I began chronicling Silicon Valley in its Web 2.0 heyday, when Facebook and Google — still in their adolescence — were replacing older companies like Sun Microsystems as the cool places to work.

Rooted in Defense Silicon Valley’s militarization is in many ways a return to the region’s roots. Before the area was a tech epicenter, it was a bucolic land of fruit orchards.

Silicon Valley's diverse cities and suburbs are now home to a unique cultural and entertainment scene. We explore this diverse and stimulating valley in this special section.