Discover San Jose Retail Store Opens Today!

If this isn't a sign of the times I don't know what is. Yet another retail store is opening up Downtown, and this one is all about San Jose pride! The Discover San Jose store will be located at 150 South 1st Street across from the Fairmont Plaza and will carry souvenirs, historic artifacts, San Jose art, and more. They picked a really good central location and I'm sure store will do wonders in getting the San Jose brand out there more.

The ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening are both happening this afternoon and will feature free food, drinks, and gifts. For more information click here!

New (Non-Downtown) San Jose Restaurants!

There have been a ton of anonymous posts on the blog mentioning new restaurants that are opening all around San Jose. I am conveniently grouping all of the non-Downtown ones into this post. Again most of the posts were anonymous, so feel free to take credit in the comments if you submitted these =).

• Santana Row
• Fogo de Chao (replacing Chili's) - epic win for San Jose... this is a world-renowned and highly-rated Brazilian steakhouse. The only other location in California is in Beverly Hills.
• Nicholson Plaza (N. First, center with Round Table and Subway)
• EatViet - this looks like a Vietnamese version of Chipotle, pretty interesting concept
• Crescent Village
• Wahoo's Fish Tacos
• 2-3 other leases pending
• Brokaw Commons
• Bonchon
• Pieology
• @First
• Sajj - Falafels, Shawarmas, and other Mediterranean fare
• San Jose Market Center (Coleman, on Downtown's border)
• Chick-Fil-A (second in San Jose)
• Smashburger (first in Silicon Valley)

San Jose - Century of Hospitality at the MLK Library

San Jose - Century of Hospitality - MLK Library June 24 - Oct. 25, 2013 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Throughout its history, San Jose’s hospitality was world famous, accommodating everyone, from gold prospectors and tourists to the captains of industry.

As the gold rush ended, miners settled and took up farming. San Jose expanded its role as a supply center and became a transportation hub. Local hotels expanded their rooms, including new amenities such as entertainment, saloons, restaurants and retail shops. Tourism flourished with as famous visitors like Thomas Edison and President McKinley came to the city.

Experience the beautiful photos and compelling memorabilia from a century of change in San Jose’s hospitality industry. Presented by the Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History at the downtown Martin Luther King Library.

You’ll see and witness how life dramatically changed from a sleepy Pueblo population to the first State Capital to a modern metropolis.

Content Magazine - Issue 5.2 Pick-up Party

The best magazine in San Jose is hosting yet another pick-up party for it's readers, contributors, and featured personalities tomorrow. What makes this one even more special than its predecessors is the location... Blackbird Tavern! You'll get an exclusive sneak peak into Downtown San Jose's latest watering hole and bistro, and I think it's going to be awesome. To top it off, you will even get a free drink just for showing up. Seriously, what other magazine would do this kind of stuff for its readers?

Map of San Jose Pet Rescues and Shelters

The maps below were created so that the public can be made aware of how many homeless pet organizations are available in the San Jose area. Many of these pets will be euthanized if not adopted, so if you are looking for a pet please start with a local shelter!


Find San Jose Dogs & Puppies


Find San Jose Cats & Kittens

Saturday Stats: San Jose Ranks as the #2 Clean Tech City in the US

Clean Edge has put out a report that looks at clean tech leadership and has ranked all of the metros in the US. Not surprisingly, five of the top 10 were in California. What did surprise me is that San Francisco (which includes San Mateo and Oakland) outranked the San Jose metro. I really have to question this considering the tremendous concentration of clean/green-tech companies in the South Bay. However, #2 among all US Metros is nothing to be disappointed about, especially considering that the next metro on the list was not even close to San Jose.

Source: Silicon Beat

Mass Produce Original Thought @ Empire Seven Studios

Mass Produce Original Thought! combines found, acquired, and artist-made objects with text and image to comment on the place of the individual in our manufactured environment. In this exhibition, typographic voice is given to a wide range of objects. The skateboard deck, a mass-produced consumer good often associated with the seeking of rebellious symbolism, is employed as canvas for a range of messages from sexual angst to societal yearnings. Street signs, fallout shelter signs, and land mine markers are repurposed in poetic conversations between their original and newly imposed messages. Type is integrated into antiques, vintage family artifacts, as well as new materials, by means of sandblasting, painting, laser etching, toner transfer, and letterpress. The result is a conversation of forms that brushes aside distinctions between art, design, and poetry.

Show will run June 14-July 6
Gallery hours: Wednesday and Friday 12-6pm, Saturday 12-4pm

SF Design Week Silicon Valley Party
Wednesday, June 26 from 7-10pm
Artist talk at 8pm

Downtown Willow Glen Hosts the 18th ‘Dancin’ on the Avenue’ On Saturday, June 22 from 2 PM to 8 PM On Lincoln Avenue in the Heart of Willow Glen

San Jose, CA – May 8, 2013  --- On Saturday, June 22 the Willow Glen Business Association will host the ‘Dancin’ on the Avenue’ community and family-friendly festival. Presented by CEFCU, this year’s ‘Dancin’ on the Avenue’ has garnered much community and business support. The street fair will host live music, 15 various food vendors as well as a family atmosphere featuring a Kids’ Court with kid-centric  games and activities.

“This year’s “Dancin’ On the Avenue” will offer the community a fun-filled and family-friendly festival along Lincoln Avenue,” said Valerie Merklin, Executive Director of the Willow Glen Business Association. “Lincoln Avenue is the place to be on June 22!”

Here are a few of the highlights at this year’s “Dancin’ on the Avenue” event:
Four stages will feature an eclectic mix of live music and entertainment, including:  The Cruzers’ rock to soul dance music; SlingTown’s country sound with 7-part harmony with acoustic “attitude”; acoustic rock from Blue House Band; and a top 40 high-energy mash-up from The Peelers. The Community Stage will present family favorite Grammy-nominated David Sharpe and The PapaHugs Band as well as well as performances from local dance groups and musicians.

The festival will be held on Saturday, June 22 along Lincoln Avenue in downtown Willow Glen from 2 PM to 8 PM.

The Kids’ Court area, sponsored by Intero, Western Bancorp and First American Title will be held in the parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank, and have a  petting zoo, a balloon artist, face-painting, games and crafts for the family-friendliest part of the festival.  Two new attractions have been added this year. LEGO Jeep, sponsored by Miramar Hospitality, will allow children to turn a real car into a movable sculpture covered by LEGO blocks. The All-American Fun Zone will feature classic kid’s games and activities like jacks, hula-hoops, cat’s cradle and paper crafts. There will even be two sand tables for the littlest visitors to enjoy.

A Silicon Valley touch: the Willow Glen Business Association will offer the opportunity to purchase beverage tickets in advance online.   Tickets can be purchased using a credit card by going to:  willowglen.org. Advanced sale beverage tickets must be picked up at the Will Call booth located near 1176 Lincoln Avenue, which will open at 2:30 PM the day of the event.

Admission to the event is free, however security entries will be at the two monitored entrances at Willow and at Minnesota, where purses/backpacks will be checked. No outside containers of any kind – even coffee cups – will be allowed in.

Sponsors of the 2013 “Dancin’ on the Avenue” include: CEFCU, Peak Travel, Sereno Group, Intero, Western Bancorp, First American Title, Del Grande Dealership Group, Wells Fargo Bank, Bright Horizons, Bottomley Distributing, Xfinity Comcast, Solar Universe, Provident Credit Union, Culligan Water, Bank of America and Merrill Edge, Barracuda Networks, Comerica, Bloom Bridal Boutique, DeMattei Construction, ProTemp Accounting, Miramar Hospitality, Classic Car Wash, San Jose Montessori School, Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, and KRTY/KLIV Empire Broadcasting.

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About the Willow Glen Business Association:

Willow Glen’s merchants have been organized, active and supportive of the community since the 1930’s. By 1988, the Willow Glen Business Association and a Business Improvement District (BID) were in place to assist local business maintain and promote downtown Willow Glen as an ideal place to eat, shop and locate new business. In 2010, the BID gave way to the formation of a CBID with the same goals.

“Dancin’ on The Avenue” is sponsored by the Willow Glen Business Association. Funds generated from the event go towards supporting other projects for the local business district such as holiday events, beautification projects and financial support of local schools.

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