard, 408-294-7886). Enjoy falafel ($4.00) and a banana milkshake ($2.75) at communal picnic benches. For something lighter, buy the fixings for a gourmet picnic at Zanotto's (1970 Naglee Avenue, 408-294-9151) and head to the Municipal Rose Garden (Naglee and Dana Avenues). Bask on a stone bench by the fountain surrounded by an army of roses with names like "Sweet Surrender" and "Perfect Moments."

1:00 Time Travel
Visit the Burbank District on West San Carlos for a taste of old San Jose. You won't find Silicon Valley high rises or industrial parks here--yet. Car dealerships are mixed in with hair salons, bridal stores, tattoo parlors and thrift shops. On the corner of Bascom, The Pink Poodle strip club coexists with Baby Land, a children's furniture store in a wonderfully dated 1950's-style building. The neighborhood is also home to Antique Row. Browse for found photos and kitchen appliances at Antiques Village (1225 W. San Carlos Street, 408-292-2667) or vintage clothing at Moon Zoom (1630 W. San Carlos Street, 408 287-5876).

3:00 Cutting Edge Art
San Jose's Museum of Modern Art just celebrated its 35th anniversary this year and its permanent collection shines with world-class artists--sculpture by Louise Nevelson, photography by Catherine Wagner and new media installations by Ray Beldner. Current exhibits include "Brides of Frankenstein," in which several women artists play the role of mad scientist and dream up their own lifelike, animated creatures and "Tales from the Kiln," a survey of contemporary ceramics. (110 South Market Street, 408-271-6840, www.sjmusart.org)

7:00 American Twist
The names on the menu at Arcadia scream good old American comfort food, but award-winning chef Michael Mina likes to turn diners' expectations upside down. The "Fish and Chips" is potato-crusted tai snapper, onion puree and malt vinegar while the "Pot Roast" is ahi tuna with baby veggies, crispy bone marrow and a pinot noir gravy. The dessert menu is for the adult child in all of us: "Root Beer Floats" (sassafras ice cream with root beer sorbet) and "S'mores" (chocolate pot de crème with graham cracker cookies and marshmallow cream).

9:00 Night Music
As one of the few remaining movie palaces from the 1920s, the recently restored California Theater dishes up glamour. It's now home to Symphony Silicon Valley and Opera San Jose. Verdi's A Masked Ball plays in November and December (345 South First Street, 408-295-9600). If you're looking for something smooth, try the Hedley Club in the Art Deco Hotel DeAnza where jazz and swing bands perform on the weekends in a low-lit lounge. Sink into a plush armchair and gaze up at the wood-beamed, hand painted ceiling or sit by a fountain in the palm-lined courtyard. (233 W Santa Clara Street, 408-286-1000) For something a little more interactive, try 7 Bamboo, a spirited karaoke bar in San Jose's Japantown (162 East Jackson Street). The atmosphere is dive bar, but when the action starts around 10:00 the only thing that matters is how well you can belt out Bacharach or Bon Jovi.

Sunday

10:00 Paris, California-Style
The creators of Santana Row wanted to design a commercial center that resembled a European city. Thus the park benches and bubbling fountains that look like they've been plucked from a Parisian park or an Italian piazza. There's even a concierge if you're feeling a bit "perdu." For breakfast, pick up some locally grown organic fruit at the Sunday morning farmers market or enjoy a croissant and coffee at Cocola Bakery. Browse for upscale threads at Gucci, Escada, Ferragamo or Diesel. Pick up a white blouse from Anne Fontaine. Or book a facial at Atelier Aveda (408-244-4222). (400 South Winchester Boulevard, 408-551-4600)

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Visiting San Jose
San Jose is an hour's drive south of San Francisco International Aiport on US 101. The Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is two miles north of downtown San Jose. A rental car is a good idea for driving to areas outside the city center.

Hotel Montgomery
Developers saved this 1911 Renaissance Revival style architectural gem from the wrecking ball and created a boutique hotel that is a pleasing mix of old and new. The 86 rooms feature Burberry accents and prints by San Francisco artist Rex Ray. Special Internet room rates ranging from $99 to $125 are often available through Expedia.com. (211 South First Street, 408-282-8800)

Hotel De Anza
The Art Deco De Anza dates from the 1930s when it was the only luxury hotel amidst the plum and peach orchards. The classic neon rooftop sign lights up the night sky. During the day, look for the 25-foot diving lady originally painted on the building in the 50s to advertise the hotel's heated swimming pool (which is no longer there). Rooms start at $119 and include an open invitation to raid the "Late Night Pantry." (233 West Santa Clara Street, 408-286-1000)