The Civic Gets Branded

Remember when sports stadiums started selling naming rights? That same revenue stream is coming to an entertainment venue near you. City National Bank (CNB) is offering $1.2 million to add their name to the historic Civic auditorium across the street from the convention center. Most of this money would be used to continue to develop San Jose's key entertainment venues, which also include the Performing Arts Center.

A new name and logo will have to be crafted, and there are even plans to put that logo on the roof of the building for the overhead planes and Google Maps satellites. The names of the California Theater, the Montgomery Theater, and the Center for the Performing Arts may also be up for sale.

Source: SJBJ

Santana Row December 2012 Happenings And A Look Ahead to Early 2013

 

San Jose, CA – Holiday happiness and the spirit of giving can be found at Santana Row in December with events and celebrations that include the Menorah lighting ceremony and shopping specials that benefit local charities. 49ers star Vernon Davis opens Gallery 85, an art gallery, with a fundraising event on Dec. 10.

 

Shop, Enjoy and Give: Holiday Wine & Dine Around

A Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, Dec. 4, 11 and 18

Help those in need while you complete your holiday shopping during Santana Row’s “Shop, Enjoy & Give” event that benefits Second Harvest Food Bank. Purchase a $10 ticket on SantanaRow.com or at the Concierge center and receive complimentary food and wine tastings in Santana Row shops and restaurants between 6 and 8 p.m. Also included: a signature Santana Row wine glass and exclusive holiday shopping discounts. Bring a donation of canned food when you purchase your ticket and receive $2 off the ticket. (Customers must be 21 years or older.)

 

Santa Paws, a Benefit for Humane Society Silicon Valley, Dec. 9

Bring your canine and feline friends to Santana Row's Park Valencia for a keepsake photo with Santa Claus. Photos are $20 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Humane Society Silicon Valley. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. in Park Valencia. Photos are taken from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Menorah Lighting at Santana Row Park, Dec. 9

Santana Row celebrates the first night of the Jewish Festival of Lights with Kosher treats, entertainment and activities that include decorating dreidels, Jewish story time, arts & crafts, giveaways and the lighting of the Menorah. The evening is co-hosted with the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and The PJ Library. The celebration will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Santana Row Park.

Musical performances by Congregation Shir Hadash's Cantor Felder Levy and youth, Temple Emanu-El's children with Rabbi Magat and Cantor Simerley, Yavneh Day School choir, Congregation Beth David Religious School and Rabbi Ohriner, Congregation Sinai's children and Rabbi Berkenwald.

Grand opening of Gallery 85, 49ers Vernon Davis’ art gallery, Dec. 10

Top-ranked 49ers football player Vernon Davis introduces his new gallery with a private, grand opening event on Dec. 10. Gallery 85 will feature work by Davis as well as work by emerging visual artists. The grand opening party is a benefit for The Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts (http://www.vernondavis.com/foundation/) which promotes arts education and art appreciation for at-risk youth and awards college art school scholarships to inner-city youth.

Best known as one of the NFLʼs elite pass-catching tight ends, Davis is also a talented, trained visual artist who majored in studio art at the University of Maryland.

Gallery 85 is located at 377 Santana Row, Suite 1180, San Jose.

 

Mommy & Me invite children to “Celebrate the Season,” Dec. 11

The last Mommy & Me for the season includes live entertainment from Andy Z, story time with Mrs. Claus, sampling from Happy Baby Brands, mini manicures from Lavande nail salon, a raffle from The Container Store, arts and crafts with Action Day Primary Plus, Balloon Animals and Face Painting and more!

When: 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Dec. 11 in the lobby of CineArts Theatre. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit www.SantanaRow.com.

 

Rainy Day Rewards, now through March 31, 2013

When there’s a 70 percent or greater chance for rain, shoppers and diners braving bad weather will be rewarded with discounts that include 15 percent off purchases at participating shops and restaurants, a free signature Santana Row golf umbrella for customers who spend $150 anywhere on The Row and a $20 gift certificate to a participating shop or restaurant for customers who spend $300 on a designated Rainy Day.

No need to get wet: On all rainy days, customers can pick up a complimentary umbrella to use while shopping and dining and then return it before leaving. The yellow umbrellas are conveniently located throughout The Row - outside Concierge, Via between Village California Bistro and Lark Creek Blue and the valet parking lot in the Winchester Parking

Garage.  

 

“One Warm Coat” Drop-off at Santana Row Continues Through Dec. 31

Donate a new or gently used coat and it will be given to a needy family this winter.  Drop-off locations include CineArts Theatre, Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table and the Santana Row Concierge. The charity coat drive continues through Dec. 31.

For more information: call 408.551.4611 or visit www.santanarow.com.

 

Santana Row holiday hours:

Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Christmas: Closed

New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

New Year’s Eve Overnight Package at Hotel Valencia, Dec. 31

Ring in the new year with elegance and style at Hotel Valencia with a package for two that includes Piper Heidsieck champagne upon arrival, the Valencia Gala party with a live band, DJ and party favors, champagne toast and dessert at midnight, a deluxe breakfast on the first day of 2013 and a late 2 p.m. checkout. Rates begin at $350. Call 408.423.5405 for more information. The New Year’s Eve package requires advance reservations, pre-payment and is non-refundable after December 28, 2012.

 

New Year's Eve: Savor the Night Dinner Package, Dec. 31

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Citrus restaurant with a five-course experience created by Executive Chef Robert Sapirman.

Dinner package also includes admission to the New Year’s Eve Valencia party, which features a live band, DJ, party favors, champagne toast & midnight dessert. 

Price is $125 per person and non-refundable after Dec 21, 2012. Reservations required, call 408.423.5405.

 

Wine & Dine Around Benefit for the American Heart Association, Feb. 16

More than a dozen Santana Row shops and restaurants host exclusive in-store events with complimentary wine and food pairings and incredible one-time discounts available only to ticketholders, all to benefit the American Heart Association.  From 2-3 p.m. the Wine Stroll will begin on Olin Avenue Drive.  Tickets are $30 and include access to all in-store events, Heart Card shopping pass, wine bottle tote bag and a signature Santana Row wine glass.  Tickets available in person at the Santana Row Concierge or online at santanarow.com.

 

Chinese New Year Celebration, March 2

Santana Row welcomes the Year of the Snake with an afternoon of Chinese New Year festivities, including the exciting drumbeats and crashing cymbals of the Dragon and Lion dances, other traditional Chinese performances, Korean dance, martial arts, fashion shows and more. 

 

408K Race to the Row, a Benefit for the Pat Tillman Foundation,-- March 10 

The eight-kilometer road race that benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation and its Team Tillman initiative is winding through the streets of San Jose for the second year. It starts at HP Pavilion and ends at Santana Row. The inaugural event last year sold out with more than 3,000 runners, the country’s largest 8K run.

For information: www.run408k.com. Sponsors and volunteer groups can make inquiries at sponsors@the408k.com.

 

On The Horizon at The Row

Madewell, an iconic American retailer as well as a brand coveted by fashion conscious women and men, is scheduled to open in Spring, 2013. The 3,500 square-foot shop will occupy a portion of the space that was the former H&M store before its recent move to a larger building. Madewell, established in 1937 as a dry goods emporium, will offer a wide range of effortlessly cool pieces. Chic yet comfy apparel includes soft chambray shirts, broken-in tees, leather boots, accessories and bags..

Splendid, another label noted for its informal stylishness, is slated to open a 2,000 square-foot boutique next to Madewell in late spring. Known for its luxuriously soft tops and T-shirts, the offerings for men, women and children are a perfect fit for Silicon Valley: richly casual.

 

Renovations Coming to The Row

Gucci, the luxury brand which recently marked a decade at Santana Row, will undergo a complete interior remodel along with façade enhancement beginning in the summer 2013. The work will be completed in time for the 2013 holiday season.

 

Also undergoing a renovation next year is Tommy Bahama, purveyor of island lifestyles and maker of clothing and accessories that reflect island ambiance.

10 Almaden Pulls a Hat Trick

After PriceWaterhouseCoopers moved to the shiny blue Sobrato tower, it left a 160,000 sqft vacancy in the 10 Almaden building. While it was good news that the Sobrato tower finally got a tenant, I remember a few people commenting that they would rather have kept foot traffic in the central part of Downtown instead of having it relocate to the outskirts. Well, it looks like 10 Almaden is quickly filling back up again.

Over the last few weeks Equity Office signed 3 major tenants which will gobble up 70,000 sqft in the high-rise:

• Move Inc. (32,405 sqft) - operates Realtor.com and other real estate sites
• Malewarebytes (21,924 sqft) - anti-malware solutions provider for both businesses and consumers
• Rosetta (11,640 sqft) - a brand within the global ad group Publicis

With these leases, Downtown San Jose will likely close out 2012 with office vacancies below 20% (in 2011 they were 27%). If we can get down to about 10%, we may start seeing some speculative building of office space Downtown.

Source: SJBJ

Content Magazine's 4.5 "Ritual" Issue on Newsstands December 21st, Party on December 20th

The latest version of Content Magazine is going to be out this month and they are hosting another Pick up Party in a couple days. You can swing by, enjoy $5 Martinis and meet some of the people featured in the magazine. There aren't many publications of there that would consistently do events like this, so let's make sure to support Content and help promote San Jose culture!

~~~~~~~

Pick Up Party for Subscribers and General Public at TANQ on December 20, 6-8PM

Content Magazine’s 4.5 “RITUAL” Issue of 2012 is hitting the newsstands on December 21, featuring interviews with local skateboarding legend Steve Caballero, SJ Earthquakes’ goalkeeper Jon Busch, NBC news anchor Laura Garcia Cannon, storyteller Nancy Duarte of Duarte Design, Ballet San Jose dancer Damir Emric, "the man behind Christmas in the Park" and more.

It’s become a tradition for Content Magazine to host a Pick Up Party for subscribers to collect the latest issue, and this one is no different. Issue 4.5’s Pick Up Party will be held at TANQ on December 20 from 6-8pm. Located on the corner of Market and San Carlos, TANQ is offering $5 martinis to all magazine subscribers. TANQ and the Pick Up Party are open to current subscribers as well as anyone interested in buying the latest copy, meeting the staff behind Content Magazine, or meeting the people featured in this issue. Members of the press are invited to RSVP and will receive a complimentary magazine.

Content Magazine can be found at Zanotto’s in Willow Glen and Rose Garden, Saint Clair Newsstand, La Lune Sucree, The Usuals, Satori Tea Company, Art Boutiki, and the San Pedro Square Market Gift Shop. Content Magazine can also be downloaded in electronic form from their website. Annual subscriptions are $42; available online.

Content Magazine is a bi-monthly publication devoted to the creative and innovative culture of San Jose. Started by fashion photographer Daniel Garcia in 2008, the magazine strives to showcase and promote individuals and businesses that are making San Jose a dynamic and vibrant place to live and play.  

For more information about Content Magazine, Issue 4.5, or to schedule an interview with Daniel Garcia, please email Flora Moreno de Thompson at flora@content-magazine.com or call Flora at 408.643.9975.

TWO BUCK Tuesday Dec. 18th!

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Join us at KALEID Gallery for this upcoming TWO BUCK Tuesday, December 18th, 7pm-10pm!
Come enjoy an inspired evening of performances, live painting, $2 art, drop-in sketching table & quirky people get together! It’s open to all ages and free! While you're here, you can enjoy our annual Hark! exhibit of over 50 regional artists with small works priced for gift giving.


Here’s some of the great things to see and do this time:


Is there common iconography in the Kolam and Rangoli of India; Celticknots; universal ancient flower/tree of life; sandpainting of NativeAmericans, Tibetan and Buddhist monks? is it even appropriate for aborn in USA white guy to explore such traditions? Watch Matthew Bailey Seigel create art of luck and life paths. Finished works are then given away for free to those that visit, limited to those created on location. Ongoing examples, information, documentation and live posting of event: http://raccoon.zapd.com/art4luck


Lara Sophia's Costumed Live Models will be posing for us, so bring those pads and pencils and join in some figure drawing!


Question: last minute gifts/wrapping? answer: origami! by Maria. Come by the KALEID origami table to fold (or buy) away all your last minute holiday troubles.

LIVE ART BY:

Michelle Waters


Andre Hart


Force 129


Lydia Rae Black


Al Preciado & Friends


Nik Caesar


David Mejia will draw your portrait!


John Hageman


Brande Barrett


Carlos Lee Cruz


Emonic will have $2 sketch art / posters, and $20 original art works available


Live music by: Dan & Dorothy

TWO BUCK Tuesday is December 18th, 7pm-10pm! 
Free & open to all ages.




88 South Fourth Street (@ San Fernando)
San Jose, CA 95112
info@KALEIDGallery.com
408-947-1785
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, noon -7pm, free admission

Samsung's New San Jose HQ Shoots for the Moon!

Right now there is a lot of good news circulating related to San Jose development, but once and a while I still find a real gem that surprises and excites me, and this is one of them. While Samsung is based in Korea, their subsidiary Samsung Semiconductor is headquartered right here in San Jose. They have decided to tear down their mostly 2 story campus, and build something larger in order to expand their headcount and presence in San jose. I knew there would be two 10 story towers totaling about 650,000 sqft, but I was expecting a pretty standard box like most buildings in the golden triangle (area bound by 101, 880, and 237). Instead, Samsung designed something that simply does not exist in Silicon Valley right now, a truly iconic office building.

It purposefully looks different and will raise eyebrows as people drive down North First or Tasman. There are at least two large outdoor spaces between the three 2-story pieces that protrude from the building. However, the really interesting element is a hollowed out core! There is a substantial courtyard in the middle of at least one of the buildings, complete with terraces of its own.

From the renderings it looks like there is a camouflaged parking structure topped with solar panels and an asymmetrical five-point building as well. I'm not sure where the second tower is going to be but I imagine it will be similar to the first. Lightrail is also across the street, the 49ers stadium and the Santa Clara Convention Center are down the street, and there are thousands of dense new homes being built in walking distance.

This building in and of itself is enough to get excited about, but I'm also stoked about the implications. Samsung is setting a new bar for office developments in North San Jose. This is going to stand out like crazy, so you can bet that future developments are more likely to be radical designs to compete with this building instead of being the same boring 2-5 story buildings the area is used to. More iconic and unique buildings means a stronger identity for San Jose and Silicon Valley as a whole. The only other company taking big risks with office design right now is Apple, with quite an impressive design of their own. Hopefully these two will encourage other companies to step it up and build something to be proud of.

Source: SJBJ

Ex'pression College Opens a San Jose Campus

Ex'pression College for Digital Arts specializes in teaching students about audio and visual art. Their original 650 student campus is in Emeryville, which can be quite a commute for those living in Silicon Valley. They have decided to open a second campus in North San Jose at 1751 Fox Drive in the Ridder Park Technology Center. The 65,000 sqft and the new campus will be able to accomodate up to 550 students. Since digital, interactive, and dynamic art is defining the art scene in San Jose, this location decision could not be more appropriate.



Source: SJBJ

Saturday Stats: San Jose Has Highest % of White-Collar Jobs in California

White-collar jobs consist of management, business, and scientific occupations. If you're reading this, there is a good chance you fall into that classification since 48.49% of all jobs in the San Jose area are considered white-collar. This gives San Jose the highest percentage of white-collar jobs in California, and the 6th highest in the country. Nationally the average percentage of white collar positions is 35.3%.

Source: SJBJ