New Year's Eve in San Jose

Hope you all have a fun and safe end to 2024! If you are still looking for things to do, there are some last minute suggestions over here.

Top San Jose Blog posts of 2024

Below are the most popular posts on The San Jose Blog this year. The general theme appears to be food🍔!

#1 Santana Row has a Speakeasy now! (April 12)

#2 Raising Cane's is opening their first San Jose location in Evergreen (Feb 4) 

#3 San Jose's fanciest movie theater shuts down (July 12)

#4 Campus Burgers will offer $2 Hamburgers and $3 Cheeseburgers in Downtown San Jose (Apr 28)

#5 Augustine will be Santana Row's newest high-end restaurant (Oct 17)

New Year's resolutions in San Jose

It's almost that time and SJ Today has some great food for thought on how to achieve your New Year's resolutions in San Jose. They list out ideas for everything from spending more quality time with your family to getting active and nurturing creativity. Check it out at the source link below.

Source: SJ Today

Noon Year's Eve at Happy Hollow

There are not a lot of kid-friendly options for New Year's Eve, but there is one great one at San Jose's Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. They are doing a "Noon Year's Eve" with a countdown to noon instead of midnight on December 31st.

The early New Year celebrations runs from 11am to 1:30pm and includes games, crafts, activities, a ventriloquist magic show, and scavenger hunt. As expected, the countdown and ball drop happen at just before noon. It's a great family-friendly event that everyone can participate in.

For more info, head over here.

San Jose is getting another unique cocktail bar - BitterBuck!

A couple legends from the San Jose craft cocktail scene are opening up a new bar in Downtown San Jose with a very unique menu. Cache Bouren and Tomoyo Yoshinaga come from Single Barrel (which I still think is the best bar to ever exist in the Bay Area), it's spiritual successor Haberdasher, and Cash Only.

The new bar will be called BitterBuck and it's going to be unique in several different ways. First, the menu will be focused on amaro-centric drinks. Amaro is a bitter Italian herbal liquor that is used in complex and interesting drinks. There won't be any lemon and lime juice, forcing people to order different kinds of drinks than their usual favorites. Hopefully this will let them discover new drinks in this highly-specialized bar.

BitterBuck's second interesting twist is that will be open at 7am every single day. They will also specialize in pour-over coffee and cold brew and then transition to alcohol later in the day. This is common in Europe where the same space can serve as both a cafe and bar. It makes a lot of sense, many coffee shops open and close early while bars stay open late. This helps distribute sunk costs like rent across more hours of operation.

Thirdly, and this is where it gets crazy, the bar will have "whimsical taxidermy" incorporated into the ambiance. The interior will feature weathered brick, dark wood, green booths, historical photos and artwork, and yes--taxidermy. The vibe will be unique for sure.

BitterBuck will also have a small kitchen with a limited menu similar to a wine bar. Food will be seasonal and chef-driven.

The goal is to open by February at 30 Fountain Alley #170, which is next to the excellent Goodtime Bar and Scratch Cookery. I can't wait!

Source: SVBJ

STEM job growth in San Jose outpaces other cities

San Jose already has more STEM jobs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) than most other cities in the world, both in terms of quantity and percentage of jobs. For the United States, San Jose has the highest concentration of STEM jobs by far. Now in the STEMdex, San Jose has further grown the number of STEM jobs by 2% between 2019 and 2023.

Salaries for STEM jobs average $112,800, nearly double non-STEM jobs. Part of the growth driver is AI (and yes the image below was created by AI, thanks Grok!), which is significantly increasing labor productivity and demand for employees with AI experience. Within the subset of STEM, generative AI jobs rose 750% between April 2022 and April 2024.

Source: SVBJ

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We hope that you and your family have the best holidays this year!

If you feel like driving through neighborhoods to find the best decorated homes in San Jose, there is a handy website for that over here. Some of the homes have been featured on TV shows and even have light shows synced to music.

Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅

Nvidia will partner with San Jose on AI as well as expand office presence in our city

As a nice little Christmas present, one of the largest and fastest growing AI companies in the world has signed a MOU to partner with the city of San Jose and SJSU. 

Nvidia will work with San Jose State University to create school programs to prepare San Jose students to enter the workforce with AI skills. Nvidia already has AI training programs at every skill level, and they would provide these to educators along with a certification path.

The city of San Jose is also looking to Nvidia for help in streamlining regulatory approvals for AI initiatives. They will offer city facilities to support AI research and development. In return, Nvidia will provide some of it's training resources related to AI to San Jose.

By leaning into the future, this is an excellent strategy to ensure San Jose will stay at the forefront of tech in years to come.

However, there is more. The icing on the cake is that Nvidia has also leased 100,000 SQFT in North San Jose (300 Holger Way). This will bring more high-paying tech jobs and tax dollars to our city. Nvidia is on a roll right now with a market cap of $3.3 trillion (with a "T") and are finding themselves in desperate need for more office space. This is an area where San Jose can gladly help out.

Source: SVBJ, The Mercury News

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