According to a recent study by FiveThirtyEight.com, San Jose is the most forgettable major U.S. city. They looked at a quiz on the website Sporcle, which asks people to name the top 100 most populous cities in the United States.
The FiveThirtyEight.com team found most people didn’t guess San Jose in the top ten, 20, or even 30. Only 66 percent of people guessed San Jose.
"Maybe because we don't have any major sports teams so people don't think of it off the top of their head,” said Jonathan Ramos of San Jose. “Besides the Sharks, obviously.” (And the Earthquakes)
The statistics in the article show more people guessed Tampa and Buffalo than San Jose.
San Jose State student Shelby Ortiz say her friends witnessed the lack of recognition last week.
“I’m in the marching band here and a bunch of my friends went to the Mountain West Conference [tournament] in Vegas. They were just like, ‘oh we had to explain where San Jose was to a bunch of people.’ They just don't know where it is, and it's like the middle of the tech boom,” she said.
City spokesman Dave Vossbrink concedes San Jose is new to the "major city" list.
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"Fifty years ago we were a city of just over 100,000 people. So we have grown tremendously in the last half century," Vossbrink said.
As for the study, you could say the city will soon forget about it.
“Name cities out there trying to become the next Silicon Valley, every one of them is trying to. We're Silicon Valley, they're all trying to be us,” Vossbrink said. “What does that tell you?"
