Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Coming to San Jose

A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market sounds almost like an oxymoron, but that is exactly what is coming to San Jose later this year. The former Safeway location in Westgate mall will be home to the first Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in the Bay Area. It's essentially a 38,000sqft grocery-only Wal-Mart. Supposedly, they are also eyeing the former Lunardi's location in Evergreen Village Square for their second store. The Evergreen Village Square space has been vacant far too long, I would be happy with anything in that space.

Source: SJBJ

Solar Junction Nabs $19.2M

The latest San Jose green-tech company to get additional funding is Solar Junction. They have raised an additional $19.2M to scale up manufacturing of their concentrated photovoltaic cells. The goal of their technology is to make the most cost effective and therefore commercially viable solar cells on the market. As a side note, in addition to being based in San Jose, they also do their manufacturing domestically.

Source: SJBJ

Wednesday Wishlist: More SJ Rooftop Patios/Restaurants/Bars

Okay, so today's Wednesday Wishlist isn't actually mine. This one is by Mark from the Think Bigger San Jose Blog (it's back!!!). So to read this one please head over there and while you're at it, you might as well check out Mark's latest posts and polls!

Again, here's the link.

San Jose Jazz Winter Fest

Are you one of the hundred thousand people that love the annual San Jose Fazz Fest? Well, then I have some great news. Starting this year there will be a Winter Jazz Fest in addition to the epic summer event. This is going to happen across the burgeoning San Pedro Square area, including many of my favorite Downtown eateries and the Theater on San Pedro Square. Our friends at Silicon Valley Lofts & Condos did a great job of summarizing the event, so check out their post below for all the details!

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from Downtown San Jose Real Estate by Eric

Looking for a jazz fix and can’t wait for Summer Fest? San Jose Jazz’s Winter Fest is the answer.

Concerts will be held at the intimate Theater on San Pedro Square, and will feature established musicians as well as some up-and-comers. Highlights of the festival include a collaboration between young jazz artists Amrose Akinmusire and Gerald Clayton; vocalist Jamie Davis; saxophone prodigy Grace Kelly; Bay Area favorites The Blues All Stars with J.C. Smith, Chris Cain & Maxx Cabello, Jr.; and global fusion group Rupa & the April Fishes.

Other exciting events include dance parties and a “Club Crawl”. The Blues Dance Party will feature Summer Fest favorite Legally Blue, and the Salsa Dance Party will feature the Latin Salsa Big Band sounds of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Both parties will be held at the new local favorite San Pedro Square Market. The Club Crawl will have performances by local jazz groups at favorite downtown San Jose bars and restaurants in San Pedro Square including 71 Saint Peter, La Piñata, The Mmoon, O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub, and the Satori Tea Company. Food and drink specials will be available during the festival.

Single tickets and festival passes are on sale now at sanjosejazz.org.

What: San Jose Jazz Winter Fest
When: Friday, March 9 – Sunday, March 11
Where: Concerts held at the Theater of San Pedro Square
29 N. San Pedro Street

Dance Parties held at the San Pedro Square Market
87 N. San Pedro Street

February 2012 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Groundwerx is looking to improve services in Downtown San Jose when the PBID gets renewed. Specifically they are looking to:
• Improve safety using roving ambassadors, private security, and hiring off duty police officers
• Help retain and grow businesses by improving services to existing and new businesses interested in locating Downtown.
• The San Jose Redevelopment Agency has been dissolved and the city is assuming all assets and responsibilities.
• Dennis Fong has sold the landmark Prussia Building in SoFA at 371 S. First to AEDIS Architecture. The new owners are preparing the ground floor for retail and will use the upper floors for offices.
• The Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services has launched a smartphone app that allows residents to send photos and reports of graffiti, litter, and park conditions (Groundwerx has something similar for Downtown).
• Chacho's Restaruant is back home in Downtown San Jose at 87 E. San Fernando [Josh: try their mole enchiladas, phenomenal]
• The Studio is a new Touchstone rock climbing club at 396 S. First that is just about to open in a heavily modified version of the former Wet nightclub building.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Pinger Receives Additional $7.5M from VCs

A hot new start-up based in Downtown San Jose has raised $7.5M from Deutsche Telekom. They currently have a mobile app that lets you text for free on Android devices and text or call for free on iOS devices. You can get links to download their app right over here. Their eventual goal is to build an international free global network with the support of carriers. I imagine most of the $7.5M will go towards building the right partnerships.

Source: SJBJ

Saturday Stats: San Jose #2 for Social Media Jobs

Just when I thought I was out of job-related Saturday Stats, I ran into one more. San Jose is being ranked as the second best location in the country for social media jobs. #1 was New York (which actually has slightly lower social media salaries than San Jose) and even with Twitter, San Francisco only managed to nab the bronze medal.

Source: SJBJ

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk Today!

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

The next South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is March 2nd!
A self-guided evening tour through galleries, museums, and independent creative businesses featuring exhibitions and special performances- all venues are FREE & open to the public 7–11pm.

Lots of new exhibits opening on Friday including:


Ordinary People new works by Daniel Jesse Lewis at Anno Domini.


I Can’t Go On; I’ll Go On a new body of work by Jehoiakim Santos at Good Karma Vegan Cafe presented by Phantom Galleries.


Portraits of the Innerself new work by Valerie Runningwolf at KALEID Gallery


Steam Punk Explorations new work by Dorothy Whitman at KALEID Gallery


The Practice in Ink by Leslie Lambert at Downtown Yoga Shala


Quilt National ’11 at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles


Cult Films and Midnight Movies group show featuring David Mejia, Nic Ceaser, Des Taylor, Thomas Boatwright, Mike Rosen and Bryan Dobrow


Art and Chrome Culture group show featuring original art and live painting by Alfredo Reyes, Freddy Alfaro, Anthony Trayer, Jesse Villegas, Mike 3.5 & Neto Soza at South First Billiards

plus lots more at MACLA, Metro Photo Exhibit, Art Ark, WORKS San Jose, Pho69, Psycho Donuts, TechShopSJ, San Jose Jazz at Eulipia and opera at Caffe Frascati!

View full line up here at www.SouthFirstFridays.com
Invite your friends along here.