Park Avenue in Downtown San Jose is reopening

The massive 200 Park Avenue office tower is pretty much complete, and that means that Park Avenue between Market Street and Almaden can reopen. However, this street got a major facelift with new pedestrian improvements, bike lanes, and bioswales (organic channels or trenches that collect rainwater runoff and filter out pollutants).

200 Park is 19-stories above ground and has four levels of underground parking. There is a total of 840,000 SQFT of office space, 26,000 SQFT of outdoor terraces, and 2,000 SQFT of retail. Each floor of office space is a whopping 54,000 SQFT... it's massive.

Park Avenue won't be open indefinitely as other high-rise projects are planned for City View Plaza across the street from 200 Park. Eventually that entire block will be torn down and replaced with three large interconnected buildings that could add another 3.8 million SQFT of office space to Downtown San Jose. The timing might not be great for that project today, but in the future when funding and demand allow... it will make for a very large tech campus in a great location.

Source: Downtown Dimension

Future CityView Plaza Proposal

Robot shuttles coming to San Jose, SJC and beyond

Autonomous transportation is a lot closer than most people think. It's coming in two forms: multi-purpose where autonomous cars are sharing the road with non-autonomous vehicles (Waymo, Cruise, Tesla FSD) and via dedicated pathways (Las Vegas Loop, autonomous trains/pods). 

San Jose has been struggling with how to connect SJC to Downtown San Jose's Diridon transit center just three miles away, which is destined to become the Grand Central of the West Coast. Plans have been brewing for more than 20 years, and tax dollars have already been collected. Finally, a solution has been approved using a local startup specializing in AVs (Autonomous Vehicles) called Glydways.

These autonomous pods can go up to 31 miles per hour, so they would take about 8 minutes to go from Downtown San Jose to SJC via a dedicated and potentially grade-separated path. Today the ride takes about 30 minutes on local buses. The vehicles themselves carry up to four passengers plus their luggage and are wheelchair accessible. 

The initial route would go between Diridon and Terminal B, with plans to potentially include Terminal A, nearby parking, and other future destinations in Midtown/Uptown San Jose like Valley Fair. Phase 1 would have 200 autonomous pods.

This would be a public/private partnership with the city taking on some costs and an investment group (Plenary) taking another portion. The investors would recoup their investment by charging a fee on each ride. 

The model sounds very similar to the Las Vegas Loop, which will actually be almost entirely funded privately except for a fare-less section at the Las Vegas Convention Center. That project will eventually have over 80 stations serviced by autonomous pods larger in size than what Gyldways is planning. Unfortunately, the Boring Company never responded to San Jose's RFI.

Now for the real bad news. The Glydways project is not expected to get underway until 2028 and could take years to complete--a timeline that may render the whole system obsolete by the time it arrives given how quickly transportation solutions are changing. 

We are already pouring billions into systems that are decades old (Light Rail and BART) so it's critical that this next step is something that will be scalable and move the needle on San Jose transportation for the decades to come. Hopefully there is some way to get this project going much sooner and with flexibility to incorporate innovation as the project is in motion.

Source: SiliconValley.com

List of major Downtown San Jose projects under development

After many years of relatively generic proposals for Downtown San Jose throughout the early 2000s and 2010s, we are starting to see some bolder proposals that better reflect the diversity and uniqueness of Silicon Valley. 

I especially love projects that combine historic buildings with newer elements above or beside the original building, like what Bayview Development is doing at 150 E. Santa Clara.

For more details on each of these projects, hit the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

33 S. Montgomery St. (1.2 million SQF office, retail, and restaurants)

150 E. Santa Clara (75,285 SQFT Office + Retail)

The Terraine (319-unit residential, 12,263 SQFT of retail)

The Mark (Housing for 1,000 students)

Woz Way (1 million SQFT office, 10,100 SQFT retail)

Levi's Stadium is hosting Super Bowl 60

Our neighbors at Santa Clara will once again be hosting the Super Bowl in 2026. Only two other Super Bowls have been hosted in the Bay Area. Super bowl 19 where the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins at Stanford Stadium and Super Bowl 50, Levi's Stadium first Super Bowl. 

2026 is going to be a huge year for Levi's Stadium as they will also be hosting FIFA World Cup matches. The 49ers are planning to borrow $125 million from the NFL for stadium upgrades to prepare for these big events.

The biggest winner of Super Bowl LX (60) is likely going to be San Jose. There will be a huge economic boost including events, hotel bookings, and visitors flying into SJC. These will come without any sort of subsidy, liability, or major risks which will mostly be shouldered by Santa Clara (there is a lot of economic upside for them as well). 

Given the current issues San Francisco is facing with crime, homelessness, and the general logistics of it being an hour or two away with traffic--I think San Jose will end up with more of the planned events surrounding the Super Bowl than the last time around. 

Source: SVBJ

The Alameda District in San Jose

SJ Today has a great guide for a 200-year old San Jose neighborhood laden with history and culture. You can find some great eateries here, including the Michelin-rated Luna Mexican Kitchen. Perhaps you could grab a drink at Hop & Vine or learn how to be an artist at Art Boutiki. Hit the link below for the history of The Alameda and a list of fun things to do there.

Source: SJ Today

Italian Family Festa this weekend at History Park San Jose

The 41st Italian Family Festa returns this weekend at History Park. There will be delicious Italian foods, live entertainment, culinary demos, five wineries, arts and crafts, a street dance, grape stomping, and even a re-enactment of a Roman encampment complete with Italian sword fighting. 

The event will run from 11am to 8pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday at History Park San Jose (1650 Senter Road). Admission is free and all ages are welcome. For more info and a full schedule of events, head over here.

More homes to replace surface parking near Roosevelt Park

213 homes are being planned at the corner of North 17th Street and East St. John Street, right on the outskirts of Downtown San Jose in the Julian-St. James neighborhood. 113 of the units are affordable family-oriented apartments, 64 would be dedicated to seniors, and 36 will be for-sale townhomes offered at affordable prices.

The family apartments will have 8,300 SQFT of amenities and an open-space courtyard while the senior apartments would have 10,400 SQFT of amenity space and a courtyard of their own. The townhomes will have a paseo running through them.

The project includes an 80-year old building that served as IBM's first operations on the West Coast. The developers are looking to somehow incorporate that building into the project.

Source: The Merc

Monopoly: San Jose Edition

Did you know San Jose has the largest Monopoly board in the world? You can find it at Discovery Meadow near the Children's Discovery Museum and for $300 you can rent it for a private party. The 3-hour game even uses giant game pieces and dice. 

Now we're getting a normal size version of the game, but with a San Jose twist. The makers of Monopoly are creating a San Jose Edition of the game where all 38 spots on the board will represent local areas. You can submit ideas for the 22 property spots at sanjose@toptrumps.com. So if it's always been your dream to own both Santana Row and Valley Fair and add a couple hotels to them, this will be your chance.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose dethrones New York as most expensive rental market

Cheers to awards we don't want to win! In June the San Jose metro became the most expensive place to rent a home in the United States--beating out both New York and San Francisco. The median rent for a typical apartment, condo, or single family home in San Jose hit a staggering $3,411 per month. This just edged out the notoriously expensive New York Metro, which came in at $3,405.

Third place on the list was also a surprise. San Diego surpassed our neighbor up north with a median rent of $3,175/mo. San Francisco was fourth at $3,168 and Boston rounded out the top five at $3,045.

Source: TheRealDeal, Discophil from Skyscraper City

25-story apartment tower proposed for Downtown San Jose

An environmental impact report was filed recently for an infill high rise building at 439 South 4th Street. The property is only half an acre and currently has an aging three-story apartment building and detached single family home.

The proposed tower is 274-feet tall, 25-stories, and will have 1,500 SQFT of retail and five stories of parking. The parking will take up the majority of the basement and first four floors and allow for 168 cars and 70 bicycles.

Most of the 210 apartments appear to be three bedrooms, so they are likely targeting SJSU students similar to The Grad. There also appears to be a community room, dog park, fitness center, and pool deck.

If this moves forward, construction will take about two years after groundbreaking.

Source: SF YIMBY

100 Things To Do In San Jose Before You Die - 2nd Edition

Welcome to the blog post that has stayed in "draft" the longest. I started writing this right as COVID had just started to spread and decided to table it until the pandemic was over. Then last year, life got crazy... so this has been in draft for over three years!

Five Eight years ago I read the first edition of Susannah Greenwood's "100 Things To Do in San Jose Before You Die." As a hardcore San Jose aficionado, I was shocked (and delighted) that I had only done 54 out of the 100 things to do in the book. There is so much to do and see in San Jose.

25% of the entries on the second edition are new, and the rest have been updates with extended tips. I have used the book as sort of a checklist to see how many I can do. The answer is 52. In the 2nd Edition I have been able to do 52/100.

Some of the new entries include:

• Hiking Mount Umunhum
• Having a picnic at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
• Bike, Blade, and Board at Viva CalleSJ
• Letting your taste buds travel with a Little Ethiopian in Little Ethiopia
• Indulge at Adega (I think this will be updated for the 3rd Edition)
• Pair farm-fresh food with gorgeous valley views at the Mount Hamilton GrandView Restaurant
• Celebrating the geekiest week of the year with Star Wars Day and Free Comic Book Day

...and many, many more. It's a great book and still very relevant, especially if you want to get the most out of the beautiful place where you live and uncover as many hidden gems and fun attractions as possible in your own home. San Jose is one of the most underrated cities in the United States, and this book will help explain why.

If I haven't been super clear, I highly recommend the 2nd edition (even if you have the first). You can get the book in paperback or Kindle form over here.

"In sitting down to revise the book, I thought a lot about San Jose, how it has and continues to change, as well as what a successful travel experience for me personally constitutes. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to 6 continents and I examined what my favorite places were and why they ranked so. Certainly natural beauty, history, cultural offerings and great weather all play a part in connecting one to a destination and creating a positive travel memory, but what it really comes down to for me, are the people. That is the x factor. The people you meet, at least in my experience, can leave as much of a lasting impression in many cases as the food or the views or the activities you engage in. The people you meet have the power to transform a moment into a story and create a shared experience that extends its impact well after you’ve returned home. In short; conversations create connection and that connection is ripe for the picking in San Jose.

They say it’s not about the destination - it’s the journey, but I think San Jose truly proves they’re both very much intertwined. The featured places and events in the book were especially selected to not only represent our culture and highlight our tremendous natural landscape, but to underscore our strong sense of community. Each of the entries certainly qualifies as a stand-alone adventure, but each of them also strives to put the participant directly in the path of our cities most magical asset; San Joseans. These are the places you’re most likely to strike up that all important conversation with the most passionate and knowledgeable secret tour guides, each genuinely eager to enhance and elevate your experience with additional history, tidbits, and previously undocumented advice. It’s less of a guide to physical places perhaps as it is a curation of potential conversations by which one can better understand and enjoy our awesome City.

Whether you're a first time visitor to this biggest little city in the heart of Silicon Valley, a regular traveler to the area, or a local this 2nd edition is a great catalyst to exploring what makes San Jose tick and getting to know the authentic San Jose." -Susannah Greenwood

South FIRST FRIDAY (+ STREET MRKT - August 2023)

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with multiple galleries open from at least 5-10pm. 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 a STREET MRKT featuring over 50 artists a beer/fermentation garden, music, and food trucks.

It all goes down this Friday, August 4th. 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 three different districts. Keep scrolling for a list of artists and food trucks.

Hollywood by Fuquan Divine

South FIRST FRIDAYS presents:

STREET MRKT an indie urban art faire 
5pm–10pm, free admission (spend it with the Artists!).
So. 1st St. between San Carlos & William streets

50 talented artists gather together out on So. 1st St. transforming the SoFA District into a lively outdoor gallery for the evening. We’ll have stunning paintings, unique sculptures, mesmerizing jewelry, chic fashion and even on the spot experiences like custom poems and crystal bowl sound baths. Support our amazing artists and help our local art scene thrive!

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Soloman Acosta
Rebecca Anguiano 
Art of Joseph Richardson 
Purl Bailey (AKA Marilyn Roaf)
Bay Area Glass Institute 
The Blunt Letters / Elle and Micaela
Bolo Vintage
Julianne Bonnet 
Bungalow Glow Candle Co. 
Arely Cardenas
Emmanuel Cervantes-Mejía + Michael Rogan 
Curious Shapes / Bryan Corbin
Crossroads Trading Co.
OaxaCali Studios  / Dario Cruz & Steve Gonzalez
Current Tattooing 
Jennifer DeChenne
Sharon Diebert
Designs by Maureen
Lorenz Dumuk 
Flow State Sound Healing & Arts / Lailani Africa
Force129 & Betty Proper 
Jodi408
Faded Visualz 
Cynthia Gonzalez
Ali Hall 
Hand in Hand Henna 
Ken Harmount
Sydney Hessel 
Higher Fire Clay Space 
KNS Beauty Essentials
Land and Sky Fine Art / Joe Mandrick
The Local Creatives Show by StageOne
Luui Arts /Nhi Nguyen
Frankie Mcfly
Julianne McKay
La Madre Bruja
Ocelote Press / Jhovany De Ala
Jean -Luc Pedanou
Tania Okay + Lotte Van De Walle
Leslie Perez Jewelry
Francisco Ramirez
Random Marks- the Art of Doug Edwards
Mason Roberts Artist
Rene Schilling Sears
South Bay Ceramics
Suha Suha
Eric Vasquez
VG Designs
Heylu Wheat 

Flipside Crew DJs in the beer garden, plus delicious food trucks!

BEER GARDEN & FOOD TRUCKS

On Tap…
Clandestine Brewing
Fox Tale Fermentation
and more...

plus…

3 Brothers Kitchen
3 Hermanos Mexican Grill
Akita Gourmet Sushi
Chickn Bros.

San Jose has the largest share of Vietnamese restaurants in the country and exciting projects to come

I believe San Jose has the largest Vietnamese community of any city in the US. At the County-level, it is only second to Orange County down south. However, despite having a slightly smaller Vietnamese population than Orange County (180k vs. 120k in here), Silicon Valley has the highest concentration of Vietnamese restaurants in the US. 6% of all restaurants in Santa Clara County are Vietnamese, featuring some of my favorite foods like pho, banh mi, and other delicacies.

SJ Today has great guides for both the top Pho and Banh Mi shops in San Jose. There are also lots of other types of restaurants featuring spicy Bun Bo Hue and Nuoc Mia (sugarcane juice) that you can find throughout San Jose.

The strength of the Vietnamese community here is one of the reasons why there is a proposal on the table to build a 260,000 SQFT Vietnamese indoor market modeled after a Ho Chi Minh City landmark (image below) where Sears used to be in Eastridge. It would be called Hello Ben Thanh Indoor Market and would have a combination of retail stores, massive food courts with as many as 50 booths, an entertainment center, and banquet hall. The project would take over both floors of the old Sears building. Think of it as a Vietnamese version of Eataly that will be accessible from both inside and outside the mall.

There is no formal ETA, but the developer Intelli has already secured the space for $24.8 million.

Source: The Merc, NextShark

First look at electrified Caltrain trains

Just yesterday thousands of train enthusiasts got a sneak peak at Caltrain's upcoming electric fleet at Diridon Station.

75% of Caltrain's diesel trains will be replaced with brand new emission-free electric trains. These also have upgraded features like digital displays with real-time trip info, free Wifi, power at every seat, and two bike cars per train that can fit up to 72 bikes. Each train will have seven two-story cars.

Work on this project started in 2017 and the electric trains should be fully operational sometime next year.

Source: SF Standard

Wedding venues in San Jose

SJ Today has a great guide on wedding venues in San Jose. It takes a quirky kind of couple to consider the Winchester Mystery House, but that is one of the options on the list. See their recommendations over here.

Old Fry's HQ will become a giant office campus

The shuttered Mayan-themed Fry's store and previous Fry's HQ on Brokaw Road are destined to become a seven-building tech campus. Combined, they will add another 2 million SQFT of office space to North San Jose. 

However, don't expect to see this completed anytime soon. The developer is planning to build the project in four phases over a decade and won't even begin construction until 2024 at the soonest.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose's secret hotel

There is a secret hotel hiding in plain sight right across from City Hall. It's called the WhyHotel by Placemakr and it takes up a chunk of MIRO Towers. I believe at some point MIRO struggled to lease all of their apartments, so they partnered with Placemakr to create sort of a hybrid between a hotel and Airbnb.

Since these are technically luxury apartments, all rooms have kitchens and are at least 592 SQFT. The largest room is a 2 bedroom 2 bath for up to 4 people at 1,227 SQFT. Prices are generally the same or less than hotels in the area but you get a ton more space and the convenience of a kitchen and in-unit laundry. 

I'm not aware of any hotels Downtown that have two-bedroom suites as a readily available option (outside of some rare and very expensive Presidential suites). So if you are staying with a larger group of family and friends and don't want multiple rooms, this is likely your best option. If you're curious about what it would be like to live in Downtown San Jose, it's also a nice way to do a test run for a week or so.

Some other perks include a modern fitness center, yoga studio, and private dog park. I'm not sure how long this hotel will be around, so if you're interested here is the link.

San Jose is getting a new pro-sports team!

Soccer continues to get more and more popular in the US. In fact, the US has won the past two women's World Cups and are off to a great start this year.

Bay FC will call San Jose home during the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2024. They'll be sharing PayPal Park with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Bay FC will invest more than $3M in a 3,600 SQFT facility adjacent to the stadium for the team's locker room, offices, and training facilities.

Stadium capacity is 18,000 and PayPal park has the largest outdoor bar in North America, a 2-acre fan zone, and a variety of suites and club seats. It's easily one of the nicest soccer-specific stadiums in the US.

For tickets to the inaugural season and to learn more, check out the Bay FC website over here. I'll also permanently add a link to the right under Pro Sports teams.

Santa Clara County Fair

The Santa Clara County Fair is back with a vengeance today after a COVID-related hiatus. Instead of running for three or four days, it will do a full 10-day run for the first time in 25+ years.

Today there will be a VIP ribbon cutting around 2:30pm followed by a 7pm parade. Each day there will be entertainment such as live music, magic, and even a hypnotist. The list of events and exhibits are too long to mention, so check out the full schedule and get tickets over here.

Source: The Merc

Platform 16 project is now well underway

While there is still quite a bit of vacant office space in the Bay Area, that is not stopping developers from working on flagship projects. Platform 16 is across the street from the San Jose Market Center on Coleman and just a couple of blocks away from the SAP Center and Diridon Station. When Google resumes their new campus, it will be in the neighborhood as well.

As you can see in the 2nd image below, foundation work is nearly complete and soon you'll see the 1.1 million SQFT office project rising up. With companies fleeing SF, Downtown San Jose provides an urban environment that also has suburban amenities closeby. It should be very attractive to companies that want to cater both to young workers and those with families.

Source: SF YIMBY

Valley Fair to become the largest luxury watch retail site in the country

Valley Fair already has a huge list of over-the-top watch stores where you can buy timepieces that cost as much as Teslas. These include IWC Schaffhausen, Panerai, Jaeger LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin. If you haven't heard of any of those (like myself) they they are probably out of your budget. 

CH Premier Jewelers is planning to build a 16,000 SQFT multi-brand flagship store that will have several different watch boutiques. These would be brands like Patek Philippe, Omega, Blancpain, and Breguet & Piaget. This sounds almost like a department store for watches that should come with free Dom Pérignon and caviar while you're shopping--and perhaps they will off that. New 2023 Patek Philippe watches sell for up to $9,000,000. I had to count zeroes, but yes that is correct.

The new addition will make Valley Fair the top destination in the US for ultra-luxury watches.

Source: Silicon Valley Joe from the San Jose Development Forum

 

Taylor Swift is the mayor of what?

Santa Clara is temporary being renamed "Swiftie Clara" and Taylor will become the honorary mayor for two days. Shockingly, this is not an April Fool's joke. Also, KBAY 94.5 will become "Tay Bay" for three days and play nothing but Taylor Swift music. 

If you haven't gotten tickets yet, don't worry. Ticketmaster still has plenty for you starting at only $1,000 a person. Of course, those will be up in the nosebleeds. If you want to be close to the stage, expect to pay Super Bowl prices... $4k and up.

What does this have to do with San Jose? Unless you are a huge Taylor Swift fan and either have tickets or plan to listen to the concert from the streets (which thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people will actually do) you are going to want to avoid every freeway and major road near Levi's Stadium this Friday and Saturday. That includes 101, 237, Montague Expressway, and don't even think about getting anywhere near Tasman Drive.

The concert at Levi's Stadium will be the second time Taylor Swift performs at the venue, after her 1989 World Tour in 2015. She will be joined by two opening acts: HAIM and Gracie Adams, both rising stars in the pop scene. The show will start at 6:30 p.m., but fans will be getting there many, many hours beforehand. Some are even planning to wear adult diapers to not miss a single song, which I really wish was an exaggeration.

Source: literally every news site

A deep dive into the history of city planning in San Jose

A video going through the history of San Jose and it's urban planning was uploaded a few months ago by Off Brand Urbanism. It was actually his first video and it kind of went viral--as viral as a video about San Jose urbanism can get. It's both enlightening and hard to watch because it conveys how poor San Jose's brand is to people that are not familiar with the city and based on the comments even many folks that actually live here. 

I disagree with many parts of the video. Certainly he could have taken a better route through Downtown and visited San Pedro Square, SoFA, even The Alameda. Given that technologies developed in San Jose are critical to almost all of the tech we value today from the internet to smartphones, the city is very culturally relevant. That being said, he raises a lot of valid concerns--including the complete dumpster fire that is VTA Light Rail. 

What do you think? Do you agree with Off Brand Urbanism?

Hat tip to Kevin Zing for sending in this link.

Downtown San Jose Scavenger Hunt

If you're feeling adventurous and want to try something new, sign up for the Downtown San Jose Scavenger Hunt today, which is a fun and interactive way to explore the city. You'll get clues and challenges that will take you to different landmarks and hidden gems in the downtown area. You can play solo or with a team, and you'll have a chance to win some prizes along the way. The scavenger hunt starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park, and you can register online or on-site.

For more info and tickets, head over here.

About this scavenger hunt

Who knew the Capital of Silicon Valley was packed with such spectacular street art? Murals in San Jose are plentiful, and this art hunt will lead you to the best of the best.

Local and international artists make their mark, showcasing a variety of themes. You'll see enormous wall pieces and a few smaller treats. At each stop, we'll offer fun factoids and quiz you with questions related to the artists and subject matter.

Are you ready to be blown away? Buy your tickets and bring your friends. This San Jose art walk is one for the memory books!

You can do our interactive scavenger hunt at any time. Explore the art, and culture of San Jose.

Some of what you'll see: SoFA District, Phylum of the Free, Qualities of Life, RBG

San Jose restaurants featured on TV

Just how many San Jose restaurants have been featured on TV? Quite a few actually. "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" hit up Falafel's Drive In and Naglee Park Garage. "Bizarre Foods America" swung by Mezcal, Bún Bò Huế An Nam, and Gaku Restaurant. "Man vs. Food" featured Henry's World Famous Hi-Life, Iguana's Burritozilla, and The Funny Farm.

My favorites on the list are Falafel's Drive In and Mezcal, but I have done the "Bizarre Foods" version of Bún Bò Huế An Nam with the pork blood and ox pizzle (you'll have to google it, but it's exactly what it sounds like).

For more on each and links to stream the episodes, visit the source link below.

Source: SJ Today

San Jose could get a cricket stadium

American Cricket Enterprises is working with Santa Clara County to design and seek approval for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium on a 14-acre part of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Cricket is the 2nd most popular sport in the world with 2.6 billion fans.

The stadium would cost around $50 million and have capacity for 6,000-8,000 people, with the potential to expand to 15,000 with temporary seating. It could also be used for concerts and other events.

Eventually Major League Cricket plans to have at least six stadiums in the US with capacity between 6,000-12,000 attendees. The Bay Area is a natural choice for one of those as 20% of the turf wicket grounds in the US where people practice cricket are here.

Source: Hoodline