Monday, June 9, 2014

San Jose's Environmental Innovation Center is Online

San Jose's long-delayed Environmental Innovation Center is now open at 1608 Las Plumas Avenue. This is a $31.4 million project that is owned by the city and leased out to several different organizations.

The nonprofit Prospect Silicon Valley has about 22,000 SQFT, which they are using to showcase innovations that lead to smart, clean, and connected cities. The technology comes from various incubators and they serve as a resource to connect companies, investors, and start-ups interested in green-tech.

Another 15,000 SQFT is taken up by Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which lets both builders and consumers buy donated construction materials. The proceeds go to supporting the mission and work of Habitat for Humanity.

It also houses a Household Hazardous Waste Facility, with will be the only permanent facility of its kind in San Jose. The only other two facilities for Household Hazardous Waste in the county are in Sunnyvale and San Martin.

Lastly, the building itself is a monument to sustainability. If you have a look at the last image below, you can get an idea of the green-tech features that are utilized throughout the project.

Source: SVBJ






Sunday, June 8, 2014

Santana Row Summer Events


Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by Lululemon Athletica
Saturdays, through September 27, 8:30 a.m.
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine at Park Valencia every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. from May through September. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Lululemon, 408.557.8721.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “All About Animals”
Tuesday, June 10 and every second Tuesday through December, 10 a.m. to noon
The popular kids’ club returns with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children.
Learn all about animals with special guests, featuring Mickaboo Bird Rescue. Enjoy live performances by Andy Z, the San Jose Public Library and Ballet San Jose and participate in activites with Children’s Discover Museum, Let’s Play in Spanish, Club One and more. Take a photo for dad for Father’s Day in Santana Row Park for $10.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. 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.

Summer Solstice Wine Stroll: a benefit for the Bill Wilson Center
Saturday, June 21, 5 to 7 p.m.
Enjoy wine and food tastings, a signature Santana Row wine glass and exclusive discounts to shops and restaurants, all to benefit the Bill Wilson Center, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling, housing and youth shelter for children, teens and young adults. The evening also includes a wine tasting seminar with ABC-TV’s Spencer Christian and features art by students.
Tickets are $35 and available for purchase at SantanaRow.com or inside of the Concierge Center.

Cars & Croissants
Saturday, June 28, and July 26, 9 a.m. to noon
Continuing on the fourth Saturday of every month through December
Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the fourth Saturday of the month, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their car and mingle with other enthusiasts. This event is free and open to the public.

Retail Happy Hour
Wednesday, July 2 and every Wednesday in July and August, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Summer gets a bit hotter than usual at Santana Row with the introduction of Retail Happy Hour, an invitation to shoppers to stop in different stores each week for music by DJs, raffles and exclusive discounts. The event is free and open to the public. Each week Santana Row will create a “passport” that lists the participating retail locations. The passport will be available online at SantanaRow.com, through Facebook, inside of participating shops and at the Concierge Center.

Fourth of July Summer Block Party
Friday, July 4, noon to 4 p.m.
An annual Santana Row tradition: enjoy big band entertainment in Park Valencia, stilt walkers and balloon artists. Browse racks of designer clothes at the annual sidewalk sample sale and enjoy exclusive discounts.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Summertime Party”
Tuesday, July 8, 10 a.m. to noon
Celebrate summer with a Santana Row style party! Enjoy live entertainment from Andy Z, The San Jose Public Library, Let’s Play in Spanish and Ballet San Jose. Enjoy activities with Children’s Discovery Museum, Let’s Play in Spanish, Club One and more. Free face painting, balloon animals and snacks from Happy Baby Brands!
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. 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.

Opera San Jose presents Opera Al Fresco in Park Valencia
Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Opera San Jose will present a spectacular al fresco concert of arias and ensembles at Park Valencia.

Santana Row Beer Walk
Wednesday, July 30, 6 to 9 p.m.
Stroll the Row, sample 20-plus beers and enjoy shopping and dining incentives at the second annual Beer Walk! Cool off with a stroll around Santana Row while tasting brews from microbreweries. They’ll be stationed in a restaurant or shop for easy sipping and shopping! Tickets are $30 and available at www.thebeerwalk.com.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Just Dance”
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to noon
Ballet San Jose School presents “Just Dance,” with a special performance and mini dance classes for kids. Enjoy live entertainment from Andy Z, the San Jose Public Library, free face painting, balloon animals and snacks.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. 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.

#LifeOnTheRow
Twitter Promotion @SantanaRow invites Tweets and Instagram tags
For a Chance to Win Gift Cards to Restaurants at The Row
Santana Row’s Twitter campaign and photo contest continues through the @SantanaRow Twitter handle. The contest invites anyone at Santana Row to Tweet or Instagram photos of a new outfit, haircut, meal, event or artsy shots and then tag it with the hash tag #LifeonTheRow. Every month, Santana Row will post an album on Facebook with all of the photos with the #LifeonTheRow hash tag. The person who took the best or most original photo will win a gift card to a Santana Row restaurant.


About Santana Row

Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.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 95.6% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of March 31, 2014, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.3% 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.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the #1 Best City in the US for Small Biz

Here is one of the best Saturday Stats we could ask for. The San Jose metro has been identified as the best city in the nation for small businesses. This is based on a weighted average that includes annual revenue, credit scores, cash flow, and several other metrics. There is also a great quote from the article: "San Jose remains the center of innovation and new business job creation in the U.S."

Well there you have it. San Francisco came in 5th place with New York taking 7th. Detroit did surprisingly well thanks to the rebound of the auto industry and low costs of doing business.

This isn't the first time San Jose has been highly ranked in this area. Last year Nerd Wallet ranked San Jose as the #6 best city in the US for small business.

The Top 25 Cities for Small Business in 2014
  1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
  2. Detroit-Dearborn, MI
  3. Denver, CO
  4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
  5. San Francisco-Oakland, CA
  6. Las Vegas, NV
  7. New York metro area
  8. Atlanta, GA
  9. Washington, DC metro area
  10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
  11. Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
  12. Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
  13. Sacramento, CA
  14. Indianapolis, IN
  15. Houston, TX
  16. Chicago, IL
  17. Portland, OR
  18. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
  19. Phoenix-Scottsdale, AZ
  20. Charlotte, NC
  21. San Antonio, TX
  22. Seattle-Tacoma, WA
  23. Jacksonville, FL
  24. Philadelphia, PA
  25. Orlando-Kissimmee, FL
Source: Biz2Credit




Friday, June 6, 2014

Starlight Cinemas Start Next Week!

Several films will be screening outdoors this summer, taking advantage of San Jose's awesome weather. Bend it Like Beckham will kick off the "Starlight Cinemas" program, which will follow a World Cup Game viewing in the same location. The rest of the films will be shown either at St. James Park or the San Pedro Square Market.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure will also be tied to a San Jose Bike Party. I love seeing the synergy here between multiple big events happening Downtown. The full calendar is below and all movies are family friendly.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

7th Annual SubZERO Festival Tomorrow AND Saturday!!!

One of the best festivals in the entire Bay Area is happening tomorrow--and for the first time SubZERO has been extended to take place across two days! It is going to be truly epic for 2014.

I don't even know where to begin. You'll have hundreds of vendors, dozens of galleries, live music across three different stages, 11 food trucks, a beer garden, and all sorts of interesting surprises. This is a must-attend event for anyone who is a fan of Downtown San Jose.

The festival will take up at least three city blocks along S. First Street from San Carlos all the way to Reed. I would recommend parking in the Convention Center and walking across the street. Below you can see a list of artists and vendors participating as well as the food trucks. For more info and a music schedule, check out the SubZERO Website.


Confirmed Artists, Indie Creatives & Vendors participating in 
the 7th Annual SubZERO Festival 

Frank Aguilar
Darius B'Alexander
Jaime Benoist 
Black & Brown
Black Lotus Clothing 
Mike Borja 
Bugs & Monsters
Keith Bunnell
David Canavese
The Cannery Gallery 
Classic Loot
Content Magazine
Crossroads Trading Co.
Cryptic
The Cube by Jarid
Current Tattoo
Donbon 
Drew & Barb 
EcoMonster
Elements SJ Vape Shop
Empire Seven
EyeDesign Art
Faire Goatmother
Tulio Flores
Francisco Franco
Friends with Benefits
Force 129
Fotography by Abe Menor 
FRPArt.org  
Lila Gemellos 
ThOm Golia 
Cynthia Gonzalez 
Michele Guieu / Drew Detweiller
Andre Hart 
Genevieve Hastings
Jeff Hemming
Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery
Hologlyphics 
ILADORA Apparel 
iMiNUSD Fixed Gear Boutique
Jumbo Jibbles
KALEID  Gallery
KKUP
Denis Korkh 
Korrupt Clothing
John Kurtyka 
The LGBTQ Youth Space
Lost San Jose
Lucy & Mabel 
Luna Park Chalk Art Festival
Frances Marin
Masako
Jason McHenry
Mejia Arts
Keith Melot
Woody Miller
Mariya Milovidova 
Minou
Monocle Art Group
LAuruS Myth 
Anna Nguyen 
Oliver/Wilde
Out of Print Vintage 
Petitie Galleria
Gianfranco Paolozzi
Persephone Dance Company
Poetry Site 
James Pollard
SJ Bike Valet
SJ Rock Shop 
Steven Reece
RevoLights
School of Visual Philosophy
Freya Seeburger 
Seeing Things Gallery
Melanie Sharr
SJSU Art Alliance
SJSU Game Dev
SLG / Art Boutiki
Steamy Tech 
There There
Kori Thompson
Space Palette 
Tinkertart 
Tiny Splendor 
The Usuals / Showroom
Audre VanBroers 
Visual Confections
Visual Philosophy
Andy Wallace
Michelle and Peter Waters
Women Environmental Artists Directory
Works Gallery
Zenning
 
3 Stages of Music
Anno Domini Stage
The People's Park Stage
Secret Garden Stage

Lagunitas Brewing Company presents THE SECRET GARDEN


Lagunitas_on_tap.jpg
  • 2 Bros Kitchen
  • Banjara Bistro
  • Bill's Hot Dogs
  • SJ Meatball Company
  • Hula Truck
  • Mad Maxx Mex
  • OhMisoHungry
  • Porky's
  • Rice Rockit
  • Takoz Mod Mex
  • Twisted Chill

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Bringing and International Design Competition to San Jose

I've been meaning to plug this article for quite some time. Mark has a great suggestion over at Think Bigger San Jose on bringing an international design competition to San Jose. We need to encourage less generic/bland architectural designs and try to acquire landmark pieces that will make the city more unique and inspire others to do even better. I especially like the idea of having the competition in St. James Park as a way to help revitalize it. Read the article over here and let us know what you think.




Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Sourisseau News: The Bank of America Building

In the latest edition of the Sourisseau News, learn all about Giannini and the Bank of Italy America Building in Downtown San Jose. Pay special attention to the photos of the Safe Deposit Bank building at the corner of 1st and Santa Clara around the 1:10 mark. That beautiful building used to stand where The Bank of America Building is today. I wish they built the high-rise on another corner so this structure could have been preserved. Check out the 2 minute video below!


Giannini and the Bank of America Building from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

New San Jose Downtown Association Summer Event Site!

The Downtown Association is gearing up for a huge summer filled with a large variety of events. This includes 2 Music in the Park Concerts (English Beat 7/17 and Pete Escovedo 8/21); 8 free outdoor movie events (80's themed this year); 10 World Cup Soccer Viewing Events with the SJ Earthquakes partnering; 10 days of pre fixe menus during Dine Downtown Restaurant Week; the weekly Downtown Farmers' Market every Friday through Nov. 21, as well as helping with the SoFA SubZERO festival and South First Friday Street MRKTs.

To keep track of all these great events, please check out http://www.sjdowntown.com/summer. That site will be updated regularly all summer long as new events and updates come up.

Also for live music, you definitely have to bookmark http://www.liveandlocalsj.com.