Google is giving San Jose $5 million for community benefits

Even thought Google's multi-million SQFT megaproject is still on hold, they are holding true to several of the commitments they made to the city of San Jose. 

Google will give $5 million to San Jose as part of its community benefits agreement for the Downtown West Project. $4.25 million will be put into the Community Stabilization and Opportunity Pathways Fund.  This aims to support under-resourced communities in San Jose due to rising costs and increase job opportunities.

If the project comes to fruition, then Google will invest a total of $155 million into public benefits for the San Jose community. However, that will be a rounding error compared to value of having 10,000 or so high-paying tech jobs that would be added to Downtown San Jose along with the ecosystem to support those workers.

Source: San Jose Spotlight

San Jose is getting a new signature cocktail

Rollati Ristorante, one of Downtown San Jose's top restaurants, is introducing San Jose's first signature drink. It's called the San Jose Sour and includes not one, but two local products.

The main spirit is 10th St. Distillery's triple cask single malt whiskey called Dragon Plus. This is a local San Jose company with several award winning products and the spirit is even distilled in San Jose.

The second ingredient is Alamitos Vineyard's award-winning estate Hawk Eye Syrah, which is grown and produced in South San Jose.

The drink also has lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. You can enjoy it at Rollati right now and hopefully it will be available at some of their sister restaurants like Left Bank, LB Steak, or Meso. If you want to try to make this cocktail at home, below are the ingredients and directions.

THE SAN JOSÉ SOUR

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces 10th Street Distillery, American Whiskey, Triple Cask, STR Single Malt, San Jose, CA

¾ ounces Alamitos Vineyards, Syrah, Hawk Eye Estate Grown, Santa Clara County, CA

1 ounce lemon juice

¾ ounces simple syrup

1 egg white

4 dashes Angostura bitters, “Aromatic,” Trinidad & Tobago

Directions

1. Add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into shaker

2. Shake with ice and strain back into tin

3. Reverse dry shake

4. Double strain over coupe glass

5. Float Hawk Eye Syrah

6. Garnish with Filthy Black Cherry and Angostura bitters

San Pedro Holiday Market today

There are only a few days left until Christmas, but there are still many opportunities to buy gifts--especially from local entrepreneurs. The San Jose Downtown Association, City of San Jose, and SJMADE are hosting a holiday market at 60 N. San Pedro Street today in the heart of San Pedro Square. There will be over 20 vendors including:

• Ceramics By Jane
• Maco Decor
• Kyla Camille Candles
• Genevieve Inspired
• AJNA California
• Voyager Leather Crafts
• Yours Truly, Mary Anne
• The Hungry Sloth
• Kawaii Glass Co
• Charlotte Truffles
• SoyFeliz
• Love Through Letterpress
• Jale
• Peachisekai
• Thousand Skies
• A Jar of Pickles
• The Herbal Alchemist
• Dandekie

The event will run from noon to 6pm and you also get 90 minutes of free parking at the Market & San Pedro Garage, conveniently located next to the event.

For more info, head over here.

Gifts given to the City of San Jose

I learned a little history at SJ Today about some of the philanthropic gifts San Jose has received over the years. The big one is Emma Prusch Farm Park, which was an 87-acre dairy farm donated to the City of San Jose in 1962. If you were wondering why this valuable piece of land has been protected for so long and hasn't been chopped up to become apartment buildings, Prusch stipulated that it needs maintain it's rural character as part of the donation. To see other big San Jose donations, hit the source link below.

Source: SJ Today

Data center would be used to warm and cool proposed Downtown San Jose high-rises

Westbank and PG&E are forming an unconventional partnership. Westbank wants to build a project that would include 4,000 total residential units and three data centers. 

Data centers use very large amounts of energy and require vast heating and cooling systems for those stacks of computers. The idea would be to use an underground system that could recycle excess energy from the data centers to provide heat and hot water to neighboring buildings. A similar thing can be done for cooling. PG&E believes that three data centers could potentially fuel 200,000 homes.

The three data centers would need about 200 MW of energy, and are expected to be used for AI. PG&E believes that new approaches like this could could help trim monthly expenses and lead to more affordable energy systems.

If this moves forward, construction for the first data center will begin within 12 months with the goal being completion in 2027. The second would be targeted for completion in 2028 and the third in 2029.

Source: SVBJ

New Downtown San Jose Artwork

Our friends at West Coast Artworks have several new canvas prints available featuring Downtown San Jose. I especially like the two new ones below. 

One highlights the MIRO towers, San Jose City Hall, and the Bank of Italy building. The other is a unique shot of the SoFA district starting with The Pierce and Sparq. In fact, that is probably the view that many will get from San Jose's newest luxury apartment building, The Fay.

I have purchased several of these prints and love them. They are always conversation starters for guests.

To see all of the new artwork, including those that ship in time for Christmas, head over here.

Caltrain's double tower project in Downtown San Jose moves forward

Caltrain is planning to partner with a developer to build a 15-story and 16-story tower on 3 acres right in front of Diridon station in Downtown San Jose. To goal would be to help kickstart other projects and transit ridership in the area.

The project would come in at 1.1 million SQFT of commercial space--yes commercial and not residential. Most developers today are switching to residential as quickly as possible given the state of the commercial markets, but it sounds like Caltrain is taking a bold long-term perspective on this investment.

The development would also blend in retail and entertainment venues as well as a once acre publicly accessibly open space and plaza. Ironically, four levels of underground parking for 792 spaces would also be built as part of this transit-oriented-development.

Currently there is no ETA for when construction would begin but San Jose has just approved the required permits. The ball is in Caltrain's court.

Source: The Mercury News

Keystone Marriott construction update

San Jose is in need of more hotel rooms, especially with the former Fairmont Annex tower now being used as SJSU housing and both the World Cup and Supper Bowl coming to the San Jose Metro in 2026. One of the few active hotel projects currently underway is a new Keystone Marriott near Diridon Station at 495 West San Carlos Street in San Jose

The project is close to both Downtown San Jose and Midtown. The hotel is eight stories and will have 176 rooms, each with a full kitchenette. Two cool features are a courtyard in the middle of the hotel on the fourth floor and a penthouse-level indoor-outdoor lounge with a bar and BBQ pit.

It'll be branded as a Townplace Suites hotel (part of the Marriott family) and is expected to be complete in early 2025. Below the render you can see a recent construction photo with the scaffolding starting to come down.

Source: SJNewKid from Skyscraper City, SFYIMBY

Hobee's Restaurant and Beer Garden is now open in Downtown San Jose

San Jose's newest Hobee's sits in a blue Victorian that used to be Ludwig's German Table. It also has one feature that no other Hobee's has, a beer garden. This element of the menu will open in 2025, but diners can already enjoy the breakfasts and coffeecakes that Hobee's is known for.

The current seating capacity is 65 on the inside and up to 140 outdoors. The new location is planning to play a strong role in the community and is already getting repeat customers and regulars.

Hobee's Restaurant and Beer Garden is located at 261 N. Second Street and is currently open from 8am to 2pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Those hours should expand in 2025. 

Source: The Mercury News

Outdoor Adventure hub coming to Santa Clara/North San Jose area in January

AVE Santa Clara, at 2240 Calle de Luna, is setting a new standard for apartment living in Silicon Valley with its launch of the AVEnture Hub. Offering first move-ins in January 2025, residents get free access to an array of outdoor gear—from bikes to kayaks—encouraging exploration of our local amenities.

Lea Anne Welsh of AVE explains, "It's about enriching life with nature's playground." The hub includes:

• Varied Equipment: For all adventure types.
• User-Friendly App: For gear scheduling.
• Social Space: To connect and plan adventures.

Steve Edwards from Ensemble Investments adds, "We're making outdoor adventures accessible and communal."

Beyond the adventure hub, AVE Santa Clara boasts luxury amenities and is steps from Clara’s Junction. With 311 units, both furnished and traditional, it's redefining Silicon Valley living. Applications are open at AVE Santa Clara's site.

The most Christmassy bars in Downtown San Jose

Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up that transforms popular bars into kitschy holiday taverns with seasonal cocktails. This year both Paper Plane and Miniboss in Downtown San Jose are getting the full miracle treatment. 

If you are itching to get into the holiday spirit or happen to be exploring Christmas in the Park, swing by for an infusion of cheer and merriment. Many of the creative cocktail glasses you will find here are also available for sale. For more info, head over here.

Craving a more traditional bar experience? The owners of Paper Plane and Miniboss also have Still OG, Alter Ego, and Eos & Nyx within two blocks.

The Historic San Jose (Holiday) Trolley is back

A 96-year-old trolley filled with holiday spirit will be running on weekends before and after Christmas. Rides on the 32-seat trolley are free. It's the VTA's gift to the community.

I have ridden it several times and it feels more like an amusement attraction than public transportation. It's a fun experience, especially combined with Christmas in the park.

The trains will run from Diridon Station to the Civic Center, on December 21, 22, 28, and 29.

Source: San Jose Spotlight

Residential midrise in North San Jose takes a step forward

A 118-unit residential building has been proposed for 380 North First Street. This is a just a few blocks north of St. James Park and on the border of what you would typically consider Downtown San Jose.

The project is seven stories tall and sits on just half an acre. Not much is listed regarding amenities, but the project would have 74 parking spaces. 18 of the units will be reserved for low-income households.

Currently on the site is a 12,000 SQFT building and 20 trees that would make to be removed in order to make way for the new construction.

Source: SF YIMBY

Kaiser begins construction of their new San Jose hospital

A state-of-the-art hospital is coming to the Santa Teresa Kaiser campus in South San Jose. It will replace the aging 50-year-old hospital with 650,000 SQFT of medical facilities and 300 private patient rooms. 

This is more than double the size of the hospital it will be replacing. Rooms will no longer need to be shared, a very welcome change for most patients. Kaiser is also going to leverage new technologies such as the latest MRI and CT scanning equipment. 

The new hospital is expected to be completed in the fall of 2029.

Source: The Mercury News

Latest renderings for a massive North San Jose residential project

A major infill development at 211-281 River Oaks Parkway is starting to come into focus. The project would have 737 residential units broken down into 637 apartments and 100 townhomes. 132 of the units would be reserved for affordable housing. The market rate homes will range from 536 to 1,290 SQFT for apartments and 1,230 to 1,790 SQFT for the townhomes. Enough parking would be built to accommodate 891 cars and 345 bicycles.

The location is quite good, as it is right in the middle of the Golden Triangle with easy access to San Jose's tech jobs. It's also facing Crescent Village and it's popular crescent shaped park. Several great restaurants would be a short walk away--shout out to Laksana Thai and Curry Up Now.

The developer is expecting to start construction on the townhomes by November 2026 and the apartments in the middle of 2028.

Source: SF YIMBY

Movies shooting in San Jose

Several movies have been shot in San Jose in the past like Flubber, Mad City, The Rookie, and several others. However, did you know there are several film projects happening right now in San Jose? 

I found a link of active projects which feature multiple short films and several are still looking to hire actors. If you have ever been interesting in being featured in a movie, hit the source link below for more information.

Source: Tracy Press

Rollati had added an Italian Mercato to Downtown San Jose

Rollati was my favorite new restaurant opening in Downtown San Jose for 2023. It brough upscale Italian cuisine to the City Hall neighborhood, nestled under the two MIRO high-rises across the street from the City Hall Rotunda. Now they have added a cute little Italian store with groceries and gifts on the side of the restaurant.

They're stocking pastas, cheeses, olives, salads, and an assortment of beverages. It's one more reason to check out an already exceptional restaurant.

Source: 408Nate on X

Pete Be Center to bring more live music and events to SoFA District

San Jose's SoFA District took a hit when Uproar Brewery closed down. Even after the transition to Level Uproar, it still couldn't stay afloat. Now another entrepreneur is taking over the space and turning it into an event space.

Pete Be wants Downtown San Jose to be a major social destination seven days a week. He wants to build a venue that will activate the area and bring more popular musical acts to San Jose. The Pete Be Center is crucial to that goal.

The venue is a sizable 11,000 SQFT including the mezzanine. In addition to live music, he is planning to host block parties on the sidewalk and street outside and have cultural events. His goal is to regularly bring 1,500 to 2,000 people to SoFA for events.

If everything goes according to plan, the party will start between April and June next year.

Source: The Mercury News

Sky Zone coming to Hacienda Gardens in Willow Glen

A former Rite Aid that has been empty since October 2023 at Hacienda Gardens is getting a new lease on life. The trampoline park chain called Sky Zone is prepping to open a new location there in the middle of 2025.

Sky Zone picked the space since there are nor many active entertainment options in the immediate area for families, despite it being a family-friendly neighborhood. The real estate broker described the area as high-income with lots of kids.

Hacienda Gardens has 22 tenants total including Dollar Tree, Banfield Pet Hospital, Jack Holder's, Wells Fargo, and Ginza Sushi. There is one other Sky Zone in San Jose at 1901 Monterey Road.

Source: SVBJ

New Tasca Portuguese food truck

Portuguese food has been getting more popular in the Bay Area, especially thanks to Adega (San Jose's first and only Michelin star restaurant ever) and Petiscos (Downtown San Jose's only Michelin-recommended restaurant). However, one thing I have never seen before is a Portuguese food truck. Tasca Portuguese is the first I am aware of in the Bay Area.

The truck has a short menu with a focus on Portuguese street food, but it does have some surprises. There are starters like Linguiça and Bacalhau (codfish dumplings) and traditional sandwich options using staples like pork and steak cutlets. However, there are two exotic options. The Sandes de Alcatra uses an Azorean specialty where the beef is cooked in a clay pot for hours with tons of delicious spices. I have never seen a sandwich made out of it before. Even more adventurous is the octopus sandwich which uses well-marinated chunks of octopus stuffed in Portuguese bread. Desserts include a classic crowd-please, Pastel de Natas.

You can find the food truck at 1401 E. Santa Clara Street near Five Wounds Church on Monday through Friday from 11am to 8pm and on Sunday from 10am to 8pm.

Source: Yelp

VTA providing funding to help build transit villages in San Jose

The VTA is going to provide 14 grants up to $175,000 to help spur housing and commercial development within a 10 minute walk from three key VTA light rail stations. Those neighborhoods are Downtown San Jose, Santa Clara Street, 28th Street.

Funding will come from ground leases on land the VTA already owns. No new taxes are required.

This is a great initiative as we absolutely need to densify areas around key transportation routes. It is the only way to grow without contributing to the ever-worsening Silicon Valley traffic. 

Source: NBC Bay Area

Vallarta Supermarkets opening first Bay Area location in San Jose

A popular Mexican supermarket chain is taking over two long-vacant retail spaces at The Plant shopping center in Central San Jose. Toys 'R Us and Babies 'R Us closed a whopping six years ago. That's a lot of wasted space. Now they will become a Vallarta Supermarket in 2026.

Vallarta is very popular in SoCal and offers many traditional foods native to Mexico. The planned San Jose store will be 65,000 SQFT and have both groceries and retail items. It's going to be a full-service grocer with a kitchen featuring many traditional favorites from Mexico and Central America. It'll have a dedicated tortilleria, agua frescas bar, and organic products.

This will also be a strong anchor tenant to attract more shopper to The Plant and the multitude of restaurants and shops already there. Vallarta has 55 supermarkets in California and the next closest locations are in Watsonville and Salinas.

Source: The Mercury News

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk December 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

One of the more unique parts of this event for December is the opening of HARK! Annual Holiday Show & Sale at KALEID Gallery on First. Over 50 artists are featured and hundreds of unique artworks are available between $12-$250. Artwork is sold first come, first served and you can take your purchases home immediately.

It all goes down on Friday, December 6th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts

Symphony San Jose presents HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR “Christmas at the California” December 7 and 8, 2024

Celebrate “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at the majestic and beautifully decorated California Theatre with Symphony San Jose, Symphony San Jose Chorale, Cantabíle Youth Singers, New Ballet, and special guests! Fun for the whole family. 

 

Rejoice in holiday classics including carols, audience sing-alongs, and the ever-popular 12 Days of Silicon Valley. Share this unforgettable part of the holiday season with your family and friends.

 

Who: Symphony San Jose presents

 

What: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR “Christmas at the California”

 

When: Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 2:30pm

Where: The California Theatre, 345 South First Street, downtown San Jose, 95113. Convenient, inexpensive parking is available at a city-owned garage one-and-a-half blocks from the theater at San Carlos Street with entrances on Second and Third streets. 

SINGLE TICKET PRICES: $35 - $115  

($41.50 to $121.50 with City and order fees).  Note: fees detailed below.

TICKETS: Phone: 408.286.2600  

Website: www.symphonysanjose.org  

Email: jmeyers@symphonysanjose.org

Walk-Up Box Office: 325 South First Street, San Jose, 95113. Located between San Carlos and San Salvador Street next to the California Theatre. Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm.

City Fees – There is a mandatory Theatre Preservation Fee and Facility Fee of $2.50 applied to every single ticket sold.

Handling Fees – Handling fees vary depending on how tickets are purchased. For online orders, there is a $4 per ticket handling fee. For phone orders, there is a $5 per transaction handling fee. There are no fees for in person purchases.

THE PROGRAM:

J.S. Bach: Jauchzet, frohlocket (from “Christmas Oratorio”)

M.Torme/R.Wells: The Christmas Song

G.F. Handel: See, the Conqu’ring Hero Comes! (from “Judas Maccabbaeus”)

 

Alan Silvestri: Polar Express Suite

G.F. Handel: That Trumpet Shall Sound (from “The Messiah”)

Albert Hague: You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Traditional: 12 Days of Silicon Valley

 

ARTISTS:

Elena Sharkova, Conductor

Nathan Stark, Bass-baritone

Symphony San Jose

Symphony San Jose Chorale

Cantabíle Youth Singers

New Ballet

 

Pre-concert Festivities begin one hour prior to the concert.

SAY “HELLO” TO SANTA. Join us before the concert for a jolly good time with Santa Claus himself. Capture the holiday spirit and create lasting memories as you take pictures and share “Christmas Wishes” with Santa. But keep a lookout for the mischievous Grinch who may be lurking around, trying to steal some Christmas cheer. (You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch!)

DECORATE A GINGERBREAD COOKIE! Join the fun one hour before curtain and unleash your inner pastry artist by decorating your own gingerbread cookie with royal icing. The festivity is open to everyone. Come hungry and make some sweet and delicious memories. (Note: Cookies are NOT gluten-free.)

Photo courtesy of Symphony San Jose. Photos by Fontejon Photography.