San Jose, the self-described “Heart of Silicon Valley,” has been dragging behind the rest of the region in terms of city budgets and services. You could say San Jose didn’t have the dumb luck to be home to one of the tech firms that blew up in this latest boom, like Google or Facebook. But increasingly, San Jose is getting a piece of the action. Reporter: Rachael Myrow.

Boomtown

Finally: San Jose Starts to Capitalize on Tech Boom

The tech boom is pumping unprecedented riches into the region. But San Jose is barely in the black after years of deep deficits and painful cutbacks. How can that be? And what will it take to turn things around? Reporter: Rachael Myrow

Why San Jose Is Barely in the Black Despite the Tech Boom

Tens of thousands of San Franciscans live in converted garages, attics and basements: commonly known as "in-law units". Until recently, most of these were technically illegal. But the housing crunch prompted supervisors to not only bring them out of the shadows, but also find ways to create new in-law units. These creations are also inspiring creativity in people looking for ways to make in-laws better places to live. Reporter: Stephanie Martin-Taylor

In-Law Units Become New Design Frontier For SF Architects

The longtime owner of the Buena Vista trailer park is trying to close it down and capitalize on the land. About 400 mostly low-income residents have been fighting to stay put. Silicon Valley real estate is soaring in value these days. And now, a nonprofit is offering to run the park if the owner will sell. Reporter: Peter Jon Shuler

Local Officials Working with Non Profit to Save Palo Alto Mobile Home Park

Poet, painter and publisher Lawerence Ferlinghetti provides a historical perspective on San Francisco's boom, as someone who has seen booms and busts over the decades. Joanne Jennings spoke with him in the city's North Beach neighborhood.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Recounts More Than Six Decades of Life in San Francisco

We hear a lot about how tech workers are earning high salaries, gentrifying neighborhoods and driving up rents. But hearing from these workers directly, on-the-record, is rare, and there is a reason for that. Reporter: Sam Harnett

Wary Employers, Stigma Have Some Tech Workers Keeping Low Profile

Many mom and pop businesses have been priced out of San Francisco's Mission District, but one Mexican bakery has thrived by adapting to the times. Reporter: Joanne Elgart Jennings.

For Mission Bakery, Gentrification is Baked Into the Business Plan

Some families near the growing headquarters of Facebook are getting crushed by some of the most expensive rents in the country. To survive, they are doubling or tripling up in cramped homes, or worse: raising their children in garages. Reporter: Jhabvala Romero

Renters Struggle to Keep Up in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven Neighborhood

Oakland youth join the booming Bay Area economy with local threads, health awareness and a music blog. Reporter: Tylyn Hardamon

Young Oakland Entrepreneurs Redefine the Startup With a Local Twist

The influx of tech workers in the city is coinciding with some higher costs for mental health care. But does that mean some people, mostly non-tech workers, are getting priced out of psychotherapy?

Bay Area Tech Boom Driving Up Cost of Psychotherapy

Middle Eastern startups are beginning to attract more Silicon Valley investors and some are planning to open offices in the Bay area. It's largely due to the founder partner of Mountain View's tech incubator called 500 Startups. Dave McClure scours the globe to find countries like Egypt where startup culture is just getting off the ground, and fresh talent with a global hook can be found.

Tech Incubator Recruits Foreign Entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley

Yesterday in San Francisco, a Board of Supervisors committee passed a measure that would allow home owners to build in-law units on their existing properties if they are seismically retrofitting their building.

Proposal Would Allow Building of In-Law Units During Retrofitting

A recent study found that in San Francisco and San Jose, our time stuck in gridlock rose 10 percent in just one year. The tech boom may be partly to blame, but technology could also relieve some of that freeway congestion. A new project called the "SMART Corridor" comes online this summer. The idea is to give you more information on the road, to prevent bad tie-ups from getting worse. Reporter: Daniel Potter

Can Technology Make a Dent in East Bay Traffic?

We continue our series "Boomtown", about the Bay Area's thriving economy, in conversation with local leaders. Today let's meet Richard Carranza, the superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District.

Superintendent Discusses How the Boom Effects San Francisco's Classrooms

Buses are a big part of traffic, but there are ways to turn buses into "rapid transit." Transportation officials in the South Bay want to build a rapid bus system through one of Silicon Valley's busiest traffic corridors. Tonight Sunnyvale plans to weigh in. Reporter: Bryan Goebel

Fast Bus Service is Proving to be a Tough Political Sell in Silicon Valley

KQED’s “Boomtown” series will seek to identify not only what is happening in real time in this tech boom but drawing out the causes and possible solutions to the conflicts and pressures between the old and the new.

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Boomtown

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