The Future of St. James Park

One of San Jose's most underutilized resources is St. James Park. It has such a great location and historical significance, yet it has become little more than a bastion for the homeless. The SJDA is doing their best to activate it with movies and yoga, but the park itself needs to change. This is especially needed with several high-density housing projects planned for the immediate area.

Now, plans to transform St. James into a modern flagship community amenity are coming together.

Below are illustrations of the new spaces that are being planned that will offer a variety of experiences. These includes a live music venue, children's park, dog park, and plenty of open spaces. All this while keeping the original trees, fountains, and statues. The ETA to see this to fruition is 2028. It sounds like an eternity, but this could be St. James Park in less than 5 years.

Source: SVBJ

Santa Clara Parks Summer Program

It's amazing that you can live someplace your entire life and still not have visited all of the local amenities. I have yet to visit the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, that is the last major museum in San Jose on my list.

Below is a visitor center in Coyote Creek that wasn't even on one of my lists--I never even knew it existed. It sounds like Coyote Creek Visitor Center has all sorts of family friendly activities throughout the summer and is located close to Anderson Lake. For the adults out there, I see quite a few wineries in the area as well.

Dates and times for the events are listed below, all ages are welcome and no reservations are needed. It looks like a neat place to visit with family even when no events are going on. The address is 19245 Malaguerra Ave, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (it's literally at the border of San Jose).

Father's Day in San Jose

As a new father, I was curious what sort of events were happening this weekend but I thought I would put a twist on a standard post. For the first time I would ask AI what's happening for Father's Day in San Jose and see exactly how good the results are. I tested both Google's Bard and ChatGPT, and this was the best result (ChatGPT):

"Father’s Day is a special day to celebrate fathers and father figures. San Jose offers many weekend events to celebrate Father’s Day and pay homage to dads everywhere in the Silicon Valley. From free admissions to auto shows and foodie brunch or dinner, there are a lot of fun things to do in San Jose on Father’s Day that are sure to bring on the smiles to their face and create lasting memories! 

Here is a list of fun events and things to do in San Jose on Father’s Day

• Father’s Day Car Show at Bernal Church: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19, 160 Bernal Road, San Jose. Celebrate Father’s Day at this spectacular car show complete with barbecue, live music.
• San Jose Giants vs. Modesto Nuts: 5 p.m. June 19, Excite Ballpark, 588 E. Alma Ave., San Jose.
• Father’s Day Brunch at The Fairmont San Jose: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19, The Fairmont San Jose, 170 S. Market St., San Jose.
• Father’s Day Brunch at the Winchester Mystery House: 10 a.m. to noon June 19, Winchester Mystery House, 525 S Winchester Blvd., San Jose.
• Father’s Day Brunch at the Tech Museum of Innovation: 10 a.m. to noon June 19, The Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 S Market St., San Jose."

Damn, that was actually pretty good! Could I push my luck and generate an image for this post using AI as well? The answer to that is... not really. The image below is entirely AI generated and is almost convincing until you realize it's not San Jose, something funky is happening with the streetlights, and what's up with everyone's arms? Is that a claw? Is the father grabbing the girl by the head? Oh, the humanity... On that note, Happy Father's Day =)

San Pedro Square 2.0

One of the best changes to San Pedro Square during the pandemic was closing San Pedro Street to foot traffic. This greatly expanded outdoor seating and helped the neighborhood come alive. Now just about every single restaurant space on the street is leased and there are some great new comers like Gyukaku, Serious Dumpling, and Dr. Funk.

The next step is to create a permanent outdoor dining zone and pedestrian area. Last month the City Council approved a design that would provide 20 feet on both sides of the street for restaurant seating with a pedestrian walkway in the very middle that is about 20 feet wide.

The project would take 2-3 years and cost about $9.5 million, but given it is one of the most vibrant parts of Downtown San Jose today I think that's well worth it.

New Speakeasy coming to San Jose!

Another speakeasy bar could be coming to center of Downtown San Jose! Based on the render it looks like the underground bar could have a second area hidden in an old bank vault. 

The location is exceptional as it's close to other nightlife and is a short walk from everything. You have MINIBOSS, Paper Plane, 55 South, Temple Bar, and Five Points within two blocks--not to mention the whole Qmunity district and new spots like Goodtime Bar and the excellent Fox Tale Fermentation Project.

Below is the description from the sign. You'll have to zoom in quite a bit to see the layout. What a great way to make use of an underground space!

Project Description: Conditional Use Permit to allow a bar with late night use until 2:00am in the basement of an existing commercial building on an approximately 0.28-gross acre site.

Source: jgordo32 from the San Jose Development Forum

Naglee Park PorchFest returns June 17th, 3-7pm

The Naglee Park PorchFest brought together the neighborhood during the pandemic and is now returning on June 17th. This event turns porches, driveways, and lawns into stages for bands. The Campus Community Association and Messenger events organizes the bands, food trucks, and bathrooms but the real party is being hosted by the neighbors of Naglee Park.

In it's inaugural year--Summer 2020--bands were loaded onto trucks and paraded through the neighborhood while neighbors watched on their lawn. This year they have grown to 10 bands in 10 different locations which you can find on the map below.

It all does down this Saturday from 3-7pm on 12-14th Streets just south of Santa Clara Street.

Viva CalleSJ - Downtown Westbound

Viva Calle SJ is back for it's 2nd event of 2023! Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, unicycle, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. 

Viva Calle Downtown Westbound features three activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This time the activity hubs will be at San Carlos, Roosevelt Park, and SoFA. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all four hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Up to 100,000 people attend this event, but it never feels crowded given how spread out it is.

Viva CalleSJ 2022 takes place on Sunday, June 11th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). There is no beginning or end and the traffic flows in both directions. It's completely free and you can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here.

Spirit Airlines begins flying from SJC today

Super low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has officially begun service from SJC's Terminal A. They are starting with two flights per day to Las Vegas, one to San Diego, and another to Dallas Fort Worth. Unfortunately these are all routes that are currently being served by other airlines at San Jose International, but the competition will help drive prices down.

Ironically, travelers on San Jose's lowest cost carrier will have easy access to airport lounges as both of them at SJC are in Terminal A--One by gate A8 and another on the way to Terminal B around gate A15. You can enter for free with Priority Pass or buy a day pass to enjoy a meal and cocktails before your flight.

Spirit flights start at only $39 each way, but there are many potential upcharges such as baggage, selecting a seat, and even overhead-bin access.

Source: SVBJ

South FIRST FRIDAY (+ SubZERO) - June 2023

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with multiple galleries (both permanent and temporary) 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, Natural Do Salon, 1Culture, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

In addition to FIRST FRIDAYS it is also the 14th Annual SubZERO Festival. This spans from 5pm-11pm and includes nonstop live music, a beer garden, food trucks, and hundreds of vendors. The events are related so come and enjoy them both at the same time!

It all goes down this Friday, June 2nd and continues on Saturday, June 3rd. 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 three different districts. Keep scrolling for SubZERO artists, musicians, and food trucks.

FEATURED ARTISTS

1Culture Gallery, Layla Aghaee, Alcala Designs, Rebecca Anguiano, Julie Barrett, Bay Area Glass Institute, Bay Maples Wild California Gardens, Purl Bailey (AKA Marilyn Roaf), The Blunt Letters, Bolo Vintage, Julianne Bonnet, Bungalow Glow Candle Co., Julie Cardenas + Sarah Mahoney, Classic Loot, Bre Contreras, Curious Shapes (Bryan Corbin), Crossroads Trading Co., Current Tattooing, Cypher Dance Company + K408, Nicolaus James Dalton, Jennifer DeChenne, Designs by Maureen, Eleventh Dimension Tattoo Arts (Ron Earhart , D-Rock, Michael Ascarie, Amber Joy) , Eraeon Designs, Ruben Escalante, Faded Visualz, Flow State Sound Healing & Arts,, Force129 + Betty Proper, Francisco Franco, Game Dev Club of SJSU, Cynthia Gonzalez, Heiko Greb, Hand in Hand Henna, Haptic Synapsis, Andrew Heine, Higher Fire Clay Space, House of Inanna Belly Dance Troupe, InterKinetic by SJSU CADRE, thejemalshow, Jodi408, La Madre Bruja, Lady of the Ocean Crafts, Land and Sky Fine Art, Trisha Leeper Productions, Rene Lorraine, Valentino Loyola + Inside Out Clothing, Luui Arts, Frankie Mcfly, Julianne McKay, Rayos Magos, Nicole Margaret, Laurus Myth, nizzotes, Ocelote Press (Jhovany De Ala), OaxaCali Studios (Dario Cruz + Steve Gonzalez), Tania Okay, Gianfranco Paolozzi + Emmanuel Cervantes-Mejía, Francisco Ramirez, Random Marks the Art of Doug Edwards, Joseph Richardson, Mason Roberts Artist, Rene Schilling-Sears, StageOne Creative Space, Suha Suha, Sujata Tibrewala, Eric Vasquez, VMGC Designs, Heylu Wheat

LIVE MUSIC

—> DAY 1: FIRST FRIDAY, JUNE 2nd

MAIN Stage

(South 1st St. btwn San Carlos & San Salvador St.)

with Stage Poet & Emcee “Mighty” Mike McGee

6:15pm Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival 

Unique brand of Rock & Roll called “Monster Garage Pop”

7:30pm Silent Pictures

A mix of beachy reverb-jangle, big choruses, swirling strings & more

8:45pm Hyperdrive Kittens

Punkabilly, Burlesque Pop Punk originals. #GlitterPunk

10:00pm O’Craven

High-charged Celtic Pirate Rock

BEER GARDEN Stage

(Located at the corner of S. 1st St. and William St.)

7:00-7:45pm In the Ponds (San Jose)

Instrumental post-rock with ambient vibes and a shot of heavy blues. 

With great music provided by Flipside Crew from 5-11pm

featuring Dougie, Jswizza, No Way Jose & Notorious P.I.G.

—> DAY 2: SATURDAY, JUNE 3rd

Main Stage:

(South 1st St. btwn San Carlos & San Salvador St.)

with Stage Poet & Emcee “Mighty” Mike McGee

6:15pm Mothers Against the Future

MATF is a 3 piece hard rock band that combines elements of grunge, punk, and friendship

7:30pm Dogcatcher

Combines elements of indie rock, soul music, and Americana.

8:45pm Mayya

Inspired by anyone who is unapologetically themselves and aspires to create a positive environment through her melodic, energetic music.

10:00pm The Trims

Indie/Dance/Post-Punk 

—> Beer Garden Stage:

(Located at the corner of S. 1st St. and William St.)7:00-7:45pm Swords of Fatima (Los Angeles)

Many worlds converge into their sound morphing your ideas of Rock or Punk

With great music provided by Flipside Crew from 5-11pm

featuring Dougie, Jswizza, No Way Jose & Notorious P.I.G. 

BEER GARDEN & FOOD TRUCKS

On Tap…

Camino Brewing Co.

Fox Tale Fermentation

21st Amendment Brewing

and more...

plus…

3 Brothers Kitchen

3 Hermanos Mexican Grill

Akita Gourmet Sushi

Chickn Bros.

Road Dogs

40th San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival

Get ready for the 40th San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival, the ultimate celebration of music, beer, and community on June 17th at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park! This year's festival is set to feature an amazing lineup of world-class blues musicians, including The Devon Allman Project featuring Larry McCray & Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie) “In the Spirit of the Allman Brothers”, Chris Cain Band, Diunna Greenleaf Band, and Andre Thierry & His Accordion Soul Music.

But that's not all - in addition to the incredible music, you can enjoy a wide selection of beers from over 40 craft breweries and delicious food options.

There’s $25 GA tickets and $85 VIP tickets that provide a seat in a shaded section located near the stage, along with exclusive access to a private bar and flushable toilets. Additionally, the package comes with two drink vouchers and a commemorative 40th San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival t-shirt.

Get your tickets now and visit fountainblues.com/festival for more information. Don't miss out on the 40th San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival!

Midtown Immersive Night Parties

Midtown San Jose is not typically an area where you see community events. The Abierto initiative is looking to change that with Midtown Immersive Night Parties. For the next four Fridays on a small tract of land in an industrial area you'll find Moveable Feast food trucks, a beer garden, a maker market, and live music.

This is a great way to discover a part of San Jose off the beaten path that is just minutes from Downtown San Jose and Santana Row. Again, it happens every Friday until June 16th from 5-9pm at 245 McEvoy Street. You don't need to RSVP, but you can to show your support over here.

SJMADE Fest May 20-21

This weekend SJMADE is hosting their Spring event at History Park. There will be over 300 vendors and several themed areas: Kitty Carnival with a kitten lounge; K-Pop Plaza featuring live performances; Maker Marketplace; Artist Avenue; and food trucks spread across Noddle Fest, Spicy Feast, and Sweets Street.

SJMADE Fest runs from 11am to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday. The first 1,000 people each day will get a door prize. For a full list of vendors and activities, head over here.

San Jose B-roll on The Good Doctor

San Jose has not gotten a lot of love in film. Sure there have been some scenes in movies like Mad City and Terminator 2 filmed in San Jose, but nothing that really paints San Jose in a positive light. However, there is one show on TV right now called The Good Doctor where the story takes place in San Jose (it's filmed in Vancouver) and it frequently uses B-roll of Downtown San Jose. Some of it is decent but I finally caught up with the show and they really outdid themselves in the Season 6 finale.

Around the 37 minute mark if you're watching on Hulu is the best b-roll I have ever seen of Downtown San Jose. They took some artistic liberties as the parking structure the scene takes place on does not exist and the sunset positioning is not accurate... but wow. This episode had nearly 4 million viewers and it made Downtown look stunning.

The San Jose Blog's 14th Anniversary

Time for a personal post! The past several years have been a rollercoaster ride. Both the ups and downs have made it challenging to post on the blog regularly. Fortunately the last two and a half years have been mostly ups. I travelled all around the world, met the love of my life (our first date was in Downtown San Jose), we got married, and as of literally a couple weeks ago we have a new addition to our family named Ava. 

After I get used to the sleep depravation, I promise that I will go back to posting more regularly. However, the lens with which I view San Jose will change to be a bit more family oriented. I'll be more likely to highlight the newest playground versus the hottest craft cocktail bar. 

I just want everyone to know that my heart is still in San Jose and I'll be committed to help promote our city even as my life circumstances change. Hopefully my daughter will appreciate San Jose as much as I do!

P.S. The San Jose Blog just got it's 5 millionth visit! Thank you to everyone that has supported the Blog over the years. Hat tip to Jennifer Bullock who sent Ava the onesie below!

South FIRST FRIDAY - May 2023

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with multiple galleries (both permanent and temporary) 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, Natural Do Salon, 1Culture, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

It all goes down this Friday, May 6th. 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 three different districts. 

Discounts for SJSU Students

Did you know that San Jose State University students have access to discounts at businesses throughout Downtown San Jose? Some examples are 25% off Nirvana Soul (one of the best coffee spots Downtown); 20% off Axe-Men Axe Throwing, Mezcal, Plantlush, and Sushi Confidential; or how about 15% off Hotel Clariana and WhyHotel. All you need to do is show your SJSU ID.

To see a full list of discounts, head to the San Jose Downtown Association SJSU page over here.

Viva CalleSJ Willow To Roses on April 23rd

Viva Calle SJ is one of San Jose's largest and most unique events. Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, unicycle, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. 

Viva Calle Willow To Roses features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year the activity hubs will be at San Jose State University, Downtown Willow Glen, and the Municipal Rose Garden. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all four hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Up to 100,000 people attend this event, but it never feels crowded given how spread out it is.

It's crazy to think that during this event it's feasible to walk from Downtown Willow Glen to Downtown San Jose, or vice versa since there is no beginning or end and the traffic flows in both directions. 

Viva CalleSJ 2022 takes place on Sunday, April 23rd from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and you can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

Bay Area's first Portugal Restaurant Week! April 17th - April 24th

As a Portuguese-American it used to be a huge challenge to even find Portuguese food at restaurants in the Bay Area. Once Sousa's Restaurant (Azorean Portuguese) on Santa Clara Street closed down, there wasn't a single proper sit-down Portuguese restaurant in San Jose.

Fast forward to today and it's a different story. The first and only Michelin Star restaurant in San Jose and the only Portuguese restaurant with a star in the United States is ADEGA--coincidentally in the same East San Jose retail spot as Sousa's used to be. One of the hottest Downtown San Jose restaurants is Petiscos. Then you have Uma Case in SF, LaSalette in Sonoma, and Tasca Tasca also in Sonoma. There are also outstanding Portuguese-influenced restaurants popping up like Broma in Mountain View (with a Michelin Star chef from Chez TJ).

A celebration of these restaurants kicks off today with the Bay Area's first-ever Portugal Restaurant Week. Special discounted multi-course menus will be available at Adega, Petiscos, Uma Casa, La Salete, and Tasca Tasca. Now's the time if you have yet to experience Portuguese food, which is best served family-style with wide varieties of things to try. You can't go wrong with any of the five options, but please support our San Jose restaurants so they stick around for a long, long time. 

For more info and menus, head over to the Portugal Week site over here! The event only runs until April 24th.

April 2023 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Read the APRIL 2023 Downtown Dimension
 
This month's highlights:

• SJDA's Street Life team plans to take strategic action that brightens downtown streets with enhanced lighting features meant to appeal to pedestrians, help them feel more comfortable and connect the more active parts of downtown that already exhibit nighttime vibrancy.
• Spirits are high as downtown's outdoor event season opens this month in San Jose with Viva Calle on April 23 and MACLA Family Art Day / SoFA Street Fair doubling up on April 30.
• Five ideas that would contribute to downtown's revitalization are winding their way through the City's budget process for Fiscal Year 2023-24, which begins in July.
• Brenda Zendejas assists with Business Resiliency in Downtown and Alum Rock areas.
• Javier Montoya becomes Groundwerx's first full-time painter.
• Hula Bar and Kitchen, which made its name with food trucks and as stadium food vendors, has opened its first full-time locations on East Santa Clara Street.

South FIRST FRIDAY - April 2023

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with multiple galleries (both permanent and temporary) 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, Natural Do Salon, 1Culture, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

One special stop on the art crawl I'd like to highlight this month is Opera San Jose. They are celebrating the launch of Puccini's Tosca and will have a rare sneak peek at rehearsals during South FIRST FRIDAYS! Performances will take place at 5:45pm, 6:45pm, and 7:45pm.

It all goes down this Friday, April 7th. 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 three different districts. 

SJSU planning massive housing project

San Jose State University is about to embark on part 3 of their "Campus Village" projects. This would replace the Washburn Hall and Joe West Hall dorms with two new towers that would have 1,007 student beds, a dining hall for up to 900 students, and a new SJSU welcome center. The University is still raising funding for the project--which will cost a whopping $334M. 

However, this isn't the only San Jose State housing project on the horizon. A 24-story residential tower for up to 1,000 residents (most of which will be SJSU grad students, faculty, and staff) is being planned next to the Hammer Theater. This project is called the Alquist and it will clock in at $750 million.

If all goes well, both projects should be complete in 2027.

Source: SVBJ

Valley Fair is expanding and hitting records

After investing over $1 billion in greatly increasing the square footage of Valley Fair, disaster struck with the COVID pandemic. While many shopping centers are still struggling, Valley Fair is currently hitting its stride with record numbers of visitors and retail activity. Foot traffic and retail sales are both way beyond pre-COVID days.

The recent additions of a flagship Bloomingdale's, Eataly, Showplace ICON cinema, a new Apple Store, and an outdoor upscale dining district were tremendous successes. However, there is already a long list of new retailers coming to Valley Fair in 2023.

Coming up is Bowlero, which has bowling and billiards. It also features several bars and a full menu. There are 3 other locations (South SJ, Cupertino, and Milpitas).

You have a new Escape Game venue coming, one of my favorite things to do with friends and/or coworkers.

For food options, you have Marugame Udon, Killiney Kopitiam (Singaporean cuisine), and the first Northern Californian Baekjeong Korean BBQ. 

Last but not least, if you can afford Swiss watches that cost as much as a car then you'll be happy to hear Vacheron Constantin as the next major retailor coming to San Jose. This will be the 3rd Californian location (the other two are Palo Alto and SF). Also on the retail side you have expansions of Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Marc Jacobs.

The diversity of what is being added to Valley Fair is impressive--it's going far beyond a typical mall. Now if only we could get mass transit and a better linkage to Santana Row.

Source: The Mercury News

Downtown getting another food hall! (Updated 4/18/23)

Downtown San Jose could one day become the mecca of food halls. It all started with the San Pedro Square Market which deserves much of the credit for revitalizing Downtown. To this day it is a top destination for locals and visitors alike. Wrapping a vibrant food, bar, and music scene around San Jose's oldest historic home was brilliant. Then came the SoFA market, which is smaller but also has a selection of excellent eateries (including my go-to spot for uni handrolls). Thirdly is the Littlest Little Italy... more on that in a separate post. Now, there is a fourth (!) food hall being proposed by an Uber co-founder.

The plan is to turn a historic late 19th-century building at the corner of Santa Clara and 3rd and turn it into a food hall with 26 kitchens. You might know this as the old Hank Coco Downtown Furniture corner, which is a key space right in the center of Downtown San Jose.

The entire ground floor would be utilized for the project. This would make it larger than the SoFA Market but slightly smaller than the San Pedro Square Market. Also part of the plan is a 1,000 SQFT dine-in restaurant and a coffee bar.

Exciting times ahead for San Jose foodies!

Source: The Merc

4/18/23 Update:

Unfortunately it looks as if the kitchens will not be publicly accessible and they will be used as ghost kitchens for delivery services. The dine-in restaurant is where you can order food from any of the kitchens, but it is a very small space. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Hat tip to Kelly Snider for sending in these corrections.

New Sprouts Farmer's Market opening near Downtown

At the San Jose Market Center on Coleman, a new Sprouts is taking over the space formerly occupied by Office Depot at the edge of Downtown San Jose. The center is currently anchored by Target, World Market, and a Trader Joe's. So this would be the 4th store with groceries in the shopping center.

The new Sprouts will clock in at 20,767 SQFT and will be the 5th location in San Jose. 

While I'm always happy to see more grocery options close to our Downtown core, I can't help but to think that the old "The Market by Safeway" space at the bottom of The 88 would have been perfect for Sprouts. That spot was 24,000 SQFT and right in the middle of a growing population looking for grocery options within walking distance. Beggars can't be choosers, so I'll still chalk this up as a win. 

Source: SVBJ

SanJose2030 Man on the Street Ep1

Our friend and fellow San Jose-enthusiast David Manzo from Bejaw Productions has started a new YouTube series to document the many changes Downtown San Jose will experience through 2030. 

In his inaugural video, he takes us through the Alameda, Downtown West, and ends with a very cool time lapse deconstruction of the old Poor House Bistro as well as a tour of its new home at Little Italy San Jose. While it's sad to see the original Poor House shut down to make way for Google, the new location is going to be amazing and will help Little Italy thrive!

Check out the video below or over here.

2023 Silicon Valley Index

The Joint Venture Silicon Valley Index has been providing insights on our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for over 25 years. It provides an honest and holistic view of life in Silicon Valley.

You can download the 2023 Silicon Valley Index over here.

Below are some of the key findings:

• The region continued battling surges, but the COVID death rate per capita declined in 2022.
• COVID-19 dropped to Silicon Valley’s sixth leading cause of death in 2022, down from third in 2021.
• The region recovered from pandemic job losses by April 2022. Unemployment hit an historic low. Tech is becoming more highly concentrated.
• Silicon Valley added 88,000 jobs between mid-2021 and mid-2022, a growth rate of 5.4%. An estimated 22,000 jobs were added in the second half of the year. The 30 largest firms account for 42 % of tech employment (19 % are at Google, Apple, and Meta alone).
• The rise and fall of the stock market drove large shifts in venture funding and IPOs.
• Pandemic-period stock market gains of nearly $9 trillion proved transitory as the market tumbled in 2022. Half of all venture capital flowing to Silicon Valley or San Francisco companies was in the form of megadeals ($24.7 billion spread across 116 megadeals).
• Demand for commercial space is tempered by remote work, but specialized R&D space is hot.
• Though remote work is shifting the dynamic, leasing activity remained strong throughout 2022. While there was a 45% increase in the number of lease agreements, the average amount of space per lease has sharply declined.
• Remote work is increasing, creating extra capacity on roadways and decimating public transit.
• The share of remote workers grew to 35% in 2022, up from 28% in 2021. Private commuter shuttles are being put out of service. Caltrain ridership fell to 4,100 daily riders, down from 67,000 (-92%). BART recovered 35% of its pre-pandemic riders.
• Silicon Valley’s population is declining; the share of young people is also falling.
• Silicon Valley’s population declined by 38,900 residents between mid-2020 and mid-2021, the highest figure ever recorded. The decline was due to a 74% rise in domestic outmigration, a reversal of the net flow of foreign immigrants (-103 %), declining birth rates, and rising death rates.
• The pandemic and patterns of outmigration haven’t affected soaring home prices
• Silicon Valley’s high home prices rose 7% in 2022, reaching a record-breaking median price of $1.53 million. The share of first-time homebuyers who can afford a median priced home fell to 27% and is as low as 14% for the region’s Black or African Americans and Hispanic or Latino residents.
• Inflation outpaced income gains; assistance programs scale upwards
• Increases in the regional Consumer Price Index since 2019 outpaced household income gains, resulting in a $550 decline in median household income in 2021. Childcare costs rose twice as quickly as the regional inflation rate since 2010 (+85%). Average wages vary significantly across racial and ethnic groups, with the largest disparity between Hispanic or Latino and White, not Hispanic or Latino residents.
• Silicon Valley has the nation’s largest gaps, and they are increasing.
• For the first time ever, ultra-high net worth households are included in regional wealth data. Through this lens, inequality is even more stark, with the top 0.001% of Silicon Valley’s households holding more wealth than the nearly 500,000 households in the bottom 50%.
• In 2022 the top 10 % of Silicon Valley households hold 66% of the wealth; eight Silicon Valley households residents hold more wealth than that of the bottom 50% combined (nearly half a million households).
• While income inequality was lessening in the state and nation (down 1 and 3%) it rose in Silicon Valley by 5% in 2021.
• 28% of Silicon Valley households are below income-adequacy; those households include 42% of the region’s children. 42% of children in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties live in households that are not self-sufficient; the most influential factor for these households is the cost of childcare.
• Income adequacy varies significantly by race and ethnicity. Among those most likely to live below Self-Sufficiency Standards are Hispanic or Latino non-citizens and those with limited English.