San Jose's Newest Sister City: Pyongyang, North Korea!

San Jose is about to welcome a new city into a sister city program that includes the likes of Dublin, Ireland; Okayama, Japan; and San Jose, Costa Rica. This city is none other than Pyongyang in sunny North Korea! With a population of 2.5 million, this is the largest city yet to participate in this program. Each city has a lot to gain as the new partnership between each community is designed to foster collaboration in topics ranging from government to education and of course culture. Since Pyongyang is know as the "Silicon Valley of Asia" and is rich with technological innovation, it will be interesting to see where this new sister city will take us.

Below you can find world renowned leader Kim Jong Un riding Pyongyang's new metro system, showing off its newest amusement park, and perhaps most relevant to Silicon Valley... demonstrating their latest technological capabilities.

For more information on Pyongyang, click here!

Persuasion Playing at The Stage

San Jose Stage Company Presents

 

Jane Austen’s World Premiere

 

Persuasion

 

Adapted by Jennifer Le Blanc from the Novel

 

 

San Jose, CA --- March 18, 2013 – San Jose Stage Company is producing the World Premiere of Persuasion, Jane Austen’s final novel, adapted by local Bay Area playwright, Jennifer Le Blanc. 

 

The Threepenny Opera, originally slated for this time frame, has been rescheduled to be part of The Stage’s 2013-14 Season.

 

“The Stage Company is excited to embrace the opportunity to produce the world premiere of Jane Austen's final novel Persuasion,” said Randall King, Artistic Director of the San Jose Stage Company. “The intimate setting of The Stage venue is the perfect environment to revel in Miss Austen's characters, who must negotiate a complex code of conduct in order to survive, much less achieve their ends. The story is indicative of Austen's great talent, razor sharp, laced with irony and wit, and remarkably phrased.”

 

Persuasion was Jane Austen’s last finished novel, of only six total, and she is considered the greatest of English women novelists. There are numerous contemporary movies based upon her novels, and she has become a book club staple.  

 

“Miss Austen directed her pen to give voice to a woman finding strength to be persuaded by her own heart. Her final novel is said to be a 'Present to herself,’” added King. “The Stage was founded upon the mission of new works and local talent, and now The Stage offers the gift of Persuasion to the Bay area.”

 

Persuasion was first published posthumously by her family, along with Northanger Abbey, in December 1817. While the characters reflect Austen’s own maturity, the book is filled with satire and is perceptive of people and their relationships, especially love.

 

“Persuasion is one of Austen’s lesser-known novels, and the characters are old, more mature and have known heartache,” says Jennifer Le Blanc, the author of this world premiere and Bay Area native. She adds that she was drawn to this works because the main character Anne has “developed her own voice.” Ms. Le Blanc continues, “I admire Anne greatly; she is selfless, intelligent, practical and a strong woman to have around in a crisis.”

 

Persuasion was presented as a staged reading at Portland’s Cerimon House in March of 2012, with Ms. Le Blanc performing the lead role of Anne. This is the twelfth world premiere presented by San Jose Stage Company.

 

Persuasion begins preview on April 3 and opens April 6. Performances are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Persuasion runs through April 28.

 

Tickets range from $20 – $45 and are available at www.thestage.org or by calling the box office at 408.283.7142. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, and discounts are available for groups, students and seniors. The theatre is handicapped accessible.

 

The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Street in downtown San Jose’s South First (SoFA) area.

 

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The Cast of Persuasion:

 

Maryssa Wanlass (Anne Elliot) is making her debut at The Stage. She has appeared locally Theatre Rhinoceros, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, PlayGround, TheatreFirst and Center REPertory Company.

 

Paul Myrvold* (Sir Walter Elliot, Admiral Crofts) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where he has appeared in Urinetown, The Musical and the World Premiere of Tenders in the Fog. He has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-off Broadway, as well as working as guest artist in colleges and universities across the country.

 

Allison F. Rich* (Elizabeth Elliot, Henrietta Musgrove) returns to The Stage, where she was last seen in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Cabaret, Carly in the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty and The Great American Trailer Park Musical. She has also appeared at PCPA Theatrefest, Capital Stage Company and 42nd Street Moon. She is an Associate Artist at The Stage.

 

Will Springhorn Jr.* (Frederick Wentworth) returns to The Stage, where he was last seen inReckless, the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Cabaret and the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. He recently appear at Ashby Stage in The Fourth Messenger, an original musical by Tanya Shaffer and Vienna Teng. He has appeared with TheatreWorks, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, SF Playhouse and Theatre Rhinoceros.

 

Halsey Varady* (Mary Musgrove, Mrs. Smith) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where she played Rachel in Reckless, Rachel Jackson in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Steph in the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. She has also appeared locally at Bus Barn Stage Company, The Spare Stage Company, Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company, City Lights Theater Company, Palo Alto Players, Foothill College Saratoga Drama Group. In Washington D.C., she appeared at Ford’s Theatre and Spooky Action Theater. She is an Associate Artist at The Stage.

 

William J. Brown III (Charles, Benwick) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where he was seen in On The Waterfront.

 

Donna Federico (Mrs. Musgrove, Lady Diarymaple) is making her debut at The Stage.

 

Susan Gundunas (Lady Russell, Mrs. Crofts) is making her first appearance at San Jose Stage Company. She was recently seen as Elaine Novazio in Last of the Red Hot Lovers at Novato Theatre Company as Helen Hart in the Retro Dome’s Game Show Show.

 

Juliet Heller (Mrs. Clay, Louisa Musgrove) returns to The Stage, where she was seen in Rock ‘n’ Roll. She has appeared locally with Berkeley Playhouse, Willows Theatre Company, Shotgun Players, 42nd Street Moon, Pacific Repertory Theatre and Broadway By the Bay.

 

Paul Stout (Mr. Shepard, Captain Harville, Mr. Elliot) is making his debut at San Jose Stage Company. He has appeared locally with Marin Shakespeare Company, Custom Made Theatre, The Western Stage and Boxcar Theatre.

 

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

 

Kenneth Kelleher (Director) has directed over twenty performances for The Stage, including John Logan’s Red, Craig Lucas’ Reckless, Sam Shepard’s Buried Child, the Regional Premiere ofOn The Waterfront and Tom Stoppard’s  Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is currently the Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company and B Street Theatre.

 

Giulio Perrone (Set Designer) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where his previous set designs include Buried Child and the World Premiere of Lolita Roadtrip.

 

Jean Cardinale (Costume Designer) returns to The Stage, where her designs were seen inRed, Reckless, Race, Avenue Q and the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty.

 

David Gotlieb (Light Designer) is making his design debut for San Jose Stage Company.

 

John Koss (Sound Designer) returns to The Stage, where he designed the sound for Rd, Reckless and Race.

 

Attn: Media and Calendar Editors:  San Jose Stage Company holds the press opening on Saturday, April 6 at 8:00 PM, with previews beginning Wednesday and Thursday, April 3 and 4 at 7:30 PM and Friday, April 5 at 8:00 PM.

Production photos are available upon request. Visit www.thestage.org

 

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About San Jose Stage Company:

 

Now in its 30th season, San Jose Stage Company is recognized as The Bay Area's Premiere Off-Broadway Theatre. The Stage is known for its devotion to new and cutting-edge work and for its commitment to showcasing high-quality local talent.

 

Ranked 3rd largest theatre and 9th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (May 2012), San Jose Stage Company is a vital force in the community. The Stage has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by providing high-quality, edgy theatrical experiences that engage, educate and provoke audiences. The Stage has produced 143 productions, 44 new works and 13 world premieres.

 

The Stage also offers five core educational and outreach programs, including National High School Top Honors Awards, and has housed over 200 independent performance groups in its theatre. The Stage is located at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. For more information: www.thestage.org   Box Office: 408.283.7142

San Jose Metro Ties for No.1 Job Market in the US

According to a new study that Forbes put together, the San Jose area has tied for the No.1 top job market for Spring 2013. This was calculated by looking at the percentage of employers that are planning to add jobs, and subtracting the percentage of employers planning to cut jobs. Forbes is calling this metric the net employment outlook. San Jose came in with a staggering 23%. This means that the market for employees is going to get even tighter this year, unemployment will drop, and salaries will likely rise even higher.

Tied for 1st place is Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine, which needless to say has a much smaller workforce than the San Jose Metro. Third place was another tie between Salt Lake City and Tuscon.

SF was not on the top 10 list, and the NYC metro was actually on the bottom 10 list.

Source: SVBJ, Forbes

Community Easter Egg Hunt

Tomorrow from 10am-10:30am, bring your Easter baskets to Discovery Meadow for a free Easter Egg Hunt. The focus this year will be on sharing, generosity, and equality. The event is happening rain or shine and the hosts are also giving away prizes. For more info, just click here.

MUJI Update!

This is really happening, MUJI is coming to Downtown San Jose! The sign is up and there is an official grand opening date, April 16th. Inside its 4,590 square feet you will find over 2,000 products, including household items and clothing. The first 1,000 customers on the 16th will get a reusable bag with a map of San Jose. I can't wait and already have setting some money set aside to help contribute to this store's success. If you want to see retail thrive Downtown, please mark your calendar, grab your wallet, and let's give MUJI a warm welcome!

Source: MUJI, Thanks to Rob Swierk for the tip!

03.07.2013

New York, NY, March 7th, 2013, MUJI U.S.A. LIMITED announces its opening date of San Jose store, which has been set to April 16, 2013, the second MUJI store to open on the West coast. Located at the base of the Fairmont Hotel Annex, on South 1st street, along the Paseo de San Antonio street, 170 South Market Street, CA 95113. MUJI San Jose will open from 11:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. during its first day of operation.

With approximately 4,590 square feet of retail floor space, MUJI’s second store on the West coast will offer over 2,000 items of MUJI products, including about 1,700 items of Household and 300 items of Apparels. After the first day of opening, the store will open regularly from 10:30a.m. to 8:00p.m. from Monday to Saturday, 11:00a.m. to 6:30p.m. on Sundays.

MUJI San Jose Original My Bags for the opening
As Capital of Silicon Valley, the city of San Jose is innovative in terms of economy and ecology. To celebrate the San Jose store opening as well as to promote sustainability, MUJI will offer an exclusive My Bag with a map of San Jose to the first 1,000 customers who make a purchase on the opening day to encourage reducing waste that results from the use of paper or plastic bags. MUJI plain My Bag will be offered at $3.5 after the opening.

San Jose's Tesla Store is Expanding

The very first Tesla store--which just so happens to be located at Santana Row--has outgrown its space. Unofficially I have heard that this is the most successful store in the Tesla network. The fact that I now see up to nine Model S sedans each morning on my commute is evidence that they are doing pretty damn well (I can't help but to count them). At the Row, Tesla is just moving a few spaces down into to the store formerly occupied by Burberry. In addition, they will continue to keep the area in the parking structure where they store test drive vehicles and let Tesla owners charge their cars for free.

Tesla is also hosting a party on April 3rd between 6:30pm and 9pm to celebrate the new store!

"Many of you may recall about two years ago when we opened our first new design Tesla Store at Santana Row in San Jose, California. It was our first prototype new-design store and has been a great learning experience for us during the past two years. Customer response has been so positive that we need to expand. We will be relocating to a new, larger location in the next few weeks. Thanks to everyone who has frequented our Santana Row store and has made it such a great success. We’re growing because of your support." -George Blankenship 

Source: Tesla Blog

Joint Venture Index of Silicon Valley 2013

The 2013 Silicon Valley Index has arrived and always brings with it some interesting statistics related to our region. Here are a few of my favorite bits from the report:

• Silicon valley is adding jobs faster than it has in more than a decade and in a faster rate than the rest of California and the Nation. In the last year, Silicon Valley has gained 42,360 jobs.
• Regional unemployment is down to 7%, and has also declined across all ethnicity groups.
• In 2011, 64% of Silicon Valley professionals with higher education working in science/engineering fields were born outside the US (the national average is 26%).
• Transit ridership increased by 1.3% in 2012.
• Average housing rents hit a historic high of $1,966.
• Foreclosures declined 41% between the first half of 2011 and the first half of 2012.
• Silicon Valley reached a five-year high of 17 IPOs in 2012, representing 52% of all statewide IPOs and 15% of all national IPOs.
• 48% of all patents in the state and 12.5% of all patents in the country come from Silicon Valley.
• The percentage of kids enrolled in preschool hit 46% in Silicon Valley, compared to 37% in California and 40% for the United States as a whole.
• Since 1998, Silicon Valley's daily per capita waste disposal has fallen by 42% greatly outpacing the nation and state. Per capita energy consumption has also dropped by 2.5%.
• Overall solar installations have increased 14% in 2012 over 2011.
• 82% of all new housing units approved in 2012 were within 1/3 mile of a major transit station.

Click here to read the entire report..

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (Q1 2013 Edition)

I have done the latest round of updates to the Downtown San Jose Restaurants database and I think Downtown is just about hit the critical mass needed to really be seen as a restaurant destination similar to Willow Glen, Santana Row, or Downtown Palo Alto / Mountain View / Campbell. The number of new restaurants is not only up, but the quality of these new venues is outstanding. We are up to a grand total of 242 eateries, the latest record for Downtown San Jose.

This is our second quarter with no bad news, no significant closures. The restaurants that have lasted through the last major downturn are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and are here to stay. The one closure worth mentioning is Chevy's in the San Jose Market Center (this was the worst Chevy's I have been to in my life) and it is being replaced with a BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse.

Now the good news, and you might want to grab some coffee because it is a long list:

• Cafe Stritch - Meet the new SoFA anchor venue. The menu is inexpensive, casual, and delicious, they have a great bar, live music will be coming 3-5 times per week, they are building an art gallery on the second floor, oh and they have the coolest outdoor seating in Downtown San Jose. Half a dozen other improvements are coming over the next few weeks. Have to check it out during South First Fridays.
• Nemea Greek Taverna - Just got to try this out last night. Nemea is located at 1st and San Fernando, one of our "key corners." The ambiance looks incredible, it has the most polished interior Downtown right now. The fare is on the higher-end side and everything I had was fantastic. In fact it puts Thea to shame in Santana Row and is pretty close to Dio Deka in Los Gatos. They will be featuring live Greek music every Friday and also have a great outdoor dining space. I was a big fan of E&O, but this surpasses it in every way. 4.5 stars on Yelp!
• Vyne - Great new wine bar and bistro! Hip, chic atmosphere, great happy hour, and a great food menu. They are the only place Downtown I can think of that has a caviar plate. Also 4.5 stars on Yelp.
• K zzang - Welcome to Downtown San Jose's first and only Korean restaurant (that I can remember at least). I had to add a new Genre for this one. Have not been here yet, but the menu looks great (Bulgogi, Bibimbaps, etc.). This is located a few spaces down from Nemea.
• Amir Restaurant - The former Morocco's space has a new tenant! Amir is a casual mediterranean restaurant with geneous portions and reasonable prices. It is locally owned and has a stellar 4.5 Yelp rating (are you noticing the trend here?).
• Grub Shack - Yet another great restaurant. This one is on 93 E. Santa Clara Street and the food is a mix of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Japanese food. 4.5 starts on Yelp with over 100 reviews.
• San Pedro Square Market Updates
• Chocatoo - Great new dessert and coffee shop inside of the Lusardi building (Blush, Treatbot, Phonomenal). Wide selection, knowledgeable staff, 
• Market Beer Company - replacing Polkadotz Mini Gourmet Cupcakes. Will feature a huge assortment of craft beers for visitors: over 300 refrigerated craft brews (either bomber 22-oz bottles or 750-ml bottles) as well as 5-10 beers on tap.
• B2 Coffee - they have moved to their permanent spot in the corner of the "garage" area. They now have way more space, their own bathrooms, and new seating options.
• Garage Bar - a brand new bar that they are opening at night time in the same "garage" area where B2 Coffee is located.
• Konjoe Burger Bar (Coming Soon) - Handmade, contemporary, Asian-American burgers using freshly ground patties and exotic ingredients. 
• Bray Butcher Block & Bistro (Coming Soon) - This is for all of those that have been complaining that there is no traditional Market in the Market. Bray will bring a full selection of deli meats, fish, steaks, house-made sausages, and BBQ dishes.
• Other Places Coming Soon
• Orchestria Palm Court - Now this is going to be interesting. Palm Court is a cafe opening behind the Stage Theater in a 1910 brick structure and will feature music from the early part of the last century played on mechanical music machines. The menu will be healthy European cuisine prepared in old-fashioned ways. You will also find fountain drinks with natural fresh-squeezed fruit juices.
• The Farmer's Union - A new two-story Ale House/Sports Bar at San Pedro and Santa Clara Street with 60 beers on tap and the largest TV screen in Silicon Valley. It will be decorated with items from San Jose's history and serve traditional American fare. Tremendous potential with this restaurant and it sits on a key corner.
• The Blackbird Tavern - My most highly anticipated restaurant opening in the queue right now. If anyone can turn around the corner lot that hosted Zing, Asquew Grill, and Ruffled Feathers Eatery... it's these guys from the Naglee Park Garage. Similar to the Original Gravity House, this can be a game changer. Expect an outstanding beer selection, tapas, live music, and a laid back atmosphere right in the middle of Downtown San Jose (across the street from where the Muji flagship Japanese retail store will go and next to Camera 12 and the Fairmont)
• Cafe Eden - Supposed to be coming to 2 N. First but cannot find any additional info.
• Chromatic Coffee - They bought the building at 19 N 2nd St and will be moving their roasting facilities there and open a cafe.
• ISO: Beers - New craft beer shop and lounge on Santa Clara that should compliment places like Original Gravity and Good Karma quite nicely.
• Ike's Place - One of the best sandwich chains ever, coming to the SJSU area around summer time.

As for the latest status update on my mission to eat at every single restaurant in Downtown San Jose... I'm at 218 out of 242, or 90%. So many new restaurants opened up I am actually a bit behind last quarter!

Below is the changelog from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

• 12/16/2012 Updated hours and contact info for La Lune Sucree
• 12/16/2012 Taza on Santa Clara street closed
• 12/31/2012 Added ISO: Beers
• 1/13/2013 Repaced Uncle Bernie's Fish & Chips with The City Fish
• 1/21/2013 Added Nemea Greek Taverna, which replaces E&O Trading Company
• 3/16/2013 Replaced Eulipia with Cafe Stritch
• 3/24/2013 Expanded Cafe Stritch's Hours (Sun-Tues 7:00am-10pm, Wed-Sat 7:00am-12am)
• 3/24/2013 Updated the information for Nemea Greek Taverna (4.5 yelp score)
• 3/24/2013 Added the Vyne Bistro wine bar to the list on Paseo de San Antonio
• 3/24/2013 Added K zzang, Downtown's first Korean restaurant that I can remember
• 3/24/2013 Replaced Chevy's at the San Jose Market Center with BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
• 3/24/2013 Added outdoor seating for Chacho's
• 3/24/2013 Added Chocatoo which is in the San Pedro Square Market
• 3/24/2013 Added Konjoe Burger Bar in the San Pedro Square Market
• 3/24/2013 Added Spiedo and Agave Viejo to the Closed Restaurants List (these are old)
• 3/24/2013 Added The Farmer's Union at 151 W. Santa Clara Street
• 3/24/2013 Added Amir Restaurant at 86 N Market (former Morocco's Space)
• 3/24/2013 Added outdoor dining to Grub Shack

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.