Downtown Farmers’ Market Season Begins Tomorrow

The Downtown Farmer's Market kicks off tomorrow on San Pedro (between St. John and Santa Clara)! The Market will take place every Friday from 10am-2pm until November 20th (except for July 3rd). In addition to seasonal produce, gourmet foods, and arts/crafts, there are also a series of special events such as a cherry pit spitting contest (June 12th), a melon eating contest (July 31st), and a pumpkin giveaway (Oct 30th). Check out the press release below or the Farmer's Market site for more info.

SAN JOSE – The  Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente, opens for its 23rd season on May 1 along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets.

The market offers more than fresh-picked fruits and vegetables direct from California growers.  Opening day, for example, features live folk music and Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) chef demonstrations and recipe tastes.

The Cookin’ at the Market feature will also take place June 5, Aug. 7, Aug. 14 and Aug. 21. During the season, the Downtown Farmers’ Market will also hold contests such as Cherry Pit-Spitting on June 12, Melon-eating on July 31 and Halloween costumes on Oct. 30.

On the second Friday of each month, San Jose Public Libraries will feature “Crafter-noons”  arts projects at the market.

Besides fresh fruits and veggies, the Downtown Farmers’ Market offers artisan booths for unique gifts, cut flowers, and gourmet foods, such as fresh and smoked fish, olives, breads and Kettle Korn.

Each week, the market may include up to 40 vendors.  On average, 2,500 residents, office workers and visitors head to the Farmers’ Market and San Pedro Square for lunch, activities, people-watching and shopping.  Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable and washed bags. Market partner Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA for six years to focus attendees on healthful and “green” living.  Kaiser Permanente will schedule its Blender Bike for Smoothies on occasion, allowing shoppers to hop on the stationary bike and whip up a smoothie made from fresh Farmers’ Market fruit.

Parking validations for Farmers’ Market shoppers are available for the Market-San Pedro Garage at the SJDA information table.  Visit sjdowntownparking.com.

Follow the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Twitter (@SJ_Downtown) and Facebook (sjdowntown and DowntownFarmers’Market).  Check sjdowntown.com/events/sjda-events/farmers-market-presented-by-kaiser-permanente/. Call (408) 279-1775 for information.


About the San Jose Downtown Association:  The San Jose Downtown Association is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  Established in 1986, SJDA programs more than 100 days of events each year.

Massive Condo High-Rise in Milpitas Moving Forward

Downtown San Jose is not the only area slated to get high-rise residential over the next few years. In 2016, BDK Capital is planning to break ground on a $300 million project featureing two 18-story towers with 450 luxury condos and 34,000 SQFT of retail on the ground floor. The project is located at 600 Barber Lane (former Chevorlet dealership), which is across the street from a large Asian shopping center and future retail projects.

The buildings will have a large number of luxury features such as rooftop decks, lounges, a fitness center, two pools, and community rooms. The project even has eight penthouse four-bedroom units. The developer is going for the feel of a "New York lifestyle" in Silicon Valley.

I think this project is good news for the whole South Bay. The more residential high-rises that go up, the more accustomed Silicon Valley residents will be to this type of offering. There are many places throughout San Jose that could use large mixed-use projects like this... not just Downtown San Jose. Hopefully this helps pave the way to more developer interest.

Source: The Registry

SJSU Animation/Illustration Showcase

This Friday, SJSU's Animation/Illustration graduating class will be launching their senior gallery at The Citadel (199 Martha Street). The opening reception will run from 6:30pm to 11pm, but the artwork will be up through May 23rd. Hours for the gallery are on the banner below.

"Mystery tenant" Still Alive

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that there is still a tenant for the "Peery-Arrillaga" project in North San Jose--the largest new office project in San Jose in a very long time. The bad news is that the project is being cut down in half from 2 million to 1 million SQFT (974,000 SQFT of office and 24,000 SQFT of space for an activity center).

The project was first proposed two years ago with a secret tenant and received city approval last year. The massive office complex will still have the same curved glass-wall design, but the buildings will be much shorter. Instead of rising eight stories, most buildings will only be four stories and the parking will be in three giant structures along 101 as opposed to being underground. It is still an epic amount of premium office space that will bring thousands of new jobs (and tax dollars) to San Jose.

The developer is expected to pull building permits by the end of this year, with tenant occupancy in 2017. If this moves forward, it also means that Bay 101 will need to be moved--likely across the street to the San Jose Airport Garden Hotel property.

Source: SVBJ

The Silicon Valley Sign Project

I'm really excited to hear about a grassroots campaign to give Silicon Valley a new landmark. It's called The Silicon Valley Sign Project, and is being championed by Hafid Alfonso who helped build a walking tour company based in San Jose.

Here is the premise:

What if Silicon Valley had a distinguished landmark? What if we placed it somewhere everyone could see it and be reminded of the wonderful valley we live in? What if Silicon Valley thought even bigger? How would someone start such a project?

The draft proposal--which you can find here (PDF)--envisions a sign that is 200 feet wide with each letter standing 45 feet tall. LED bulbs would be use to illuminate the sign at night, potentially in a variety of colors as you can see in some of the renderings below. The sign would be visible throughout most of Silicon Valley, and help provide a sense of place for residents and visitors alike. So what do you guys think about this concept?

For all of the details and to show your support, please head over to The Silicon Valley Sign Project webpage.

Draft Rendering

Aerial View

Rendering view from Milpitas on Highway 880
 

Rendering view from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara

Sign lit up at night in San Jose Sharks Teal

Sign lit up at night in San Jose Earthquakes Blue

Great Downtown Photo

There is a ton of construction right now at SJSU. Check out the shot below showing one of the cranes on campus as well as the Downtown skyline in the background.

Source: Jawz from the San Jose Development Forum, SJSU Twitter Account

Saturday Stats: Rents Are Still Sky-High in San Jose

While there was some talk last year about rents starting to stabilize, the numbers in Zillow's latest studies show otherwise. In fact, there was a painful 13.4% increase in rents year-over-year from January 2014 to January 2015. Here are some other tidbits regarding the San Jose rental market:

• In San Jose, the median rent is $3,179 and rent is expected to increase 11.79 percent annually. 
• San Jose renters pay 39.4 percent of their income on rent each month, assuming the median San Jose income. 
• San Jose permitted just 294 new units for every 1,000 new residents from 2012 to 2013, according to Zillow.
• The Breakeven Horizon shows renters should consider buying in San Jose if they plan to live there for 2.7 or more years. 

For more info, head over to the Zillow article entitled: The Rent is Still Too Damn High -- And Getting Higher

The CineBrew Mart 2015!

Tomorrow is the second annual CineBrew Mart hosted by Camera Cinemas, Hermitage Brewing, and SJMADE. The event is a mixture of local craft beer tasting, unlimited movie watching, and hyperlocal shopping. I attended last year and this was one of my favorite new events for 2014! Some of the beer vendors even had snacks to compliment the beers such as bacon flavored cotton candy. New to the event this year will be a theater dedicated to showing local films from a variety of filmmakers and organization.

The event is a steal at $25 per person ($15 per person for designated drivers and $12 for kids). That includes both unlimited beer tasting from 1-5pm and unlimited movie watching from 11am to 11pm. There are also lots of great snacks and crafts to peruse through in the SJMADE vendor section.

Get your tickets before they are all gone over here!

The CineBrew Mart

Camera 12 Cinemas

201 South Second Street

Downtown San Jose

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Access to Movies: 11a - 11p

Local Beer and Treats: 1p - 5p

Escape from The Werewolf Village

A new "Escape" game is coming to San Jose! If you haven't done one of these yet, they're a blast. Its basically a live game where your team has an hour to figure out how to escape a room by solving a series of puzzles. It's a unique and challenging experience and I'm stoked to another escape game coming to San Jose.

This particular event is only taking place from May 21st-24th at the San Jose Woman's Club (75 S 11th Street, San Jose). I normally would not post this far in advance, but I have a feeling these tickets will sell out. You can find out more about this great event and get tickets over here.

There is also "Escape from the Mysterious Room" on North First Street, which is exceptionally well done. That event is ongoing and you can get tickets here.

San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival Voted Best in Nation!!

A recent USA Today poll has named Cinequest as the best film festival in the country. The competition was steep with the likes of the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest Film Festival in the running as well.

Currently serving over 100,000 movie lovers, Cinequest continues to grow both its attendance and its brand year after year. The team behind the festival has already vowed to make Cinequest 26 in 2016 the best one yet!

Check out the full Top 10 US Film Festival list at USA Today.

Victorian Near SJSU Getting Spruced up with Street Art

The owner of a Victorian home on E. Reed St. has decided to do something unique before putting the home up for sale. Instead of just remodeling it, he wanted to do something that would turn it into a landmark and represent local culture. So, the owner teamed up with renowned graffiti artist Scape Martinez to transform a boring wall next to the house into contemporary street art.

Below is the current status of the project and more info on the artist. To see the project in person, head on over to 377 E. Reed Street in Downtown San Jose.

New Downtown Signs

Several new signs have been added across Downtown San Jose to encourage people to get out of their cars and discover attractions by foot. Some of the areas highlighted are the SAP Center, Little Italy, St. James Park, and of course San Pedro Square.

The signs are part of the Walk (Your City) wayfinding project that was sponsored by the Knight Foundation. The signs are currently on Santa Clara and St. John streets but will soon be expanded to several neighborhoods in San Jose. There should be nearly 50 of these signs up before the project is complete. For more information (and to submit feedback), head over to the Walk [San Jose] website over here.

Source: The Merc

The Summer Fashion Shows at Santana Row

San Jose, CA - For the first time, the Santana Row summer runway moves to poolside at Misora, Santana Row’s resort-style residences.

Taking center stage (after the fashion presentation, of course!) is the luxurious setting, The Row’s newest community. The popular summer style event returns for the seventh year and will feature the season’s best fashions from The Row for women and men as well as style surprises and special guests.

Details: The fashion shows take place on Saturday, June 6 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Tickets are $50 and include poolside seating to view the show, access to the Style Boutique, pre-event champagne and light hors d’oeuvres. Also included: a Passion for Fashion shopping card that entitles guests to discounts around The Row, prize drawings and in-store after parties with DJs. Registration begins at 12:45 p.m. at Santana Row Park for the 1 p.m. show. Tickets are on sale at SantanaRow.com and at the concierge office.

About Misora: The 212-unit luxury residential community, which was completed in early 2014, boasts such amenities as a lounging pool with cabanas and a lap pool, concierge services and private cinema. Residents also enjoy a fitness studio, chef’s demonstration facilities near the pool, wine lockers and a wine tasting room.

   

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 ofwww.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Founded in 1962, our mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply.  Our expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities.  Federal Realty’s 89 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 20.2 million square feet of retail space, and 1,500 residential units. 

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 shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visitwww.FederalRealty.com.

Sourisseau News: 1906 Earthquake

Today is the 109th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake. As you can see from the short video below, Downtown San Jose was devastated by the famous quake. A lot more damage was done in the South Bay than most people realize. The video is only two and a half minutes long and is well worth watching!


1906 Earthquake in San Jose from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

4th Annual Taco Festival of Innovation

Mark your calendars for Memorial Day Weekend--the Taco Festival of Innovation is coming to History Park on May 23rd and May 24th! This time around, the massive festival will span two whole days instead of just one. You can expect dozens of food trucks, SJ MADE vendors, live music, Lucha Libre, and the most eclectic selection of tacos you can imagine. All of the details are below. Follow the Taco Festival of Innovation Facebook Page for future news.

This year, Moveable Feast rings in year four of the Taco Festival of Innovation by doubling up on all the taco fun! We are extending the festivities to Saturday AND Sunday on Memorial Day weekend inside History Park. This year’s theme is FREESTYLE: freestyle tacos and freestyle music!

Taco Festival of Innovation
Saturday, May 23rd, 1 pm to 8 pm
Sunday, May 24th, 12 pm to 6 pm
History Park, 1650 Senter Road in San Jose
Tickets on sale Friday, March 27th at midnight: http://tacofestival4.eventbrite.com/

If you're a #tacofest vet, expect more of the great family fun and delicious street eats you've come to expect from Moveable Feast. 

If you're new, here's what you'll find once inside:

• The Bay Area's best food trucks serving up innovative freestyle tacos
• Art, jewelry, clothing, and other various local goods from local SJ MADE vendors
• Mexican-style masked wrestling, better known as Lucha Libre, inside a full wrestling ring
• Two full days of live music and DJs, including a Stevie B Dance Party and slow jamz hour
• 90’s prom photo booth and awesome kids area
• 4th Annual US Air Accordion Championship. Yes, you read that right.

The key to the Taco Festival of Innovation is variety paired with affordability. In addition to traditional tacos, you'll see variations like Korean short rib tacos, mac n’ cheese tacos, ice cream tacos . . . if it can be put on a taco, chances are you'll see it at Taco Festival!

We also make sure that all plates are $6.00 or less so taco lovers can take in the many choices without breaking the bank.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! Vote for your favorite taco during the day, and we'll select a number of fan favorites to be judged by our celebrity panel, arriving at . . .

one taco to rule them all.

Tickets on sale Friday, March 27th at midnight: http://tacofestival4.eventbrite.com/

Subscribe to our email list at http://bit.ly/mvblemail for more info on tickets, music, trucks, and SJ MADE vendors including special discounts.

Santana Row Proposes More Growth Than Expected

The original plan for Santana Row is nearly complete. However, before Federal Realty (Santana Row's owners) move their focus across the street, they are asking for a few items not in the original scope of the project. Here are the main asks:

• 510,000 SQFT of new office space [Josh: I'm sure the city will do everything possible to make this happen]
• 55,651 SQFT of new retail
• A five-level parking structure
• A new Santana Row entrance on Tisch Way.
• Permanent closure of Santana Row Road to traffic from Olin Avenue to Olsen Drive, creating a new pedestrian zone [Josh: this area is already shut down on weekends]
• Additional Screen for the CineArts movie theater
• Six new rooms at Hotel Valencia

It doesn't seem like any of these items are unreasonable and the main concerns will be around traffic. We'll see if the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line can help alleviate some of those issues along with the possibility of building some spectacular pedestrian bridges between Santana Row and Valley Fair (see conceptual drawings below).

Sources: The Merc, San Jose Development Forum

Sourisseau News: Quest for Flight

Did you know that Santa Clara County was home to several aviation pioneers and inventions? Check out the two minute video below for your weekly dose of interesting history.


Quest for Flight - 110 Year Anniversary of Early Aeronautics in Santa Clara Valley from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Content 7.1 "Sight & Sound" Pick-Up Party

The latest issue of Content Magazine comes out today and in typical fashion they are throwing a pick-up party to celebrate. This time the event will be at Glass House and include live music and a fashion show. The event runs from 7pm to 10pm and Content subscribers will also get a complimentary beverage and appetizer.

If you are not a subscriber yet to this awesome magazine, click here!

CONTENT magazine would like to thank their Artists & Sponsors:
Music: Pounders / Steely Nash / Raul Y Mexia/  Gustaf Fjelstrom / Beer: Camino Brewing Company Food: Oak & Rye Fashion Show: Franco Uomo / Scotch & Soda / Lotus / Bella Rosa SPONSORS: Camino Brewing Company / Oak & Rye / Fil Co / Williams Rentals / The Tech Museum / JE Models / Artkick / Halvorson Models / Scout Models / Umbrella Salon / The Glass House / Red Haute & Co.

Sight and Sound 7.1 Featuring:  Guadalajara, Mexico | St. James Park | Joseph Arruda | Robert Ragazza | Viet Mac | Noise Furniture  | Sam Raske | CreaTV | Suzanne St. John-Crane  |  SJSU Storytelling | South Bay Pulse | Adobe Youth Voices | Peter Pheap | School of Visual Philosophy |  Yori & Dana Seeger | San Jose Earthquake | Tommy Thompson | Image Challenge  | 2015New Faces  | Jack Rose Libation House | Holy and Russ Stanley | Camino Brewing Company | Nathan Poulos & Allen Korenstein | Oak and Rye | Ross & Bree Hanson Dana Bunker & Angelo Womack | Gustaf Fjelstrom | Raul y Mexia + SueñaTron | Steely Nash | Pounders | Album Picks | Tommy Aguilar | What’s in Your ears? | Philz Baristas | Persis Karim

BAE Moving to South San Jose

A huge tenant is coming to South San Jose and bring with it 500 or so jobs. BAE Systems currently has their US headquarters in Santa Clara on Coleman Ave. That site is going to be demolished soon in order to make way for the Coleman Highline office project, forcing BAE to move elsewhere.

The new BAE headquarters will be at 6331 and 6311 San Ignacio Ave., blocks away from Lightrail and Highway 85. There is also a substantial residential population in the area... hundreds of thousands of people live within a five mile radius.

Needless to say, this deal is a big financial win for San Jose. The company will bring a solid amount of tax dollars and high-paying engineering jobs to our city, as well as either a short or reverse commute for most of its employees. For more details, hit the source link below!

Source: SVBJ

Playful People Productions Presents: Disney’s Peter Pan JR

Peter Pan JR. is the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up and the girl who has to. After finding his shadow in the Darling family nursery, Peter teaches Wendy, Michael and John how to fly and sweeps them off to Never Land, where they meet Lost Boys, mermaids, indians and, of course, pirates.  If the children are ever to return home, Peter must defeat Captain Hook with the help of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. Peter Pan JR. features classic songs from the 1953 film such as, “You Can Fly!,” “Following the Leader” and “The Second Star to the Right” as well as songs from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the 2008 Disney film Tinker Bell.

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production.

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

Show Times:
Friday, April 24th - 7:00pm
Saturday, April 25th - 10:00am, 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, April 26th - 10:00am, 2:00pm and 5:00pm
Thursday, April 30th - 7:00pm
Friday, May 1st - 7:00pm
Saturday, May 2nd - 11:00am and 4:00pm

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating


About Playful People Production

Founded in 2010, Playful People Production’s mission is to provide a quality, caring environment where children, teens and their families can have positive theater experiences. We strive to involve all family members in the many aspects of on stage and backstage theater in a safe and fun environment and offer participation in theatrical productions, classes, summer stock and camps for ages 3-93.

Playful People Productions is run by a mother-daughter team, Barbara Galiotto and Katie D’ Arcey, who between them have approximately 50 years of experience in the musical theater world. Both are Positive Discipline trained and worked as early Childhood Educators as well as in the theater.

Japantown Project Moving Forward

Hanover Co., is in contract to purchase Cannery Park Village at 357 E. Taylor St., which is the location of a now defunct corporation yard (maintenance and repair facility for vehicles/equipment and material storage). They are planning to build a four-story building on the 8-acre lot with 403 apartments. The project will also include nearly 600 parking spaces which will be mostly in a garage, 5,000 SQFT of retail on East Taylor Street, and a small 0.7-acre park.

If all goes well, approvals will come by the end of the year and construction could begin in 2016.

Source: SVBJ

EYE TEA Exhibit at the Citadel Tomorrow

Studio 1039 and AtreyArt are presenting the new "EYE TEA" art exhibition at the Citadel Gallery on 5th and Martha Streets. Over 40 artists will be showing works that revolve around the effects of social media in the modern world. There will also be live music by Chris Reed, Sweet Hayah, and MC-Dj Mandiesl. The event is free and runs from 7pm to 11pm.

Source: Phantom Galleries

New Residential Project Near Whole Foods Downtown!

Developer Dan Hudson has his eye on 138 Stockton Ave, which is in an ideal location near the new Whole Foods, Diridon Station, the SAP Center, and the Downtown Core. A couple weeks ago Hudson Companies turned in a plan for seven-story residential project on a 1.7-acre parcel that would have 166 units and almost 9,000 SQFT of retail space. You can see a preliminary drawing of the proposed project below.

Unfortunately, there is no commercial space being included as part of this project. With such great proximity to public transit (Caltrain, Bus Rapid Transit, Light Rail, and eventually BART and HSR), this site would be ideal to have some at least one floor of offices. Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled to see this proposal in the area. However, we do need to increase the balance of office space versus residential in the Downtown area at some point this decade to make sure the local economy is balanced and we don't remain the largest city in the US that has a larger population at night than during the daytime.

Source: SVBJ, Hat-tip to Andy Wasklewicz for sending this in.

April 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• The SJDA has compiled a list of Downtown Gems (along with maps and photos) over at http://sjdowntown.com/live-here/downtown-gems. Below are some from the list:
• Anno Domini
• Back-A-Yard
• Cafe Stritch
• California Theater
• City Lights Theatre Company
• Diaz Menswear
• Guadalupe River Park and Gardens
• Henry's Hi-File
• MACLA
• Pizza Bocca Lupo
• Poor House Bistro
• Psycho Donuts
• St. Joseph's Basilica
• San Jose Museum of Art
• San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
• San Jose Stage
• TreatBot Factory
• Vero's Coffee
• The SJDA is using a $139,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to build four 400 SQFT retail outlets on the ground floor of the San Pedro Square Garage.
• Uber has acquired long-time Downtown San Jose company--deCarta. Most of the company's 40 employees will be continuing with Uber.
• The city's Street Pavement Maintenance Audit of 2015 shows that most Downtown streets are in decent shape. The areas most in need of repaving are around Post St., San Pedro St. and Almaden Avenue.
• The Downtown Farmer's Market opens on May 1st and will continue to operate each Friday between 10am-2pm throughout the Summer.
• The next HER city event includes pre-show food Orchestria Palm Court, a performance of "M Butterfly" at City Lights, and a Q&A with City Lights' Executive Artistic Director. The social hour also includes San Jose-based J. Lohr Wines. For more info go to www.sjdowntown.com/hercity.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

The Sharks' New Minor League Hockey Team will be Named the San Jose Barracuda

Now that the Sharks' minor league AHL farming team--named the Worcester Sharks--is moving in with their parents at the SAP Center, they can't exactly keep the same name. After the move they will become the San Jose Barracuda. Conveniently, there is also a tech company in Silicon Valley called Barracuda Networks... guess who the team's chief sponsor is going to be ;).

The new team will be a huge benefit to San Joseans. Dozens of games will be added to the roster at the SAP Center, and the prices will be substantially more affordable than Sharks games (which quickly get into triple digits for good seats).

Check out the new logo and jerseys below. What do you think? My favorite is the orange one.

Source: SVBJ

New Retail Pads Coming to the San Pedro Garage!

Let's start the week off right with some news that will add even more traction to the booming San Pedro Square area! Before the San Pedro Square Market, San Pedro was already one of the few areas Downtown with substantial contiguous retail (almost exclusively devoted to restaurants). The only problem was that all of the retail was on a single side of the street with the exception of the intersection of Santa Clara and San Pedro.

Now that the a proposal by the San Jose Downtown Association won a $139,000 grant from the Knight Foundation via the Knight Cities Challenge, a project called San Pedro Squared is moving forward that will forever change the street. The ground floor of the drab San Pedro Garage closest to the San Pedro Square Market is going to get four retail pads, each taking up two parking spaces in the garage and creating 400 SQFT of new retail. These could be used for micro-restaurants, pop-up shops, or retail. See the conceptual artwork by our friend Adam Mayberry below.

Not only will this add more retail to Downtown's hottest district, but it will make the street much more pedestrian friendly. If things go well, more of the garage may be converted to retail in the future.

It's amazing how the San Pedro Square Market has transformed this whole area. Think back to what this district was like before the Market... now imagine a near future where we have San Pedro Squared, retail on the ground floor of Centerra, 20,000 SQFT of retail at Silvery Towers, and an official San Pedro Square Market expansion on St. John. Downtown Boosters has a lot to look forward to!

Oh, and another San Jose project was one of the 36 winners of the Knight Cities Challenge--and there were over 7,000 submissions. "Houslets" by Tim McCormic received $40,000 to allow for prototyping and deploying low-cost modular housing for both temporary and affordable housing.

For more info on the exciting San Pedro Squared project, check out the press release below the drawings!

Downtown San Jose garage to receive “facelift”

as winner of the Knight Cities Challenge

 
SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 31, 2015 – The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) announced today that it plans to retrofit part of a parking garage, replacing parking spots with retail shops facing San Pedro Square.

SJDA will receive $139,000 in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Cities Challenge to implement the project at the Market-San Pedro Garage.  Four 400-square-foot retail outlets will fit into eight parking stalls that front the east side of San Pedro Street at sidewalk level.

The Knight Cities Challenge is funding ideas to make the 26 cities where Knight invests more vibrant places to live and work.  The challenge asks innovators to answer the question:  What's your best idea to make cities more successful?  More at knightcities.org.

“Activating street-level spaces in the garage will contribute to the district’s popularity just as new high-rise residential developments near the square are opening,” said Scott Knies, SJDA executive director.

Lined with restaurants such as Peggy Sue’s, The Farmers’ Union, O’Flaherty’s, Old Spaghetti Factory, 71 St. Peter, Old Wagon and the San Pedro Square Market, the west side of the block of San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets is one of the busiest downtown.  Fewer pedestrians stroll the opposite side, where the garage sits.

SJDA and the city’s Office of Economic Development (OED) introduced last year shipping containers as retail stores with its nine-store “Pop-Up Project” along Paseo de San Antonio and other downtown locations.

“The project has the potential to create a model for awakening street life and bringing new economic opportunities to neighborhoods, while fostering connections between residents by providing vibrant places to meet and interact,” said Danny Harris, Knight Foundation program director for San Jose.

The project will begin immediately.  The City’s Department of Transportation, which owns the garage, and OED are collaborating on the project.  Plans call for minimal demolition, awnings, other façade improvements, sidewalk improvements and street paint, said Jason Su, SJDA street life project manager.  Local businesses and property owners have already expressed support for the project, Su added.

About the San Jose Downtown Association:
The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) is a nonprofit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose. SJDA advocates on issues that affect downtown business and property owners; enhances the image of downtown and attract new visitors through year-round marketing, public relations, and special events; and makes improvements to downtown’s cleanliness, security and aesthetics. www.sjdowntown.com

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.

Easter Sunday Brunch at Scott’s Seafood San Jose

Full Buffet includes more than 20 unique dishes: Seating begins at 10:30 a.m. 

San Jose, CA - Scott’s Seafood is celebrating its first Easter Sunday Brunch at its Downtown San Jose location. Guests will be able to choose from traditional brunch items such as made to order omelettes, eggs, buttermilk pancakes,including four different types of eggs benedicts.

This Easter Sunday buffet menu includes a full breakfast display, including omelet station and a freshly carved prime rib station. Scott’s Seafood signature dishes will also be available during brunch such as Boston clam chowder, Jambalaya, Housemade pastas and a large selection of traditional brunch fare and entrées. The culinary team at Scott’s Seafood San Jose created a diverse menu to ensure numerous options for every taste. Scott’s Seafood will be offering bottomless mimosas for the twenty one and over.

Seating for Scott’s Seafood will begin at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Brunch is $39 dollars for adults and $17 dollars for kids under 12 years of age, complimentary for children under 5 years of age. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling 408-971-1700 or at www.scottsseafoodsj.com. Complimentary validation is available up to three hours in the Scott’s Seafood parking structure.  

Enjoy stunning views from the sixth floor of Scott's Seafood from our dining room as well as our rooftop patio. Scott’s Seafood San Jose is located at 185 Park Ave in Downtown San Jose on the sixth floor. For more information or to make Open Table reservations visit www.scottsseafoodsj.com or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ScottsSeafoodSJ

Symphony Silicon Valley Performs Lord of the Rings - Tickets Still Available for April 16, 17, 18 and 19

San Jose, CA --- “Nine is a pretty good number,” according to J.R.R.Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings. Numerical themes have been analyzed throughout the history of mankind, music, and mythology. In the case of Lord of the Rings, J.R..R.Tolkien made a big deal out of the number nine.

When Symphony Silicon Valley performs the Lord of the Rings trilogy,  simultaneous to the films being shown on a huge screen, the number nine will be audible.

Lord of the Rings : The Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) will be performed April 16, 17, 18 and 19 at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose.* The Symphony Silicon Valley, choruses and soloists will be on stage beneath and in front of the screen for these historic performances.

Nine is present in other motifs, and musical arrangements, where certain themes are heard over and over. In the case of LOTR the number nine can be heard in several important themes. One has only to listen closely to discern three groupings of three notes played in the second phrase of the Fellowship Theme. The first phrase of the History of the Ring Theme contains nine notes which, if played simultaneously, form the Ringwraith’s signature chord. In a ‘trilogy of trinities’ nine notes form the backbone of much of the stunning music in this score.

Author and musicologist Doug Adams explains in his book The Music of the Lord of the Rings Film: A Comprehensive Account of Howard Shore’s Scores, the themes of the score, places, events, and people, as depicted in nines. There are nine people who set off on the journey, nine original rings, nine notes in many phrases within the score, and more nines throughout the story.  Adams spent many years with Howard Shore, analyzing the themes of numerology in his score of Lord of the Rings movies, resulting in the book.

And that’s not all. The ‘tale of the tape,’ to use sports speak, is even more impressive.

When Symphony Silicon Valley performs the Lord of the Rings trilogy,  simultaneous to the films being shown on a huge screen, there will be 250 musicians on stage, made up of the orchestral instrumentalists, chorale members and children’s chorus.

These voices and musicians will be performing a total of 22 hours in a matter of  four days. That only leaves a few hours for eating and sleeping. This becomes a marathon for each of the 100 instrumentalists, the 100 adult vocalists, and the 50 members of the children’s chorus---not only a physical marathon, but a mental one as well.

The backdrop for the concert stage is a huge screen, 20 feet high and 48 feet wide, that will be showing the three Lord of the Rings movies in high definition.

Think of it: the sheet music alone…and this is just for the conductor…is 1200 pages, printed on 11-inch by 17-inch paper. Depending on the instrument, each musician receives several volumes of sheet music to study in advance.

“We will need a fork-lift to carry this music to the theatre,” said Andrew Bales, General Director of Symphony Silicon Valley. “These are the only West Coast performances of this epic event and our musicians are thrilled to bring it to you.”

Paolo’s Restaurant is even entering Middle Earth and the Lord of the Rings’ fandom. Just across the foot bridge from the Center for the Performing Arts, Paolo’s will have a Lord of the Rings three-course prix fixe menu for only $38.50, on April 16, 17 and 18. Paolo’s validates up to six hours of parking  in the RiverPark garage for their patrons. Paolo’s is located at 333 West San Carlos in downtown San Jose, and RiverPark Garage is between Park avenue and West San Carlos on Woz Way. Reservations are necessary by calling 408 294 2558 or visit www.paolos.com

*The Lord of the Rings films, directed by Peter Jackson and based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novels, have won 17 Academy Awards. The Symphony Silicon Valley, choruses and soloists will be on stage beneath and in front of the screen for these historic performances. Seats for each individual performance are available in a price range of $60, $90 or $120.

Lord of the Rings Cycle 1:
April 16, 2015 7:00 pm The Fellowship of the Ring
April 17, 2015 7:00 pm The Two Towers
April 18, 2015 7:00 pm The Return of the King

Lord of the Rings Cycle 2:
April 18, 2015 1:00 pm The Fellowship of the Ring
April 19, 2015 1:00 pm The Two Towers
April 19, 2015 6:30 pm The Return of the King

The San Jose Center for the Performing Arts is located at 255 S. Almaden Blvd, San Jose, CA 95113.

These special performances are coming directly from Lincoln Center in New York, where they will be presented by a Swiss orchestra, with European musicians, the week before San Jose’s performances. (The New York performances are sold out.) Tickets for all three films in San Jose may still be purchased in a complete trilogy package at $330, $240 and $150.

On sale at: www.lotrssv.org and www.symphonysiliconvalley.org

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About Symphony Silicon Valley:
Symphony Silicon Valley (SSV) is the professional symphony orchestra of San Jose.  Led by a roster of distinguished guest conductors on the European model, SSV is an anchor tenant of the magnificently restored California Theatre, one of Northern California's most outstanding music halls.  Besides the Orchestra's core Classics programming, other concerts include Target Summer Pops free family-friendly outdoor music festival serving 17,000 annually and ArtSPARK, the County's free arts education program for students in grades 3-6, which serves 20,000 to 30,000 students each season.

Spring Cleaning Sale at The DH Co.

Our friends at the DH Co. are having a spring cleaning sale through Monday where you can save 40% off locally made shirts, tees, and hoodies. All you have to do is visit  http://www.thedhco.com and put in the discount code: SPRING40. Please support our local retailers!