Future of Caltrain Video

Here is a quick look at some of the benefits that electrified Caltrain will bring. In addition to obviously polluting less, service would be faster and more trains would be able to be deployed each hour. Check out the three minute video below to get the details.

Source: SkyscraperCity

Saturday Stats: San Jose Ranks in Top 20 US Cities for Culture

One of the areas people often give San Jose flak for is lack of culture. I have been arguing for years that this is not the case, and now there is a report by PropertyShark that puts San Jose in the Top 20 list for US Cities with the highest cultural venue density by population.

San Jose came in 19th on the list with one cultural location for every 6,873 people. This is not bad at all considering Chicago was 20th with one location for every 7,438 people, San Francisco was 16th with one per 5,130, and New York was 13th with one cultural location for every 3,096 people. Seattle took the top stop with a total of 1,890 cultural venues, or one location for every 354 people.

Source: PropertyShark, Hat-tip to Barclay Livker

VTA Express Bus Service to Levi's Stadium

As you all probably have heard, parking at Levi's Stadium can be both an expensive and time consuming proposition. Light Rail may seem like the next best option, but VTA is experiencing the highest volume of passengers it has had in a long time--perhaps ever--during games. Waits could easily exceed an hour to get on a train after the game. So what other options are there? VTA has a ton of express buses from all around Silicon Valley that will travel to Levi's Stadium and back with minimal stoppage. Check out the map below to find the stop closest to you. While I'm at it, I also included a couple videos about the express bus service, a map showing the epic Light Rail service on stadium days (with rare triple trains), and a link to the VTA Webpage for Levi's Stadium Service.

Construction Starting on LINQ at Berryessa

The first market-rate apartments near the Berryessa BART station are about to break ground! Called LINQ at Berryessa, the project will have 230-units and is sitting on land that used to be zoned as industrial. Two affordable projects have already been built in the area and another 140-unit market-rate project is going to be built a kitty corner from LINQ.

In addition to being a short walk away from BART, LINQ will also have 12,000 SQFT of retail space which will likely be used for restaurants. For more info, hit the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

C.R.E.A.M. in Downtown San Jose

C.R.E.A.M.--which stands for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me--was started in Berkeley and specializes in Ice Cream Sandwiches featuring two cookies and a generous scoop of ice cream. The chain has since expanded to nine different locations, including a Downtown San Jose location that opened earlier this year at the corner of Post and First Street.

One notable attribute that separates C.R.E.A.M. from some of the other fast casual eateries Downtown is that there always seems to be a line out the door. It doesn't matter if it's lunch time, around dinner, or late at night... there are always people waiting to get their ice cream sandwich fix. Speaking of late nights, C.R.E.A.M. is open until 2am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! Even on Monday through Wednesday they are open until midnight. It's nice having a late-night dessert option in Downtown San Jose to compliment the two dozen other eateries ranging from Mexican to Vietnamese to Indian that are open until 2-3am (the awesome Nick the Greek on Santa Clara has joined this club as well).

Okay, so for such a popular place how are the ice cream sandwiches? Personally, I liked them but did not love them. The cookie snickerdoodle cookies were great, but I prefer Treatbot's ice cream a lot more. The place was clean and the service was friendly; I'll almost definitely be visiting them again at some point. However, for me Treatbot is still the ice cream king Downtown.

P.S. Hat tip to William Burch for suggesting I review this place months ago. I finally got around to trying it =).

Eating San Jose: Check out The Table for Brunch

Eating San Jose has a great review of The Table's brunch menu, one of my favorite restaurants in Willow Glen. I have yet to go there for brunch, but based on the review it seems worthy of a special trip just for that purpose. The lemon ricotta pancakes and biscuit & gravy topped with fried chicken and an egg look delicious. Check out Dale's full review at Eating San Jose over here!

Boston Properties Moving Forward on Huge Office Project

There are so many projects in the queue for North San Jose that it is difficult to keep track of them all. You have the mysterious Peery-Arrillaga project that would encompass one huge Fortune 100 tech tenant and up to 2 million SQFT. Then you have n1 Campus with up to 2.8 million SQFT. Over on Zanker Road you have Innovation Place with 540,000 SQFT. Now there is talk of another huge office project moving forward in the area.

Boston Properties owns a 24.5-acre business park on North First Street with five buildings totaling 190,000 SQFT that were all built in 1981. They want to tear down all of these buildings and create up to 1.55 million SQFT of new office space along with some retail. Most buildings would be 5-6 stories tall with one up to 10 stories (perhaps taking a note from Samsung).

It is still not clear if Boston Properties is going to wait for some anchor tenants to build or start the project speculatively, but they are applying for entitlements which could be approved by the city as soon as the end of the year. One thing is certain, North First could look dramatically different in a few years than it does today.

Source: SVBJ

Tech + Tastings at Santana Row

A unique "tech-walk" event is coming to Santana Row in a couple weeks that combines wine and food tastings with various tech exhibits courtesy of The Tech Museum of Innovation (you have to check out the 3D printers). Tickets are only $40 and benefit the museum. All of the info is below:

Tech + Tastings at Santana Row
Presented by The Tech Museum of Innovation

6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, September 4

San Jose, CA – Join us for the first-ever tech walk, an only-in-Silicon Valley event that brings together two of San Jose’s favorite attractions, Santana Row and The Tech Museum of Innovation.
The evening’s highlight is a wine stroll around Santana Row with shop stops that will feature exhibits from The Tech. The event is a benefit for the museum. Tickets are $40 and are available at santanarow.com. Ticket holders will be given:

• Access to hands-on tech exhibits
• Wine & food pairings
• Exclusive discounts to Santana Row shops and restaurants
• Signature Santana Row wine glass

Registration is in Santana Row Park, and will begin at 5:50 p.m.

Here’s what you’ll see from The Tech:

• “Your Life in Data” lets you experience the latest in wearable data gathering. Brainwaves, muscle tension, pulse, light levels, colors, faces, speech and voice levels will all be logged and displayed back to you.
• “Minimasher,” a multiplayer electronic instrument that allows you to jam out on three sets of drum pads triggering drum, bass, and synth sounds.
• “3D Printing -The Future of Making” demonstrates the wonder of 3D with various printed objects on hand. You can try freehand plastic creation with the 3Doodler.
• “Hacker vs. Hacker” challenges you to break into a safe and win a prize. Find the best way in: do you pick the lock, crack the code, or jump the right wires?
• “Scribble Scratch” is a modified consumer DJ controller that puts you in charge of the DJ rig, the iconic Hip Hop instrument. 

About Santana Row
Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.


About Federal Realty
Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in
the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 20 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.3% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of June 30, 2014, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.2% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 47 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.


About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum—located in the Capital of Silicon Valley —is a non-profit, experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned program to honor technology benefiting humanity, The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the Most Expensive Metro in the US

You would think that New York or San Francisco would be the most expensive metros in the US, but we win the prize (if this is a prize at all). US home prices have grown an average of 4.4% year over year, but in San Jose they have increased a whopping 11.3% from the first to second quarter alone. The current median sale price stands at $899,500 for a single-family home in our metro.

San Francisco came in as the 2nd most expensive metro, followed by Anaheim/Santana Ana, Honolulu, and San Diego.

Source: SocketSite

Fourth Annual “Stroll The Alameda” Wine & Beer Stroll

This Sunday come sample local wines and craft brews along the Alameda while checking out 17 different businesses participating in the 4th Annual "Stroll the Alameda." In addition to great drinks, you'll have music, painting, and other activities. Tickets are only $25 in advance and include a souvenir glass. As usual, the details are below.

Hat-tip to our friend Alex Shoor for sending this in (and congrats on joining the Shasta / Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association board).

When: Sunday, August 24, 2014 from 2pm to 5pm

What: The Shasta/Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association (S/HPNA) and Alameda Business Association (ABA) will co-host the fourth annual Stroll The Alameda Wine & Beer Stroll. Local businesses along The Alameda are paired with a local winery or local kraft brewery. Participants in the Stroll will receive a souvenir glass and a map for participating business along a condensed stretch of The Alameda in San Jose between Hester and Atlas.

Where: Browse 17 business locations along The Alameda while tasting some of the best beer and wine the local area has to offer. For a complete and updated listing of participating businesses, visit www.strollthealameda.com.

Tickets: The Stroll the Alameda Wine & Beer Stroll tickets are $25 in advance or $35 on the day of the event. Tickets include a souvenir glass and wine and/or beer tastings. Advance tickets are available at www.strollthealameda.com. Day of event tickets can be purchased at the check-in booth in front of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Enjoy many activities for all ages during the event. The lawn at Westminster will serve as the central entertainment hub with a band playing on the steps, live painting, face painting, as well as many other activities. Bring the family, a blanket, and enjoy a lovely day along The Alameda. Additionally, several businesses will feature music at their location. Use #strollthealameda to share your event photos!

For more information: strollthealameda@shpna.org or www.strollthealameda.com

Symphony Ready to Break Ground on Student Housing Project

Symphony Development has finished acquiring the site needed to build Downtown's first apartment community specifically designed for SJSU students off-campus. The project is located right behind the Vintage Tower (across the street from City Hall).

The building will be a total of seven floors, two for parking and the rest for the apartments. There is no retail component, but tons of restaurants are available within three blocks (including Ike's). The total unit count will be 119 split across in 2-4 bedroom configurations, all of which will come fully furnished. While they will rent to anyone, this building is really designed for students. Symphony is planning to rent by the room at a rate of $750 to $1,250 a month, and that will include internet, cable, etc.

Also on tap are study rooms, barbecue pits, a recreation center, and swimming pool. While it may not be as tall as we would like, I think it will be a great infill project that will be an asset to the SJSU community.

Source: SVBJ

August 2014 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Levi's Stadium is now open for business and will bring tons of world-class events to the region like the Super Bowl, WrestleMania, and international Soccer Matches in addition to the regular 49ers games. Downtown San Jose will be a huge benefactor offering hotels, restaurants, bars, and entertainment to Levi's Stadium visitors before and after games. Downtown San Jose has 7 Light Rail Station, one Heavy Rail Station, and several shuttle buses that can take people directly to the stadium.
• The Knight Foundation is donating $150,000 to fund Downtown Association projects focused on two initiatives:
• The Public Space Activation Project will distribute five micro-grants to local events producers.
• The Street Life Project will focus on initiating the Downtown Street Life Plan which includes modular stages, street furniture, shade structures, pocket gardens, lighting, and Downtown wayfinding.
• This month TPG Hospitality plans to break ground on a 210-room AC Hotels by Marriott on Santa Clara and Highway 87.
• Park View Towers is moving forward with an 18-story building with 155 units and a 12-floor building with 64 units fronting St. James Park. There would be 15,000 SQFT of restaurant and retail space on the ground floor and the Church of Christ Scientist building would be used for offices.
• The Post and San Pedro Tower is also moving forward with a 21-story, 182-unit mixed-use project with 8,000 SQFT of ground-floor retail.
• SJSU is starting construction on a 10-story, 850-bed student housing project on the corner of Ninth and Paseo de San Carlos.
• Chacho's is doubling their seating inside by expanding into the former Love's Cupcakes spot.
• VCs have invested $30 million each into two Downtown tech companies: Intacct (which is doubling their presence Downtown) and Malewarebytes.
• The SoFA Market is expected to open this month (!) with three tenants: the Falafel Bar, Veros Coffee, and The Fountainhead (architecture-themed bar).
• Pete Escovedo and his Latin Jazz Orchestra are headlining Music in Park on Aug 21st.
• The next HER City event will be Aug 27 at the Tech Shop.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Content Magazine Pick Up Party Today @ Paper Plane!

Content Magazine is having another one of their pick-up parties, and this time it is at one of my favorite new restaurant/bars Downtown--Paper Plane. If you are a subscriber, you get one free drink (and the drinks here are fantastic). Non-subscribers can stop by and purchase the latest copy for only $5 (half-price). Either way, this is well worth checking out!

Pick Up Party--Tuesday,
August 19th 6:00-8:00pm

Come celebrate our new issue, 6.3 "Stage," with the Content Magazine community at one of San Jose's newest spots, Paper Plane.

72 S. First Street
San Jose, CA 95113

Subscribers, Contributors and People Featured will get one free drink and a copy of the latest issue. Non-subscribers can purchase the latest copy for $5 (50% off) at the Pick Up Party.  

Stop on by. Meet new people. Learn new reasons to love your city.
RSVP (or email us)

San Pedro Square Market Planning Expansion!

Since launching in October 2011, the San Pedro Square Market has become a pivotal success that is changing perceptions of Downtown San Jose and serving as a catalyst for development. It is one of the biggest wins Downtown has ever had. Now, the SPSM is planning their first major expansion and has already acquired a 13,045 SQFT parcel across the street for this purpose.

Today, this lot consists of a small house being used as an office for History San Jose and a surface parking lot. Eventually this will likely become a two-story building with retail on the ground floor residential or office on the top floor. The retail piece could easily be 40% of the square footage the Market has today and either support multiple vendors or larger, more traditional restaurants and shops. The icing on the cake is that they will incorporate some sort of public space next to the Fallen House, much like they did with the Peralta Adobe in the middle of the Market.

My personal wishlist item for the expansion would be an underground Speakeasy bar similar to Singlebarrel. How cool would that be?

Other retail will be coming as well. Centerra will have 8,000 SQFT on the ground floor of its tower right across the street from the Market and KT Properties is going to build two high-rise towers with the same amount of retail as exists today at the Market. This means within 4-5 years we may have triple the amount of restaurants and shops we have today in the San Pedro Square Market area. I can't wait to see how this shapes up!

Source: SVBJ

East San Jose Soccer Team Ranks 3rd in the Country

A soccer team backed by the Portuguese Athletic Club called "Los Tigres" has brought back a bronze medal in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Finals. Out of over 10,000 teams around the country, they came in third. Check out the full article over here.

Source: I Heart San Jose, The Merc

Saturday Stats: San Jose is One of "America's Coolest Cities"

Forbes recently compiled a list of America's Coolest Cities. They started with the 60 largest Metros in the US and then ranked them on six factors (equal weight):

• Arts, culture, and entertainment amenities
• Recreational amenities
• Diversity
• Foodie culture
• Population aged 20-34
• Population growth

San Jose ranked #16 on their list, tied with Los Angeles (I'll take it). SF ranked #5 and New York hit #11. Washington DC took the #1 spot. To see the full list click here.

Sources: Cardinal2007 from Skyscrapercity, Forbes

Techmanity 2014 Coming to Downtown San Jose

Being billed as Silicon Valley's first official technology conference, Techmanity is coming to Downtown San Jose on October 1st and 2nd. The event will be curated by Fast Company and has a nice list of speakers including CEOs, entrepreneurs, and VCs. Also, what's a tech conference without some fun? In addition to multiple networking opportunities Techmanity will also host several musical events with bands like Weezer, the Kongos, and Young Rising Sons. You can get all of the details in the press release below or visiting the Techmanity website over here.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Techmanity 2014, Silicon Valley’s first official technology conference, today announced its lineup and open registration for its inaugural event, taking place in San Jose October 1-2. Headline speakers include Houzz founder and CEO, Adi Tatarko; Samsung Electronics president, Young Sohn; and a keynote by actor/musician turned tech entrepreneur, Jared Leto.

“Techmanity summons the best minds of our generation—the firestarters, malcontents, trailblazers and dreamers to rethink and re-imagine the future of work, play and life in a networked age”

The two day event, curated by Fast Company, will feature rapid-fire presentations from dozens of “radical entrepreneurs and vanguard geeks” representing the most disruptive and compelling ideas from Silicon Valley. After-hours entertainment and networking is being produced by Live Nation, and includes national music acts such as Grammy-award winner Weezer, who will be debuting its new album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End. Top-level sponsors include Samsung Electronics, Silicon Valley Bank and Adobe.

Designed as a next-generation conference experience and networking festival, Techmanity is a gathering of the Silicon Valley tribes celebrating the region’s future-bending companies, entrepreneurs, inventors and ideas. Techmanity will feature a riveting mix of the Valley’s movers and shakers – people who are cultivating new business models and disrupting the status quo – alongside passionate social entrepreneurs leveraging new innovations to improve the lives of those who might otherwise be left behind by technological progress.

“Techmanity summons the best minds of our generation—the firestarters, malcontents, trailblazers and dreamers to rethink and re-imagine the future of work, play and life in a networked age,” said Tom Hayes, the tech executive who founded Techmanity. “Techmanity is about doing business in a whole new way in a profoundly connected global economy—about new ideas to improve human creativity, productivity and quality of life for a planet made much smaller by technology.”

In addition to Leto, Techmanity will provide an opportunity for two days of high-energy networking, socializing and idea-sharing with disruptive industry leading executives including:

• Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, co-founders, SoulCycle
• Leah Busque, founder and CEO, TaskRabbit
• James Freeman, founder and CEO, Blue Bottle Coffee
• Troy Carter, music industry pioneer and tech investor, Atom Factory
• Catherine Hoke, founder & CEO, Defy Ventures
• Ido Leffler, co-founder, Yes To brands; founder, Yoobi
• Marissa Sackler, founder, BeeSpace

Topics on the agenda include the Internet of Us, the future of post-job work, building a cult brand in a media-saturated world and the power of second chances, among many others. In addition to these conference sessions, Techmanity will also celebrate the winners of its Techmanitarian Awards, and showcase the hottest, most disruptive startups in its Startlandia exhibit.

In the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy networking events featuring performances by Weezer, Thievery Corporation,Kongos, Crown and the Mob, Young Rising Sons and more acts to be announced.

To register for Techmanity 2014, please visit www.techmanity.com/registration. Media registration can be found here:www.techmanity.com/media.

Tweet this: .@Techmanity opens registration and reveals speakers for first annual conference http://bit.ly/1ymnNKD

Follow Techmanity 2014 on Twitter
Follow Techmanity on LinkedIn
Like Techmanity 2014 on Facebook

About Techmanity
Techmanity is Silicon Valley’s first annual technology and lifestyle event celebrating the companies and people whose products and services are revolutionizing our world.

For two days in October 2014, Techmanity will command center stage on the tech world with mind-blowing conversations with the brightest people in the industry, dozens of exciting networking events hosted by leading Silicon Valley companies and an incredible line-up of special programs showcasing the best new apps, business models and startup ideas on the planet.

Super Jardineros Greenhouse Project

Valley Verde is a small non-profit in San Jose that wants to improve access to homegrown organic vegetables while assisting low-income families. They started an Indiegogo project that will be used to fund supplies such as greenhouses that would be placed at the homes of "Super Jardineros." Valley Verde will train these gardeners on how to grow varieties of ethnic seedlings (finger eggplant, tomatillos, chayote, etc.). They will then sell these seedlings either back to Valley Verde or to local farmer's markets.

The end result should be easier (and theoretically less expensive) access to locally grown organic vegetables, all the while helping low income families with both a sustainable income stream and entrepreneurial skills.

Valley Verde is aiming to raise $10,000 which will be enough to provide 10 families with green houses, seeds, seedlings, trays, pots, domes, heating mats, and training. It's a great cause and you can learn more by watching the video below and visiting the Super Jardineros Greenhouse Project page.

Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak & Pub Now Open @ Levi's Stadium

This week marks the official opening of Michael Mina's second restaurant in Silicon Valley (Arcadia in the ground floor of the Downtown San Jose Marriott was the first). Bourbon Steak & Pub combines both a high-end steakhouse and a more relaxed Pub environment. The Pub will have 50 craft beers, farm-to-table cuisine, and 70 HDTVs for watching sporting events. On the other hand Bourbon Steak will offer a premium dining environment with Certified Prime Angus steaks, Japanese Wagyu, and Dry-Aged Duck. The restaurant will be open all year round and will have special events during game days.

For more information, scroll down for the full press release. You can make reservations over here.

Chef Michael Mina teams with the san Francisco 49ers to Bring Unique

dual-restaurant dining concept to Levi’s Stadium

Bourbon Steak & Pub to Welcome Bay Area Patrons Daily, Year-Round

for Lunch, Dinner and Viewing Parties

(SANTA CLARA, CA) – Bay Area culinary great Chef Michael Mina has unveiled Bourbon Steak & Pub at Levi’s Stadium^®, a new concept in stadium dining. Bringing a high-end steakhouse and relaxed pub together under one roof, Bourbon Steak & Pub offers a range of dining experiences to suit the needs of sports fans, foodies, concert goers and local residents alike – seven days a week, all year long. Bourbon Steak & Pub is now accepting reservations beginning Aug. 11. 

Bourbon Pub will be the premier lunch, dinner and gameday destination offering the perfect space to kick back and cheer on your favorite teams while enjoying a variety of 50 craft beers and a vast menu filled with reinvented bar bites. Bourbon Pub will serve fresh, farm-to-table cuisine that reflects the spirit of a modern pub at affordable price points. With a focus on shareable dishes, featured menu items include Berkshire Pork Ribs, a Ecopia Farms Greens salad, the Bourbon Burger, Smokin’ Double Barrel Wagyu Dog, Crispy Flounder Fish & Chips and a 38 North Half Chicken straight from the restaurant’s one-of-a-kind, 13-foot tall, fully rotating rotisserie. With 70 high-definition televisions, subscriptions to all major sports cable packages and a Yahoo! Sports ticker that will run through the space highlighting fantasy football stats, Bourbon Pub will be the ultimate viewing party location for any sporting event, on any given day.

Bourbon Steak offers a more private, premium dining environment for the true Michael Mina steakhouse experience. With a focus on seasonal regional cooking, Bourbon Steak will feature tableside service with a heightened guest experience, along with steaks that are sourced from premium producers from around the world. Signature dishes will be served directly from the rotisserie and a state-of-the-art seafood boiling station, and will include items such as Certified Prime Angus steaks, A5 Japanese Wagyu, Dry-Aged Duck for Two, Wild Striped Bass, Black Truffle Mac and Cheese and innovative vegetable sides from famed South Bay farms. Guests dining in Bourbon Steak can also enjoy a flight of spirits from the restaurant’s Bourbon Cart, individually smoked tableside to accentuate the flavor profiles of each.

“Bourbon Steak & Pub at Levi’s Stadium has been the ultimate passion project for me,” said Mina. “I’ve had the rare opportunity to pair two of the things I love most – food and the football – to create two dining experiences that will create the perfect atmosphere for fans of sports and fans of great food.”

Echoing the high level of innovation found in every corner of Levi’s^®Stadium, Bourbon Steak & Pub features a state-of-the-art open kitchen, delivering a culinary theatre with a wood-burning grill, a seafood action station with a floating suspension frame that elevates the burners, and a show-stopping, one-of-a-kind, 13-foot tall, fully rotating rotisserie that’s equipped to hold up to 1,000 pounds of meat.

“We believe Levi’s Stadium to be the gold standard in next-generation stadium experiences,” said Paraag Marathe, San Francisco 49ers President. “Bourbon Steak & Pub will enable us to present that vision to Bay Area residents and visitors 365 days a year.”

Located on the ground floor of Levi’s^® Stadium at 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way in Santa Clara, Bourbon Steak & Pub welcomes Bay Area diners seven days a week, year-round, with Bourbon Pub open for lunch and dinner, and Bourbon Steak open for dinner only. Additionally, before the start of each home game, Michael Mina’s Tailgate will kickoff in the tailgate area of the restaurant, a member-only experience for 49ers season ticket holders, inspired by Chef Michael Mina’s elaborate, themed tailgate parties he has thrown with 49ers fans for more than two decades.

Additionally, Chef Michael Mina is pleased to announce the appointment of John Cahill, recently the Chef de Cuisine of Café des Amis in San Francisco, as Executive Chef of Bourbon Steak & Pub. Cahill has a multi-faceted role at Bourbon Steak & Pub, overseeing the whimsical pub-style lunch and dinner menus for Bourbon Pub, and the signature high-end steakhouse menu for Bourbon Steak. “We’re building something that could revolutionize the stadium experience,” explains Cahill of his new role.

For additional details on Bourbon Steak & Pub’s menu and Michael Mina’s Tailgate, visit www.BourbonSteakandPub.com, ‘Like’ BourbonSteakPub on Facebook, and follow @BourbonSteakPub on Twitter and Instagram.

###

ABOUT MINA GROUP

Mina Group Inc. is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in creating and operating upscale, innovative restaurant concepts.  Mina Group is led by Chef/Owner Michael Mina whose accolades include James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage” inductee in 2013, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year, Food Arts Silver Spoon Award Winner, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year, and International Food and Beverage Forum’s Restaurateur of the Year.  Operating since 2002, Mina Group currently manages 22 restaurant properties including MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco (Esquire Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year 2011); BOURBON STEAK and CLOCK BAR at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco; RN74 at Millennium Tower in San Francisco and RN74 at the Joshua Green Building in Seattle; PABU and THE RAMEN BAR at 101 California in San Francisco; BOURBON STEAK & PUB at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara; STRIPSTEAK at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA Bellagio at Bellagio in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA 74 at Fontainebleau Miami Beach; LOCALE MARKET and FARMTABLE KITCHEN at Sundial St. Petersburg in Florida; and THE HANDLE BAR in Jackson Hole.  For a complete list of restaurants please visithttp://michaelmina.net.

ABOUT LEVI’S® STADIUM

Levi’s® Stadium will be the new home to the San Francisco 49ers, and will also serve as one of the world’s best outdoor sports and entertainment venues. It was designed by HNTB and is being built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. The $1.2 billion venue will have 1.85 million square feet, seat approximately 68,500 and feature 170 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. It was designed to be a multi-purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events, including domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and will be expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority that was established to provide for development and operation of Levi's® Stadium to ensure that the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to www.LevisStadium.com.

Balermino Park Under Construction on Almaden Road

Balermino Park is being built on 1.8 acres near the Almaden Family Apartments. The most unique feature in the park will be a pavement design that resembles traditional Ohlone basket weaving (the person the park is named after was born to Ohlone-speaking parents). Balermino will also have picnic areas, play structures, and a basketball court.

Completion is scheduled by the end of the year and based on the photos below from San Jose Trails it looks like a lot of progress has already been made.

Sources: San Jose Trails, The Merc

Tallest North San Jose Apartment Project Ever Moves Forward

After eight years of stalls and delays, the Century Center Towers project is getting a new push. Barry Swenson Builder is now partnering with Essex Property Trust to get two 12-story residential towers built at 1733 N. 1st St. The location is near the old Sony campus and Casino M8trix, and has convenient access to both light rail and Highway 101.

Century Center Towers will have 376 apartment units and will cost $170 million to build (including land costs). There were no special incentives or fee reductions here, and the land is already being prepped for construction.

This is the first San Jose residential high-rise building to be built outside of Downtown San Jose. I don't think it will be the last. This is a strong sign of increasing density in San Jose, and a new push to build in transit corridors. Hopefully more corporations (like Samsung) will employ this model as well as opposed to your traditional sprawled out office campuses.

Source: SVBJ

J. Crew Factory and Gap Factory Store Coming to Westgate

Federal Realty--same owner as Santana Row--has already done quite a bit to overhaul Westgate with a big remodel, new stores, and new restaurants. Now they are bringing two more anchor tenants: J.Crew Factory and the Gap Factory Store. Both will fact Saratoga Avenue and should be ready for business by Spring 2015.

Westgate will also be getting Carter's and Oshkosh B'Gosh in a combined store next to Target. For more info have a gander at the press release below.

San Jose, CA (August 8, 2014) – Federal Realty Investment Trust is bringing the outlet center, traditionally located in outlying areas, to the city with a strong mix of top discount stores.  J. Crew and Gap are among two retailers opening outlet stores in the revamped Westgate Center next year. They join Nike Factory Store, which opened in February, and Skechers Factory Outlet, which opened in July.

“This is a new direction for Westgate Center,” said Jeff Kreshek, Federal Realty’s vice president for West Coast Leasing. “Our customer is looking for quality, variety and diversity; a product mix that outlet shops combined with full price brands can deliver.”
Following an extensive $15 million renovation and the addition of shops such as Nike Factory Store, J. Crew Factory and Gap Factory Store, the center will provide an innovative, exciting and accessible experience for customers.

J. Crew Factory is scheduled to open in spring 2015. The approximately 5,750 square-foot store facing Saratoga Avenue will feature ready-to-wear pieces, boldly colored basics and casual classics for men and women. This family-friendly new addition will also feature “crewcuts,” the brand's coveted children's line offering "mini-me" looks in sizes 2 to 14.

Westgate Center has also scored a Gap Factory Store, scheduled to open in spring 2015. Gap Factory Store will be a 10,910 square-foot store fronting Saratoga Avenue next to Old Navy. In addition, Carter's and Oshkosh B'Gosh will open a combined 9,137 square-foot store facing Saratoga Avenue, next to Target.

“As anchor stores, both Gap Outlet and J. Crew Factory will drive more shoppers to Westgate Center,” said Kreshek. “Furthermore, the broad tenant mix, as well as the mall’s location on heavily-traveled Saratoga, Hamilton and Campbell avenues in San Jose provides convenience and top brands to the densely-populated surrounding communities.”

About Westgate Center
Westgate Center, located in San Jose, California is a 645,000 square-foot community center offering a one-stop family destination for shopping, dining and entertainment. Westgate Center features over 50 shops and restaurants and is anchored by Target, Nordstrom Rack, Walmart Neighborhood Market, Nike Factory Store, Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory, Michaels and Ross. Westgate Center is a property of Federal Realty Investment Trust www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit shopwestgatecenter.com.

About Federal Realty
Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 20 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.3% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of June 30, 2014, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.2% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 47 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.

Santana Row's Next Office Building Moving Forward

A 225,000 SQFT, six-story office building a the end of Santana Row is going to break ground this year--with or without a tenant. This is known as building on spec (speculation). Usually developers don't do this unless the market is extremely strong.

The building will be unique for San Jose. It is being modeled similar to a loft building in SF's SoMa district than your typical office building here. The ceilings will be huge with giant floor plates, ideal for modern companies focused more on collaboration rather than a cube culture.

Also part of the plan will be 1,500 SQFT of retail on the ground floor (why not more?) and 670 underground parking spots that will be usable for Santana Row visitors during nights and weekends.

Source: SVBJ

Sourisseau News: A Tale of Two City Halls

What city is that below? Check out the following short video to see two of San Jose's previous city halls... one that looks like a castle and the magnificent structure below. This might be my favorite Sourisseau News video so far.

A Tale of Two City Halls - San Jose from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Frances Marin Art Show @ Chromatic Coffee Today

San Jose-based artist Frances Marin is presenting new art today at Chromatic Coffee. The show starts at 6:30pm and also features live music by All Dogs, Younger Lovers, Joyride, and Bascom. To get a feel for her style, have a look at the Frances Marin website over here.

NHL Announces Sharks vs. Kings Stadium Series at Levi's Stadium

Despite last Monday's not-so-surreptitious leak of a proposed Stadium Series outdoor game between our Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings by Ticketmaster, it was officially announced today, via NHL.com, that the Stadium Series will indeed be returning to California next season, and held at the newly constructed Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

As arguably two of the biggest "modern day" rivals in the NHL, a thrilling Sharks/Kings series is also a testament to the upward trend of the popularity of ice hockey in California, which led to the decision to bring the anticipated outdoor regular season game back to the Golden State for the second year in a row.  Sharks fans are going to have their raw emotions all over this one, especially after dropping a disappointing playoff series last season to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Kings team, when the Sharks had been in a dominant 3-0 game advantage position.  Although the NHL's Winter Classic and Stadium Series outdoor games count just as one regular season game, the thrill of a rare and exciting event like this one can make the experience feel like something much more significant, and as such, this is why we must beat the Kings here at home.

Levi's Stadium, the new home for the San Francisco 49ers, has the capacity of hosting more than 68,000 fans, and given the successful popularity of the NHL's outdoor games, this is likely going to be one of the largest sporting events Northern California will see for quite some time.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, exclusive to season ticket holders for both the Sharks and the Kings, after which tickets will be available to the general public.  Base prices range from a low of $65 to a high of $350.

In the tradition of outdoor games, expect both teams to release customized jerseys for the event later this year.

Berryessa BART Station Analysis

SPUR has an in depth analysis of San Jose's first BART Station and provides multiple suggestions for maximizing the land use around it. Its a bit lengthy, but is definitely worth a read if you are interested in future development or urban planning. I really like the idea to create a retail park out of shipping containers right next to the station. Check out the article over here.

Thanks to David Speakman for sending this in.

Second Annual RAHSAANATHON: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk @ Cafe Stritch from Aug 5-10

San Jose, CA – San Jose’s Cafe Stritch is proud to present a celebration of the life and music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk from Tuesday, August 5 through Sunday, August 10.

To begin the festivities on August 5 and 6, Rahsaan biographer and multi-instrumentalist John Kruth and Rahsaan’s collaborator Betty Neals will be featured. They will join New York baritone saxophonist Claire Daly performing material from Daly’s recent Rahsaan tribute album “Rah!Rah!” with local masters Akira Tana on drums and John Wiitala on bass.

The RAHSAANATHON’S main event is three nights with trombonist Steve Turre & The Eulipion All Stars, featuring James Carter.  This ensemble will be reprising their three-night stand from last year---this time with renowned James Carter on reeds and flute. The group will be performing Turre’s arrangements of Kirk’s music August 7 (Rahsaan’s Birthday), August 8 and August 9.

Poet Betty Neals, who co-wrote “Theme for the Eulipions”, the house anthem of Cafe Stritch, will perform the song live with the band. The band includes: Charles McNeal (alto sax), Matt Clark (piano), Marcus Shelby (upright bass), Darrell Green (drums), and Terrie Odabi (vocals).

A very special edition of the Cafe Stritch Weekly Eulipions Jazz Jam will close out the week with bandleader Peppe Merolla (drums) being joined by the great Jeremy Pelt (trumpet) along with Matt Clark (piano) and Michael Zisman (upright bass). The night will include the band performing songs from Rahsaan’s The Return of the 5,000 Lb. Man as well as originals. Because this is the Sunday of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, the jam might include other world-class players in town for the festival.

For a schedule and more information please visit www.cafestritch.com . Tickets for all events are available at www.brownpapertickets.com

Cafe Stritch is located at 374 South First Street, San Jose, CA   408 280 6161

Schedule of Performers
Entertainment Schedule August 5 – August 10

Tuesday August 5
RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
Claire Daly and Rah! Rah!

Wednesday August 6
RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
Claire Daly and Rah! Rah!

Thursday August 7
RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
Steve Turre & The Eulipion All Stars featuring James Carter

Friday August 8
RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
Steve Turre & The Eulipion All Stars featuring James Carter

Saturday August 9
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest Stage from 12:00PM to 7:00PM
12:00PM to 1:30PM  Noel Jewkes Quartet
2:00PM to 3:30PM  Michael O'Neal Quintet with Kenny Washington
4:00PM to 5:30PM  Ben Flocks Trio: The Music of Sonny Rollins
6:00PM to 7:00PM  Tim Lin

RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
Steve Turre & The Eulipion All Stars featuring James Carter

Sunday August 10
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest Stage from 12:00PM to 7:00PM
12:00PM to 1:00PM  Charnett Moffett with Jana Herzen
1:30PM to 2:30PM  Marc Carey Focus Trio
3:00PM to 3:45PM  Charnett Moffett with Jana Herzen
4:15PM to 5:00PM  Marc Carey Focus Trio
5:30PM to 6:30PM  Pedrito Martinez

RAHSAANATHON from 8:30PM to 12:30AM
The Eulipion Jazz Jam Session with Peppe Merolla, featuring Jeremy Pelt

Tickets for all events are available at www.brownpapertickets.com