Sunday, December 18, 2011
BART to San Jose in 2016?
It looks like we may be getting BART 18 months early! Last week the VTA approved spending $772 million to start construction of the first phase of the BART extension to San Jose. Originally slated for 2018, it looks like the developer may be able to pull it off by late 2016 (and receive performance bonuses as an added incentive for completing it early). For more info click here.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday Stats: South Bay Leads Nation in Job Growth
Wow, now here is some good news for you. During the 12 month period ending in October, our job market grew by 3.2% making it the national leader in job creation. That is nearly triple the nation's average and double the California average. San Francisco--our frienemies up north--only managed to swing 1.8% job growth. Los Angeles did even worse with 0.8%.
Even better, this article is bullish on the South Bay's ability to continue to add jobs and even thinks it will bring up surrounding job sectors across the entire Bay Area. Unlike the .com days, there are substantial companies hiring here that are adding real value and have rock-solid revenues (Google, Apple, eBay, etc.).
To read the full Merc article, click here.
Even better, this article is bullish on the South Bay's ability to continue to add jobs and even thinks it will bring up surrounding job sectors across the entire Bay Area. Unlike the .com days, there are substantial companies hiring here that are adding real value and have rock-solid revenues (Google, Apple, eBay, etc.).
To read the full Merc article, click here.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wine Walk - Japantown San Jose
Another monthly San Jose event kicked off last weekend. Every 2nd Saturday, you'll be able to do a wine crawl in Japantown featuring 15-20 different wineries! More info below, or click here to buy tickets for future wine walks.
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SOLD OUT ONLINE- TIX CAN BE PURCHASED AT JACKS BAR STARTING AT 130PM
Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month in Japantown, San Jose where retailers and restaurants open their doors for fun seekers & wine enthusiasts alike from 2pm to 5pm.
Every month, Wine Walk Japantown will have 15 to 20 different wineries, with two local wineries exclusively featured. A portion of the proceeds benefit a different local non-profit every month and the Japantown Business Association. Hosted by Jack's Bar & Lounge.
MISSION Wine Walk Japantown aims to provide a great monthly event for the community and neighborhood, bring new and additional foot traffic and business to the area, and help support local non-profits and wineries.
PRODUCTS
RSVP your tickets here! Tickets can also be can be purchased by visiting Jack's Bar or any of the participating businesses.
Print out your tickets and redeem the day of the event for a signature wine glass and 15 to 20 one ounce tasting pours (depending on the number of participating businesses).
Additional wine and drinks can be purchased during the event at locations that already sell drinks during normal business hours and at the end of the event at Jack's Bar during and after the raffle. Every participant receives one entry in the raffle. Must be present to win.
*********************************
SOLD OUT ONLINE- TIX CAN BE PURCHASED AT JACKS BAR STARTING AT 130PM
Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month in Japantown, San Jose where retailers and restaurants open their doors for fun seekers & wine enthusiasts alike from 2pm to 5pm.
Every month, Wine Walk Japantown will have 15 to 20 different wineries, with two local wineries exclusively featured. A portion of the proceeds benefit a different local non-profit every month and the Japantown Business Association. Hosted by Jack's Bar & Lounge.
MISSION Wine Walk Japantown aims to provide a great monthly event for the community and neighborhood, bring new and additional foot traffic and business to the area, and help support local non-profits and wineries.
PRODUCTS
RSVP your tickets here! Tickets can also be can be purchased by visiting Jack's Bar or any of the participating businesses.
Print out your tickets and redeem the day of the event for a signature wine glass and 15 to 20 one ounce tasting pours (depending on the number of participating businesses).
Additional wine and drinks can be purchased during the event at locations that already sell drinks during normal business hours and at the end of the event at Jack's Bar during and after the raffle. Every participant receives one entry in the raffle. Must be present to win.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Investors and Startups Crawl Through Downtown San Jose
Sounds like another awesome event from Dischcrawl co-founder Tracy Lee! This is exactly the type of scene that we need to nurture to keep the creative juices flowing in San Jose.
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from San Jose Metblogs
Thursday night was what I think will be the first of many PitchCrawls in downtown San Jose. Created by the energetic Tracy Lee of Dishcrawl fame, the event brought together investors and startups in a crawl through some of downtown’s innovation centers, with a break at each for startups to pitch their ideas in 3 minute sessions to investors who offer everything from funds to technology for the companies they invest in. We heard ideas for everything from affordable tech support and iphone apps to the next hot sports drink company founded by a scientist and a well known athlete and an outsourced HR company. Ideas were flowing and so was the banter as we moved from place to place.
This is a refreshing change from the usual pitch events, that’s for sure. Instead of gathering in a room to hear elevator pitch after pitch and then the frantic rush to speak to “the” investor, startups and investors had a chance to mingle and talk more casually, eat some great food and tour some of San Jose’s downtown innovation centers at the same time. Everyone I asked was delighted with the format, even in the chilly winter weather as we worked our way from venue to venue.
The first stop was at the San Jose Tech Shop. I’ve been wanting to venture in here for months. They soft-opened in July and the place is amazing. If you’re wanting to do anything requiring very cool and expensive toys, this is your place. They offer classes to expand your knowledge for using everything from CAD programs and 3-D modeling to a sophisticated machine shop, industrial sewing equipment, a powder coating booth and a huge water cutting table that can slice through marble or steel like a hot knife through butter. Very impressive. We noshed on tacos from Juanita’s and had a tour of the facilities, then stopped for round 1 of the pitches.
Stop 2 was at the home of DishCrawl and several other burgeoning startups housed in Next Space, a co-working space on 2nd St. While we sampled the amazing concoctions provided by Raw Daddy (find him at the Sunday Campbell and Palo Alto farmer’s markets) we met more founders and toured the space with manager Gretchen Baisa. If you’re looking for a drop-in space to work or a friendly office environment that’s not in your garage, you should be checking this space out right in the heart of downtown San Jose.
The 3rd stop was–in classic DishCrawl style–a food truck. This time from House of Siam for some yummy roti wrapped around satay pork with peanut sauce. It was a quick stop but gave us more energy for the busy networking scene going on at our last stop, the Irish Innovation Center. The Innovation Center had a full-on networking event going on already in the Silicon Valley Holiday Mixer, complete with a mini trade show and music, and the place was packed. Add a pile of Pichcrawlers and you’ve got a fantastic networking opportunity. The center partners with the Kauffman Foundation, Microsoft Bizspark, IDA Ireland. and Price Waterhouse Coopers to name a few, and offers members office space, mentoring, education and the opportunity to connect with potential funders.
All in all, the event was a huge success and I heard quite a few meetings being scheduled. What a unique and fun way to get in front of some interesting investors with your startup or find the next startup before anyone else! The next PitchCrawl is to be held in San Francisco on January 10. At last check there were just a few tickets left, but I expect they will be back in Silicon Valley soon. Big congrats to the DishCrawl team for another well executed concept!
************************************************************
from San Jose Metblogs
Thursday night was what I think will be the first of many PitchCrawls in downtown San Jose. Created by the energetic Tracy Lee of Dishcrawl fame, the event brought together investors and startups in a crawl through some of downtown’s innovation centers, with a break at each for startups to pitch their ideas in 3 minute sessions to investors who offer everything from funds to technology for the companies they invest in. We heard ideas for everything from affordable tech support and iphone apps to the next hot sports drink company founded by a scientist and a well known athlete and an outsourced HR company. Ideas were flowing and so was the banter as we moved from place to place.
This is a refreshing change from the usual pitch events, that’s for sure. Instead of gathering in a room to hear elevator pitch after pitch and then the frantic rush to speak to “the” investor, startups and investors had a chance to mingle and talk more casually, eat some great food and tour some of San Jose’s downtown innovation centers at the same time. Everyone I asked was delighted with the format, even in the chilly winter weather as we worked our way from venue to venue.
The first stop was at the San Jose Tech Shop. I’ve been wanting to venture in here for months. They soft-opened in July and the place is amazing. If you’re wanting to do anything requiring very cool and expensive toys, this is your place. They offer classes to expand your knowledge for using everything from CAD programs and 3-D modeling to a sophisticated machine shop, industrial sewing equipment, a powder coating booth and a huge water cutting table that can slice through marble or steel like a hot knife through butter. Very impressive. We noshed on tacos from Juanita’s and had a tour of the facilities, then stopped for round 1 of the pitches.
Stop 2 was at the home of DishCrawl and several other burgeoning startups housed in Next Space, a co-working space on 2nd St. While we sampled the amazing concoctions provided by Raw Daddy (find him at the Sunday Campbell and Palo Alto farmer’s markets) we met more founders and toured the space with manager Gretchen Baisa. If you’re looking for a drop-in space to work or a friendly office environment that’s not in your garage, you should be checking this space out right in the heart of downtown San Jose.
The 3rd stop was–in classic DishCrawl style–a food truck. This time from House of Siam for some yummy roti wrapped around satay pork with peanut sauce. It was a quick stop but gave us more energy for the busy networking scene going on at our last stop, the Irish Innovation Center. The Innovation Center had a full-on networking event going on already in the Silicon Valley Holiday Mixer, complete with a mini trade show and music, and the place was packed. Add a pile of Pichcrawlers and you’ve got a fantastic networking opportunity. The center partners with the Kauffman Foundation, Microsoft Bizspark, IDA Ireland. and Price Waterhouse Coopers to name a few, and offers members office space, mentoring, education and the opportunity to connect with potential funders.
All in all, the event was a huge success and I heard quite a few meetings being scheduled. What a unique and fun way to get in front of some interesting investors with your startup or find the next startup before anyone else! The next PitchCrawl is to be held in San Francisco on January 10. At last check there were just a few tickets left, but I expect they will be back in Silicon Valley soon. Big congrats to the DishCrawl team for another well executed concept!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
San Jose 2040 General Plan
Last month the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a general plan for the city that emphasizes jobs and improved transportation. Specifically, we're looking at potentially 470,000 new jobs and 120,000 new homes over the next 30 years. Growth will particularly be concentrated in North San Jose, Coyote Valley, Evergreen, Edenvale, and Downtown. The new development model will feature the creation of urban villages with a very dense mix of housing, office, and retail close to public transit.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
San Jose Has Tightest Apartment Market in the US
This news isn't so surprising given the number of reports this past year about how hot our rental market is. San Jose has a ridiculously low apartment vacancy rate of 3.1%, along with an average asking rent of $1,506. In this situation the laws of supply and demand dictate that rental rates will be rising (I'm sorry renters). Average asking rents for 2012 are estimated to reach $1,615.
For more info, click here.
For more info, click here.
Monday, December 12, 2011
December 2011 Downtown Dimension Highlights
Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:
- Half a million people are expected Downtown for Christmas in the Park. This year has a few upgrades and new promotions such as:
- A fully working train for kids that goes around the park.
- An $11 pin that provides discounts at 30 different restaurants.
- Downtown for the Holidays Hotel Packages [finally, they should do this for other Downtown events as well]
- Holiday Hat Trick pass, which includes passes for Downtown Ice, the San Jose Museum of Art, and The Tech.
- Two Key Zoning Changes are being pushed:
- 1.) Remove the requirement that all ground floor space Downtown must be retail. This will allow offices to fill in some of the empty storefronts.
- 2.) Full-service hotels with more than 75 rooms would no longer need a conditional use permit to have a drinking establishment and live music in the hotel.
- Arts Council Silicon Valley and 1stAct Silicon Valley launched LiveSV.com to provide consumers a way to share what's new and unique in the Silicon Valley arts, culture, and entertainment scene.
- The San Jose Public library has been awarded the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Services (first city library in California to receive the award).
- Starting Jan 1, plastic bags are banned from all San Jose stores (restaurants exempt) and paper bags will cost 10 cents. People are encouraged to bring re-usable bags.
- 4 New Eateries Opened:
- Liquid on 32 S. Third
- Uncle Bernie's Chicken & Fish on 30 E. Santa Clara
- Grace Deli & Cafe on 303 Almaden
- Zeytoun American & Mediterranean Grill on 185 Park
Sunday, December 11, 2011
49ers Line up $850M Stadium Loan
I know it's not San Jose, but it's Sunday and I have to mention the fact that the 49ers have lined up the $850M of financing for the new stadium. This pretty much seals the deal and guarantees the Niners are coming to Silicon Valley.
San Jose will be a tremendous beneficiary as we'll receive yet another professional sports team in the San Jose Metropolitan Area (maybe two). I'm dreaming of a 2015 scenario where Silicon Valley hosts the Sharks, Earthquakes, 49ers, Raiders, A's, and maybe even a pro Basketball team. People would laugh at the thought 10 years ago, but now it may actually happen.
For more information on the 49er loan, click here.
San Jose will be a tremendous beneficiary as we'll receive yet another professional sports team in the San Jose Metropolitan Area (maybe two). I'm dreaming of a 2015 scenario where Silicon Valley hosts the Sharks, Earthquakes, 49ers, Raiders, A's, and maybe even a pro Basketball team. People would laugh at the thought 10 years ago, but now it may actually happen.
For more information on the 49er loan, click here.
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