New Mural called "Little Moment" in Japantown

Japantown is building quite a collection of impressive murals. The latest one is called "Little Moment" and is located at 140 Jackson Street (on the side of Nichi Bei Bussan). The giant mural was done by Nosego, a Philadelphia based artist known for colorful and emotive public art. What do you guys think?

Source: Hi-Fructose

The Guadalupe River Trail Has a New Work of Public Art

Check out this amazing metal mammoth that is roaming the Guadalupe River Trail in Downtown San Jose! The project commemorates the mammoth fossils that were discovered in the Guadalupe River bed several years ago. These are exactly the types of projects that we need to interest more people in exploring and discovering San Jose's parks.

Source: Cardinal2007 from the San Jose Development Forum

Saturday Stats: It is 17% Cheaper to Buy than Rent in San Jose

While the costs of buying a house and renting are both astronomical in San Jose, a Trulia report claims that it is still 17% less expensive to purchase a house than to rent in our area. The study covered the largest 100 metros in the US and uses quality-adjust measures so that the comparison is apples-to-apples (it did not compare average rents to average home values, which would have been very biased towards buying).

While 17% seems significant, it was the second lowest figure in the entire study. Honolulu came in at the lowest with 16% and San Francisco was 5th at 24%. This means that it is a tougher call than most metros in the US on whether you should try to buy a home here (assuming you can afford the down payment) or rent. One other tidbit of information is that San Jose has the 8th highest average HOA fees in the country.

To see the full Renting vs. Buying report, click here.

Ready for the Bacon Festival of America?

The Bacon Festival runs today and tomorrow from noon to 7pm at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. In order to get everyone ready for the event, a few weeks ago the organizers decided to launch bacon from San Jose into SPACE. Check out the delicious journey in the two minute video below, then head over to the Bacon Festival of America!

New Boutique Hotel Coming to Santa Clara Street

It looks like the former San Jose Entrepreneur Center on Santa Clara and 3rd is going to be transformed into boutique hotel called the Hotel Clariana. The five-story building was originally built for dorms but has been used for Class B/C office space over the last several years. After the conversion, there will be a new lobby and 44 hotel rooms on the upper four floors. Unlike the original dorms, each room will have its own bathroom (in case you were wondering).

There is no official ETA for opening, but one of the sleuths from the San Jose Development Forum learned that they are hoping open by the Super Bowl. A hotel on this corner could really help improve the block, which is neither Downtown's cleanest nor safest today. While it is always tough to lose office space, something that is open seven days a week is likely the best use for this corner.

Source: SJSharks DowntownGuy and Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + STREET MRKT Tonight

The latest South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is going down tonight from 7-11pm in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. 20 different venues will be open late and featuring a wide variety of local art to enjoy. Also part of the event tonight is an outdoor street market comprised of local vendors. To learn more about the participants before the walk tonight, head over to the South FIRST FRIDAYS website over here!

70 N 2nd Street Office Building Remodel

The era of bland, mediocre office buildings in Downtown San Jose is slowly coming to an end. As Downtown's profile and brand rise, so do aesthetic expectations. Have a look below at the renovation currently underway at 70 N 2nd Street (near Ike's). The transformation is going to be dramatic even though the current shell is still being utilized. It looks like they will have a cafe on the ground floor topped with contemporary office space featuring tall ceilings and an open feel.

The twin office towers next door are also expected to get a multi-million dollar makeover in 2016.

Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

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Edward Nowak's Downtown San Jose Photos

Edward Nowak is a talented photographer that lives in Downtown San Jose. I stumbled upon his work thanks to a post by Cardinal2007 in the San Jose Development Forum. I absolutely love his photos! He captured some perspectives of our city that I have not seen before. Below are a few of my favorites, but he has many over here.

Stormy San Jose Sunset - Oct. 31, 2014 

Evening Arrival at San Jose International Airport

Downtown San Jose from City Heights

Blue Sunset over San Jose - Mar. 14, 2015 

Downtown San Jose from the Taylor Street Bridge