Content 17.1

The latest issue of Content Magazine is about to drop and as is tradition it will be launched with a party for subscribers on Friday, November 22nd from 6-9pm. This time it will be at Fiesta Hall at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds (344 Tully Road). 

The event will include food trucks curated by Feast Mode such as Chicken Bros, Road House 48, and Veros Kitchen. Beer will be provided by the excellent Foxtale Fermentation Project. They will actually be doing a special Fall beer release featuring artwork from Fabricio Ponce. There will ben be an onsite mural and gallery exhibition presented in partnership with 1CLTURE as well as DJ and breakdancing.

Parking is free at Gate C and guests are welcome. The first 150 Content members to check in will get a complimentary beverage and Hors D'oeuvres. 100 Content members will also receive a unique holiday gift.

Here are some of the people featured in the upcoming issue:

DJ - Brotha Reese | Muralist - Cameron “Camer1” Moberg | Breakdancer - Vicki “La Vix” chang | Painter/muralist - Scotty Greathouse | Textile Artist - Jaya Griscom | Grafitti Legend - King157 | Mural - “The Grand Strike,” Analyn Bones, Juan Velazquez, Miguel Machuca, Jordan Gabriel, Eddie Romo, and Melissa Manuel | Grafitti Legend - Nexus | Painter/Illustrator - Fabricio Ponce | Graffiti Primer - Joey Reyes | Shades of Brown Collective - Joey Castaneda, Jade Castaneda, Louie Andrade, Edward Valdez, Isaiah Kittles, Angelica Jimenez, Desiree Villescaz, Taylor Cherry, Itzayana Silva, Julian Torres, Sarah Cassandra Guizar Retana, Darlene Cordova

To learn more or subscribe, head over here.

Winter Wonderland 2024/25

It's almost that time of year! Winter Wonderland is coming back to Downtown San Jose on November 29th and runs until January 1st, 2025. This year there will be quite a few changes based on feedback from Downtown stakeholders.

There will be a new Winter Wonderland Night Market on November 29 and 30 as well as December 1st and 5th-8th. The Night Market runs from 5-10pm and features handmade ornaments, holiday-themed goods, and seasonal treats. On December 13th, several family-friendly rides and games will join the giant Ferris Wheel. 

In order to minimize unpermitted vendors, there will be a curated section for Food Trucks and Food Booths from November 29th to January 1st. These will be placed next to the Ferris Wheel on Market Street and along Paseo de San Antonio.

There will also be more seating areas to relax and enjoy a meal this season. For more info head over to the Winter Wonderland website. 

San Jose has the healthiest residents in the US

A recent Forbes study looked at the 46 most populous cities in the country and compared health metrics including heart disease deaths, opioid deaths, the percentage of adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, as well as the percentage of people that binge drink, smoke, or are deficient in physical activity.

After all the numbers were crunched, San Jose ranked as the #1 healthiest city in the United States. San Jose has consistently ranked high for longevity in previous years, adding more credence to this ranking.

Second on the list was Austin, Texas while San Francisco made it to the 6th spot. The unhealthiest populations were Detroit and Milwaukee.

Source: SFGATE

Three-tower housing project proposed for Downtown San Jose

Westbank and Urban Community are working on a stunning 1,147 unit project that would span a trio of towers. This is the most exciting proposal I have seen in some time for Downtown San Jose.

Each tower would rise 30 stories or roughly 300 feet. Two of the towers would have terraces featuring small trees and plants. The third tower would by a cylinder, a shape no other San Jose high-rise utilizes. The combination of the three look fantastic.

The site of this proposal is the Valley Title lot at 300 South First Street and 345 South Second Street in SoFA. Currently the site consists of a parking lot, a public art project that can hopefully be moved, and a three-story building.

The project would also include a generous 18,400 SQFT of retail and 8,700 SQFT of residential amenities such as a courtyard and gym. Based on the renders, it looks like they are planning for one of my favorite amenities--rooftop swimming pools.

As exciting as this is already, Westbank and Urban Community also have an option to add two more 20-story office towers with a combined 1.32 million SQFT of office space and 60,4000 SQFT of ground-floor retail.

There is currently no planned timeline. The next steps are getting city approval for the proposal, which I'm optimistic will come quickly.

Source: The Mercury News

San Jose's first and only Michelin Star restaurant is coming back!

A little Portuguese restaurant in East San Jose called Adega made history years ago as the first San Jose restaurant to earn a Michelin Star. For a time is was also the only Portuguese restaurant in the United States to have a star. From there, the owners created several additional successful restaurants including Petiscos in SoFA and Pastelaria on Santa Clara Street. Sadly, they decided to turn Adega into a second Petiscos location at the start of 2024. Petiscos is excellent, but Adega was next level.

Now, after many requests to bring back Adega they are doing just that. Starting tomorrow, November 15th, the restaurant will go back to a multi-course tasting menu. The cost will start at $125 per person, which is pricey but by no means insane for this caliber of restaurant. They also have the largest Portuguese wine list of any restaurant in the US and you better believe they have amazing wine pairing options to go with each course. 

I loved Adega and am thrilled to see it return. If you are ready to make reservations for the most decorated restaurant in San Jose, head over here.

Source: SVBJ

Downtown San Jose is planning to close another road permanently

The closure of San Pedro Square to cars has been a tremendous success. Not only did it allow for the creation of the largest mural in Northern California, but it was a major boost to the vibrancy of the district. Now the San Jose City Council has their eyes set on another street for permanent closure.

On November 5th, the Council has extended the closure of Post Street which houses several restaurants, bars, and nightclubs as well as San Jose Qmunity district. If everything goes to plan, on February 25th they will make this closure permanent.

Turning this area into a pedestrian mall would allow for improved outdoor seating and entertainment. It was already a very impractical street to park on. By permanently removing cars it would help create a stronger community and enable the businesses on Post to thrive. I'd highly recommend checking the area out next time you're in Downtown San Jose. The Club on Post and 55 South are excellent places to start.

Source: San Jose Spotlight

Santana Row has a Tesla CyberCab

San Jose has the first Tesla Store in the world. It has been significantly expanded since it's inception and is still tremendously popular after more than 12 years. As a flagship store, it also has been one of the first if not the first store to show off upcoming products. These included the Model X prototype, the Model 3, and Cybertruck in the past. 

Right now the Tesla Store at Santana Row has a working prototype of the Cybercab, Tesla's first vehicle that is exclusively designed for autonomous driving. It has no steering wheel or pedals. The craziest part is that consumers will be able to purchase it (estimated to be around $30k) and rent it out like an uber when not in use.

San Jose has a very high density of EVs, especially Teslas. When these start hitting roads in 2026 I think we'll see quite a lot of them. Tesla plans to build about 2 million Cybercabs per year, which is equal to all of the cars Tesla makes today combined. It's very cool that we are one of the first cities in the world where you can get up close and personal to one of these futuristic models (the production version will be nearly identical).

Source: X

Happy Veterans Day San Jose!

San Jose has hosted a Veterans Day Parade since 1919, and this year is no different. This event is the largest Veterans Day Parade in Northern California and honors all who have served or are currently serving our country.

The pre-parade ceremony begins today at 11am in Plaza de Cesar Chavez and is followed by the parade itself at 12pm.

Below is a handy map of the parade route which starts near Highway 87 on Santa Clara Street and then ends in front of the San Jose Marriott past Plaza de Cesar Chavez. You can also find more information about the parade over here.

CEO Noodles: Chief Eating Officer

Another new eatery is open in Downtown San Jose. CEO Noodles has a mix of authentic noodle dishes from Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. They also have some very unique items like papaya snow-fungus dessert soup. 

The restaurant features fantasy-inspired decor and a mobile app for seamless ordering. It's yet another highly anticipated San Jose restaurant that is racking up excellent initial reviews.

CEO Noodles is open from 10am-9:30pm every day and is located at 130 E. Santa Clara Street (between 3rd and 4th Street).

Source: The Downtowner

World's largest Christmas light maze

The holidays are getting nearer and Enchant is coming back to San Jose's PayPal Park later this month. The world's largest Christmas light maze will be available from Friday, Nov 22nd to Sunday, Dec 29th. You can find more info and tickets over here.

Source: SJtoday

Santana Row Fall Wine Stroll

Santana Row is hosting a Fall Sip & Stroll on Thursday, November 14th from 5pm-7pm.

Stroll The Row while enjoying wine and lite bites inside 12+ Santana Row shops & restaurants. Tickets are $50 and include a signature Santana Row wine glass, wine tastings from Livermore Valley wineries, lite bites, exclusive shopping incentives, live music and more.

Participating shops and eateries include Tesla, New Balance, Yeti, Vuori, Dumpling Time, Suspiro, Paige, Marine Layer and more.  

For more information, you can contact the Santana Row Concierge at 408-551-4611.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Election Results - Part 2

I'm not sure how it could possibly be taking this long to tally California votes, but there are some obvious winners.

Here are the ones that passed that will most clearly impact San Jose:

• Measure 2 - provides additional funding to help renovate schools
• Proposition 4 - authorizes more funding for water districts, wildfire prevention, and land protection
• Proposition 35 - continues funding for Medi-Cal health care programs via a tax extension on managed health care plans
• Proposition 36 - increases penalties for theft and drug crimes

I'm not mentioning Amendment 3, as it is just updating the language in the Californian constitution in a common-sense way, yet it does not actually alter any rights.

The biggest one on the list for me is Prop 36. Crime has become a major issue in Silicon Valley, and this will reduce the threshold for thefts being treated as felonies and allow multiple robberies to be grouped together to constitute a felony. Hopefully this will become a stronger deterrent to the retail theft that is greatly impacting San Jose businesses, especially small businesses. We can't get to a place like San Francisco where shampoo and toothpaste is being locked behind glass cases because of rampant shoplifting. I'm very happy this one will pass.

Election Results - Part 1

I tend to stay away from political posts, but in this case there is a general melancholy vibe in San Jose. As an serial optimist, I'll go through the 2024 election results and highlight what I think the positives might be around what has passed. Let's start with the elephant in the room (no pun intended), the presidential election.

Obviously, Trump was not Silicon Valley's first choice. The question is, are there any aspects of a Trump presidency that will benefit San Joseans and San Jose businesses. Here is my best shot:

• Taxes
• Yes, Trump did indeed lower taxes in his first term. The benefits did not just impact the rich but impacted all individuals making $9,525 or more as well as married couples filing jointly making $19,050 or more per year. I would expect that he would keep these tax cuts and as a sign of good faith try to reduce them even more as soon as possible. This should be beneficial to San Joseans that are already used to paying the highest taxes in the country. Now, this will only be possible if the deficit is significantly reduced and that leads to the next item.
• Deficit
• Trump seems to be partnering with Elon Musk, who has promised to help significantly cut the deficit by identifying government waste. Elon has claimed that up to $2 trillion could be cut from spending by consolidating departments. Even if the amount is half that, not only would it enable further tax cuts but it would reduce the risk of America going bankrupt... which would surely devalue the US Dollar and severely impact Silicon Valley businesses.
• Safety and Immigration
• I am speculating that there will be a quick response to reduce illegal immigration across the border which may help reduce crime. My hope is that Trump will also focus on greatly increasing legal immigration. This should be both for quickly converting undocumented people that are contributing to our economy today as well as bringing in exceptional individuals from other countries. I know people that have tried for over a decade to even get a US work visa... it is extremely difficult. Ensuring we have enough talent in Silicon Valley is critical to our success, so I hope that a focus on greatly improving legal immigration will be a priority. 

Am I missing anything?  Tomorrow I'll go through the California measures.

Happy Election Day San Jose!

If you haven't done so already, now is your last chance to vote. You can see the latest results on federal, state, and local races over here.

If you need a ride, today the VTA is offering free bus, light rail, and paratransit rides to designated Santa Clara County polling or drop box locations from 7am to 8pm.

Regardless of who wins at any level of government, my hope is that people will remember we are all human beings, find common ground, and move forward together.

San Jose's Hotel De Anza is getting major upgrades

San Jose's historic Hotel De Anza was recently purchased by 233 W Santa Clara LLC. The hotel was built 93 years ago and has 100 rooms in the 10-story building.

The exciting news is that major upgrades are planned, including adding fine dining and a full-service bar. It will also transition from being a Hyatt to a high-end independent boutique hotel. The partnership with Hyatt already ended on October 29th.

Hopefully we'll have details soon on the new dining options and planned renovations. The last upscale dining option in the hotel was La Pastia, which closed several years ago.

Source: SVBJ

Bascom Station has started leasing

Bascom Station appears to have started leasing their apartments. This is a 590 apartment project in an 8-story building. It's located right next to the Bascom VTA Light Rail station at 1350 S. Bascom Avenue. There are also several retail pads on the ground floor available for lease and a 200,000 SQFT office building next door that is still under construction.

This is a great example of a mixed-use infill project near transit. Previously this area just had 76,894 SQFT of commercial space.

Source: RebecaG from Skyscraper City 

Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park to Observe All Saint’s Day and Day of the Dead

Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park will host a Día de los Muertos event, a time deeply rooted in Hispanic tradition, to honor and remember loved ones who have departed. This celebration is free opportunity for families to come together, pay respects, and keep the memories of their loved ones alive. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, featuring traditional music, food, dancers, and activities for children. The community is invited to contribute items to the altar (ofrenda) in remembrance of their loved ones.

 

This event is honoring the values of remembrance, respect for elders, and the important role that family plays in preserving the memories of those who came before us.

 

All are welcome, including members of the media, to join this important cultural event.

 

The day-long celebration will begin with a gathering for coffee, champurrado, and traditional Pan de Muerto from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

• 10 – 11 a.m.: Celebration of Liturgy (Special Guest Speaker: Bishop Oscar Cantú)
• 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Performance by Gabriele Sepulveda
• 12 – 1 p.m.: Aztec Dancers
• 1 – 2 p.m.: Folclorico Kids Club
• 2 – 3 p.m.: Aztec Dancers
• 3 – 5 p.m.: Musical Group

From Oct. 31 – Nov. 6, Oak Hills will have a community altar in the main lobby for the community to visit from sunrise to sunset. The community is invited to add a 5x7 photo of their loved one to the altar. Remembrance cards will also be available.

 

WHERE:              

Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park

300 Curtner Ave.

San Jose, CA 95125

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk November 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 items this month is a Jazz jam at SJZ at 5:45pm followed by a performance at 6:20pm, and then more jamming from 7-9pm.

It all goes down on Friday, November 1st. 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.

Happy Halloween 2024! 🎃🦇👻

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! If you have a favorite neighborhood for trick-or-treating please post it in the comments here or on X. I'll toss out Willow Glen as high on the list.

Also, please be sure to check out our wishlist post for Halloween in the Park!

20+ golf courses in San Jose

I had no idea this many golf courses existed in San Jose (actually the San Jose metro). SJtoday has a handy guide for any golfers out there. Surprisingly they missed my favorite San Jose minigolf spot, Urban Putt. However, for actual golf they have a very comprehensive list.

Source: SJtoday

San Jose's Little Italy gets updated benches

A nice little placemaking touch has been added to the benches alone the Guadalupe River Park in Little Italy San Jose. The freshly painted benches now feature the colors of the Italian flag. The work was all done by volunteers and add a bit more character to this part of the park.

Source: The Downtowner

Dia de Los Muertos at the San Jose Museum of Art

The SJMA is hosting a full day of entertainment and art to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos on November 2nd. Some of the hands-on activities include decorating sculls, calavera portraits, and meditative weaving. There will also be a live performance by Lincoln High Mariachi at noon.

The event is free and runs from 11am-4pm at the San Jose Museum of Art in Downtown San Jose.

22 happy hour deals in San Jose

SJtoday is back with periodic posts and they have a list of several great happy hour deals across San Jose. My favorites on the list are EMC Seafood (get the phenomenal uni pasta while you're there), Dr. Funk, The Table, San Pedro Social, Meso, Lazy Dog, and MINIBOSS (pictured). All of those have great food to go along with libations. Check out the full list in the source link below.

Source: SJtoday

PG&E is partnering with developers to expedite electrical work

PG&E is collaborating with developers and policy makers in order to power developments faster and help cut down the time it take a new project to be able to house residents. This includes improving turnaround time to schedule electrical connection, having centralized support, and providing interim power solutions.

The results so far include a 26% increase in the number of connections in the South Bay from 2022 to 2023. By streamlining process, they are hoping to sever 30% more customers in 2024 than 2023. For more details, head to the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

Community Development Partner's first San Jose housing project

A new 160-unit housing project has been approved in East San Jose by Community Development Partners. All of the units in the five-story building would be designated as low-income.

The units include 15 permanent supportive housing units and 25 units for Veterans. There will be a mix of plans ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Amenities include a community room, bike and car parking, a community kitchen operated by San Jose's own Veggielution, and a communal outdoor courtyard.

Recently the company was awarded $4M from the California Department of Housing to help move this project along. This will be CDP's first project in Santa Clara County.

Source: Community Development Partners

San Jose Mayor Mahan's plan to revitalize Downtown

Mayor Matt Mahan wrote a guest post for the Silicon Valley Business Journal highlighting his plans for Downtown San Jose. The overall goal is not just to rebound from the pandemic but to rebrand and reimagine what Downtown should be and that is the Downtown of Silicon Valley--not just San Jose.

His plans include working towards ending homelessness in San Jose, improving safety, improving the pedestrian experience (such as closing San Pedro St. to cars and potentially closing Post St.), encouraging public art, and providing incentives to attract more high-rise development. 

It's well worth reading the article linked below to understand where the ship is being steered. Personally, I've never felt more optimistic about Downtown San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

New Residential Project approved for 210 Baypointe Parkway in North San Jose

A much-needed residential community has been approved in North San Jose. The plans include 42 townhomes and over 290 apartments in a seven-story building. 17 units would be designated as affordable housing. 

Part of the project would include a public paseo connecting to Casa Verde Street and the ground-floor apartments and townhomes would line that paseo. Amenities include a work-from-home space, plazas, and bike rooms. 84 parking spaces would be built for the townhomes and 332 spaces for the apartments. There would also be 146 bike parking spaces.

The site of the project is on E. Tasman Dr., a couple blocks away Light Rail and near multiple tech campuses in North San Jose. On site right now is a one-story industrial building that is 40 years old on a total land area of 4.83 acres. 

Source: SF YIMBY

Restaurant Gish

The Silicon Valley food scene continues to deliver numerous high-end options, but the downside is ever-increasing costs heading towards insanity. Restaurants like The French Laundry and SingleThread easily cost upwards of $500 PER PERSON. Wine tastings to go along with that fancy meal can easily cost upwards of $100 per person on top of that. That is why I was thrilled to find a great fine dining option that won't break the bank. It's called Restaurant Gish.

One of the reasons why the prices are not super high is that the area around it is not pretentious at all. The restaurant is in a nondescript Santa Clara strip mall facing an alley. It's one of the last places you would expect a fine dining establishment. It feels like you're going to a speakeasy.

Inside the ambiance is modern yet homely. Deciding on what to eat is simple, there is a single menu with 4-5 courses that changes each month. When I went it was $79 for 4 courses with an excellent wine pairing for $47. There was also an optional extra course if you were really hungry.

Everything was exceptional from start to finish, including the service. I might just become a regular.

San Jose State University planning Campus Village 3 Towers

SJSU already has 40,000 students, staff, and faculty and many of those are now living in Downtown San Jose. Now the university is planning it's next steps in allowing as many people as possible to live close to the campus. This is a tremendous challenge given the insane cost of housing in Silicon Valley.

SJSU drafted a new master plan that would house 20% of full-time students on or near campus. They already made some big strides this year by converting the former Fairmont Annex to student housing. When walking around a couple weeks ago I noticed that the students were adding far more vibrancy to the area.

The next big step will be Campus Village 3. This project will add 1,000 beds in a 12-story residence hall along with dining commons and a welcome center. SJSU will also turn the Alquist site from a three-story building to a high-rise rental property for faculty and staff.

Now that SJSU is skyrocketing up college ranking, I'd only expect more pressure in the future to accommodate more students as the university moves away from a commuter-school stigma. SJSU's best days are yet to come.

Source: SVBJ

El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina

The Downtowner has a plug for El Cabron this week, which is one of Downtown San Jose's newer Mexican restaurants. It has a fun vibe and central location close to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Below is the description of the restaurant in the newsletter:

"Looking for great food, fantastic vibes, and a true taste of Downtown San Jose’s vibrant energy? El Cabron Cantina & Kitchen is the place to be! Known for its authentic Mexican cuisine, craft cocktails, and an atmosphere that buzzes with excitement, this lively spot has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

What sets El Cabron apart isn’t just its mouthwatering dishes—it’s the electric mix of fun, flavor, and community spirit. From casual diners to foodies seeking something special, everyone is welcomed with open arms, adding to the dynamic pulse of downtown.

Ready to experience it for yourself? Head over to El Cabron Cantina & Kitchen and see why it’s quickly becoming one of Downtown San Jose’s hottest spots. Whether you're looking to grab a bite or simply soak in the energy, this is the place to be!"

El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina is located at 155 W. San Fernando and open until 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Source: The Downtowner

Funny Face House and The Throw Ups playing at The Caravan

The Caravan in Downtown San Jose is hosting a night of weirdo art and loud rock and roll today featuring local San Jose artists: Funny Face House Lawnmower Band and the chaotic energy of The Throw Ups. It’s a free show, but bring a can of soup for their food drive, and they'll donate a box to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Come rock out for a cause and experience a night of wild live music.

The Caravan is located at 98 Almaden Avenue.