Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

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!

Black Friday at Santana Row

Below is the list of Black Friday offers and specials at Santana Row this year:

An insider scoop on Black Friday festivities on The Row

Santana Row has planned a true ‘shoppers paradise’ for Black Friday this year! First, spend $1,000 or more on Friday, November 29 and receive a pair of tickets to Cirque du Soleil AMALUNA performing at Oracle Park! Secondly, enjoy complimentary gift wrapping, live holiday music and more throughout Black Friday on The Row. *See link for details.

As you shop for the season’s gifts and must-haves, don’t forget to leave a new or gently used coat behind for a neighbor in need. One Warm Coat Charity Drive begins on Black Friday – drop your coats in the barrels located outside the Santana Row Concierge, CineArts Theatre, and Crate and Barrel (throughout December). Plus, enjoy the sound of live music and spectacular holiday décor with larger than life animal installations, mistletoe and more.

Here’s the exclusive list of this year’s Black Friday deals from Santana Row –

Store	Offer
100% Pure	Opening at 9 a.m. with exclusive offers.
Atelier Salon	Open on Black Friday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. for a holiday sales event! 20% off all items! *Valid for full-priced items only – excludes gift sets, which are already marked 20% off.
Barry’s Bootcamp	Barry’s SHOP & POP – Black Friday only! Swing by the Santana Row studio for a chance to win some special Barry’s prizes. For every $100 spent on retail, packages, or gift cards, you’ll have the chance to pop a balloon containing retail gifts, free passes, shakes & more!
BellaU Spa & Wellness	Buy 2 get 1 Free (Signature facial, Eminence facial, Swedish massage, Eminence massage). Buy 3 get 1 Free (Hydrafacial, Microchanneling). All products 10% off.
Blue Bottle Coffee	Opening at 7 a.m.
BoConcept	Black Friday Week: 11/25/19 – 12/1/19 Special offer on our Osaka Sofa – for one week only! Black Friday Week only, from $1,099 USD + 15% off our entire collection!
Bonobos	35% off exclusive to Guideshop’s ONLY.
Crate & Barrel	Opening at 8 a.m. with exclusive offers!
DryBar	Get $10 off your Black Friday blowout and a $10 off digital bounce-back for a blowout in January. Plus, 20% off products, tools, and kits.
H&M	Opening at 6 a.m. with door buster discounts.
Lululemon	Opening at 8 a.m. with markdown celebrations.
Makers Market	20% off purchases of $100 or more.
Marine Layer	Extra 20% off Retired Styles, and complimentary gift wrapping for all purchases.
Native Shoes	Up to 60% off select merchandise.
Pressed Juicery	Check out the juiciest deals out there at Pressed Juicery! Get a juice or Freeze+ shot for $8 AND. the first 50 people at each store get 2 Juices + 2 Shots + 2 Snack Grab Bags for $10.
SoulCycle	Don’t miss the 90-minute “Turkey Burn” at SoulCycle, starting at 9:30 a.m. on Black Friday!
Tea Collection	Tea Collection will be offering select styles at $20, $15, and $10 starting Monday, 11/25/19! Black Friday event applies to select styles only. Offer ends on 11/30/19. Limited stock on hand. Restrictions apply.
Ted Baker London	Enjoy 30% off everything in the store, with up to 40% and 50% off select items. *Terms and conditions apply.
TravisMathew	50% off all racks (select merchandise). Buy one get one 50% off!

San Jose is a top city for public transit ridership increase

Between 2010 and 2017, public transit ridership increased by 11% in the US while car use only increased by 6%. What is more interesting--and perhaps shocking--is that San Jose's use of public transit shot up by 46.7%. This was the largest increase in the country during this time period.

Now 46.7% of a small number is still a small number. San Jose didn't rank in the top 10 cities for actual public transportation trips even though we are the 10th largest city in the US. In fact, much smaller cities like Portland, Baltimore, and Boston pushed us to 13th place when it comes to actual usage. That being said, the growth rate is reassuring that things are headed in the right direction and one day we will have more options of getting from Point A to Point B.

BART may finally open in December and that will definitely help our standings. Traffic is getting out of hand, a robust transit system will benefit everyone including those that still want to drive.

For more info and stats, hit the link below.

Source: STORAGECafe

Massive residential project proposed near Diridon Station

Miramar Capital and Pinion Property Company are proposing 762 new residences between McEvoy St. and Dupont Street. This is just a little south from Diridon Station, which will eventually become Northern California's transit center.

The exact height and massing are still under consideration, but it will include one or more midrise buildings with courtyards like the rendering below. The housing would replace one and two-story commercial and industrial buildings.

Source: SVBJ

New office and fitness center proposed for West San Jose

Not all of our major development proposals are in Downtown or Midtown. Cypress Equities submitted a proposal for a 12-story office building and 24-hour gym in place of five low-rise buildings in West San Jose.

The 6.3-acre project at 3806 Stevens Creek Blvd includes 275,000 SQFT of office space, a 150,000 SQFT Life Times health club, 15,000 SQFT of retails, and a massive eight-story parking garage that takes up 495,000 SQFT [???]. For the urbanists out there, obviously this much parking is not ideal. Hopefully they will design the garage as flexible space that could be converted to another use in the future.

The project also includes a plaza at the intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Northlake Drive.

Source: SVBJ

Two new waterfront San Jose hotels are now open

Marriott has just opened a brand new Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites in San Jose's northernmost district, Alviso. This will add 261 much-needed rooms to Silicon Valley's pool of hotel facilities. The hotel is within a few miles of most tech companies in the Golden Triangle, as well as Levi's Stadium.

The location is a bit interesting since it is tucked deep into the America Center (Great America Parkway north of Highway 237). A major benefit is it's quiet and you actually get a bay-front view. Not many San Jose hotels can say that.

Residence Inn features all-suite rooms with kitchens, making them ideal for longer trips. Meanwhile the Fairfield Inn & Suites portion of the project is a more traditional hotel with king and double queen rooms.

Amenities include a putting green, basketball court, pickleball, a saltwater pool, fitness center, and a BBQ pit. When driving by I was happy to notice an abundance of EV chargers at the new hotel as well. There also appears to be direct trail access to really take advantage of that bay-front location.

Source: SJ Economy Blog

Google expanding in North San Jose

Google is looking into The Assembly campus in North San Jose for possible expansion. They could take somewhere between 800,000 and 900,000 SQFT according to the Business Journal. That should be enough for 4,000 employees or more.

In addition, they have already acquired eight buildings over the past couple years in North San Jose near Alviso. Those investments add up to over $400 million. If there was ever any question on whether Google was serious about investing in San Jose, I think these actions are pretty clear.

Source: SVBJ

Steinway Society Announces Performer Change for Nov 17th Concert

SAN JOSE, CA – Korean pianist Changyong Shin will be the featured artist in the third concert of the Steinway Society 25^th Anniversary Season on Sunday, November 17. He will replace Heejae Kim, who is unable to perform due to a hand injury. 

The concert will be held November 17, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. at Independence High School in San Jose. A pre-concert talk will start at 1:45 p.m. The artist will meet with audience members following the concert for questions and photos.

“We are thrilled that we are able to secure a pianist of the caliber of Changyong Shin to the South Bay on such short notice,” said Kathy Wilson, Steinway Society president. “We wish Heejae Kim a quick recovery from her recent injury.”

Born in Korea, Changyong Shin was the 2016 First Prize Winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and has taken first prize at numerous other global competitions. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in November 2016, receiving a standing ovation, and has performed in prestigious venues throughout Europe and Asia. He is also an accomplished chamber musician and has performed with groups in Korea, Paris, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and other U.S. cities. 

"He alternates between extreme fire and melting sensitivity, each of which gains by contrast to the other."

New York Concert Review

WHO: Steinway Society presents CHANGYONG SHIN

WHAT: Piano concert  

WHEN: Sunday, November 17, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.  Pre-concert lecture (1:45 p.m.). Meet-the-artist time follows the concert.

WHERE: Independence High School Theater, 617 North Jackson Avenue, San Jose, CA 

TICKETS/INFO: Single Tickets: $40-$60. Senior/Student Discounts Available. Student Rush $10, thirty minutes prior to performance.  www.steinwaysociety.com or 408-300-5635

PROGRAM:

Beethoven:

Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109  

Vivace ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo

Prestissimo

Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabilie et espressivo

Chopin:
Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, No. 1 

Scherzo No. 4  I E major, Op. 54

Intermission

Ravel:

Gaspard de la Nuit 

Granados:

Goyescas No. 1 “Los Requiebros”

PHOTO: Courtesy of Steinway Society.

 Acclaimed Korean performer Changyong Shin will appear in San Jose on November 17^th as part of the Steinway Society’s 25th Anniversary Season.

 

Musical Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFSrP6sjG-g   Chopin Nocturne in B major Op. 62 No. 1

ABOUT US

Steinway Society - The Bay Area is a nonprofit organization based in Silicon Valley. Now entering its 25th season, this dedicated group of musicians, pianists, teachers and arts lovers promotes excellence in piano performance and music education. Each season, Steinway Society presents a series of classical piano concerts featuring international award-winning pianists, as well as an active school program. For more information on Season Subscriptions, the artists, and Steinway Society, go to www.SteinwaySociety.com

November 2019 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The latest addition of Downtown Dimension is now live. Below is a summary of the content this month: The NOVEMBER 2019 Downtown Dimension is now available at:   https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/DTDNov2019.pdf In this edition: Google submitted its application this month to develop the west side of downtown San Jose.  We offered highlights in the last edition, but this time, we have some juicy details of the plans that nobody else reported. Google's not the only business making plans.  Take a look at the latest from Acquity Realty, San Jose Stage, KT Urban, Urban Community/Terrascape Ventures and Boston Properties. SJDA Board President Michael Rewkiewicz has some thoughts on improving the East Santa Clara Street corridor between Market Street and City Hall. Downtown Ice opens Nov. 15 in the Circle of Palms.  Make that Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice, presented by Alaska Airlines in association with Google, First Tech Credit Union and Swenson. Several businesses downtown are taking donations of basic supplies to Welcome Home the first tenants of the Villas on the Park, 83 units for the previously homeless.  SJDA and PATH are partnering on this program - through Nov. 15! SJDA's financial report going into FY 2019-20 looks solid. San Jose Downtown Foundation's signature Downtown Doors has won another award, this one from the Cornerstone of the Arts. MOMENT at San Pedro Squared also won another award, this one from the International Downtown Association. Please save the date:  Dec. 13, 8 a.m. at the Hammer Theatre -- when SJDA hosts its annual Year-End Meeting.  RSVP to attend at sjdarsvp@sjdowntown.com. FYI: Live and Local SJ live music Traffic alerts lane and road closures. Maps of downtown commercial property availability and development proposals. Boom City: SJDA's continuing 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 Copyright © 2019 San Jose Downtown Association, All rights reserved.

Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice returns for 24th season!

Iconic outdoor ice rink open daily Nov. 15, 2018 - Jan. 12, 2019

SAN JOSE – Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice will be front and center among downtown San Jose holiday attractions from Nov. 15 through Jan. 12.

Kristi 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. 18 at 6 p.m.

Yamaguchi adds her name to support the rink for the ninth time, and her Always Dream Foundation will again be a rink beneficiary.

This will be Downtown Ice’s 16th year in the Circle of Palms and 24th year overall.  More than 50,000 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.

As usual, the palms of the Circle of Palms will be lit with thousands of color-changing LED lights for skaters who pay one fee for unlimited skating time and skate rental.

Admission costs $18 for adults and $15 for children 10 years and younger.

Downtown Ice is presented by Alaska Airlines in association with Google, First Tech Credit Union and Swenson.

Proceeds from the Dec. 16 Santa Run Silicon Valley help support Downtown Ice.  Sign up at santarunsv.com.

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. 

The rink phone number is (408) 610-4055.  Details are at downtownicesj.com.

Parking information is at http://parksj.org

Admission:

Children 10 & younger, Seniors and Military: $15

10 years & older: $18

Bring your own skates: $10

Cash, Paypal, Visa, Mastercard and Discover Card 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. 15)

###

The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), established 1986, is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose. SJDA advocates on issues that affect downtown business and property owners; enhances the image of downtown and attract new visitors through year-round marketing, public relations, and special events; and collaborates with its Property-Based Improvement District (PBID) for ongoing improvements to downtown’s cleanliness, security, aesthetics and delivery of services.

Verizon breaks ground on a new San Jose campus

The Coleman Highline will soon be home to a 640,000 SQFT tech campus for Verizon. The development is right next to Avaya Stadium and is conveniently close to both the airport, Downtown San Jose, and a future BART stop.

They are also in good company as Roku is moving their headquarters to the Coleman Highline project as well. At 730,000 SQFT, Roku made one of the largest investments in San Jose real estate this decade. Of course, these deals will be dwarfed by Google and perhaps others over the coming years.

Construction work on the Verizon buildings began two weeks ago and should be complete by 2021.

Source: San Jose Inside

Twitter is opening an office at Santana Row

Yet another tech giant is dipping their toes into San Jose. Twitter is leasing around 30,000 SQFT in Santana Row, which is enough for 150 to 200 employees.

This is leading to rumors that they are eyeing the massive 360,000 SQFT Santana West project across the street. That would make quite a nice second headquarters, similar to Splunk--one of their Santana Row neighbors. Eventually Santana West will have a million SQFT of office space which is plenty of room for a tech company to stretch out into.

Source: SVBJ

Santana Row Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 19th

SAN JOSE, Calif. – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Santana Row! Santa’s little elves are preparing for another bustling holiday season this year and excitement is in the air. First, mark your calendars for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony which will take place on Tuesday, November 19 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.! This celebrated and well-attended event is FREE and open to all.

Gather family and friends for an evening of live music, costumed characters and more.  Festivities include digital photos with The Grinch, a character meet & greet, balloons and face painting, plus a special performance of The Nutcracker!

Experience the magic of the holidays as Santana Row lights up the night, coupled with a snow shower of confetti and more. The tree lighting main stage performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Santana Row Park with the lighting of the tree at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Head to Santana Row early on the day of the Tree Lighting Ceremony for a special Elf Scavenger Hunt through participating shops beginning at 3PM!  Pick up your scavenger hunt from the Santana Row Concierge. Visit each location and find the Elf that is hiding. Once you find the Elf, make sure to get a sticker from that shop or restaurant. Find all the Elf’s, return your scavenger hunt to the Santana Row Concierge and receive a special holiday prize! PLUS – one lucky person will win a $250 Santana Row Gift Card! *One winner will be selected and notified by Wednesday, November 20th. 

It’s a good evening to start your holiday shopping too.  Customers who spend $300 or more on Tuesday, November 19th will receive two tickets to San Jose Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker.

The holidays are about so much more than just stockings and gifts, it’s a time of comradery and joy. A time for spreading love and sharing moments with those who mean the most. Come join alongside neighbors in celebrating holiday spirit as the 40-foot Christmas tree illuminates the San Jose sky.

For more information on the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony, visit: http://www.santanarow.com/events/santana-row-elf-scavenger-hunt (no Tree Lighting event page on SR website to link to!). For additional information, text or call the Santana Row Concierge at (408) 551-4611.

SJC's second lounge is now open

San Jose International has an amenity it has never had before--a second travel lounge! The Club SJC has been around for several years and has won a handful of international awards. It's located on the 3rd floor across from the international gates (Gate 15) and has a full bar, food, nice restrooms and showers, and even a great view. It just has one issue... it's doing so well that it is often very full.

The solution was to build a second "The Club SJC" in front of Gate A8. Ironically this is the same space as San Jose's only previous airport lounge, the American Airlines Admirals Club, which was only around when American had a hub in San Jose. Unlike the former Admirals Club, the new lounge is open to anyone for a fee ($39 per person I believe) and provides MUCH better amenities.

The food and snacks at The Club SJC are very good by lounge standards and there is an open bar for visitors with cocktails (bourbon and ginger-ale is default drink there). The new lounge has plenty of comfortable seats, an area with desks and power outlets for work, and a quiet/napping zone. I also found the service to be excellent when I used the lounge a couple weeks ago. There is no better place to hang out in SJC while waiting for your flight.

My only request, would be for them to build another lounge on the other side of the airport in the middle of the B gates. It's an especially long walk between the six temporary gates Southwest is using to either of the lounges. Even then, it's worth it for a snack, drink, and some relaxation before your flight.

If you want to get access to these lounges for free, I highly recommend the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. Every time you fly, you get access for up to three people into either of the San Jose lounge as well as lounges in just about any major airport in the world (SFO and Oakland included). It has a high annual fee, but you get annual perks easily worth double the fee even if you just travel two or three times a year. If you're interested, here is the link.

Source: SVBJ

KT Urban proposes a 1.15 million SQFT tower

A prolific developer is looking to transform a corner at Almaden and Woz way into either an office or residential project, or perhaps even a combination of both. They have a preliminary site development plan with three options for the 2.6-acre parcel:

1.) All-office: 20-story, 1.15 million SQFT office tower with 977,000 SQFT of net office space.
2.) Mixed-use: 27-story office ower with 500,000 SQFT of net office space and a 27-story residential tower with 300 residential units and 300 hotel rooms.
3.) All-residential: A 27-story residential tower with 750 units.

I'm most excited by option 2, but honestly any of these three would be an asset to the Downtown San Jose area. KT Urban is working to secure city approval by the fourth quarter of 2020 and there is no publicized target date for construction.

Source: SVBJ