June 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Property owners, business owners, and residents are generally satisfied with Downtown conditions based on the annual PBID survey:
• 76% see an improvement in cleanliness year-over-year
• 45% see an improvement in safety year-over-year
• 70% see an improvement in image year-over-year
• 89% are satisfied with overall condition of Downtown
• 93% approve of Groundwerx clean teams
• 77% approve of Groundwerx ambassadors
• 92% approve of beautification projects
• 71% approve of tree maintenance
• 3 Shows at Music in the Park! Advance tickets are $10 at http://www.musicintheparksj.com
• June 18th - Freshlyground (Afro-pop), Sister Carol (Reggae), DJ Robert Rankin
• July 17th - P'al Bailador, Julio Bravo y su Orquesta Salsador (Salsa)
• August 28th - Grammy Award winners Los Lonely Boys (rock 'n' roll), J.C. Smith Band
• Dine Downtown is returning for a 7th Year from June 19-28. Three course meals start at $20/person at dozens of Downtown San Jose Restaurants. For the first time, several eateries (including Curry Pundits, The Fountain, Take One Pizza, and Tengu Sushi) will have lunch specials.
• The BIG Lunch is a new program starting 11:30am on June 24th where you can grab lunch from a nearby restaurant, head to Paseo de San Antonio, and have a communal lunch break with fellow Downtowners. There will be music, drawings for prizes, and many restaurants will have to-go lunch specials.
• San Jose and the NHL have agreed to extend their contract, meaning the Sharks are guaranteed to continue playing at SAP until at least 2025. The Barracuda will also start playing in SAP this Ocrober (Sharks affiliate from the American Hockey League).
• A city advisory committee recommended SJSU manage the former Rep Theater. SJSU is asking for an initial five-year contract and if all goes through the Theater could be back in operation by the Fall.
• Team San Jose is getting $5.7 Million to rehabilitate the Convention Center, Center for Performing Arts, California Theatre, City National Civic, and Montgomery Theatre.
• The Children's Discovery Museum is getting $350,000 for a new sculptural fence to allow for more exhibit space.
• Creative Marketing Concepts (a SF firm) opened a South Bay location at 15 N. Market St. with an on-site studio.
• St. James park is getting a full calendar of events this summer:
• Mon, Wed, and Fri from noon to 1pm starting Jun 29 - Yoga, games, soccer, and food trucks
• Tues from 6:30-8pm starting Jun 29 - Informal music, poetry, and spoken word nights. Some nights will have food trucks.
• Thur from 6:30-8pm starting June 25 - Signature performance series with professional musicians.
• Sat afternoons, Jun 27, Jul 25, Aug 22, and Sep 19 - Drum circle and dancers
• The City of San Jose will also dedicate an events coordinator to St. James Park for year-round programs. 

To read the full newsletter, click here!

The Knight Foundation Awards 13 Grants to Improve Downtown San Jose!

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced a total of $620,000 in grants to projects that will make Downtown San Jose a more interesting, fun, and safe place. 13 different projects received funding, and a lot of the recipients should be familiar to readers of this blog. Reading through the grants, I think we all have a lot to look forward to Downtown! Here are the winners:

• Wreck Studios received $10,000 to creating “The Exhibition District,” a project to convert 40,000 square feet of vacant wall space downtown into an outdoor art gallery.
• San Jose Parks Foundation received $75,000 to expanding its “Summer in St. James Park” series of movie nights, concerts, exercise classes and other public events.
• Moveable Feast received $19,200 in support for a monthly pop-up dinner series in city neighborhoods where diverse city leaders will discuss and act in support of the future of San Jose.
• City ID, a New York- and London-based urban planning and design firm, will use a $129,927 grant to develop a “way-finding” strategy including signage and other ideas that would help visitors find the city’s Downtown amenities.
• Content Magazine/Silicon Valley Creates. The magazine received $75,000 to pursue ways to engage the community in city life and develop a sustainable business model.
• CreaTV received $11,250 to expand its “We are San Jose” storytelling campaign that collects video stories of city residents.
• Destination: Home, a project of the Health Trust to find solutions to the county’s homeless problem, received $75,000 for a feasibility study and fiscal plan to identify pathways for housing and employment for the homes.
• Downtown Streets Inc., a nonprofit that provides work opportunities for the homeless, received $25,000 to create a mobile coffee cart in St. James Park that would employ some of the homeless who congregate there.
• Greenbelt Alliance, a nonprofit that protects open spaces in the Bay Area, received $75,000 to help create “urban villages” composed of mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods with housing options across income levels.
• Housing Trust Silicon Valley received $75,000 to establish more affordable and equitable housing policies through educational, community problem-solving and research activities and partnership building.
• Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network/Valley Transportation Authority received $15,000 for “Hack My Ride 2.0,” a three-month online app design challenge open to anyone in the world and focused on transforming mobility in Silicon Valley.
• Metro Newspaper Silicon Valley received $10,000 to pay for a monthly full-page ad promoting SoFa.
• San Jose Public Library received $25,000 to reimagine underused spaces through the “Pop-Up Mobile Makerspaces” project with Okada Design.

Source: SVBJ

Playful People Productions Presents: Disney’s The Aristocats KIDS

What's a cat to do? In Disney's The Aristocats KIDS, Madame's jealous butler Edgar cat-naps Duchess and her Aristokittens and abandons them in the Parisian countryside. Luckily, Thomas O'Malley and his rag-tag bunch of alley cats come to their rescue! This fun musical, based on the Disney film, features many of your favorite characters from Thomas O’Malley the Alley cat to Amelia and Abigail the bold Geese Sisters

This feline adventure is sure to get you tapping your feet to its upbeat, jazzy beat with a score that includes the Disney favorites "The Aristocats," "Scales and Arpeggios" and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat.”

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production.

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

Show Times:
Friday, June 19th - 1:00 and 7:00pm
Saturday, June 20th - 11:00am, 2:00pm, 4pm  and 7:00pm
Sunday, June 21st - 11:00am, 2:00pm and 5:00pm

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

Founded in 2010, Playful People Production’s mission is to provide a quality, caring environment where children, teens and their families can have positive theater experiences. We strive to involve all family members in the many aspects of on stage and backstage theater in a safe and fun environment and offer participation in theatrical productions, classes, summer stock and camps for ages 3-93.

Playful People Productions is run by a mother-daughter team, Barbara Galiotto and Katie D’ Arcey, who between them have approximately 50 years of experience in the musical theater world. Both are Positive Discipline trained and worked as early Childhood Educators as well as in the theater.

Saturday Stats: San Jose Metro Tops Nation For Job Opportunities

According to a new annual survey by Glassdoor, the San Jose Metro came in #1 in the country for job opportunities! San Jose has a total of 51,439 job openings and a median base salary of $99,000.  The best part is that wasn't the only job related statistic we scored high in. We ranked #2 when it comes to job satisfaction.

After aggregating all of the metrics, our overall job ranking was #7 out of the largest 50 metros in the US. We were brought down by having the 5th lowest cost of living in the survey. My question is which are the metros with a higher cost of living? I'm surprised we weren't at the very bottom of the list.

While the cost of living is high, the sheer number of opportunities, high salaries, amazing weather, and great people more than make up for it.

Source: Glassdoor, SiliconBeat

The SubZERO Festival Kicks off Tonight!!!

One of the best Arts Festivals in the Bay Area kicks off tonight and continues all the way to tomorrow night in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. Below is the description straight from the SubZERO website:

Focused on emerging and present subcultures thriving in our region, SubZERO is a DIY, artistically bent, hi/lo-techno mashup where street meets geek. Come downtown on June 5th & 6th to San Jose's SoFA District from 6pm 'til midnight for an inspired evening of arts & culture. In addition to the South FIRST FRIDAYS monthly art walk you'll find outdoor stages of entertainment plus artists, performers & musicians celebrating the indie creative spirit!

Even that might be underselling it. There are hundreds of art exhibits and live performances spanning multiple blocks, all of them free. Three different stages will be playing live music. 13 Food Trucks will keep you nourished and a beer garden focusing on local craft beers will help your brain absorb all of that art and culture.

Hope to see you guys there! To see the full list of galleries, artists, vendors, musicians, food trucks, and craft brewers head over to the SubZERO website! 

San Pedro Square Market 2nd Annual Wine Pour

The San Pedro Square Market is hosting its 2nd Annual Wine Pour in late June, featuring a both large selection of unique wines and SJ MADE vendors. Pre-sale tickets are available right now! Scroll down for all of the details.

Please Join us for San Pedro Square Market's 2nd Annual Market Wine Pour on June 27th, 2015 featuring Summer Popups by SJMADE!

Sample different wines while strolling through booths filled with unique creations made by San Jose artists. We will be closing down St. John street in order to provide a large selection of unique wines and vendors. Event is free to all ages.

If you are interested in sampling our wines, tasting tickets are $40 pre-sale and include a souvenir glass, $10 gift card to be used at participating San Pedro Square Market restaurants, and 5 drink tickets for 3-oz pours of your favorite wines. Additional drink tickets will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets will be $50 day of event if we don't sellout first, so get your tickets early!

Wine Tasting begins at 1pm, check-in starting at 12pm. Come early and stay late to enjoy the SJMADE Vendor Faire from 12pm-7pm.

We hope to see you there!

BUY TICKETS HERE

Confirmed Wines:

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut

Condes de Albarei Albarino

Pata Negra Verdejo

Pata Negra Rioja

Conde de Valdemar Riojo

Belle Ambiance Chardonnay

Belle Ambiance Cabernet Sauvignon

Massimo Sauvignon Blanc

Irony Pinot Noir

Handcraft Petite Sirah

Buena Vista Chardonnay

Buena Vista Cabernet

Buena Vista Merlot

Buena Vista Zinfandel

Buena Vista Pinot Noir

Clos Lachance Chardonnay

Clos Lachance Sauvignon Blanc

Clos Lachance Cabernet

Clos Lachance Zinfandel

Clos Lachance Meritage

49ers Legend Roger Craig and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo to Run with Dozens of Kids on National Running Day

Later today there is going to be a big announcement regarding San Jose's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in September. I don't have any details yet besides what is on the press release below, but the announcement is going to take place between 11am-11:30am at the Children's Discovery Museum in celebration of National Running Day (today). After the announcement comes in, I'll revise this post with the news (feel free to post in the comments if you get the info before I do).

What:

Mayor Sam Liccardo and San Francisco 49ers legend Roger Craig will join community leaders in celebration of a marquee announcement for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon, aimed at getting Bay Area kids healthy and active. 

Who:

• Mayor Sam Liccardo, City of San Jose 
• Karolyn Kirchgesler, Team San Jose CEO
• 49ers legend Roger Craig, Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Founder 
• Bekah Holt, Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Event Manager
• Mario Fraioli, author of The Official Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series Training Guide
• Local sports mascots 
• Live music and community leaders

When: Wednesday, June 3 (National Running Day) / 11:00 am – 11:30 am

Where: Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose / 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110

Why:             

• Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon is celebrating its 10^th anniversary by unveiling new race elements on National Running Day
• New race for kids encourages a healthy lifestyle and combats childhood obesity 
• City officials will share the positive impact the race has on the community including the 2014 economic impact from race weekend

Santana Row June-Aug 2015 News and Events

San Jose, CA   (June 2, 2015)   - Great weather brings out the best of Santana Row and June highlights include the annual summer fashion shows, a tradition at The Row! A cooking demo with a famous chef, a grand opening for a new retailer and perennial favorites Mommy & Me and Cars & Croissants add up to a busy month!

 

Summer Yoga Series

Every Saturday, through September 12

Registration at 8:30, yoga at 9 a.m., Park Valencia

Join yoga enthusiasts for free yoga every Saturday, presented by lululemon athletica.

Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine at Park Valencia, near Maggiano’s restaurant through September 12. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

 

Annieglass Grand Opening, a benefit for EMQ FamiliesFirst

Thursday, June 4, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Annieglass celebrates its new location at Santana Row with a grand opening to benefit party for EMQ FamiliesFirst, a nonprofit organization that helps California children and families in crisis. Ten percent of proceeds from the sales on June 4 will be donated to EMQ. Combining sustainably handcrafting luxury glassware since 1983. The store opened at Santana Row in mid-April and is located next to Left Bank Brasserie.  

 

Santana Row’s Annual Poolside Soiree, a Benefit for Pets in Need

The annual summer fashion shows take place at a new venue with stylish surprises and special guest emcee Kira Klapper of NBC Bay Area

Saturday, June 6, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Misora Resort-Style Residences

Santana Row’s marquee summer event returns for the seventh year to a gorgeous new poolside: Misora, Santana Row’s newest resort-style residences, will be the catwalk location for the first time. 

Kira Klapper of NBC Bay Area will emcee the two shows, benefitting Pets In Need, an animal shelter dedicated to placing dogs and cats into loving home. Santana Row is donating 15 percent of ticket sales proceeds to the non-profit organization.

The afternoon shows will feature scenes of the season’s best looks from Santana Row retailers such as Scotch & Soda, Letarte Swimwear, Annieglass, Ted Baker, Boutique Harajuku, Bonobos, H&M, Calypso St. Barth and Franco Uomo.

 

Details: The fashion shows take place at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.  

Tickets are $50 and available now at  www.SantanaRow.com   or at the concierge office. Registration begins at Santana Row Park at 12:45 p.m. for the 1 p.m. show and 3:45 p.m. for the 4 p.m. show. 

Included in the price is poolside seating to view the show, access to the Beauty Lounge, pre-event champagne and a specialty drink created by Austin Cocktails. There will also be light hors d’oeuvres, a Passion for Fashion shopping card that entitles guests to discounts around The Row, prize drawings and in-store after parties.

Guests will get a chance to see what luxury living is all about at Misora, the 212-unit resort-style residence. Completed last year, it boasts such amenities as a lounging pool with cabanas and a lap pool, concierge services, private cinema, fitness studio, chef’s demonstration facilities, wine lockers and a wine tasting room.

About Pets in Need: Pets In Need was established in 1965 with the goal of saving the lives of animals in need. It is Northern California’s first “No-Kill” animal shelter, which means that the organization places all the cats and dogs that come through its doors into loving homes. For more information, please go to  www.petsinneed.org.

About Kira Klapper/NBC Bay Area:  Kira  anchors Today in the Bay on Saturday mornings on NBC Bay Area.   Since joining the NBC family, Kira has become passionate about helping to find homes for animals at Pets In Need, Northern California's first no-kill shelter located in Redwood City.

Prior to NBC Bay Area, Kira was a reporter and substitute news anchor at ABC7 News / KGO-TV in San Francisco. Kira's on-air career began in Mankato, MN, where she was a reporter, anchor and producer.
In her spare time, Kira enjoys traveling, trying the newest San Francisco restaurants, live music at concerts and running  half marathons.

About Clear the Shelters:

Join NBC Bay Area on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015 for Clear the Shelters. All NBC television stations will join together to get as many adoptable pets into loving homes throughout the country.

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, “Into the Wild!”

Tuesday, June 9, 10 a.m. to noon, Park Valencia

The popular kids’ club features free entertainment, interactive games, hands-on activities and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us for “Into The Wild” where families are invited to take a walk into the wild side with a special performance from The Happy Birds. Also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s to pick up your activity sheet.

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.

 

lululemon athletica presents Cooking with Hugh Acheson

Tuesday, June 9, 6 p.m., Santana Row Park

James Beard award winner and celebrated Top Chef finalist Hugh Acheson will make a special appearance at Santana Row Park with a cooking demonstration beginning at 6 p.m. He’ll be preparing recipes from his latest book,  The Broad Fork. Following the demo, Acheson will be at lululemon for a conversation and Q&A with Bay Area food writer  Carolyn Jung of Foodgal.com, also a James Beard award winner. He’ll be signing his book at the store from 7 to 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact lululemon athletica, Santana Row at 408.557.8721.

 

Cars & Croissants

June 27 and every fourth Saturday of the month

9 a.m. to noon

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 through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity.  

 

A look ahead to July and August…

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Celebrate Summer!”

Tuesday, July 14, 10 a.m. to noon

School is out, the sun is shining, let’s celebrate! The popular kids’ club features free entertainment, interactive games, hands-on activities and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us for live musical performances by Andy Z and take participate in programs by the San Jose Public Library. Also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s to pick up your activity sheet.

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

 

Cars & Croissants

July 25 and every fourth Saturday of the month

9 a.m. to noon

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 through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

 

Santana Row Beer Walk

Wednesday, July 29, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Stroll The Row and sample 20-plus beers while enjoying the shopping and dining incentives offered during the third annual Beer Walk! Cool off with a walk around Santana Row while tasting brews from microbreweries. The beer stops are stationed in a restaurant or shop for easy sipping and strolling. Tickets are $30 and available at  http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-beerwalk-santana-row-tickets-16921167668.

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, “Movin’ & Groovin!”

Tuesday, August 11, 10 a.m. to noon, Park Valencia

The popular kids’ club features free entertainment, interactive games, hands-on activities and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Enjoy a dance-themed Mommy & Me with Ballet San Jose and Andy Z. Also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s to pick up your activity sheet.

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.

 

Cars & Croissants

August 22 and every fourth Saturday of the month

9 a.m. to noon

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 through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

 

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 is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Founded in 1962, our mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply.  Our expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities.  Federal Realty's 90 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 21 million square feet, and 1500 residential units.   

Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 47 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visitwww.FederalRealty.com.