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