First time in San Jose traveling from UK, any safety/travel advice?
I am travelling solo from the UK to San Jose for an event at McEnery Convention Center for a week. This will be my first time in the US and also my first time travelling alone. Arriving at SJC around 7:30pm, staying in a place within 1-2 miles from the venue, planning to uber straight there though the route is mostly a straight line.
I will be meeting up with friends and other people going to the event during the day, but they will not be arriving until the next morning. Sometimes I will be walking alone, but there may be times where we split up.
I am aware that I should keep to myself, watch where I'm going, and be aware of my surroundings, but these are my main concerns:
- Is the area safe to walk alone during the day? What times are usually fine for walking to grocery/convenience stores?
- Are there any areas, streets and neighbourhoods I should avoid?
- How strict are jaywalking laws? Do I always need to use crosswalks? How do I know where I'm allowed to walk? In Europe we can cross the street whenever if there is little traffic but I know that the US is mainly streets with stricter laws so it's harder for pedestrians.
- If I am unsure, should I uber to where I need to go instead of walking?
Edit: I was not expecting this many replies! Thank you all so much I will try to read through as many as I can!
Extra context: I am a young adult doing this, I originally had full confidence but some things were said to me by family which killed my mood a little so naturally I have been nervously looking up stuff. Mainly grandparents that believe everything they see on TV and they went to America in the 90s/00s so they forget that times have changed, but you can probably understand their fears.