Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Almaden Ranch Development

I'm going to start off by saying that I think we're going to have some mixed opinions on this one. Last month the city council approved a 350,000 sqft "big box" retail development between Oakridge Mall and Almaden Plaza. It is a $30-50M project that is not being subsidized. The only rumored tenant so far is a Dick's Sporting Goods.

Now my first question is, what other "big box" tenants or chain restaurants could they possibly add there that don't already exist in the area? If you look at the map below, every chain you can imagine already exists somewhere in the vicinity. There are already millions of square feet of car-oriented retail in the area.

My second question is... in today's economy is it better to snatch the opportunity for a development such as this one or would it have been better to wait for a better use of this acreage? I would have preferred a mixed use development with housing, office, and local retail that is pedestrian friendly. This seems like a great place for an urban village. It's a tough call... take the tax money now or sit on empty land hoping for a better proposal in the future.

Source: SJBJ


Monday, April 9, 2012

Content Magazine Pick-Up Party!

The latest print edition of Content Magazine is launching today and they're throwing a "pick-up" party with some of the people actually featured in the magazine. This is the best publication ever for San Jose fans and enthusiasts, so if you haven't subscribed yet then you definitely need to check out this event (and you might as well enjoy a glass of wine while you're there). All of the details are below!

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CONTENT Magazine believes that the strength of a community is found developing relationships. In this digital age, the tools of communication make it possible for us to eventually connect in real friendship. Nothing can replace a smile, a handshake or a meaningful face to face conversion. We print because we believe in the power of touch. So, we are having a Pick-Up Party: come greet and meet other Subscribers and Content readers as well as some of the individuals featured within the pages.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter Everyone!

If you're looking for something fun to do with the family today, there is an Easter Egg hunt in St. James Park today at noon. Details below:

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Easter Egg Hunt in Downtown San Jose

from Downtown San Jose Real Estate 

easter-eggs-basket1.jpg Spring is slowly creeping in and events are blossoming outdoors in Downtown San Jose. On Sunday, April 8th at noon, the quest for eggs will begin at the Children’s Play Area in St. James Park.  Egg hunts, a popular holiday tradition enjoyed by children of all ages, will take place in big piece of real estate known as St. James’ Park lawn area so take some time to enjoy the spring breeze, fresh air and candy-filled eggs. Please RSVP with Ragan Henninger at district3@sanjoseca.gov if you plan on attending. If you live in one of the nearby communities, such as Park TownsendThe Plaza350 N. 2nd Street Lofts, or City Heights, plan on hopping on by for some good old fashioned Easter fun.

What: Easter Egg Hunt
When: April 8th at noon
Where:  Children’s Play Area in St. James Park (2nd St and St James St, Downtown San Jose)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

It's Not Too Late: TOTEM runs until April 15th!

It's not too late!
If you haven't already, you've got one week to catch one of the hottest, most astounding shows here in San Jose.

TOTEM, the traveling Cirque du Soleli show is still mesmerizing audiences, and will be until April 15th.

There is not a moment in the show that I was not amazed, smiling, or actually Oohing and Ahhing at the amazing talent these performers have.

Like many Cirque shows, there is also plenty of humous moments thrown throughout the show.

A couple of favorite moments from the evening..

The "Russian Bars": Just take a look at this photo. Do you see the thin little bouncy bar and how high off the ground these guys are? They jump and twist high in the air and magically (something tells me crazy amounts of practice has something to do with it) land each time back on the bars. This performance had me holding my breath.


(Photo by Daniel Auclair © 2010 Cirque du Soleil)

Another performance I enjoyed was the five girls on unicycles. I don't think I blinked during this part. I like to just TRY to imagine myself in the situation. Having to think about keeping the rhythm with your feet and making sure you're at a certain distance… ignore the audience… and TOSS!CATCH! Don't fall! Yeah I could totally do it. ;)



(Photo by Daniel Desmarais © 2010 Cirque du Soleil Inc.)

You've seen the ads, the artwork wrapped around the Light Rail trains… you've heard your friends rave about it. Be one of them and SEE THIS SHOW before time runs out!

San Pedro Square Farmers' Market Opens Today!!!

Several weeks ago there was a "controversial" post about the San Pedro Square Market, and I'm going to have to stand by everything that I said. I think that the San Pedro Square Market is going to become a landmark attraction in Downtown San Jose and it will be bringing in people from all over the bay.

If you don't believe me, today is a pretty good day to check out the market. If you do believe me, today is a pretty good day to check out the market. In summary, go check out the market today.

In 2 hours, the inaugural Saturday farmer's market is kicking off. Unlike the Friday one, this will be year round and tightly integrated with the San Pedro Square Market itself. In addition to the farmer's market, the second building (Lusardi building) will finally be open for business. Launching today is Veggie Box, which is worth a trip on it's own. You'll get a preview of Blush, a raw bar and bar-bar with an outdoor lounge that will be open until 2am after the official launch mid April. Showroom (I <3 SJ), Ay Dios Mio, and The Poppy Farm are up and running as well. A solid addition to the original building is Crepe-Paris, which serves sweet and savory crepes up until 2am on the weekends (I remember someone asking for a dessert place open late... done).

This is just the beginning. They're also launching live music every Friday. There are plans developing for a Saturday "night-market" from 6pm-midnight (there may even been a food truck or two). Epic events such as the next SJMADE + SJeats are coming. And there are new vendors launching practically every week.

For some more details on what's going down today, keep reading. Better yet, just come on down!

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 Welcome back the San Pedro Square Market Newsletter. We have an incredible array of activities and openings this month, so let's dive right in.

  Tonight we kick off a new series, officially titled Music at the Market Powered by San Jose Jazz, that will run throughout the Spring and Summer every Friday evening from 7-9pm.

  Helping us get things started will be the Vitchev/Tamburr New Quartet, featuring Vibraphonist Christian Tamburr and and Guitarist/composer Hristo Vitchev. For opening night only, there will be a second show as well, featuring jazz violinist Mads Tolling. 
Vitchev/Tambur New Quartet
Though we're opening the series more on the modern jazz side of the spectrum, future dates will incluide a wide range of musical genres and styles, showcasing an eclectic selection of local artists.

Saturday, April 7th is a huge day for us, and we're affectionately referring to it as Opening Day.  We are holding the initial installment of the San Pedro Square Farmers' Market. This is a major centerpiece of our cultural programming, and we're partnering with the very best in the business, Urban Village Farmers' Market Association. They produce the highly-respected Campbell Farmers' market, among others. Our Market is targeted toward Downtown residents, and will take place year-round, rain or shine, from 10am-2pm on West St. John St. between N. Almaden and N. San Pedro, directly in front of SPSM. There will be 40+ vendors selling the finest, freshest local food available, as well as music and special events. Opening Day will feature a visit from Leslie Jonath, author of the recently-released At the Farmers' Market With Kids.
farmers market flyer
In addition to the Farmers' Market, we are welcoming several new permanent vendors to the SPSM team. The Lusardi Building (aka the big green building at the corner of N. Almaden and W. St. John) will open for the first time, with a great roster of businesses, including several retail locations that help us focus our vision as a Public Market, as opposed to a collection of restaurants. The roster for Opening Day looks like this, with a few more pieces yet to come:

Veggie Box, which will sell fresh produce, flowers, and an array of gourmet goods including bread, olive oil, jams, and spreads.
Blush Raw Bar & Lounge, a restaurant and bar specializing in Sushi, Oysters, and high end cocktails. Blush's back patio is destined to become the most desirable outdoor seating at the Market. Please note that on Saturday only the bar will be open, the restaurant will follow in a few weeks.
Ay Dios Mio, a unique boutique specializing in imported art, clothing, and kitchenware, will re-open permanently.
Showroom, an innovative t-shirt bar, will look to continue the success they've experienced at their first location, The Usuals, located down the road on The Alameda.
-The Poppy Farm, our newest vendor, is a garden and plant store that will sell live plants, tools, books, art, and basically everything a person with a green thumb would need to beautify their life.
Still to come in Lusardi will be Treatbot, the Karaoke Ice Cream Truck, and The Little Cheese Shoppe, both of which will be open soon.

Many of our vendors will be open special hours on Saturday, please see the list below:

In the El Dorado Building, we will have the official opening of Crepe-Paris, which will open at 7am. Try a savory 'Bonjour' crepe with scrambled eggs, ham, cheddar, and hash browns. It would pair beautifully with an artisan single-origin pour-over coffee from B2, which will also open at 7am.

Little Chef Counter will debut their brunch menu at 10am, featuring such innovative dishes as Pancake Benedict, Hash Poutine, and a fresh take on Chicken & Waffles.

The Market Bar is rolling out 3 new signature cocktails in addition to our lineup of craft beers, reasonably-priced wines, and the morning standby, the Bloody Mary. They will open at 10am.

On a RollRobee's Falafel, and Vino Vino are all opening an hour early (10am) to coincide with the start of the Farmers Market. Crewners Barbershop will be open all day for gentlemen seeking a respite from the hustle and bustle to enjoy a straight-razor shave or an expert haircut.

On the Peralta Adobe Plaza, we have a full day of music planned. From 2-4pm The Tom & Dave Show will bring their unique interpretations of Classic Rock to the stage. From 4-6pm we have a return performance from the Stan Erhart Duo, featuring scorching lead guitar from Stan himself. From 6-8 we welcome Rockin' Blues Express for their debut Market performance. As evening turns to night the vibe will get a little more left-field, with performances form indie rockers Hotel Island Breakdown at 9 and Pantheon at 10.

We sincerely hope that you'll join us this weekend and every day here at San Pedro Square Market. We have lots more surprises around the corner, including an Arts & Crafts Fair next Sunday April 15th featuring artisans from all over the state.
arts & crafts fair

We will be open on Easter Sunday with the exception of Robee's Falafel and Little Chef Counter, both of whom will be taking a well-deserved day off.

Make sure to check out our website often, we update it as often as possible. The single best way to stay up to date on what's happening here is to 'like' us on Facebook.

Saturday Stats: San Jose Stat is the Most Common University for Apple Employees

The Huffington Post recently posted an article on which colleges most Google and Apple employees have attended. San Jose State University ranked #2 overall and #1 for Apple employees. Not too shabby. I guess this helps explain why San Jose Stated ranked so high in the "Colleges that will make you rich" list. For the full article, click here.

Thanks to Dan for the tip.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Easter 2012 At the Fairmont

If you are still looking for a place to enjoy Easter brunch (or get take out for your own feast at home), I have a recommendation below:

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EASTER 2012

With your family and The Fairmont San Jose

So many great ways to celebrate with family: the grand Champagne Brunch in the Imperial Ballroom, the classic Fountain Restaurant Brunch and even a Fairmont catered meal at home, available for pick-up from 10am to 2pm. Treat your entire family to a great Fairmont memory. For Menus and Details:Easter with Fairmont . Menu items are subject to change, kindly call 408-998-1900 for any questions or to have the most current menu emailed to you.


The Fairmont San Jose is your holiday destination with events for the entire family, all season long.
Sunday, April 8, 2012

Imperial Ballroom

Champagne Buffet Brunch (bottomless glass)
Seatings from 10am to 130pm, every half hour
$62 plus tax and service for adults, $29 for children 5-12 years old
Under 5 years old, complimentary
Entertainment:
Single pianist and children’s entertainment (special kids buffet available)
Fountain Restaurant
Open at 8am for breakfast, until 10am then brunch only, hotel guests may order from menu all day
Seatings from 10am to 230pm, every half hour
$52 plus tax and service for adults, $24 for children 5-12 years old
Under 5 years old complimentary
Easter To-Go
Complete Easter Meal in the comfort of your home
Pick up times from 10am-2pm, every half hour
Complete Roast Boneless Rib Eye of Beef $229 plus tax
Complete Boneless Leg of Lamb $229 plus tax
Easter Egg Hunt in The Lobby Lounge
Every hour from 1130am to 230pm, our resident holiday bunny will stash eggs filled with candy and even a golden egg with a very special surprise
No cost to participate

For Reservations or More Information, kindly call 408-998-3960
Afternoon Tea is still available for this day

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk April 6th


Two new feature exhibitions open at KALEID Gallery this Friday, April 6th, 7pm!
Ballad%20of%20Zimmer%20Man.jpg
Of War and Peace, The Truth Just Twists, It’s Curfew Gull Just Glides
a collection of paintings by André Hart


Shannon_April12.jpg
Selcouth
new work by Shannon Amidon


Artist's Reception 7-11pm
KALEID Gallery
88 South Fourth Street (@ San Fernando)

New exhibition opens at PHO69
Flo_Pho69.jpg
Phantom Galleries presents A World of Colors and Whim by Florence de Bretagne at Pho69.
Artist's Reception 7-11pm
321 South First Street


New exhibits at MACLA, Anno Domini, WORKS, SLG ArtBoutiki, Art Ark Gallery and more! Visit the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk web site for full lineup here.