Cat Cafe Now Open in San Jose

Meet "The Dancing Cat." Billed as San Jose's first creative space for people...and cats, this is a limited-time pop-up shop that only runs until June 14th. Cat Cafes began in Taiwan and Japan, places where many people are not able to have pets. You get to come in, have some coffee, and play with cats. Here, you can actually take a cat you fall in love with home.

The Dancing Cat is being run by Marilyn Krieger (a cat behaviorist known as The Cat Coach) and her friend Mary Rubin to promote adoptions for local shelters. They found an abandoned liquor store on North 15th Street and Julian and turned it into something that looks like your living room (an environment cats likely prefer over a shelter). The owners of The Arsenal art supply store on The Alameda even came in and panted a series of panels featuring their own cats.

The cost to come in and play with your new feline friends is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10. The fee gets waived if you end up adopting a cat. If the pop-up goes well, they may end up opening a permanent location!

You can find The Dancing Cat at 702 E. Julian Street. It's open from noon to 6pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday and from noon to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more info, peek inside The Dancing Cat website.

Photo by Greg Ramar

Source: San Jose Inside, Hat-tip to Payge Lyn for sending this in!

Hack Your Ride on June 6th!

VTA is hosting a great event for technical minds next Saturday called "Hack My Ride." This is actually part of a Knight Foundation grant to make Downtown San Jose even more exciting and innovative. The challenge is transforming how people get around Silicon Valley using a variety of apps and tools. Goals include making it easier to plan trips, wayfinding, connecting with surroundings, and generally make transportation a better experience.

Along with the Hackathon, Microsoft Silicon Valley is sponsoring a free lunch via two food trucks: Oh Miso Hungry and The Kabab Job. You can also be the first to learn about Downtown San Jose's new Bluetooth beacons and compete for $30,000 worth of prizes across 8 different categories.

If you're a techie--and I know many of us are--this is a great way to put your skills to use in a way that will benefit the whole community! You can either scroll down for more info or head over to the VTA event page over here.

Five Reasons to Hack Your Ride

Hack My Ride 2.0 challenges you to transform how we get around in Silicon Valley. Build working apps and tools that will make it easier for people to plan trips, connect with their surroundings, and enrich their transportation experience. If you're still on the fence about whether to join us for the kickoff hackathon on June 6, here are five reasons you should sign up: Food trucks! Oh Miso Hungry and The Kabob Job will provide free lunch thanks to Microsoft Silicon Valley, to fuel your creativity and get you outside for a break from coding. Beacons! Hack My Ride 2.0 hackathon participants will be the first to learn about the Bluetooth beacons we’ll be testing in our system, including how to use them in your projects. Lightning talks! The hackathon will start with brief talks from VTA, Prospect Silicon Valley and others about transportation innovation in Silicon Valley, VTA open data, beacons, the Internet of Things, and today’s mobility challenges and opportunities. $30,000 in prizes! If you’re looking to raise the funds to launch a business building out your app idea, the Hack My Ride app challenge is a great way to gain visibility and resources. #HackforChange! Partnering with Code for San Jose and the Tech Museum of Innovation, VTA is hosting this hackathon as part of the National Day of Civic Hacking. It’s a great way to contribute your technical skills to improving how you get around your city This is a three-month online app challenge kicked off with a hackathon at The Tech Museum of Innovation on June 6, 2015. RSVP to the hackathon learn about the data available (including being the first to access the beacons we’re testing), form a team, and start developing your submission. ​ Learn more about the three-month challenge, including rules, prizes and the submission process, at hackmyride2.challengepost.com. Share the link on Meetup, Twitter, Reddit or wherever you connect with your fellow transportation hackers! To get your creative juices flowing, Microsoft Silicon Valley and Knight Foundation are generously offering $30,000 in prizes in eight app challenge prize categories, so there are plenty of opportunities for your app to win. Or submit several times, if you have a bunch of great ideas and can’t pick just one! Read more on Headways, VTA's blog. Follow @VTA on Twitter, like our Facebook page, or click here to subscribe to updates from Headways, VTA’s official blog.

Earthquakes Hosting a FREE Viewing Party at Avaya Stadium Tomorrow

What a great way to increase utilization at what is perhaps the nicest stadium in the MLS. The Earthquakes are going to host a series of admission-free viewing parties for away games. The first one will be tomorrow at 2pm with the Quakes facing off against Toronto FC. The next will be on Saturday, June 20th against the Seattle Sounders FC at 1pm.

The gates to Avaya stadium open one hour prior to kickoff and fans will be able to watch the matches on the massive screen facing Coleman Avenue. Concessions will be available as well as two food trucks. Best of all, the largest outdoor bar in America will be open and serving fans throughout the game.

Lastly, there will be activities located in the two-acre 7UP Epicenter, but the Quakes did not disclose what those activities will be.

Source: Earthquakes

Rotary PlayGarden is Now Open!

A brand new two-acre playground built as part of the Rotary Club's 100th anniversary is now open off Coleman in the Guadalupe River Park. The $6 million playground was designed specifically so that all children can play together, even if they have special needs. There are slides, a merry-go-round, teeter-totters, swings, musical elements, sand-and-water play, and climbing structures. It is quite possibly the nicest playground in the Bay Area, so go check it out with the younger members of your family!

For more information on the Rotary PlayGarden, head over here.

San Jose Rotary PlayGarden Ribbon Cutting 2015 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Rent Controls in San Jose

I usually try to avoid doing very controversial or polarizing posts, but in this case I can't resist. A couple weeks ago there was an article posting in the Silicon Valley Business Journal about rent controls. San Jose District 3 (Downtown San Jose) Councilman Raul Peralez is proposing to strengthen rent controls in San Jose, specifically by cutting maximum rent increases to 4% and extending rent control to all buildings constructed before 1995 (right now only buildings built before 1979 are rent controlled and the maximum increase is 8% a year). It sounds good on paper, right?

As an econ major, I can't stress how terrible this idea is. Rent controls do not make escalating rent problems better, they make them worse. Sometimes far worse.

Long story short, rent control is a manipulation of the market where demand exceeds supply (see image below). This isn't a guess or assumption, it's a science. With rent controls, there will be fewer rental options available and a greater amount of demand for those remaining units. The stronger the controls, the greater this effect. If you have ever wondered why 50-100 people are all applying for one rent-controlled apartment in SF, this is it.

You may think that if you are already in an apartment, that this will not effect you in a negative way. That couldn't be further from the truth. The stronger the gap between the market and the current rental price, the more likely your landlord will be doing everything possible to get you out of the building. Likely this will include include minimizing maintenance, refusing to do any improvements, trying to convert multi-family rentals to condos, and a variety of other items that I won't even go into. As soon as your are out of the apartment, you will be hit with far higher rents for lower quality units that more people are competing to get (again, SF). Many people will resort to "black market" apartments or tenement housing. Some will become homeless.

The damage does not end there. Rent controls will reduce the market value of all apartments affected. That means lower property taxes for the City of San Jose, and less revenue for services--including the already strapped SJPD and SJFD departments. Landlords will have less incentive to maintain their properties (in fact the opposite when trying to kick people out), leading to substandard housing and blight in both urban and suburban areas.

Thankfully, it seems like Mayor Sam Liccardo does not share the same sentiment on rent control as Raul Peralez. It's a very difficult topic to stand up to, because most voters will not understand economics and the topic of rent control is completely counter-intuitive. Sorry for the soapbox moment, but I really believe this will cause substantial damage to the rental market as can be seen in every single city around the world with strict rent controls (especially SF and New York).

Source: SVBJ

Apple and Tesla are Evaluating Expansion to San Jose!

The two hottest companies in Silicon Valley are contemplating expansion to San Jose! It has been a poorly kept secret that Apple is out of room and it's epic 2.8 million SQFT spaceship project in Cupertino will only cover a fraction of the space it needs. To make matters worse for Apple, Cupertino is not allowing any more office construction outside of a limited area round Valco. Reportedly, Apple has been looking at two different major San Jose projects to expand to: 101 Tech on Orchard Parkway (300,000 SQFT) and the Coleman Highline (up to 1.5 million SQFT).

To make things even more interesting, Tesla is also looking at 101 Tech. Whether it would be an expansion of their Palo Alto headquarters or a full move of their HQ is unclear (it would be much closer to the Tesla factory and the office space would cost half as much). In either case, they would be a very welcome addition to San Jose. Tesla actually wanted to create their factory in North San Jose near Aliso, but were not able to secure the state tax credits needed to build in the location.

Either one of these companies coming to San Jose would be a HUGE win. Nate's article is a great read and an excellent way way to start off the week. Grab a cup of coffee and read the full article via the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

Celtic Woman Performing in San Jose on 5/28

Celtic Woman is celebrating their 10th Anniversary with a world tour. They are going to be at the Center for the Performing Arts on May 28th (this Thursday) at 7pm.

If you're a fan of Irish music, then this critically-acclaimed performance is for you. The multi-platinum ensemble will be singing Irish classics like "Danny Boy" and "Mo Ghile Mhear" as well as contemporary takes on "You Raise Me Up" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." For a little preview, check out the short video below. For tickets, head over here.

About Celtic Woman 

In 2015, Multi-platinum Irish music sensation Celtic Woman celebrates the 10^th anniversary of its debut with a breathtakingnew show across 80 North American cities through the end of June. The group celebrates a decade of performing a fresh fusion of contemporary and traditional music and dance with an Irish twist that has touched the hearts of millions of fans in America.  The all female ensemble made its debut on PBS in 2005 and has achieved massive success encompassing nine albums that have each debuted at #1 on Billboard’s World Album chart, over eight million albums sold and platinum sales in nine countries.  Their eight PBS specials have ranked among the network’s most-watched music programs and topped the Billboard DVD charts. Celtic Woman has sold over three millions concert tickets, sold out prestigious concert halls across across six continents & 23 countries with an especially devoted audience in America.   Over the past decade, Celtic Woman has performed for three U.S. presidents and made high-profile appearances on the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful and on Dancing with the Stars.

TICKET INFORMATION: 

Celtic Woman performs in San Jose on Thursday May 28 at 7pm at the Center for Performing Arts. Tickets  $39-$99   are available in person at the Box Office by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.sanjosetheaters.org

San Jose's Outset Medical Raises $60 Million

Outset Medical has developed an in-home dialysis machine called Tablo for those with kidney failure. It would be a huge quality-of-live improvement to be able to do these treatments from home instead of having to go to a dialysis center several times per week. Tablo is capable to purifying regular tap water, creating dialysate, and delivering medication. It does this using a simple UI and dramatically reduces how much time is required for patients to undergo treatment.

Outset Medical has just raised their Series B investment round, which will clock in right around $60 million. That is quite a substantial amount for a young company founded just five years ago. However, this is a $13 billion market and their product already has FDA clearance for clinics and hospitals (they are working on clearance for home use), so it looks like this round is more about scaling and delivering the product rather than creating it.

Outset Medical is located in North San Jose near SJC at 1830 Bering Drive. Check out the short video below for a little bit more information.

Source: MedCity News

Census Population Chart

NBC Bay Area has a new population chart from the US Census showing San Jose as the 10th US city with a current population of 1 million. I added the word current in there because Detroit had 1.8 million people at it s peak in 1950 and has since dropped to 680,000.

At a growth rate of 1.2% in 2014, that also makes San Jose the 6th fastest growing city in the million club. It would be 3rd if you take out the cities in Texas.

Happy Hour as a Service @ ZERO1 Garage

Now that we have over 110 technology companies in Downtown San Jose, why not have some networking events to keep the momentum going. Well, that is exactly what the Silicon Valley Business Journal is doing. They are hosting a mixer with appetizers and cocktails at the ZERO1 Garage this Thursday between 6-8pm. The event also includes a tour of Whipsaw Inc. (industrial design company working with Nike, Google, etc.).

For more info and tickets, just head over here.

San Jose Greek Festival 2015!

Next weekend is the annual San Jose Greek Festival, one of the largest ethnic festivals in the Bay Area. If you like amazing Greek food, live entertainment, and friendly people, this is a San Jose tradition you won't want to miss. 

The festival is entirely volunteer run and all the food is made using family recipes. The Greek folk dancing will be done by teams that compete nationally (and some have even won first place), and the costumes the dancers wear are handmade and unique to many of the regions in Greece. It's a very authentic experience all around.

During the festival there will be a bunch of giveaways (food, wine, desserts, and CDs). There will also be giveaways leading up the the festival next week over at the Greek Festival Facebook Page.

The festivities are taking place on May 29th (5pm-10pm), May 30th (11am-10pm), and May 31st (11am-9pm). The area immediately surrounding St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1260 Davis St.) is the epicenter for the event. You won't be able to park anywhere near it, so just get in the general area and follow the music.

Bring a copy of the image below--or pull it up on your phone--for FREE admission! For more info on the event, click here, here, or here.

1st Annual San Jose J-Town Filmfest!

First came Cinequest, then the San Jose Short Film Festival, and now there is a brand new festival for movie lovers. The San Jose J-Town Filmfest will run from May 29th to the 31st at the JTS Northside Community Center and the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. There will be a total of seven screenings, two special events, and multiple Q&As with the filmmakers.

For more information and tickets, just head over here.

San Jose J-Town FilmFest Film Line-up:



Friday  May 29   (Northside Community Center)
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7:00pm - Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farmworkers (30min)

Delano Manongs tells the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement's finest hours :  The Delano Grape Strike of 1965 that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union.

After the film, there will be a discussion and reflection on the 1965 Delano Grape Strike by famed playwright/filmmaker Luis Valdez and Marissa Aroy, the film's director.


8:15pm - Special Live Music Event featuring San Jose-based group Sonido Clash. Enjoy a night of live music, dancing, and food to kick off the first night of the festival!



Saturday  May 30   (Northside Community Center)
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11:00 am - Hibakusha (45 min)

An animated documentary/drama directed by Steve Nguyen and Choz Belen, the film centers around Kaz Suyeishi, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. As an older woman, she recalls her most vivid and horrific memories of the bombing when she was a student in Hiroshima.

The filmmakers reached out to Mrs. Suyeishi in order to tell her story using computer animation and hand-drawn techniques. The film utilizes specialized graphic design techniques and 3-D implementation to establish the unique visual animation style.

Film screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Steve Nguyen.


12:45pm- Kumu Hina (77 min)

Kumu Hina is a powerful feature docu-drama that shines light on the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernized society of modern day Hawaiʻi. It is told through the lens of Hina Wong-Kalu, an iconic Native Hawaiian figure who is both a proud māhū (transgender woman) and an honored and respected kumu (teacher) and community leader.

A special Q & A with Kumu Hina live via Skype will follow the screening of the film.


3:00pm - Skin Stories (60 min)

Skin Stories is an anthology of stories and stunning images gathered from the hot spots of Pacific tattoo culture. The film offers an insight into how various Pacific Island cultures have reclaimed their deep ancestral heritage of tattooing.

Co-Producer Emiko Omori will appear for a post-screening Q&A discussion.


5:00pm - East Side Sushi (100 min)

Winner of the Audience Award at the Cinequest and CAAMFest film festivals, this critically acclaimed film introduces us to Juana, a working-class Latina single mother struggling to make ends meet.

After landing a job at a Japanese restaurant, Juana is introduced to a completely new culinary experience after observing the restaurant's sushi chefs. A reinvigorated Juana embarks on a journey to become a great sushi chef, determined not to let anyone stop her from achieving her dream.

A Q&A with director Anthony Lucero will follow.


7:15pm - Special Sushi Reception

Join East Side Sushi director Anthony Lucero and other special guest filmmakers for a festival reception with sushi!


8:30pm - The People I've Slept With (89 min)

Karin Anna Cheung stars as a promiscuous young woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy. Determined to find the father, she goes on a comical and raunchy hunt through her past hook-ups in this charming romantic comedy.

There will be a post-screening Q&A discussion with screenwriter Koji Sakai and the female lead, Karin Anna Cheung, after the film.



***Sunday May 31 (Japanese American Museum of San Jose)***
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1:00pm - Issei: The First Generation (54 min)

Filmed in and around Walnut Grove, this historical documentary revolves around original interviews with Issei (first generation Japanese Americans) as they recount their lives and experiences growing up in rural California before, during, and after World War II.

***SCREENING ONLY AT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF SAN JOSE ***


Filmmaker Toshi Washizu will appear for a post-screening Q&A discussion.

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You can join us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/765557100224091/

For more information, visit our main website: http://www.catsasiantheater.com/

Sephora and Sugarfina Coming to Santana Row

San Jose, CA (May 15, 2015)  - The lively shopping scene at Santana Row is about to get even more spirited with the addition of two headliner retailers! Sugarfina, an upscale purveyor special candies from around the world coveted by celebrities and discriminating sweet tooths opens in late summer and beauty trailblazer Sephora is set to open its doors with the latest beauty innovations and cosmetic trends in time for the holidays.

Sugarfina

Opening late summer 2015, next to Donald J. Pliner

It’s a candy store for grown-ups who have a sweet tooth, both in selection and ambiance but attracts candy lovers of all ages. Sugarfina is a retail concept that offers select sweets from around the world in an elegant, boutique setting. The gourmet confections are beautifully presented and packaged. Customer favorites include Champagne gummy bears from Germany and Rainbow Kyoto Blossoms from Japan. Founded by Rosie O’Neill and Josh Resnick in Southern California, Sugarfina’s 883-square-foot shop is scheduled to open in August.

Sephora

Opening late fall 2015, next to Sino restaurant

Visionary beauty retailer Sephora comes to Santana Row with its vast array of cosmetics and beauty products. The company, founded in Paris, revolutionized the way women browsed for and bought cosmetics with its unbiased customer service and its huge selection of fragrances, well-known beauty brands as well as small, boutique lines. The 5,993-square-foot store at Santana Row is slated to open in November.

~~~

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 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 90 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 21 million square feet, and 1500 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, visit www.FederalRealty.com.

Communications Hill - Final Phase

Communications Hill is one of the largest master-planned communities in the history of San Jose. The region is about to enter its final stage of development which will last a decade. Last week KB Home bought a 9.8-acre parcel is ais about to start construction on 154 units that will be a mix of townhomes and "small-lot" single family homes. That will be followed by another 160 units after those are complete in mid 2016.

Also part of long term plan is a 60,000 SQFT retail village on the hill, six-story contemporary condos, 1.4 million SQFT of industrial space, and a better connection to transit. As far as suburban projects go, I think this is as good as your're going to get.

Source: SVBJ

More Details on Valley Fair's $600M Expansion

Things are finally getting very real regarding the long-delayed Valley Fair expansion. Nathan Donato-Weinstein provided an in-depth look at the expansion last week in the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

The expansion will add 600,000 SQFT to the mall, making it the largest mall in Northern California by a significant margin. The cost will be $600M. To put that into perspective, that is about the same cost as the entire first phase of Santana Row.

The flagship addition to the mall is a 150,000 SQFT Bloomingdales--which is larger than the one in Stanford Shopping center. However, that won't be the only substantial improvement. There will be between 80 and 100 new stores, most of which will be unique retail not available today in Silicon Valley (or even San Francisco). You'll have new entertainment and service offerings including an ultra-luxury 10 screen movie theater and a massive fitness center. Parking will get easier with 4,200 new spaces, a direct connector to 880, and new available-spot guidance technology. Oh, and to make sure the mall looks consistent they are also going to renovate the older parts of the mall to look as slick as the expansion. The only thing that didn't make the cut was Neiman Marcus, but I think 99% of us will be okay with that.

The expansion will bring the whole mall closer to Santana Row and give it a respectable looking front entrance with an outdoor plaza (perhaps inspired by its aforementioned neighbor). The plaza includes restaurants with open-air seating and event space for fashion shows, book signings, and product launches. The project also requires the construction of new buildings for Bank of America and Chase.

As most of you probably know, the mall is split between San Jose and Santa Clara. Fortunately, most of the expansion will be on the San Jose side, meaning a huge boost in tax dollars for our city after the project is complete in November 2017 as well as more world class stores in our retail portfolio. While most urbanists are not big fans of malls, I think most of us can agree that this project is going to be good for our City.

Source: SVBJ

4th Annual Kung Fu Tai Chi Day Today

From 9:30am to 2pm today at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, you can check out a street fair celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese martial arts. There will be demonstrations by some of the world's top grandmasters of Kung Fu and Tai Chi along with several other shows, events, classes, and workshops. For more info, check out the Kung Fu Tai Chi Day website or watch the short video below.

Saturday Status: #9 for Best Job Accessibility by Walking

This one is a bit surprising for me. When you think about highly walkable cities, usually you don't think of San Jose. However, based on a recent study of the 50 largest metro areas in the US, San Jose came in 9th for job accessibility via walking. Most of the population of San Jose is within a 30 minute walk to over 50,000 jobs. In Downtown San Jose, Japantown, and along North First Street, that number rises to about 100,000 jobs.

TOP 10 METRO AREAS: JOB ACCESSIBILITY BY WALKING

1. New York
2. San Francisco
3. Los Angeles
4. Chicago
5. Washington
6. Seattle
7. Boston
8. Philadelphia
9. San Jose
10. Denver

Source: Transportationist, hat tip to Jordan Toy

St. John Vianney Fiesta

The St. John Vianney Fiesta is a long-standing tradition for the East Foothills community. There will be carnival rides, games, live entertainment and a large assortment of delicious ethnic and American foods. The event starts tonight and runs throughout the weekend at 4600 Hyland Avenue. For more information head over to the event's Facebook page over here.

The San Jose Sharks Extend Their Lease Through 2025

The City of San Jose and the San Jose Sharks have come to an agreement that will guarantee the Sharks continue to play at the SAP Center until at least 2025. The agreement also allows for annual extensions that can continue all the way up until the year 2040. I don't think anyone expected them to go elsewhere, but now this cements the team in San Jose for at least another decade. By then, perhaps it will be time to build a newer arena in Downtown San Jose.

Source: Bleacher Report

May is National Foster Care Month

There are over 6,000 children in foster care in the Bay Area and 60,000 in California. I think foster parenting is one of the most important way you can contribute to making the world a better place and have a tremendous impact on a child's life. This topic is very close to me since my mother participated in foster care for two decades and made the lives of dozens of children better.

Seneca Family of Agencies was founded 30 years ago in the Bay Area and is headquartered in Downtown San Jose. The agency helps at-risk children and families in the region with a multitude of challenges. Below is a profile of one of their San Jose foster parents, Ryan Adams. For more information on how you can get involved, please visit the Seneca Center website.

Ryan Adams (San Jose) has a passion for youth and a deep commitment to serving others. Prior to becoming a foster parent, Ryan worked with youth in Paraguay for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer and resided for another two years in a Zen Monastery in Monterey. He was also a Seneca employee before becoming a foster parent, and his time at Seneca has been evenly divided among residential, community, and school based programs. He is especially committed to ensuring that all youth receive the highest degree of care, regardless of their level of need. His curiosity and dedication to creating long-lasting, healthy, and impactful relationships with relationships with youth led Ryan to take the lead on permanency related issues, advocating for contact with biological/natural supports. In March 2015, Ryan, with the help of Seneca's Intensive Treatment Foster Care team, successfully transitioned his first foster youth through Seneca's PLUS program - a six month intensive treatment foster program geared toward youth with the highest level of need - from his care back to his home with his biological family. Ryan continues his role as a PLUS Parent and has recently welcomed a second foster child into his home.

Bike Clinic Indiegogo Campaign!

The San Jose Bike Clinic wants to open a permanent bike-repair shop in Downtown San Jose! Nothing like this currently exists in San Jose--although this organization has occasionally done pop-up events in the San Pedro Square Market and Camera 12.

The San Jose Bike Clinic is a non-profit and is entirely volunteer run. They are looking to raise $4,000 and are almost fully funded. To contribute to this great cause (and get some nice perks in the process), head over to their Indiegogo Campaign Page.

The Vision

Imagine a space sustained by volunteer energy, filled with all the bike repair tools and parts you'd need and staffed by knowledgeable volunteer bike mechanics. Imagine the satisfaction of anyone who wants to learn having the knowledge to fix their bike themselves.

We are San José Bike Clinic, and that’s our vision. We believe knowledge is power, and our mission is to get more people on bikes by providing the community with that knowledge and a safe and friendly place to learn. We don’t just give you the tools, we teach you how to use them!

From lubing your chain to fixing a flat to building your own bike from scratch, the volunteers at San José Bike Clinic will steer you through the process and let you do the fixing. If you’ve ever been to a bike co-op or bike kitchen, you get the idea.

Our Roots
San José Bike Clinic started in 2012 when a group of bicycling enthusiasts in downtown San José had a question: What is San José’s biking community missing? 

We already have some of the best weather in the country, flat terrain, an active health and fitness-loving community, an eco-conscious mindset, huge San José Bike Party rides and fun test rides, more miles of bike lanes every year, and some of the best cycling events around. The answer came in the form of San José Bike Clinic, a volunteer-driven, community-minded dream that has become a reality and needs your help to thrive.

The mission of San José Bike Clinic is to build a robust and diverse cycling community through a shared and accessible place for bicycle repair and education. The vision is independence, self sufficiency and education to all in the cycling community.

After testing our idea since 2012 with monthly pop up clinics at San Pedro Square Market and three months temporarily popped up in Camera 12, we are asking for donors and volunteers to help us bring this cause to a permanent location.

How You Can Help

The money raised through our crowdfunding campaign will go toward rent, utilities, security deposit, and upkeep of the permanent space to help make San José Bike Clinic accessible to everyone.

After 6 months we intend to be fully self sufficient and maintain our monthly needs through the sale of used bicycles, bicycle parts, and various levels of membership fees.

Once we're open, we'll ensure the shop's sustainability by charging daily, monthly and annual membership fees that grant access to the shop and all its benefits. We won't turn anyone away for lack of funds. For those who can't afford the fees, we'll offer opportunities to volunteer hours in exchange for membership.

Since we’re a program of the nonprofit Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, all donations to this crowdfunding campaign and once we’re open are tax deductible except for any perks you receive.

What You Get in Return

We're offering perks for various levels of support we're asking for, everything from stickers to T-shirts, shop aprons, and water bottles. We're also offering one-month and one-year memberships at certain levels so you can visit the shop you helped make a reality, along with memberships to the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition that include benefits like discounts at local bike shops.

If you’re passionate about cycling and want a place where the cycling community can learn, repair bicycles, and connect with each other, then help us make San José Bike Clinic into a downtown institution by donating today and inviting other bike-minded friends, family, and colleagues to join you.

Share this campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email lists with people you think would share our vision. If you prefer to donate time we are always looking for new volunteers to help make San José Bike Clinic a community destination for all kinds of riders. Email sjbc@bikesiliconvalley.org if you'd like to join our team.

May 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• Mayor Sam Liccardo laid out his vision to keep the momentum going Downtown, which includes:
• "Build the heck out of it" - the current housing boom needs to be encouraged. We also need to see major transportation investment in order to support it, especially with BART. He also mentioned we need more high-end hotel rooms to attract more major events to the Convention Center.
• "Take up the slack" - the existing commercial vacancy rate needs to come down and rents need to go up in order to see major new office construction Downtown. There are now 110 tech companies Downtown, and they want Class A space. Liccardo is encouraging converting Class B to Class A space in order to cater towards these tech tenants.
• "Bring it outdoors" - with 300+ days of great weather, we need to leverage outdoor space. This means improving the Guadalupe River Walk, St. James Park, and implementing Street Life Plan projects.
• The first Music in the Park concert this year will be June 18th and feature Grammy-nominated Reggae band Sister Carol.
• SoFA Market Update
• Two new SoFA Market venues opened: On The Flipside burger bar [Josh: had the Black & Blue burger there last week and it was great!], and The Fountainhead, a craft cocktail bar with architecturally themed drinks.
• Coming soon:
• Konjoe-Tei: Ramen from the owners of Konjoe
• Hawaiian Poke Bowl: specializing in Poke rice bowls and Acai bowls
• Milk and Wood: unique house-made gelato pops
• Vitamina Juices & Blends - fresh juices, smoothies, and healthy snacks
• The Ritz is bringing live music to the long-vacant building at 400 S. First St. Corey O'Brien is the proprietor (who also ran the Blank Club).
• Red Rose Restaurant is now serving healthy Mediterranean fare at 30 E. Santa Clara St.
• The AFK Gamer Lounge is now open in the former Los Gatos Brewing space.
• SJSU construction projects totaling $320 million are currently in progress with more to come.
• The city is moving full speed to make San Jose the country's best city to bike. Currently there are 236 miles of bikeways, up from 197 in 2009. 69 more miles are planned by the end of 2016 and a total of 164 more miles of bikeways by 2020.
• The city installed 47 signs that encourage pedestrians to walk to a variety of Downtown destinations.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Burnt Almond Cake, a San Jose Specialty

Burnt Almond Cake was actually invented in San Jose in 1936. I'm sure most of us have had some slices at a birthday party or other event. Check out this KQED article to learn about Peter's Bakery in East San Jose, perhaps the most famous local spot that sells this delicacy.

Sources: KQED, I Heart SJ

Saturday Stats: San Jose Population Growth

New population estimates from the California Department of Finance were released at the beginning of the month. The department pegs the population of San Jose at 1,016,479. This puts us at a growth rate of 1.4% percent year-over-year, which is the second largest growth rate for all large California cities. San Francisco came in at 1.3%.

One surprise to me was the growth rate for Milpitas. 3.9% is a pretty impressive number for a city its size.

Source: usedmedia from the SSC Forums

Valley Brews on May 29th!

The New Leaders Council (NLC) Silicon Valley is a nonprofit that trains the next generation of political entrepreneurs and leaders. They are hosting a fundraiser and networking event featuring local craft brews (Good Karma Artisan Ales, Hermitage, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, and Camino Brewing Company). In addition to the great drinks, there will be a panel to discuss entrepreneurship and what it takes to start a successful craft brewery.

Tickets are $35 pre-sale and $40 at the door. For more information and to register, head over here.

Santana Row May-July 2015 News and Events

 

San Jose, CA  - Special celebrations and warm-weather activities abound at Santana Row in May! Mark calendars for Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day and a benefit fashion show featuring Silicon Valley executives and luminaries. Returning to The Row are annual favorites: Mommy & Me kids club, Yoga in the Park and the seasonal opening of Cielo on the rooftop of Hotel Valencia.

 

Summer Yoga Series

Every Saturday beginning May 2 and continuing through September 12

Registration at 8:30, yoga at 9 a.m., Park Valencia

Join yoga enthusiasts for free yoga every Saturday, presented by lululemon athletica.

Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine at Park Valencia, near Maggiano’s restaurant, from May 2 through September 12. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

 

Alexis Bittar Trunk Show at Annieglass

Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Just-opened Annieglass presents the latest jewelry collection by Alexis Bittar, whose pieces are often featured in fashion magazines and coveted by celebrities. Known for his artfully crafted bracelets, earrings and necklaces using high-quality Lucite, metal and semi-precious stones, Bittar has been an Anniglass collector for almost 20 years while Annieglass designer and founder Annie Morhauser has worn Bittar’s jewelry for two decades, too. The store opened at Santana row in mid-April and is located next to Left Bank Brasserie. Stop by on May 2 and enter to win a special piece of Annieglass.

 

Cinco de Mayo at El Jardin

Tuesday, May 5, noon to closing

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with live mariachi, salsa dancing with Son de Kali and a tequila bar crawl that takes revelers from El Jardin to Thea Mediterranean and Consuelo Mexican Bistro. There’s also raffle prizes and free rides home with Lyft.

 

Mother’s Day Dining at Santana Row!

Sunday, May 10, various locations

Make your dining plans this Mother’s Day at Santana Row where mom has her pick of what she’s craving on her specialSunday.

 

Amber India: Offers a full buffet all day on this Sunday of menu favorites. Price is $40 to $50. Please contact restaurant for more details, 408.248.5400.

 

Fogo De Chao: Moms receive a complimentary lunch or dinner for her NEXT visit with a purchase of full meal on Mothers Day. For more information or reservations please call Fogo De Chao, 408.244.7001.

 

LB Steak: On Mother's Day, the restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving select regular menu items for brunch and lunch until 3 p.m. Additional special a la carte options will also be offered with mom in mind.

Brunch specials include:

• Banana French toast with candied walnuts
• Chantilly cream and Vermont maple syrup
• Prosciutto and asparagus quiche with San Daniel prosciutto and Delta Queen asparagus
Special for dinner includes Surf and Turf with a porcini-crusted filet, grilled lobster tail, lemon herb butter and asparagus. All prices exclude beverages, tax and gratuity. For reservations please call, 408.244.1180.
 
Left Bank Brasserie: The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mother’s Day and serving a limited regular brunch/lunch menu and specials from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the regular lunch menu from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and the regular dinner menu from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The brunch specials will include:
• The Farmer, His Garden, His Pig and His Hen with grilled house-made sausage, a three-egg scramble with scallions, cilantro, tomato, and cheddar cheese and roasted Yukon gold potatoes with fines herbs
• The BLT Sandwich with country Levain bread, goat cheese, tomatoes, arugula, bacon, a sunny side up egg, hollandaise sauce and a petite salad
• Lost Bread, a traditional thick French toast with orange cream, maple syrup and bacon
• The Eggs With The Eggs, smoked salmon and salmon hash with red onions, tomatoes, parsley, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce
• Ham and Spinach Quiche, a Parisian ham, onion and spinach quiche with organic mixed greens with a mustard vinaigrette
• Eggs Benedict, poached eggs with Parisian ham, English muffins and hollandaise sauce, served with Yukon gold potatoes with fines herbs (also a la Florentine - with spinach)
• The Cow and The Hen with a grilled skirt steak with two sunny side up eggs and Yukon gold potatoes with fines herbs. All prices exclude beverages, tax and gratuity. For reservations please call, 408. 984.3500.
 
Lisa's Tea Treasures: Open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and serving mimosas, tea, chicken wrap, salad, dessert, sandwiches and savory scones. Price is $35.95 per person. Reservations recommended, for more details, call,408.247.3613.
 
Rosie McCann's Irish Pub & Restaurant: Open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch, which includes one complimentary mimosa for mom. There’s special brunch and cocktail menus celebrating the day. For more information please call,408.247.1706.
 
Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, season kick-off event
Tuesday, May 12, 10 a.m. to noon
The popular kids’ club returns for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Special guest for the kick-off event is Buddy from Dinosaur Train. Families can also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit www.SantanaRow.com.
 
Cielo Seasonal Grand Opening at Hotel Valencia
Thursday, May 14, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The rooftop bar is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy warm San Jose evenings and a sunset view. Cielo opens for the season with a flair: live Latin music by Amy Dabalos, sangria, wine tastings, tapas and paella! Tickets are $30 and guests must be at least 21 years old.
Reservation required. Call 408.423.5405 for tickets.
 
Cars & Croissants
Saturday, May 23 and every fourth Saturday of the month
9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the fourth Saturday of the month through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.
 
B#SV! (Be Sharp, Silicon Valley!)
Thursday, May 28, Santana Row Park, across from Left Bank Brasserie
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
San Jose Jazz and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation team up to bring you an evening of fashion with a purpose with B#SV! Be Sharp, Silicon Valley features Silicon Valley executives and regional luminaries working the catwalk in the latest looks from Santana Row retailers.
The evening includes live music, wine and appetizers. Tickets are $30 and all proceeds benefit San Jose Jazz’s music education programs and the Silicon Valley Education Fund’s STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) education programs. To purchase tickets, go to www.sanjosejazz.org.
 
A look ahead to June and July…
 
Santana Row’s Annual Poolside Soiree
The annual summer fashion shows take place at a new venue with stylish surprises and special guests!
Saturday, June 6, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Misora Resort-Style Residences
The popular summer event returns for the seventh year with an exciting venue change: for the first time, the two poolside runway shows will take place at Misora, Santana Row’s resort-style residences.
As always, the fashion shows will feature the season’s best fashions for women and men as well as style surprises and special guests.
Shows are 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and tickets are $50. Included in the price is poolside seating to view the show, access to the Beauty Lounge, pre-event champagne, wine and light hors d’oeuvres, a Passion for Fashion shopping card that entitles guests to discounts around The Row, prize drawings and in-store events.
Its also a chance to see what luxury living is like at Misora, the 212-unit luxury residential complex. Completed last year, it boasts such amenities as a lounging pool with cabanas and a lap pool, concierge services, private cinema, fitness studio, chef’s demonstration facilities, wine lockers and a wine tasting room.
Tickets go on sale in April at www.SantanaRow.com and at the concierge office.
 
Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, “Into the Wild Day!”
Tuesday, June 9, 10 a.m. to noon
The popular kids’ club features free entertainment, interactive games, hands-on activities and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us for “Into The Wild Day” where families are invited to take a walk into the wild side with a special performance from The Happy Birds. Also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s to pick up your activity sheet.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit www.SantanaRow.com.
 
Cars & Croissants
Saturday, June 27 and every fourth Saturday of the month
9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the fourth Saturday of the month through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.
 
Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Celebrate Summer!”
Tuesday, July 7, 10 a.m. to noon
The popular kids’ club features free entertainment, interactive games, hands-on activities and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us for live musical performances by Andy Z and take part in programs “Let’s Play in Spanish” and the San Jose Public Library. Also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s to pick up your activity sheet.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit www.SantanaRow.com.
 
Santana Row Beer Walk
Wednesday, July 29, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Stroll The Row and sample 20-plus beers while enjoying the shopping and dining incentives offered during the third annual Beer Walk! Cool off with a walk around Santana Row while tasting brews from microbreweries. The beer stops are stationed in a restaurant or shop for easy sipping and strolling. Tickets are $30 and available atwww.thebeerwalk.com.
 
Twitter Promotion @SantanaRow invites Tweets and Instagram tags
For a Chance to Win Gift Cards to Restaurants at The Row
Santana Row’s Twitter campaign and photo contest continues through the @SantanaRow Twitter handle. The contest invites anyone at Santana Row to Tweet or Instagram photos of a new outfit, haircut, meal, event or artsy shots and then tag it with the hash tag #LifeonTheRow. Every month, Santana Row will post an album on Facebook with all of the photos with the #LifeonTheRow hash tag. The person who took the best or most original photo will win a gift card to a Santana Row restaurant.
 
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 visitwww.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.