Better Bike Plan Workshop

Tomorrow there will be a public workshop for San Jose's Better Bike Plan 2025 project. Many more bike sharing stations are coming to San Jose, and this is a great opportunity to provide your input on a plan that will make biking "safer, easier, more convenient, and more comfortable to everyone."

The workshop takes placer from 11am to 1pm, December 1st (tomorrow), at Veggielution in Emma Prusch Farm Park (647 South King Road, San Jose).

What's Going on, Diridon?

The SJSU Urban Planning Department and CommUniverCity are hosting a community event to educate San Joseans about the Diridon Integrated Station Concept. As many of you know, Diridon will become one of the busiest transit hubs in the country over the coming decade--especially when the BART and High Speed Rail connections are complete. This event will provide some insights on what is already being planning and give you the opportunity to share your two cents.

There will also be free food, games, and raffles! The event takes place at the Poor House Bistro (87 South Autumn St., San Jose) on Saturday, December 1st, from 11am to 1:30pm.

San Jose Arts Scavenger Hunt: Dec 1 - 12

A free scavenger hunt launches this Saturday and runs all the way until December 12th. All you need to do is follow the hashtag #12DaysofArt. Each morning at 8am, the San Jose Downtown Association will post a clue on Facebook and their website. The clue will have a photo and written hint and all you have to do is figure out the location of the venue. If you are one of the first 10 people to arrive at that location at the specified time, you win a prize!

This is an amazing incentive to explore Downtown San Jose. I hope this event gets bigger and bigger every year! All of the details are below.

Who: San Jose Arts Marketing Roundtable presents

What: #12 Days of ARTS – a social-media driven scavenger hunt for arts prizes. More than 120 chances to win, including two Grand Prizes! Free to compete and win.

When: Saturday, December 1 through Wednesday, December 12, at various times each day

Where: In and around downtown San Jose

Why: An opportunity to give back to our community and encourage folks to have fun exploring San Jose and its vibrant arts scene. Theater, music, dance, museums, galleries, more.

Where to Go:

Follow the hashtag #12DaysofArts and your favorite San Jose arts organization’s social media sites. Each morning at 8 am, the San Jose Downtown Association will post a clue on their website at sjdowntown.com/12DaysofArts and on their Facebook page @sjdowntown. Watch for the #12DaysofArts clue consisting of a photo and a written hint. You must figure out the location of the day’s venue. The specific time to arrive will be noted.  It could come at any time during the day. 

How Does #12 Days of ARTS Work?    

Each morning a clue will be posted on the San Jose Downtown Association’s Facebook page @sjdowntown, which will also stream at sjdowntown.com/12DaysofArts and be shared on numerous arts and related downtown social media sites. To play the game, you must figure out the “secret” location of the arts organization…a theater, a gallery, museum, events venue, etc. and be one of the first 10 people to arrive at that location at the specified time to win a prize package. 

Those 10 people (or teams) are guaranteed to win a bag filled with wonderful arts surprises like free tickets to shows, entries to exhibits and fun events to participate in. Other surprises await such as dining coupons, free beverages, and logo items of hats, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and more. Ten bags are given away every day…sometimes more!

Every person is limited to TWO wins of the prize bags over the twelve days of the scavenger hunt, but even if you are a two-time winner, you should keep participating! Every person who finds the correct location is entered into the drawing for a grand prize. The more you participate, the more entries you get. 

The first 10 winners each day are asked to take a selfie showing the location of the arts organization from the clue and posting it to their social media with the hashtag: #12DaysofArts. Two GRAND Prizes will also be awarded through random drawings. If you missed a chance to win an Arts Prize Bag on any given day, you can still enter for the Grand Prizes by snapping a selfie and posting it to your social media with the hashtag. Anyone can play one time, or all twelve days!

Additional Information: This is the fourth year of #12 Days of Arts. It grew out of the monthly “brown bag lunch meetings” of the Arts Marketing Roundtable and it has been such a huge hit over the last three years, that we've brought it back again. Winners have included people who played the game just once or played every day, people who had never been to a live theater event or a symphony concert or a museum before, and even people who had never even been DOWNTOWN before. 

We had so many people miss out on prize bags last year, that we have added the element of GRAND prizes and have made them open to anyone…whether you won a prize bag or not. To enter to win, just post a selfie in front of one or more of the “secret” locations and include the hashtag #12DaysofArts. Random drawings will determine the winners. 

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  

Silicon Valley Pet Project opens community center today

The Silicon Valley Pet Project is opening Pup Plaza, our first canine community center, at Cambrian Park Plaza (14408 Union Avenue, San Jose). Today they are having an open house from 3pm to 8pm where you can hang out with other dog lovers and learn about upcoming programs and shop at the new retail boutique with items from local artists. Details are below.

Dog lovers rejoice! Silicon Valley Pet Project opens community center for

dog adoptions, educational events, and workshops

SVPP celebrates “Pup Plaza” launch with Open House on Giving Tuesday, Nov 27, 2018

SAN JOSE, CA - November 20, 2018 - Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is celebrating the grand opening of Pup Plaza, Silicon Valley’s first canine community center, with an open house on Giving Tuesday, November 27, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  The new facility is at Cambrian Park Plaza Shopping Center (14408 Union Avenue, San Jose).  Guests are invited to visit the newly renovated space, meet and hang out with dog lovers and dogs, learn about upcoming educational programs, explore opportunities to foster or adopt, and shop at the new retail boutique which features items from local artists.

Programs like Shelter Dog Day Out are already on the curriculum at Pup Plaza.  In partnership with the San Jose Animal Care Center, Silicon Valley Pet Project volunteers will bring adoptable dogs from the shelter to Pup Plaza every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Shelter dogs will have an opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air and socialize with volunteers and the public. “Doga” – or Dog Yoga – is another program offered twice a month on Sundays starting November 25.  During Community Open Hours, Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy the dog-friendly space (with or without their dogs), ask questions about how to get involved, or be directed to community resources related to pet ownership. Pup Plaza can also be reserved for dog birthday events or any dog friendly social gathering.  For more information, go to Pup Plaza’s website at pupplaza.org.

“We believe that spaces like Pup Plaza will provide the community with resources about adoption and pet guardianship, while celebrating our love for pets in a fun, upbeat environment.” said Melissa Lisbon, SVPP President.

###

About:

Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization committed to saving local at-risk shelter pets through rescue, community involvement, and education. SVPP is a proud rescue partner of the San Jose Animal Care Center, San Jose’s municipal animal shelter. Since starting operations in 2015, SVPP has rescued and adopted over 975 cats and dogs.

Upcoming Events:

Doga at Pup Plaza

Every first and third Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
First session: Sunday, November 25

Following the success of the Doga in the Park summer series, SVPP will continue to host Doga (yoga with dogs) sessions at the newly opened Pup Plaza. Each Doga session will be led by a certified yoga instructors and is perfect for people and pups of all levels. Each session is $25 and all proceeds go to support the organization. To reserve tickets, register here.

Shelter Dog Day Out at Pup Plaza

Every Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In partnership with the San Jose Animal Care Center, Silicon Valley Pet Project volunteers will bring adoptable dogs from the shelter to Pup Plaza. Shelter dogs will have opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air and socialize with volunteers and the public. Interested volunteers can fill out a volunteer application here. Please mention Dog Day Out Program in the application.

Community Open Hours at Pup Plaza

Every Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Guests are invited to visit Pup Plaza to learn more about the space, upcoming programs, or ask for advice regarding pet ownership and adoption. Guests are also encouraged to simply relax and enjoy the space with their furry critters and friends!

Daimler and Bosch will trial autonomous taxis in San Jose

All roads are headed towards robotaxis. Every major auto manufacturer is investing heavily in self-driving technology, and services are coming far sooner than you think. Waymo--which is owned by Google--will be the first to launch a paid service using autonomous vehicles. Arizona will be the first to get the service over the next couple months, followed by the Bay Area.

Right on the heels of Waymo, Daimler and Bosch are doing a pilot in San Jose during the second half of 2019. They will use a fully autonomous Mercedes Benz S Class to transport passengers between Downtown San Jose and the San Carlos/Stevens Creek corridor (Santana Row & Valley Fair). That is probably the route in San Jose in greatest need for a transit upgrade.

Unlike Waymo, who is already running some cars with no safety driver--they will have two safety drivers in each vehicle. You will be able to summon a car by using an app and presumably the service will be either very low cost or free during the trial period. Welcome to the future.

Source: Engadget, SVBJ

Coworking Foundation begins new chapter in Silicon Valley

All Good Work is a nonprofit foundation that connects "social impact organizations" (mostly nonprofits) to donated workspaces. The foundation has officially expanded to Silicon Valley and already has a network of 15 flexible workspace hosts. Veggielution is one of the first San Jose organizations that will benefit from their generosity.

The official launch of their Silicon Valley program took place a week ago at Common Grounds and featured a speech from San Jose Mayor, Sam Liccardo.

For more info on the launch and the organization, head over here and here.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

Hope you all have a wonderful time and lots of delicious eats today. Warm wishes to you and your family from your friends at The San Jose Blog!

VTA's Holly Trolley is back for the holidays!

VTA has a special historic train all decked out for the holidays that loops around Downtown San Jose. The train runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 23rd to December 30th. It runs on the Light Rail tracks between the Civic Center and Diridon Station and is completely free. It is worth seeking out if you are visiting Christmas in the Park, Downtown Ice, or any other Downtown holiday attraction.

For a timetable, click here.

Epic San Jose promo video

OED just unleashed one of the best promotional videos I have ever seen for San Jose. It is well worth a minute of your time. They are also looking for more San Jose companies to highlight in future videos, so if you know one that should be featured, hit the link below.

Source: SJ Economy Blog

Google buys a North San Jose office building for $155M

Google's first campus in San Jose may not be what you expect. Yes, they have been working for ages on a transit-oriented urban campus centered around Diridon Station in Downtown San Jose. That campus will eventually house tens of thousands of employees across a staggering 8 million SQFT of office space. However, one of their first forays into San Jose is going to be a bit more modest than that.

Google has just acquired two office buildings in North San Jose at 4300 and 4400 North First Street. The buildings are just north of Highway 237, which I would consider to be Alviso.

The buildings are partially occupied by Harmonic and Compstak and have recently been renovated. The leases expire in 2020, which is only a little over a year away. Their intentions for the buildings are not yet clear, but this seems like an obvious extension of their Mountain View campus, which is only 8 miles away by car or a 45 minute bike ride away.

Source: SVBJ

Cinema Club Silicon Valley

One of San Jose's best kept secrets is Cinema Club Silicon Valley. Once per month, they screen a movie that you can't see anywhere else and follow it with a filmmaker Q&A. Each screening is a surprise and the club has been going strong for 22 years. The last movie they screened was PROSPECT, which just opened for a wide release this past weekend.

On November 18th, they will have their final screening for 2018 and they are opening it up for everyone. Tickets are $16 and it will screen at 3Below in Downtown San Jose.

To RSVP, click here and follow the ticket link.

Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice returns for 15th season under the Circle of Palms

Downtown Ice returns this weekend bigger and better than before. To celebrate 15 years, the rink is going to get a fresh look with new boards, rail caps, and mats. This season it will stay open all the way until January 27th for the NHL All-Star weekend, which is hosted at the SAP Center starting January 25th.

Local Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi is also hosting a grand opening celebration on November 20th at 6pm. All of the details, hours, and costs are below. 

SAN JOSE – Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice will be front and center during holiday, college football and hockey activities this extended skating season, which lasts from Nov. 16 through Jan. 27. The ice rink will be home to Downtown San Jose for the Holidays with partners Christmas in the Park and Winter Wonderland.  Combined, the three attractions attract more than 800,000 visitors.

To accommodate the College Football Playoff the first week of January, Christmas in the Park will close at midnight on Christmas; Winter Wonderland on Dec. 31 – while Plaza de Cesar Chavez transitions into the Championship Campus’ “Quad” area Dec. 26-Jan. 3.

The College Football Playoff Host Committee plans to utilize Downtown Ice and call it “Championship Ice” Jan. 4-7.  The rink will also have a different look for that week. The skating season stays open two weeks longer than normal – through Jan. 27 – for the NHL All-Star weekend starting Jan. 25, as the Sharks host the league’s best players at SAP Center.

With all the special events surrounding the rink, Downtown Ice has a bounty of new and national partners.  Say hello to new sponsors College Football Playoff Host Committee, Alaska Airlines, National Hockey League, San Jose Sports Authority, Google, Adobe and Amazon.

Swenson, PG&E, The Sobrato Organization, Wells Fargo, The Office of Cultural Affairs, the City of San Jose, Republic Services and Valley Transportation Authority return as loyal partners for this fun holiday family tradition.  Longtime media partners include Clear Channel Outdoor, Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, NBC Bay Area, Telemundo 48, El Observador, Mix and K-Bay and KQED.

Proceeds from the Dec. 16 Santa Run Silicon Valley also help support Downtown Ice and Christmas in the Park.  Sign up at santarunsv.com.

Also, as usual, the trees of the Circle of Palms will be lit with thousands of color-changing LED lights to delight skaters.

This will be Downtown Ice’s 15th year in the Circle of Palms.  To celebrate the milestone anniversary, the rink will have a fresh look this year, with new dasherboards, rail caps and ice mats, plus some new plumbing under the platform to provide a more efficient freeze.

Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic gold medal winner in women’s figure skating, will celebrate the opening of San Jose’s ice season with sponsors on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.  Yamaguchi adds her name to support the rink for the eighth time, and her Always Dream Foundation will again be a rink beneficiary. Rink hours vary over the course of the season.  Events and Promotions Manager Amy Anderson has special events planned during the season.  Details are at downtownicesj.com, which has also been improved for mobile users.

More than 60,000 skaters and 120,000 of their friends are expected to visit the ice this season.  The rink generates more than $4 million in economic impact to San Jose.

During November, early December and after the holidays in January, Downtown Ice is open 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight on Friday; noon-midnight on Saturday; and noon-9 p.m. on Sunday.  During the winter break, the rink is open 11 a.m.-midnight daily.  Special hours apply to the holidays and may change around the big events.

The rink phone number is (408) 291-0525.  Parking information is at http://parksj.org.            

Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice details

When:  Open daily Nov. 16, 2017 – Jan. 27, 2018 

                                    Nov. 16-17                  

Friday  5 p.m. - midnight
Saturday  noon - midnight

Nov. 18-25   

Sunday   noon - 9 p.m.

Monday - Tuesday 5 - 9 p.m.
Wednesday  2 p.m. - midnight

Thanksgiving  2 p.m. - midnight

Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - midnight

Nov. 26–30
Monday - Thursday 5 - 9 p.m.
Friday   p.m. - midnight

                                    Dec. 1-19
                                    Saturday noon - midnight

Sunday noon - 10 p.m.

Monday - Thursday - 10 p.m.
Friday   p.m. - midnight

                                    Dec. 20–Jan. 7            
                                    Daily  11 a.m. - midnight

Christmas  2 p.m. - midnight
New Year’s Eve  11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

New Year’s Day  noon - midnight

Jan. 8–20 
Tuesday – Thursday  5 - 9 p.m.
Friday  5 p.m. - midnight
Saturday noon – midnight

Sunday  11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Monday 5 - 9 p.m.

                                    Jan. 21–27                  
                                    Monday - MLK, Jr. Day 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Tuesday – Wednesday 5 - 9 p.m.
Thursday - Friday 5 p.m. - midnight
Saturday noon - midnight

Sunday . 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Admission:

Children 10 & younger, Seniors and Military: $15

11 years & older: $17

Bring your own skates: $10

Cash, Paypal, Visa and Mastercard accepted. Admission includes ice time and rental skates (skate sizes range from toddler 8 to men's 15). 

Skate all you want (no in-and-out privileges)/ First-come, first-serve.

Address (starting November 16):  120 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113

Phone: (408) 279-1775 (SJDA); (408) 610-4055 (rink starting Nov. 16)

November 2018 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The NOVEMBER 2018 Downtown Dimension is now available at:

https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DTDNov2018.pdf
In this edition:

• $1 billion in downtown investment this past year shows no signs of slowing down as development proposals continue to pour in.  Here's a recap of just the past month. 
• Downtown Ice gets set to open Nov. 16. Another extended season includes the College Football Playoff and the NHL All-Star Game. Plus, for its 15th season at the Circle of Palms, you'll see new dashboards, features and sponsors.
• SJDA releases its annual financial summary - FY2017-18 was a record year for the Association.
• YOU are invited to SJDA's End-of-Year Meeting, Dec. 14, 8-9:30 a.m. at Hammer Theatre Center. Please reserve a seat at sjdarsvp@sjdowntown.com

Always available:

• Live and Local SJ supports live music in the center city.
• Traffic alerts keep up with lane and road closures and openings.
• Maps of downtown commercial property availability and development proposals.
• Boom City: SJDA's summary of new downtown building proposals and west side acquisitions.

Downtown Dimension is a leading source for information about downtown San Jose news, events and businesses.  Subscribe with a simple email to sjda@sjdowntown.com, subject line: Subscribe. 

For information about downtown events, also subscribe to Downtowner Online.

Santana Row Annual Tree Lighting

The holiday season is officially upon us and Santana Row is being lit up tomorrow. Their tree along with tens of thousands of other lights will illuminate the row. The event starts with a scavenger hunt at 3pm ($250 prize) followed by musical performances. The tree lighting ceremony starts at 7pm with the lighting itself happening at 7:30pm tomorrow.

For more info, head over here.

Veteran's Day 2018

Today is not only Veteran's Day, but is the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I. There will be an event and parade honoring our veterans starting at 11am at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The parade will begin at noon from the SAP Center and run from Santa Clara to Market street. For more info, here is the Facebook page for the event.

Downtown San Jose construction time-lapse (2012 - 2018)

David Cheung has created a cool time-lapse video of Downtown San Jose construction west of Santa Clara Street. The video spans from September 2012 all to August 2018 and features construction of One South Market, Centerra, Silvery Towers, and Modera. It is only 30 seconds long and you can check it out below.

Veggielution setting up outpost in Downtown San Jose

In 2008, Veggielution setup an impressive 6-acre urban farm at Emma Prusch Farm Park. The project payed homage to San Jose's agricultural roots and taught the community about fresh organic produce and farming (not to mention the results are super delicious).

Veggielution also has a behind-the-scenes operation that includes outreach, volunteer work, sponsorships, and paperwork. To support this side of the organization, they have decided to put down some roots at NextSpace Second Street in Downtown San Jose. This was made possible by the All Good Work Foundation, which places nonprofits into local coworking communities.

To learn more about Veggielution and the All Good Work Foundation, head over here.

Ford GoBike is Expanding in San Jose!

San Jose's GoBike network is about to get a whole lot larger. At least 20 new stations are being proposed for 2019, and you can have a say in where those stations go! The plan is to extend coverage to the greater Downtown area, North San Jose, and Berryessa. The details are below for the next Ford GoBike community workshop, which is on Thursday from 6-8pm at Joyce Ellington Library (491 E. Empire Street). This is your chance to participate in the expansion of our bikeshare network.

San Jose, CA - Ford GoBike is working with the San Jose Department of Transportation (SJ DOT), District 3 Councilmember Raul Peralez and community groups to expand the bike share network in San Jose. Expanding the Ford GoBike network in San Jose is vital for providing riders access to new neighborhoods and increase network reliability. Please join Ford GoBike and SJ DOT to learn more about the bike share expansion plans for next year!

We are holding a community workshop to collect public feedback on proposed station locations to ensure we are designing a network best suited for San Jose residents and businesses. We will have a classic and pedal-assist e-bike on display and will provide free giveaways and light refreshments at the event. RSVP here!

Meeting Details

Date: Thursday, November 8, 6-8pm

Location: Joyce Ellington Library, 491 E. Empire Street (between 10th and 11th), San Jose

How To Get There

• Closest Ford GoBike Station is Empire St at 7th St then walk 6 minutes to the library
• 65 VTA bus stop in front of the library
• There is a parking lot behind the library (accessible on 10th St and 11th St) and street parking is available

Neighborhoods We Will Be Covering

• Northside (6 proposed sites)
• Greater Downtown (5 proposed sites)
• Metro/Technology/1st/Gish (7 proposed sites)
• Berryessa BART (2 proposed sites)

To view proposed bikeshare locations in San Jose, please see the Ford GoBike Expansion Map. Please contact us at outreach@fordgobike.com if you have any questions or feedback on any of the proposed station locations. We hope to see you there!

South FIRST FRIDAYS San Jose art walk

Tomorrow from 7pm-11pm, almost two dozen art galleries will be open late for your enjoyment. Most are clustered in Downtown San Jose's SoFA neighborhood. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. To get a preview of what will be on display, just head over here.