Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Mt. Umunhum Access Coming in 2012
A mountain peak in South San Jose that use to house the Almaden Air Force Station will be open for limited public access starting in 2012. A few years later in 2016, it should be fully open to the public who can come an enjoy panoramic views of Silicon Valley and the Monterey Bay. Check out the videos below for more information:
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
My New Year's Resolution
A couple months ago I stumbled upon a wiki page for Global Cities (also known as World cities). Wikipedia describes a global city as "an important node point in the global economic system" and the criteria include:
It turns out that there is actually an organization called the GaWC that tracks all of these characteristics for cities around the world and ranks cities into categories. You have Alpha world cities like New York and London, followed by Beta and Gamma world cities, then you have cities with Sufficiency and High Sufficiency when it comes to these criteria. Spoiler Alert, we didn't do so well. In fact the 2008 report pegged San Jose as being only in the Sufficiency category.
My New Year's resolution is simple. I'm pledging to do whatever I can over the course of my life to help San Jose, regardless of how small it may seem, get from Sufficiency to Alpha World City status. It's a lofty goal, but I'm hoping that doing simple things such as promoting our vibrant culture and new developments will have a snowball effect and encourage more of the things that will put San Jose on the global radar.
- Economic characteristics (corporate headquarters, financial output, cost of living)
- Political characteristics (active influence on and participation in international events and world affairs)
- Culture (notable museums, galleries, lively cultural and music scene, strong community, major sports facilities, educational institutions)
- Infrastructure (advanced transit systems and freeways, extensive mass transit, high-speed communications, prominent skylines).
It turns out that there is actually an organization called the GaWC that tracks all of these characteristics for cities around the world and ranks cities into categories. You have Alpha world cities like New York and London, followed by Beta and Gamma world cities, then you have cities with Sufficiency and High Sufficiency when it comes to these criteria. Spoiler Alert, we didn't do so well. In fact the 2008 report pegged San Jose as being only in the Sufficiency category.
My New Year's resolution is simple. I'm pledging to do whatever I can over the course of my life to help San Jose, regardless of how small it may seem, get from Sufficiency to Alpha World City status. It's a lofty goal, but I'm hoping that doing simple things such as promoting our vibrant culture and new developments will have a snowball effect and encourage more of the things that will put San Jose on the global radar.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The 88 Achieves a Perfect Walk Score!
Walk Score is a website that lets you know how walkable a particular home or neighborhood is. Proximity to restaurants, grocery stores, retail, parks, schools, transit hubs and entertainment all factor into the score. Getting a perfect 100 is near impossible, even in very dense cities. However, one of the downtown San Jose condo projects managed to pull it off. Thanks to being located in the middle of the downtown core, The 88 achieves a perfect 100/100 walk-ability score. After the San Pedro Square Market opens, I imagine Axis will also be very close to 100 (right now it's at 89). For more details, just click here.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist: Flagship Chain Restaurants
If you read this blog regularly, you might have done a double take on the title. I usually promote unique restaurants that bring something new to the city over chain restaurants, but I think there are a few must-have chains that you will only find in fully developed and popular cities. I would call these flagship chains because they are usually gigantic and offer something else besides food to patrons, so even those that don't enjoy the cuisine can still have a great time. They also draw shoppers and tourists like magnets.
Here's my list of Flagship Chain Restaurants I would like to see in San Jose someday:
Here's my list of Flagship Chain Restaurants I would like to see in San Jose someday:
- Rainforest Cafe
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Planet Hollywood
- House of Blues (Downtown was so close to getting one)
- ESPN Zone
Do you have any to add to the list? Post in the comments.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Maxim is Moving their Global HQ to San Jose!
Maxim, a multi billion dollar high-tech manufacturing company, is moving their headquarters from Sunnyvale to North San Jose's Golden Triangle (area between 101, 880, and 237). They are also gaining about 150,000 sqft of new space as part of the move, letting them expand operations by up to 20%. Some of the reasons why they are excited about their new space:
- Immediate access to 3 freeways
- Lightrail and ACE access
- Future retail and housing along 1st St.
They should be in their new home by 2012.
Monday, December 27, 2010
North San Pedro Development
It looks like the Barry Swenson housing development in the North San Pedro area downtown is one step closer to breaking ground. The San Jose City Council has approved the sale of 7+ acres for the project, which would encompass 3 high-rises and several townhomes. In total, there will be at least 730 units, 2 new parks, and a realignment of Julian Street back to a traditional grid. Barry hopes to start construction by Summer 2011 and have the first tower open by the end of 2012!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)