Downtown San Jose Restaurant Boom

Check out the video embedded below about the restaurant boom happening right now in Downtown. Pete Be, owner of the new Da Kine Island Grill and Tracy Lee from Dishcrawl are featured on the NBC Bay Area segment.

2,000th Post on The San Jose Blog!

It has been quite a journey so far. Honestly, I was not sure if we would ever hit this milestone and I am pretty sure that no other independent San Jose-oriented blog has reached 2,000 posts. We're still going strong and also just broke 1.2 million page views.

I have been travelling for the past week to visit family and had an opportunity to visit two great American cities: Denver, CO and Louisville, KY. I spent a great deal of time in the downtown areas of both cities and have to say that I had a lot of fun in both locations. The people in Louisville were incredible (friendliest city I have ever been to) and Denver's lively and walkable 16th street filled with shops and restaurants seemed to go on for miles.

The one thing I did not get a sense of in either city (or their downtown cores) was that there would be substantial changes in the future. They are already great cities with a lot to be proud of, but five years from now Denver will still be Denver and Louisville will still be Louisville. On the other hand, I think in five years San Jose will be a very different city than it is today... and while change is scary for most I think San Joseans have the ability to weather and welcome change better than anyone else in the country. That is what excites me the most about living here and working on this blog. We have a lot to look forward to and expect to see some big announcements in the coming months!

Cheers, and hope to see you all another 2,000 posts from now =)

Josh

South FIRST FRIDAY Tonight!

It's going to be a huge FIRST FRIDAY this month, rain or shine.  Check out an in depth list of the artists being featured and participating venues below:

~~~

JOIN US for the next South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk on April 4th from 7–11pm. RSVP

The South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk is a self-guided evening tour through galleries, museums, and independent creative businesses featuring exhibitions and special performances.

NEW EXHIBITS…

• Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 South First St. map

  
  Artist’s Reception: Millions of Colors in the Shadow by Joe Kowalczyk (CA)
  Kowalczyk’s ceramic sculptures are the celebration of the irrational; a celebration of ideas, impulses, and desires that spring from the darker side of the subconscious. When the quiet thought: “Why did I think something so strange?” arises, Kowalczyk celebrates it and turn it into a drawing or translates it into a sculpture rather than pushing the thought aside.
  “Much of my sculpture explores aspects of the human shadow; those which we deem improper, primitive and ultimately “unfit” for modern society. These are aspects of ourselves we’ve learned to restrain in our youth, and continue to intentionally suppress as adults in order to create a more “ideal” person,” says Kowalczyk. “I highlight these aspects and put them into the physical world; to give them a face and a set of eyes, so we can confront and better understand them. As a result I better understand myself.”
  Joe Kowalczyk is an award winning sculptor, painter, and illustrator that has been creating in the California Bay Area since he received his BFA in ceramics from California College of Arts and Crafts in 2006. Along with his studio practice, Joe fixes kilns, teaches ceramics, and cofounded a fine art gallery within the Oakland Art Murmur district.
  
  On View: We’s Gone Be Fine by Jeremiah Maddock (OR)
  On view in galleryTWO: We’s Gone Be Fine by Jeremiah Maddock (OR)
  “because I have said that verbally more times this year than ever before…and we are always gone some place rolling the dice. It’s been a nice vagabonding period.” ~Jeremiah Maddock
  All new works from our favorite hyper obsessive nomadic artist from the Pacific Northwest (this time.)

• Higher Fire Clayspace & Gallery – 499 South Market St. map

  
  Melvin by Lisa LaRocca
  Higher Fire Gallery presents: Spring Mud-Fling
  Spring brings good mud-gazing! Feast your eyes on sculptural flowers, ceramic bird houses, totems, bird baths, bird feeders, Easter eggs, clay baskets, garden art, flower pots, fountains, planters, ice tea sets and oh so much more. We’re featuring cool clay items to make, take (and hopefully not break) at the Higher Fire Gallery this April.

• KALEID gallery – 88 South Fourth St. map

  
  
  Artist Reception: The Key to Technological and Spiritual Renaissance­ new artworks by Joe Perea
  Nature’s organizing power is infinite and we are apart of nature. Our creativity and analytical urges exist in our society as separate entities. But according to the Ancients and Quantum Physics this is a mirage. All the great thinkers in the likes of Jung, Einstein and Tesla retained both beautiful sides. Let us open ourselves to our highest potential and Combine our two infinite sides.
  Perea’s personal Mythology is channeled information, regurgitated knowledge from every single soul he meets. “There’s a mythological formula to creativity and the key to open it is our passion. We’re all masters, use The Key.” ~Joe Perea
  
  
  Artist Reception: CONNECTIONS mixed media work by Valerie Runningwolf
  Being human is to reach out and find connections. To link with other people, to attach ourselves with things, and join together within common beliefs. Our lives are a series of connections. Each one helps to shape who we are and define all the parts and pieces that construct our individuality and uniqueness. “As an artist I explore and create what I feel, see, and experience, always reaching out to others through artistic expression in hopes of evoking a sense of connectedness.” ~ Valerie Runningwolf
  To create this series, Runningwolf looked into the layers of connections and asked many questions, such as:
  What pieces fit together in our lives and what connects us to others and events?
  How do we stay connected ?
  Who do we feel bound to and linked together in our hearts and souls?
  What connections are visible and which ones are hidden and concealed?

• Seeing Things Gallery – 30 North Third St. map

  
  
  MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES works by Lance Cyril Mountain
  What is force? Driving human emotions? Love. Change. Fear. Achievement. Recognition. Challenge. Excellence. Responsibility / Contribution & Passion
  All these are driving forces for Lance. With an unorthodox upbringing, one only has to have a single conversation with this artist, to see his passions & goals are much greater than your average 28 year old living in Southern California. Being well travelled & well educated may contribute to his longing for more substance & disdain for modern complacency (i.e. stucco buildings & strip mall business greed). With the ability to detach himself from an average way of living that has become acceptable to a generation, he is truly unique. With a generous heart & a burning contempt for lazy conformists, not much has changed in the world of Lance since he was a child.
  Often misunderstood, like all great artists, Lance showcases his passion & attention to detail in all the works he involves himself in. Whether its painting, photography, writing or screen printing, all these emotions show through. All the viewer has to do is open their eyes and be willing to see its all there…Thought Informed By Passion & Conditioned By Knowledge

• Silicon Valley Music Festival at Sliding Door Company – 355 South First St. map

  
  
  Pianist Nichole Boaz will be featured at The Sliding Door Company this month at part of the Silicon Valley Music Festival South FIRST FRIDAY Art Walk! Performance Series. She is a distinguished Jazz musician and alumni of San Jose State University.
  
  One Thousand Thousand Project by Jason McHenry
  The Silicon Valley Music Festival (SVMF) invites you to attend this month’s performance as we continue our theme of musically inspired visual artwork. Jason McHenry has been working with the Silicon Valley Music Festival over the past few months, creating works inspired by the South FIRST FRIDAY SVMF performances. In February audiences were captivated by the flawless beauty of harpist, Anna Maria-Mendieta and in March charmed by the solo guitarist, Antoniy Kakamakov. This month Jason will be on sight once again capturing the colors of jazz pianist Nichole Boaz. We invite you to participate in this drawing project along with Jason. This series is part of Jason McHenry’s One Thousand Thousand Project, an ongoing and frequently collaborative effort to produce an edition of one million hand-made, original works on paper. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute in such an epic artistic endeavour, please join us! .

• Works San Jose – 365 South Market St. map

  
  art by Carolann Espino
  Works / San José presents Shelter
  25 South Bay artists explore their views of shelter in a wide range of medium and installations. Curated by Alfred Preciado, the work takes a worldly yet often sublime view of the very universal concept of shelter, making political, cultural, issue oriented, poster-like, text, video, and other statements.

• Art Ark Gallery – 1035 South Sixth St. map

  
  
  Opening Reception 6-9pm: Silicon Valley Open Studio Preview Exhibit at Art Ark Gallery. An art exhibition featuring the work of local artists participating in this year’s SVOS in the central San Jose area on May 17th and 18th 2014.
  Silicon Valley Open Studios is an organization of artists in the bay area that are fluent in all mediums of art from painters to photographers to 3D. This group of artists are innovative and emerging on the scene with fresh new ideas and wonderful new works to share. This preview is an opportunity to see some of their art and meet the artists prior to the Open Studios beginning the first week of May. Live music performed by Freya Seeburger
  Participating Artists: Susan Babbel, Debbie Bakker, David Braunstein, Jennifer Carrier, James Derieg, Liz Fennell, Rachel Greenberg, Rose Hagan, Inge Infante, Elaine Jek, Bharati Kshirsagar, James Lee, Lynn Elliott Letterman, Alyssa Levitan, Oleg Lobykin, Kenneth Mahar, Andrew Muonio, Nassim Nouri, Christine Oliver, Abbas Orumchian, Mary Paquet, Jim Paradis, JoAnne Perez Robinson, Marina Povalishina, Mohana Pradhan, Sally Rayn, Cynthia Riordan, Masha Schultz, Sue Serrone, Arena Shawn, Joan Sparks, Pooja Subramanya, Karin Taber, Rachel Tirosh, Valerie J.A. Vandermotten, Mishel Vanderten, Shweta Vijayaraghavan, Bill Voight, Cathy Zander, Carrie Zeidman

• Discover San Jose – 150 South First St., Suite 103 map

  
  
  DSJ proudly presents the work of Jim Watkins in April. His interest in photography began on the streets of Paris in 1991. Armed with 11 disposable cameras, he explored the City of Light to document his lifelong dream of visiting the city. Two years later, he revisited Paris with a real camera – and he was hooked. Jim’s focus is now on landscapes, cityscapes and street photography. He has been published in magazines, newspapers, books and travel guides. Jim will be on hand during South First Fridays to autograph his works for collectors.

• Downtown Yoga Shala – 450 South First St. map

  
  
  Opening Reception: Jonathan and Joella Kermit are back at Downtown Yoga Shala, with their exhibit Light + Wire + Thread. This time, they incorporate LED lighting into their wire and paper assemblages and textile hangings. The effect creates a sense of depth and serenity in the eye and mind of the viewer. Join us after our 5:30-6:45pm Yoga Pilates Fusion class with Deepa, as we open our doors to the Art patrons and downtown SJ community to host the creative and collaborative work of husband and wife team of Joella and Jonathan Kermit. See you at the Shala!

• First to Market Restaurant – 399 South First St. map

  
  
  Portraits of Things by Samantha Yee
  An exploration of character, perception, and humanity through painted portraits of people and other inanimate objects. Classic examples of the portrait genre from the Renaissance through the age of Napoleon inspired the re-imagining of our modern selves and our spaces out of the skyscraper and back to the manor house.

• Street Eats & Live Beats at Parque De Los Pobladores – South First St. at William St. map

  
  South FIRST FRIDAYS presents: STREET EATS & LIVE BEATS!
  Streaming live from Parque De Los Pobladores in the SoFA District El Otto Munro (EOM) on Common Ground- Radio feauturing DJs El Gato, Jswizza, Paul Leath & Notorious PI.G.. Also featuring great street eats provided by: MoGo BBQ, Quick Dog, MoBowl, Paddy Wagon Sliders and Twisted Chill.

• The Soundtrack of Cinequest at South First Billiards – 420 South First St. map

  
  
  Meshy sans Fleshy: Guitron, with a splash of Paeste. Chilled. Mario Guitron Solo exhibit, Also, the South First Billiards Dee Jae Paeste permanent collection.
  Live Music 9:30pm by Love Stoned (Top 40 Cover Band for your dancing pleasure)

• Studio Climbing Gym – 396 South First St. map

  
  
  World of Color by Joe Decker (Rockslide Photography)
  Navigating the colors of air, water and earth in locations from around the globe. Joe has explored both polar regions and the western United States in search of the incredible beautify and variety of nature. He’s been awarded artist residencies by the National Park Service, Gullkistan (an arts organization in Iceland), and Hurtigruten (a cruise line based in Norway). Joe is also the author of “The Tuesday Composition”, a best-selling photographic ebook on the topic of composition in photography.

• TechShop San Jose – 300 South Second St. map

  
  Scrap Yard Printing by Colin Drake Jaramillo
  Colin Drake Jaramillo has been photographing since 12 years of age and continues to try and intertwine his work across the different fields he works in. Starting with aspirations to be a National Geographic photographer, straight photography has fallen by the wayside as the focus is on completing a degree in Anthropology. Rather than taking photos, experimenting and concentrating on existing images to create something greater has been occupying Colin’s time for the past two years, such as his work of Ecuador where he has photographed the people and the street art of the region. This series of photographs on metal is one way that this trend has manifested itself, combing work conducted at TechShop with various other photographic projects.
  

  CONTINUED EXHIBITS…

  • MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 South First St.map

    
    Samuel Rodriguez, Notes, 2013. Spray paint and ink on wood. 13 x 36 inches.
    LATINO ART NOW! 16TH Annual Art Auction + Exhibition
    View and buy work from established and emerging artists from the Bay Area and beyond! Stop by the gallery to buy directly or participate in our auction on April 26. Auction supports MACLA’s programs. These and other artists have generously donated selections from their current work, including paintings, light installations, sculpture, collage, mixed-media work, and photography, reflecting the breadth of visual arts media for which MACLA is known.
    
    8-9:30 pm Music performance by PAOLOZZI TANGO TRIO. Feel the passion as this Bay Area trio performs original and traditional tangos.


  • Phantom Galleries – 95 South Market St. map

    
    art work by Dee Dee Torre
    FRPArt (Functional Restoration Program Art) uses the creation of art as a catalyst for physical, spiritual, and cognitive rehabilitation from various injuries and afflictions. In conjunction with releasing stress and anxiety through the mindful process of creation, promoting an overall sense of positivity and well being.
    Featured artists: Brandon Anderton, Carla Bolden, Betsy Braun-Kernaghan, Anthony Campisi, Liz Conklin, Chasity Washam Finney, Dyanne Hofstad, Sedara Olker, Laela Ramos, Michele Rice, Michelle Rourke, Dee Dee Torre, and Ann Wilcox.

  • ZERO1 Garage – 439 South First St. map

    
    City to City, (2013) Paula Levine, ZERO1 Fellowship/x
    ZERO1 Fellowship/x
    Featuring: Cecilia Galiena, Simon Geilfus (ANTIVJ), Paula Levine, Daniela Steinsapir
    Tapping a new source for disruption and recognizing the inherent innovative power of the artistic process, ZERO1 launched its Fellowship Program one year ago. The inaugural class of Fellows was presented with individual innovation challenges and have spent the past year researching, prototyping and producing outcomes in response to their respective challenge. From a cooperative urban experience, to a new messaging app; from a web platform facilitating social practice art to an unveiled presence of public network connections, ZERO1 is proud to present the results of these Fellow’s year-long journey. Come down to the ZERO1 Garage and discover each of the Fellows’ unique responses to their innovation challenges.

  • Cafe Stritch – 374 South First St. map

    
    Information not available at time of posting.

  • Caffé Frascati – 315 South First St. map

    
    First Fridays is Caffe Frascati Opera Night presented by First Street Singers, with the Bay Area’s finest opera singers performing your very favorite classical arias and duets live in the cafe!

  • Pho69 – 321 South First St. map

    
    
    Phantom Galleries presents JOURNALS by Gianfranco Paolozzi
    Marking on surfaces moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day.

  • Psycho Donuts – 288 South Second St. map

    
    Art by Valery Milovic
    Psycho Donuts in downtown San Jose is a quirky donut shop and art gallery. The gallery displays top local artists and has an ongoing exhibit featuring the work of John Renzel, Lacey Bryant, Nicolas Caesar, Murphy Adams, Christine Benjamin, Michael Foley, Michael Borja, Valery Milovic, Carlos Villez, Eric Joyner, Laura Callin Bennett, John Hageman and Robert McColley!

Mommy Foodie Fair with Dishcrawl on May 6th in Downtown SJ

Let’s face it…Moms are serious superheroes!  

They multitask like no other human on Earth: they cook dinner in the middle of doing 3 loads of laundry, check their children’s spelling homework, vacuum and clean till their house sparkles, all while making sure that no fingers get shoved in electric sockets!  

For these and way more reasons, we take off our hats to all you Moms out there!  

So here is our little gift to you…a special Mommy Foodie Fair with Dishcrawl!  

Come and enjoy networking, laughing, and celebrating your awesomeness with other local Moms!  

We’re working in partnership with City Moms Blog to create an experience for moms all across the nation…in 25 different cities on May 6th and 7th, over 2000 moms will come together for a Mommy Foodie Fair!  

For only $30, enjoy amazing hors d’oeuvres, discover incredible new food and fam ily friendly brands to taste the night away!  

Now, here are the details:  

Downtown San Jose
Date: May 6, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm
Tickets: Register Here

Enjoy a night just for yourself or invite your fave mom…we can’t wait to see you there!

--
Evan Morris
Bay Area Community Manager
dishcrawl.com | twitter | instagram | facebook
Watch some fun food videos on Dishcrawl.tv! 

New Hilton Planed for North San Jose

Haven't had enough of local hotel news? Well, yet another hotel development is coming to San Jose on North First Street. This one will be close to @First, the largest cluster of tech companies in the world, and of course Levi's Stadium. The new hotel will be a Hilton brand, likely Homewood Suites, and have around 145 rooms.

Also worth noting from the Merc article is the fact that there are currently 17 hotels with a total of 3,500 rooms in the pipeline for San Jose. Here is some perspective: during the 15 year period between 1993 and 2008, San Jose added about 3,000 hotel rooms (yes, even factoring in the the .com days).

Source: The Merc

San Jose Mercury News May Return Downtown

Last October The Merc sold its 36-acre North San Jose HQ to Super Micro Computer, necessitating that it find a new home in 2014. Apparently there are two sites in contention. One would be close to its existing location and the other would be the Legacy Civic Towers at 75 E. Santa Clara. It seems that they are leaning towards leasing 40,000 SQFT at the Downtown location--marking a return home after a 50 year absence.

The location makes perfect sense. Not only is it close to City Hall and where a substantial amount of local news is happening, you have branding opportunities on the top of the building (remember Earthlink), easy access by multiple modes of public transit, all the amenities workers could ask for, and room to grow. They would even have an Ike's Sandwiches and ISO: Beers on the ground floor of the building! Let's hope the Merc makes the right decision.

Source: SVBJ

BREAKING: Giants + A's Decide to Build a Joint Stadium in Downtown San Jose!

In a shocking twist to the territorial dispute between the SF Giants and the A's, a compromise has been reached that absolutely no one saw coming. The Giants and A's are proposing to build a joint stadium where both teams will play in Downtown San Jose! Each team will play half of their home games in the new stadium and the other half at AT&T Park in San Francisco. This will put territorial issues to rest as both teams will essentially be sharing both markets.

The joint ballpark will feature state of the art technology similar to Levi's stadium and will be wrapped in LEDs and digital signs that can change the entire look-and-feel to match the home team. AT&T Park will receive a similar transformation. With access to Caltrain, BART, Lightrail, Amtrack, and BRT... this will be one of the best connected stadiums in the country. Also, the new Downtown San Jose stadium and AT&T Park will be conveniently connected by Caltrain. This story is just developing, more info to come!

For further details, check out the source links below.

Sources: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

(For more April Fool's posts click the links above)

Santana Row 2

Santana Row is one of the most successful mixed-use projects of all time in the US. It has been emulated by many, yet nothing has really taken off quite like this ten-year ongoing project. Federal Realty, the developers that continue to own and operate the Row, have reached a physical limit in expansion opportunity. After this next round of development which will include three giant office complexes and a flagship retail space to cap the street, they will be completely out of physical space needed to continue to expand. Well, that is until the announcement below.

Federal Realty is taking over 11.6 acres fronting Winchester where the current Century Theaters sit. I know there is a lot of controversy about this space. Personally, I think if it is going to be redeveloped then the ideal developer would be Federal Realty. They have clearly shown that they could make a successful project with a lot of complex moving parts come together. While they have not made any announcement as to what their exact plans are for the area, I think offices will be a greater part of the mix than the original Santana Row. San Jose needs more jobs at the moment than residential, especially in that general Midtown/Uptown area. I also think there is potential to integrate the new BRT into the new development, which I really hope they consider give the lack of current public transit access. A well integrated BRT line would be the next best thing to having Light Rail running between Downtown San Jose and Santana Row.

Regardless of whether you or for or against this project, this will definitely be something interesting to keep tabs on.

Federal Realty Investment Trust's West Coast president Jeff Berkes has issued the following statement:

 “We are excited to announce that Federal Realty has entered into a long-term ground lease with the owners of the 11.6-acre site fronting Winchester Boulevard, opposite Santana Row, that is currently occupied by Century Theaters.  We are working with the City of San Jose to explore several different development alternatives that will complement our existing property, Santana Row, and the surrounding community.  We look forward to commencing the public process. We have no further comment at this time.”

-- Jeff Berkes, President, West Coast Federal Realty Investment Trust

About Santana Row

Santana Row a 1.5 million square foot mixed used development in the heart of San Jose, California, is Silicon Valley's premier destination for shopping,

dining, living and nightlife. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, parks and plazas, Santana Row features over 70 retail shops, more than 20 acclaimed restaurants, a 212-room boutique hotel and six-screen movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail collection, Santana Row offers 622 residential units featuring a fitness center, rooftop pool and resort-living accommodations, and 65,000 square feet of office space at 300 Santana Row, its newest office address. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visitwww.santanarow.com.

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 20 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.3% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of September 30, 2013, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.4% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 46 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.