2nd Story Bakeshop now serving organic baked goods in Downtown San Jose

A fancy new bakery has just opened up at 138 E. Santa Clara Street, one block away from the San Jose City Hall. 2nd Story Bakeshop specializes in a variety of organic baked goods using locally sourced ingredients. One of the co-owners has "a particular obsession with long-fermented, naturally leavened, hearth baked breads, and enjoys adding whimsical combinations of ingredients to flavor them." I think that sentence alone shows that this isn't your run-of-the-mill bakery.

2nd Story Bakeshop carries specialty loaves that change each week, cookies (dark chocolate and sea salt, honey wheat graham crackers, pear pie cookies, etc.), brandied-apple pecan crumbles, apple walnut cake, and their signature granola.

The bakery is open Tuesday through Friday from 6:30am-1pm. Since the hours are limited, if you can't make it to their Downtown San Jose location you can find their bread in Whole Foods on The Alameda or on Stevens Creek in Cupertino. They also participate in the Santa Clara Farmer's Market (Saturdays), Morgan Hill Farmer's Market (Saturdays), Los Gatos Farmer's Market (Sundays), Mountain View Farmer's Market (Sundays) and the East Santa Clara Street Farmer's Market (Wednesdays in the Summer).

For more information visit the 2nd Story Bakeshop website over here.

Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

Micro-apartments coming to West San Carlos Street

Could tiny apartments be a way to lower housing prices and quickly increase the housing supply in San Jose? Shad Design is planning to build 81 micro units on just 0.4 acres at 1470 West San Carlos Street (currently a used car lot). This area is halfway between Downtown San Jose and Santana Row, most commonly referred to as Midtown.

The plans call for three levels of apartments sitting on top of 7,200 SQFT of retail. Each floor would have 27 apartments. The units would each be 573 SQFT split across two floors--379 SQFT on the main level, 162 SQFT on a loft, and each come with a 32 SQFT closet. While small by San Jose standards, that is much larger than most micro-unit projects which can be as minuscule as 200 SQFT if you can imagine that. Ceilings will be 15 feet tall in the living room.

Rent will cost about 30% less than a typical San Jose apartment, yet these units will have a full kitchen, bathroom, and even a washer and dryer. It is an interesting project and I'm sure there will be substantial demand from young workers if this gets built.

Source: SVBJ

New San Jose-based real estate startup - Places.me

Places.me is a new Silicon Valley real estate site with a very slick user-interface. Their goal is to make it easier (and less expensive) to buy and sell homes.

The company founder, Manly Danh, was born and raised in San Jose. Both of his parents immigrated from Vietnam with $10 in their pockets, but eventually fulfilled the American dream with a home on 7th and Santa Clara. Founding Places.me wasn't something that Manly just wanted to do, it is something that he knew he was supposed to do.

The site has one of the coolest homepages I have seen and I love how San Jose locations are prominently displayed as a full-screen video (Santana Row, San Pedro Square, and Downtown high-rises are all in there). While I am not in the market for a new home, I have to admit that I spent the last hour searching for San Jose dream homes.

If you buy a home through the site, you will get 1% of the purchase price back. If selling a home, you pay a 3% commission instead of the standard 6%. In Silicon Valley, this translates to savings in the tens of thousands of dollars range--definitely something to think about.

Below is their inaugural blog post. Check out the site for yourself over here.


Hi there, neighbor!

So, about us — we’re a real estate startup based in San Jose creating an easier and faster way to connect home buyers and sellers. With over 90% of people using the internet as part of their research to buy or sell a home, we’ve built Places to bring buyers and sellers together in a platform that takes the hassle out of traditional real estate.

If you’ve ever bought or sold a home out in the wild, you’ve probably managed your transaction through an agent. And with the average sale to closing time starting at 4 weeks, the process can be pretty tedious and lengthy. The experience can make you feel like a number — it has for folks on our team who’ve been in the same boat. That’s not a great feeling when you’re talking about a transaction in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A new take on real estate

We’re trying a different angle. We want you to love the homebuying experience, start to finish. So we’ve built a data-driven platform that makes it easy to thoroughly and quickly research homes, get to know neighborhoods, and make offers quickly — without a traditional realtor. With new listings being added every day, and an average closing time of 10 days, you’ll be able to get a move on easily without all the usual rigamarole of traditional real estate. And we’re here for you every step of the way, so you can feel connected and in control throughout the whole transaction. Plus, buyers even get 1% back on their purchase price at closing, while sellers can save 50% on commissions — not too shabby, eh?

Let’s stay in touch

We’re just getting started, and we’ll be using this blog to keep you posted on what we’re up to. Stay tuned for the latest improvements to our marketplace, featured homes, stories from our local community, and more. And we want your feedback and ideas — so please, don’t be shy. Click those comment and share buttons, and let’s keep the conversation going!

Visit us at www.places.me

New SJSU student apartments are pending City Council approval

A 7-story, 86-unit apartment building has been proposed for the corner of E. Santa Clara St. and 11th St in Downtown San Jose. Given that it is two blocks away from the SJSU campus, it would be an ideal housing situation for college students. If it moves forward, there would a total of 171 beds in the building.

The project would also include 5,560 SQFT of retail on the ground floor and 5,700 SQFT of office space on the second floor. A restaurant was also mentioned as a possibility for the ground floor plaza. There would be a total of 67 parking spaces, far fewer than the number of students that would live in the building (some would say this is a positive--teach those young adults how to take transit, walk, or bike to get around).

The next step in moving the project forward is evaluation and approval by the City Council and the Planning Commission.

Source: TheRegistry, Robertee from The San Jose Development Forum

Santana Row news and events - April through June 2016

San Jose, CA (March 24, 2016)  - We’ve been waiting for you, sunshine! While we’ve appreciated the rain, Santana Row is ready to step into warmer days with new events such as the YWCA-Silicon Valley’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and the seasonal return of favorites like Yoga in the Park and Mommy & Me and Daddy, Too, both starting in May.

Warby Parker goes Warby Barker for April Fools’ Day
Get a free portrait of your dog done by a professional illustrator
Friday, April 1, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Join Warby Parker for this special and exclusive event, Warby Barker!
It’s become a tradition for the eyewear retailer: Several yearsa ago, it wanted to pull an April Fools' Day prank on its and created an entire website warbybarker.com to promote eyewear for dogs. It was so popular that the store started celebrating Warby Barker in its locations and this year, Santana Row is one of them.  Join in the fun and bring a furry friend who can strike a pose!
For more details, please call Warby Parker at Santana Row, 669.266.7063.

Light It Up Blue, benefit concert for the Pacific Autism Center for Education
Saturday, April 16, noon to 4 p.m.
The second annual Light It Up Blue music event happens at Santana Row Park.
Local bands will donate their time to help raise funds for PACE programs and services and the community can support PACE in several ways:

• Eat at participating restaurants
• Donate at the event or online
• Visit awareness booths
• Buy a raffle ticket

Performers include local youth musicians Monta Vista Jazz Band, Cymbalize,
The Drought and Monta Vista Tri-M
For more information, go to www.pacificautism.org.

Cars & Croissants
Saturday, April 23, 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 from March 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.

San Jose Dancin’ Downtown Festival, Santana Row Park
Sunday, April 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Santana Row and sjDANCEco has partnered again this year to bring together local as well as regional dance artists to celebrate National Dance Week. The free outdoor festival features the diversity of the area’s dance community.
Enjoy performances by sjDANCEco, Pointe of Departure (Karen Gabay), Los Lupenos de San Jose, Keesha & Johnny (Salsa), PERSpective Dance Company (Lindsey McLevis), The New Ballet School, Helen and JC (Salsa), The MoveMessenger(s) with Angela Dice Nguyen and Gabriel Mata/Movements.

lululemon Presents Yoga in the Park, May 7, 14, 21 and 28
Every Saturday through September, 9 a.m. Santana Row Park
Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by lululemon athletica begins May 7 and is held every Saturday through September, taking advantage of the best weather seasons!
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, season kick-off event
May 10, 10 a.m. to noon, Santana Row Park
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 event, to-be-announced. Families can also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. 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, May 28, 9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row again 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 from March 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.

lululemon Presents Yoga in the Park, June 4, 11, 18 and 25
Every Saturday through September, 9 a.m. Santana Row Park
Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by lululemon athletica is held every Saturday through September, taking advantage of the best weather seasons!
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too Free Kids Club
Tuesday, June 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Santana Row Park
The popular kids’ club has returned for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us in June for the Pirates & Treasure event! Dress as a pirate and embark on a special treasure hunt through Santana Row. Enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Santana Row Park to pick up your activity sheet!
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. 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.

YWCA Silicon Valley Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Wednesday June 22, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Entering it’s 14th year, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes may look like a stunt with men racing in heels, but it’s actually a statement about men's roles in ending violence against women and drawing attention to the issue that is connected to strict gender roles and expectations of men.
For the first time, the annual event will be held at Santana Row.
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event attracts hundreds of spectators and prominent walkers including the mayor and community and business leaders. It’s become an international event that engages men in raising awareness and funds to stop sexual assault and domestic violence.
Funds raised from Walk a Mile in Her Shoes make it possible for YWCA Silicon Valley to provide critical response, intervention, and comprehensive support services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
For more information and sponsorship/registration information, go to www.ywca-sv.org.

Cars & Croissants
Saturday, June 25, 9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row again 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 from March 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.

Big Changes Underway at Santana Row’s Park Valencia
An enhanced park and churned-to-order ice cream coming this summer!
A transformed plaza is opening this summer with two new food merchants including Smitten Ice Cream, an artisanal ice cream shop. Smitten will offer its cult-favorite frozen treats from classic flavors like TCHO chocolate and Cookie Dough with Pretzels and Chocolate Chips to more innovative seasonal flavors like Strawberry White Balsamic and Nectarine Crisp, in addition to its selection of creative toppings and fun sundaes.
The lively and family-friendly atmosphere of Park Valencia will be unveiled with plenty of outdoor seating, a dynamic fountain and an interactive playground with a tot-sized climbing structure, mounted in a brightly-colored "lizard-skin" turf. Four lifelike chameleon sculptures will look as if they’re lounging in the new "Chameleon Oasis," fountain. New café tables and seating areas will be added and the popular grass turf will be replaced.
 
Twitter and Instagram Promotion @SantanaRow invites tweets and IG 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.

The 9 largest rental developments completed last year in San Jose

San Jose's development efforts are focused more on jobs than housing these days, but lets not forget how much housing is still built in San Jose each year. In 2015, the 9 largest rental projects in our city added 2,317 new apartments to San Jose. To see which projects made the list and take a peek inside each of these developments, head to this blog post.

Source: RENTCafe

The Blue Door Opens at Westgate Center

New restaurant/bar offers American fare with Greek and Mediterranean flair

San Jose, CA – Familiar comfort food and dishes elevated for the sophisticated palate are on the menu at The Blue Door Restaurant and Bar at 1520 Saratoga Ave. at Westgate Center.
The restaurant opened in early February and serves an extensive menu of American classics, often with a touch of Greek flavors, accompaniments and ingredients, a nod to the owners’ heritage and food traditions.

The Blue Door features favorites such as meatloaf, pastas, steaks and burgers, all with signature touches. For diners searching for more innovative choices, the restaurant serves such dishes as grilled salmon with mustard greens, braised short ribs with orzo and mizithra cheese and a kale and quinoa salad with Parmesan-sunflower seed cracklings.

Five dining areas are designed with unique features and coloration, creating experiences that range from cozy and family-friendly and to quietly intimate. The 7,500-square foot space seats 170. An outdoor patio accommodates 80 more diners.

A bar area serves cocktails, beer, wine and small bites, including vodka-cured salmon bruschetta with tzatziki, tomato and pickled onions, lamb sliders and soutzoukakia--lamb meatballs in spicy garlic tomato sauce.

“The Blue Door Restaurant and Bar is a new and exciting addition to Westgate Center,” said Collette Navarrette, Director of Marketing for Westgate Center. “The sunny outdoor patio, modern and elegant interiors and comprehensive menu offer the community a vibrant culinary experience."
The owners  are restaurateurs Sylvia and Peter Foundas whose family members are longtime Bay Area restaurant entrepreneurs, immigrants from Greece in the 1950s. The Foundas restaurants include the Pinecrest Diner, an institution in San Francisco, and the Boulevard Café in Daly City.

The restaurant was inspired by the warmth and beauty of Costa Navarino, one of the Foundas’ favorite resorts in southern Greece.

Blue is the color associated with the country’s flag and waters and the blue door is especially significant: wives of fishermen painted their doors blue believing it protected their husbands from harm as they went to sea and would bring them home safely.

The Blue Door Restaurant and Bar
Address: 1502 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129.
Executive chef: S. Michael Alsop

Opened Feb. 8, 2016. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fri. and Sat: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Website and menu: thebluedoorrestaurant.com
Phone: (408) 866-4176

StartOrganic is expanding corporate organic vegetable gardening programs in the Bay Area

StartOrganic is a vegetable gardening service based in San Jose. Their first major corporate project was at PayPal's San Jose headquarters, offering weekly gardening lessons for employees and a vegetable farm right on the PayPal campus. I love the concept and hope more companies will offer similar programs. How cool would it be to start seeing organic vegetable gardens on the roofs of corporate buildings in San Jose? Check out their full press release and video below.

SAN JOSE, CA
StartOrganic Vegetable Garden Service announced today they are expanding their popular Corporate Organic Vegetable Gardening Programs, after their tremendous success with the Corporate Organic Vegetable Gardening Program at PayPal’s Headquarters in San Jose. Presently in its fourth year, the Program is StartOrganic’s most extensive corporate garden to-date with weekly gardening lessons for PayPal employees covering topics such as pest control, plant selection and spacing, as well as monthly workshops. It features 30 raised organic vegetable garden beds with 24 maintained by PayPal employees, under the guidance of StartOrganic, and 6 beds are used as demonstration gardens and maintained by StartOrganic. Other gardens StartOrganic has designed, consulted, built and maintain include the Saratoga Elementary School, The Forge at Santa Clara University, The Studio by Angi – Salon and Boutique, West Valley Community Services, La Mesa Verde/Sacred Heart, and the YMCA Saratoga.

“The number of benefits a corporate garden can provide is just incredible,” said StartOrganic Co-Founder Josh Levine. “For example, the PayPal Employee Vegetable Gardening Program lets employees grow their own produce on their lunch break or free time for their personal use or to share with co-workers. The gardening skills we teach the employees, they then use in their own home gardens to teach their families and neighbors, thereby improving their neighborhoods. It’s also a fantastic team-building exercise that allows employees to get outside and have an experience completely different than their daily routine,” concluded Levine.

“The PayPal Employee Vegetable Gardening Program has allowed us to showcase the huge health benefits of eating organic vegetables versus grabbing something from a vending machine,” said StartOrganic Co-Founder Troy Smothermon. “Employees are healthier because of their eating habits, but they also get personal satisfaction from growing their own food, not to mention the mental benefits of getting outdoors and away from their cubicle allowing them to positively re-charge. A corporate gardening program is the perfect way for a company to attract and retain happy, healthy and productive employees,” stated Smothermon.

Corporate gardens are an inexpensive way for companies to stimulate employee engagement. As a part of the program, StartOrganic offers company-wide vegetable gardening workshops which benefit all employees. Excess organic produce grown by the employees is used in company cafeterias, providing a truly localized food experience. StartOrganic will work with any company or organization to create a custom corporate garden program with the space available and unique needs of the employees. From consulting, designing, building, maintaining and training – the vegetable garden service facilitates the entire process and operation of the Employee Gardening Program. For more information about StartOrganic’s Corporate Organic Gardening Programs visit http://startorganic.org or call 408-888-1903.

About StartOrganic StartOrganic was founded in 2011 by local Bay Area residents, Josh Levine and Troy Smothermon. The company has developed many school gardens, community gardens and corporate organic gardens. StartOrganic’s goal is to empower and educate people throughout the South Bay Area by helping them to grow their own organic produce and build sustainable local food systems. For more information visit http://startorganic.org or Like them on Facebook.

Sprouts@Brokaw updates

North San Jose is going to get a much-needed 145,000 SQFT retail center at the corner of East Brokaw and Oakland. Last month we found out that two of the anchor tenants would be Sprouts Farmers Market and Ross (in fact they are calling the project Sprouts@Brokaw). It looks like they have now pretty much leased the whole project. Here is the full list of tenants so far:

• Anchors
• Sprouts Farmers Market
• Ross
• Homegoods
• ULTA
• Retail/Amenity
• Sleep Train
• Wells Fargo
• Banfield Pet Hospital
• The Joint Chiropractic
• Restaurants
• The Asian Box (second location South of Mountain View)
• Yalla Mediterranean (first in the South Bay)
• Poke Love 
• The Habit Burger Grill
• MOD Pizza
• Rubio's
• Jersey Mike's

I have to say that I'm pretty surprised at the restaurant options so far--in a good way. Three on the list will be the first location for that restaurant in San Jose. Even though they are all fast-casual, it is a terrific food lineup for the location. Across the street you also have Koja Kitchen, which is the only brick-and-mortar location in Silicon Valley for what has to be one of the best food trucks in the Bay Area. I feel like in general San Joseans are demanding more unique and higher-quality food options, and that is definitely a great thing.

Source: SVBJ

The Tech opens nation's first interactive bioengineering exhibit

San Jose, Calif.,  — The Tech Museum of Innovation will empower visitors to play, tinker and design with the building blocks of life in BioDesign Studio, a new exhibit opening Friday, March 18. The exhibit will feature the nation’s first museum biotinkering space and an interactive exploration of how biology is technology.

“BioDesign Studio is an experience like no other,” said Tim Ritchie, president and CEO of The Tech. “This is a space where visitors of all ages can gain a deep understanding of their own power to use synthetic biology to solve big problems, like food security and climate change. We’ll be inspiring the next generation of biotech innovators.”

BioDesign Studio features five stations that break down heavy concepts, empowering visitors to play with DNA while nurturing their own ability to design and create with biology. “The people who need to solve the huge problems we face with global food and health 15 years down the road are the same people who will visit this exhibit right now,” said Romie Littrell, the exhibit’s developer and a leader in the DIY Bio movement. “It all begins with making them feel like biology is fun and interesting.”

Visitors will use lab equipment to create their own mix of colorful DNA; learn about genetic traits by “coding” the pattern of a bear’s fur; use computerized blocks to build new creatures and release them into a digital world to interact with other beings; explore how bioengineering could impact the future; and do hands­on activities in the BioTinkering Lab.

The BioTinkering Lab will, over time, play host to citizen science projects as well as drop­-in activities like creating mushroom bricks, in which visitors transform wood particles that would have been sent to landfills into sustainable building materials using mycelium.

“The world is really just starting to tap into the amazing potential of mycelium for manufacturing,” said Anja Scholze, biotech experience designer at The Tech. “We love giving our visitors a chance to explore something so fresh.”

Planned to last for 10 years, the exhibition, like biology itself, will evolve. The $5 million exhibit was made possible by several generous foundations including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Franklin and Catherine Johnson Foundation.

For more information: thetech.org/biodesignstudio

Big changes coming to Santana Row's Park Valencia, including churned-to-order ice cream

Park Valencia is one of the most popular public spaces in Santana Row. Even though it is barely over a decade old and has already received multiple upgrades, it is currently undergoing a major renovation that will make a very nice plaza even nicer. Below you can see a drawing of what it will look like after the renovation.

The grass turf in the middle will be replaced, additional landscaping will be added, and new cafe tables and seating areas will be installed throughout the park. One of the biggest changes will be a new interactive playground for kids, complete with a miniature climbing structure, "lizard-skin" turf, and four new sculptures (one of which you can see below). The sculptures are designed for children to touch, sit on, and play with.

Two brand new kiosk buildings around 600 SQFT each will be added, allowing for even more food options in the area. One of those will be filled by Smitten Ice Cream, an artisinal churned-to-order ice cream shop using high-end ingredients from local farms. They use a proprietary machine that churns out ice cream within minutes after being ordered--you can't get ice cream any fresher than that. Only six other locations exist and they are all highly rated on Yelp. I can see long lines for this one, especially on warmer days.

The renovated Park Valencia will be ready in time for Summer. Smitten Ice Cream is expected to open late Summer.

San Jose, CA (March 16, 2016) – Over the last decade, Park Valencia has proven to be a popular, social gathering hub for the community.

“As Santana Row has evolved into a vibrant and bustling neighborhood, it’s time to refresh and enhance its appeal for our residents, employees, visitors, shoppers and retailers” said Collette Navarrette, Director of Marketing at Santana Row. “We have watched the evolution of Park Valencia over the last decade and in particular what our customers value when they visit this plaza. They want to have fun, eat and spend time with their friends and family. This is not just a makeover, we are reinventing Park Valencia to deliver a better place for our community to connect.”

The transformed plaza, opening this summer, will expand its lineup of places to dine with two new food merchants including Smitten Ice Cream, an artisanal ice cream shop expected to open in late summer. Smitten will offer its cult-favorite frozen treats from classic flavors like TCHO chocolate and Cookie Dough with Pretzels and Chocolate Chips to more innovative seasonal flavors like Strawberry White Balsamic and Nectarine Crisp, in addition to its selection of creative toppings and fun sundaes.  Smitten is known and loved in the Bay Area for its made-to-order scoops that use only the best ingredients from nearby farms and purveyors. The ice cream is made using Smitten’s patented machine, which churns the smoothest, purest and creamiest ice cream in minutes before your eyes.

The lively and family-friendly atmosphere of Park Valencia make the perfect new home for Smitten. The 600-square foot shop will be a walk up ice cream bar surrounded by plenty of outdoor seating, a dynamic fountain and a kid’s playground. In addition, Maggiano's Little Italy will unveil a new and expanded outdoor patio, bringing the energy from Park Valencia to patio diners.

Kids of all ages will love the interactive playground with a tot-sized climbing structure, mounted in a brightly-colored "lizard-skin" turf. Four lifelike chameleon sculptures will look as if they’re lounging in the new "Chameleon Oasis," fountain. The stunning pieces, made by renowned artist Ron Holthuysen of Scientific Arts Studio, are low to the ground and designed for children to play on and touch. The chameleons are modeled after four unique species found in different parts of the world and range in size from two feet in length to more than six-feet long. Holthuysen is best known for sculpting the catcher's mitt and Coca-Cola bottle at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. He also made the learning sculptures at the San Francisco Zoo and San Jose's Rotary PlayGarden. New café tables and seating areas will be added and the popular grass turf will be replaced.

From upscale dining at Maggiano’s Little Italy and Roots and Rye to gourmet cupcakes at Kara’s and made-to-order ice cream at Smitten, there's something for everyone in Park Valencia. Kids will love the dynamic play elements and fountain, and adults can unwind while enjoying live music on the entertainment stage. The new park will be bright and inviting, offering a dynamic and unique experience for the community to adore.

10 things only local San Joseans know

Check out this short local's guide to San Jose from a student's perspective. Only two of the items on the list cost money (assuming you own a bike), which is completely understandable given how tight budgets are when you are in school. I consider myself to be pretty thorough when it comes to exploring San Jose, yet have personally only done five of the ten items on the list. Check out these 10 "hidden gems" right over here.

Thanks to Christopher Escher for sending this in!

Saturday Stats: San Jose metro has the best job growth in 2015

Private sector jobs in the San Jose area grew by a staggering 4.8% last year. That is enough to beat out every other metro in the United States by a significant margin. Texas usually dominates these rankings, but Austin came in second with 4.4% growth in 2015. San Francisco and New York did not make the top 10. The only other California metro on the list is Riverside at #7.

Average private sector job growth for the nation is 2.3%, meaning San Jose grew its job market at more than double the national rate. I hope the growth can continue for a at least another year or two. The tech market is beginning to cool a bit, but there is still huge potential for job growth in the area.

Source: SVBJ, Headlight Data

3rd Annual Whiskies of the World - March 24th

The third Annual Whiskies of the World San Jose is returning to the San Pedro Square Market next Thursday. The event will feature a whopping 200 whiskies to taste. There will also be food, whisky seminars, networking with the distillers, and optional classes on cigar pairings. Best of all, you will be drinking for a good cause as proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. To register for the event, head over here.

Olla Cocina, a contemporary Mexican restaurant and bar will open soon in Downtown San Jose

A new flagship restaurant is coming to Downtown San Jose in late April that will fill a critical 5,900 SQFT void on San Pedro Street. This two-story space was previously occupied by La Pinta, which was a bit mediocre for its location on one of Silicon Valley's most thriving streets when it comes to restaurants and bars.

Olla Cocina is a contemporary Mexican restaurant with regional dishes featuring fresh Californian ingredients. The bar will have a dozen craft beers, wines on tap, along with signature cocktails featuring Mexican staples such as horchata, Jarritos sodas, and aguas frescas.

They are planning to create a festive and casual environment. The restaurant will have capacity for 228 people in the main dining room and 30 people outdoors, making it one of the largest restaurants in Downtown San Jose.

I can't wait to try Olla Cocina along with Sushi Confidential across the street. The San Pedro area is thriving and these two will help elevate the area even more. Please see the full press release below for Olla Cocina. I'll do a full review after the restaurant opens.

Inspired by regional dishes from across Mexico and California’s fresh ingredients, the new restaurant is coming to San Pedro Square

San Jose, CA (March 10, 2016) – An exciting addition to the downtown dining scene, Olla Cocina puts a contemporary spin on traditional dishes from Mexico in a fun and casual environment. Slated to open in late April, the restaurant is located in San Pedro Square in the heart of San Jose’s urban center. Olla is a celebration of all that is Mexican: a strong community, vibrant culture and generous, fresh food along with a little noise and quirkiness.

The restaurant’s Executive Chef is Adan Ornelas, most recently from adjacent restaurant, The Farmers Union, and Dry Creek Grill, both in San Jose. Ornelas worked in tandem with Olla Operating Partner Armando Navarro of El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma, who oversees the menu.

Olla Cocina introduces innovative takes on regional Mexican food, elevating favorites with fresh, unexpected ingredients and flavor combinations. The menu includes fresh ceviches and a taco bar, as well as traditional dishes such as Carne Asada ($22) and Torta de Cochinita Pibil ($14).

Spotlighting the many regions of Mexico, the menu features small, shareable bites as well as larger entrees for a blended dining experience where the sharing of both is encouraged. Dinner starters include Roasted Chilies served with sea salt and lemon and Frijoles Fritos, featuring Rancho Gordo beans, Oaxaca cheese, jalapeños and totopos (both $7). Small plates include Ceviche Verde with halibut, lime juice marinade, tomatillo and avocado ($14), Vegetable Tamales with peppers, onion, zucchini, black beans, pasilla peppers, salsa verde and queso Oaxaca ($10) and soups such as Posole de Cerdo with pork shoulder, hominy, cabbage oregano, radish, onion, cilantro, chile de árbol ($13). Salads are tossed with surprising ingredients such as chorizo, masa croutons and crispy quinoa.

Larger plates include Tostada de Pollo with chipotle-braised chicken, black bean puree, cotija cheese, avocado, romaine, pico de gallo, spicy crema, cilantro ($15). The menu also features a variety of vegetarian options such as Camote con Mole, a salt-crusted sweet potato, mole sauce, almonds, rajitas of onion and peppers and house-made tortillas ($12).

The full bar will offer 12 local craft beers and 12 wines on tap, bottled Mexican beer, eight featured cocktails including a Margarita, Paloma and Sangria, horchata, Jarritos sodas and aguas frescas.

The dining experience takes place in an environment that’s both casual and special. Designed by restaurateur Doug Washington, interior décor touches include an authentic church pulpit repurposed into the host stand, witty Mexican artwork, beautiful tiles and decorative cinder blocks, intended to represent modern Mexico. A central design element featured in the main dining room and continuing to the outside patio is a ceiling trellis, made of repurposed reclaimed Douglas Fir from the garage across the street from the restaurant. Olla invites guests into a warm space with deft touches such as shoes hanging from the electrical wires that run along the ceiling, garage doors that open onto the front patio and Dia de los Muertos wallpaper. The dining area features walnut dining tables and two big, modern, custom picnic tables for communal diners. Sleek stool legs dipped in bright orange paint add to the festive environment. The eating space has low, dividing walls constructed from patterned concrete cinder blocks and capped with stained wood tops.

The 5,900-square foot Olla Cocina will seat a total of 228 in the main dining room and private dining room and 30 on the outdoor patio.

It’s in a prime location of downtown San Jose, near hotels, the convention center, offices and SAP Center, home rink for the NHL Sharks.

About Olla Cocina
Olla Cocina is a contemporary Mexican restaurant serving food and drinks in a casual, festive environment. The cuisine and bar program draw inspiration from many regions across Mexico and use seasonal California ingredients for a fresh take on traditional favorites. Located at 17 N. San Pedro St. in downtown San Jose’s popular San Pedro Square, Olla is a slice of modern Mexico with a fun and shareable menu of traditional favorites, signature cocktails and local beers and wine on tap. For more information, visit www.OllaCocina.com.

Envision Silicon Valley - preliminary VTA project evaluations

The VTA has started doing very early research on a variety of potential future transit projects. It would almost definitely take an increase in sales taxes for any of these to become reality, but it is interesting to see the ideas that are being tossed around.

There were several projects in the study that are already well into planning-mode. These include BART to Downtown San Jose, a Light Rail extension to Eastridge Mall, a Light Rail extension to Los Gatos, and expanding the Express Lane system on our freeways. However, there were also brand new projects that I have never heard even mentioned before. This include a billion dollar Downtown San Jose Subway (nice!) that would significantly speed up the whole Light Rail system, a $1.5 billion Light Rail line that would go from Downtown San Jose to Santana Row/Valley Fair and eventually De Anza College, a new Light Rail line that would go from that NASA/Bayshore station to North Bayshore in Mountain View, and a ton of highway interchange improvements.

You can find some of the project "evaluation cards" below, but I recommend going through the whole list over here.

Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

March 2016 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• Several restaurant owners are "doubling down" in Downtown San Jose with multiple locations and concepts, sometimes right next door to one another. Some examples are:
• Original Gravity and Paper Plane
• Phonomenal Noodle and On the Flipside
• Chacho's and Deluxe
• Oni Mexicatessen and Loteira Taco Bar
• B2 Coffee and Social Policy (opening this month)
• Konjoe Burger and Konjoe Tei
• Four new art crosswalks and one intersection design hit the streets to delight Downtown pedestrians:
• SoFA's 25-foot-by-20-foot abstract at the intersection of South First and San Salvador
• San Pedro art crosswalks on San Pedro Street (there are two of them)
• Paseo de San Antonio art crosswalks (two here as well book-ending the Paseo)
• WeWork has leased 75,000 SQFT for shared co-working office space at 75 E. Santa Clara Street.
• TechShop is moving to the former Zanotto's store at 38 S. Second Street.
• The SoFA Market has two new businesses. Vitamina with a roster of healthy smoothies and sandwiches, and Milk & Wood with gourmet gelato popsicles.
• With development proposals for the Diridon Area, the city is studying how to improve the "Confluence Area of Guadalupe River Park" to better prepare for growth. This includes potentially adding bocce courts, a dog park, skateboard park, cafe, outdoor stage, second bridge, measured walking loops, better lighting, more benches, and better transit access.
• The Children's Discovery Museum was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Super Bowl's "50 Fund" to help build a new 27,500 SQFT outdoor space scheduled to open in spring 2017.

To read the newsletter, click here!

Latest renders for Railyard Place in San Jose

Insight Realty Co. has big plans for 10.6-acres of land on the periphery of Downtown San Jose at the intersection of Coleman Avenue and Highway 87. The site sits between the Downtown core and the San Jose Market Center shopping complex. This "Railyard Place" project would include 230,000 SQFT of office space along with 476 apartments in buildings as tall as eight-stories. The design makes the project look like it was built around old industrial buildings. Heck, they even threw in a fake smokestack.

One nice feature about Railyard Place is how it incorporates the Guadalupe River. It looks like it will connect to and augment existing trails. The developer is also committing to building a new $5 million bridge over the river to connect to Autumn Street, something that would likely benefit the whole area.

Insight Realty is hoping to get approvals by October and break ground immediately afterwards.

Source: SVBJ

The Alameda gets new crosswalk honoring LGBT heritage

Apparently interesting sidewalks and intersections are going up all over San Jose. The Alameda has a new rainbow-colored sidewalk near the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. These unique sidewalks make walking and driving around our neighborhoods a lot more interesting and safer (they slow down traffic for pedestrians).

I have to wonder how self-driving cars are going to handle these special crosswalks in the future, but we still have a while before we have to cross that bridge.

Source: SVBJ

Saturday Stats: San Jose ranked as the #10 best place to live in the US

U.S. News & World Report has gone through the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States and ranked them in terms of best places to live. The study looked at factors such as affordability, job prospects, and quality of life. Thousands of surveys were factored into the study as well as statistics from the Census Bureau, the FBI, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

San Jose came in a respectable 10th place on the list. The obvious criteria that prevented our city from being higher is affordability. Hit the source link below for the full list as well as more details.

Source: U.S. News & World Report, hat tip to Barclay Livker for sending this in

2016 U.S. News Best Places to Live Rankings – Top 10
Denver, CO
Austin, TX
Fayetteville, AR
Raleigh-Durham, NC
Colorado Springs, CO
Boise, ID
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA

Lively street art installed in SoFA

If you have driven past the intersection of South 1st Street and San Salvador Street, you already know about the vivacious street art that now covers most of the intersection. The work is called "Symphony of Style; Color, Light, and Sound" and was done by the artist Scape Martinez. The print is 25 feet by 20 feet and is reflective of the architecture, nightlife, and creative energy in Downtown San Jose's SoFA district. If you haven't seen it yet, it is worthy of a detour the next time you are in the area.

Source: Phantom Galleries

San Jose's Signifyd raises $20 million

Signifyd is an e-commerce startup that specializes in fraud protection. They charge e-commerce companies a percentage fee in order to verify that purchases are coming from a legitimate source. Signifyd has protected $5.6 billion worth of transactions so far.

The company has just raised a $20 million Series B round, bringing their total amount of investment to $31 million. It's always great to see San Jose startups getting traction and the funding needed to continue to grow.

Signifyd is headquartered at 2590 North 1st Street.

Source: SVBJ

New 11-story hotel planned for "Uptown" San Jose

San Jose desperately needs more hotels, which increase our ability to host major events and bring more visitors into the area. Fortunately, a new hotel project has just been announced two blocks away from Santana Row and across the street from Valley Fair. The proposal is for 173 guest rooms in one 11-story building. The first floor would be the lobby and likely some retail or restaurant space, floors two through five would be parking, and floors 6 through 11 would have the rooms. One cool amenity is that there would be a restaurant and balcony on the 11th floor that overlooks the area.

While it would be nice if the building was taller and the parking was underground, you have to remember that this site currently has a gas station and we are well outside of Downtown. It sounds like a nice project for the area, especially since two possible brands are Hilton's Canopy and Choice Hotels' Cambria. Both are very contemporary high-end brands that feature nicely appointed rooms (think W Hotels). This has the potential of being really interesting inside.

Currently the project is in the city planning and approval process with a goal of starting construction in early 2017.

Source: SVBJ

Steve Wozniak plugged a San Jose event on Conan

I was really surprised to see Woz on last night's episode of Conan. He provided a few quick stories involving Steve Job, his famous pranks, and Apple's current situation with iPhone privacy. At the end, I was expecting him to plug a new book or movie--but instead he promoted a new comic-con in San Jose that premiers next weekend! It is called Silicon Valley Comic Con 2016 and runs from March 18th-20th at the San Jose Convention Center. To see Woz's plug along with his full segment, head over to the Team Coco website.

Sourisseau News: Smokestacks

The latest edition of Sourisseau News is all about the smokestacks found in San Jose's early factories. Just be glad we have moved away from coal and we no longer have soot raining from the sky! Check out the two minute video below.

Oh, and a huge congratulations to WMS Media for winning a CreaTV award for their outstanding documentary on one of San Jose's most famous photographers, DelCarlo.


Sourisseau News March 2016 Smokestacks from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

New renders of "DIRIDON" project

Trammell Crow's iconic mixed-use project at Diridon station has a slightly updated look and a name change. Now it is called "DIRIDON" instead of #Diridon. This is a critical project in Downtown San Jose as it is next to what will eventually become the busiest transit station on the West Coast. DIRIDON is of commensurate scale--it clocks in at a whopping 940,000 SQFT of office space, 325 apartments, and 35,000 SQFT of retail.

The office space will be built across two massive (wide not tall) towers with giant floor plates and tall ceilings. A tech company would be able to nab about 80,000 SQFT of contiguous floor space thanks to connectors between the towers. The ground floor of the towers will have the retail, restaurants, and gathering spaces. The historic Water Company building will probably be turned into a restaurant as well.

The 325 apartments will reside in a 10-story tower next to the office buildings. There will be about 4,500 SQFT of retail on the ground floor of this tower. A cycling shop was mentioned in the article as a potential use of that space given the proximity of the Guadalupe River Trail. Parking for all three towers will primarily be underground.

Trammel Crow is planning to build this speculatively without a confirmed tenant and construction could happen as soon as the second half of 2016 (yup, this year!).

Source: SVBJ

Rockage 5.0

Rockage 5.0 is a three-day celebration of retro gaming and indie music. The event was previously hosted at SJSU's Student Union; however, this year they are taking over Downtown San Jose. The event will be dispersed across several venues such as Cafe Stritch, The Ritz, SoFA Market, and of course the AFK Gamer Lounge. One admission gets you into all of the venues.

There will be over 100 classic arcades and pinball machines as well as classic console games. You'll have over 18 live bands and DJs as well as all sorts of events, food, drinks, tournaments, and vendors. All ages are welcome except for events at The Ritz (21+).

It all goes down this weekend from March 11-13th. Events run from 4pm-2am on Friday and Saturday and 4pm-midnight on Sunday.

For more information and to get tickets ($30 for a 3-day pass), head over here.

LINKS:
website: http://rockageSJ.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/rockageSJ
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rockageSJ
FB event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/212253359119989/

LIVE MUSIC LINEUP (updated 2/24):
Super Soul Bros. Bit Brigade 
Kirby’s Dream Band
Druniverse 
Fartbarf
Hawk Jones
Vector Hold 
Cola
Nick Reinhart Of Tera Melos
Sweet Peaches
Super Videogame Remix Live w/ VJ Bildo
Viking Guitar
Continuum Kingdom
Survival Guide
Bonnie & The Bang Bang
DJ Cookye
Vic Viper
DJ Bit
Rayza House

SPECIAL EVENTS:
3/12 Rocket League Social at AFKgg Gamer Lounge
3/13 Ubsey Movies: Earthbound Film Fest at AFKgg Gamer Lounge

SCHEDULE:
Friday: Gaming starts at Cafe Stritch, SoFA Market and Metro Newspapers at 4pm. Music starts at 7pm at Cafe Stritch and SoFA Market.

Saturday: AFKgg Gamer Lounge opens at 11am for the Rockage Rocket League Social w/ Kirby's Dream Band and more. Gaming starts in Cafe Stritch, Metro Newspapers and The Ritz (21+ only) at 4pm, music starts at 7pm.

Sunday: AFKgg Gamer Lounge opens at 11am for the Ubsey Movies: Earthbound Film Fest w/ special guests and more. Gaming starts at Cafe Stritch, Metro Newspapers and The Ritz (21+ only) at 4pm, music starts at 7pm.

VENUE INFO:
Cafe Stritch (374 S. 1st St. 408-280-6161)
The Ritz (21+ only) (400 S. 1st St.)
Metro Newspapers (380 S. 1st St. 408-298-8000)
SoFA Market (387 S 1st St. 408-642-5270)
AFKgg Gamer Lounge (163 W. Santa Clara St. 408-766-0235)

Rockage 5.0 art by Other Life Art / David Canavese
CONTACT: Looking to help out with rockage 5.0? rockageSJ@gmail.com

Rockage 5.0 FAQs

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

This is an ALL AGES event. You need to have valid ID to enter The Ritz, 21+ only. 

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Caltrain Diridon Station, VTA Light Rail, VTA Bus. Parking: $5 after 5pm on weekends in various garages (San Pedro, 2nd Street), FREE street parking after 6pm and on Sundays.

What can/can't I bring to the event?

Cosplay is great, but no weapons please.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

RockageSJ@gmail.com

Is my wristband transferrable?

Wristbands are non-transferrable.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, just a valid ID. 

What is the refund policy? 

Sorry, no refunds.

Where can I eat?

SoFA District in Downtown San Jose has many amazing spots to eat. All of our venues will be serving food, except for Metro Newspapers and The Ritz.

Will single day passes be sold?

Cafe Stritch and The Ritz will have single day tickets at the door the day of each show. These tickets will get you into multiple venues for one day.

WHEN

Friday, March 11, 2016 at 4:00 PM - Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 11:30 PM (PST) - Add to Calendar

WHERE

Cafe Stritch, The Ritz and more - 374 S 1st St San Jose, CA 95113 - View Map