Playful People Productions Presents: Starmites

"Starmites" is the story of Eleanor, a teenage girl who falls into the word of her favorite comic book, and discovers her destiny. Along her journey she is drawn into the conflict between Shak Graa, the “creep of chaos” and the Starmites, a group of wise-cracking superheros, along with their heart throb captain Space Punk. Eleanor (who is really the pre-ordained savior of the Universe) learns that only she can save the Earth from destruction! Together they must fight Shak Graa and the Banshees, strong women who protect the world’s most fearsome weapon,  and their leader the flamboyant Diva.

Playful People will be putting their own punk/glam rock touch to this show which is one of the most exciting and  hilarious musicals to come off Broadway in years. Nominated for six Tony Awards, this sci-fi rock musical is one no audience member should miss!  

"Starmites" features an eclectic pop rock score by Barry Keating, a book by Barry Keating and Stuart Ross, and is most appropriate for audiences 7 and up.

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, April 29th - 7:00pm

Saturday, April 30th - 11:00am, 3:00pm and 7:00pm

Sunday, May 1st - 11:00am, and 3:00pm

Friday, May 6th - 7:00pm

Saturday, May 7th - 11:00am 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

 

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.

Saturday Stats: our traffic still sucks

Shocker, our traffic is still terrible. At least we are slightly better off than four US cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Seattle. So while you are crawling at 1mph on 101 during peak rush hour, just keep telling yourself it could be worse.

Below is a list of the 20 US cities with the worst traffic in 2015. To see the global list, hit the source link at the bottom.

1. Los Angeles, 41%
2. San Francisco, 36%
3. New York, 33%
4. Seattle, Wash., 31%
5. San Jose, 30%
6. Honolulu, Hawaii, 29%
7. Miami, Fla., 28%
8. (tie) Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Chicago, Ill., 26%
11. (tie) Houston, Texas and Boston, Mass., 25%
13. (tie) Atlanta, Ga.; San Diego; and Tampa, Fla., 24%
16. (tie) Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Baton Rouge, La., 23%
19. (tie) Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans, La.; Austin, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nev., 22%

Source: SVBJ

The San Jose Blog is changing its name to....................................... The San Francisco Bay Area Blog

It's time for a big change! For nearly seven years the focus of this blog has been on development, events, and culture in San Jose proper. We've decided to expand our horizons and the scope of this blog to encompass the whole Bay Area, especially San Francisco! Hyper-local is out, generic is in.

Next week we'll be changing our name to "The San Francisco Bay Area Blog." We think getting the word San Francisco in there will do wonders for traffic to the site and create more opportunities to focus on grittier posts--we're talking crime, homelessness, cold weather, and extreme gentrification.

Check out the draft version of our new logo below!

Sources: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
(For more April Fool's posts click the links above)

2nd Story Bakeshop now serving organic baked goods in Downtown San Jose

A fancy new bakery has just opened up at 138 E. Santa Clara Street, one block away from the San Jose City Hall. 2nd Story Bakeshop specializes in a variety of organic baked goods using locally sourced ingredients. One of the co-owners has "a particular obsession with long-fermented, naturally leavened, hearth baked breads, and enjoys adding whimsical combinations of ingredients to flavor them." I think that sentence alone shows that this isn't your run-of-the-mill bakery.

2nd Story Bakeshop carries specialty loaves that change each week, cookies (dark chocolate and sea salt, honey wheat graham crackers, pear pie cookies, etc.), brandied-apple pecan crumbles, apple walnut cake, and their signature granola.

The bakery is open Tuesday through Friday from 6:30am-1pm. Since the hours are limited, if you can't make it to their Downtown San Jose location you can find their bread in Whole Foods on The Alameda or on Stevens Creek in Cupertino. They also participate in the Santa Clara Farmer's Market (Saturdays), Morgan Hill Farmer's Market (Saturdays), Los Gatos Farmer's Market (Sundays), Mountain View Farmer's Market (Sundays) and the East Santa Clara Street Farmer's Market (Wednesdays in the Summer).

For more information visit the 2nd Story Bakeshop website over here.

Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

Micro-apartments coming to West San Carlos Street

Could tiny apartments be a way to lower housing prices and quickly increase the housing supply in San Jose? Shad Design is planning to build 81 micro units on just 0.4 acres at 1470 West San Carlos Street (currently a used car lot). This area is halfway between Downtown San Jose and Santana Row, most commonly referred to as Midtown.

The plans call for three levels of apartments sitting on top of 7,200 SQFT of retail. Each floor would have 27 apartments. The units would each be 573 SQFT split across two floors--379 SQFT on the main level, 162 SQFT on a loft, and each come with a 32 SQFT closet. While small by San Jose standards, that is much larger than most micro-unit projects which can be as minuscule as 200 SQFT if you can imagine that. Ceilings will be 15 feet tall in the living room.

Rent will cost about 30% less than a typical San Jose apartment, yet these units will have a full kitchen, bathroom, and even a washer and dryer. It is an interesting project and I'm sure there will be substantial demand from young workers if this gets built.

Source: SVBJ

New San Jose-based real estate startup - Places.me

Places.me is a new Silicon Valley real estate site with a very slick user-interface. Their goal is to make it easier (and less expensive) to buy and sell homes.

The company founder, Manly Danh, was born and raised in San Jose. Both of his parents immigrated from Vietnam with $10 in their pockets, but eventually fulfilled the American dream with a home on 7th and Santa Clara. Founding Places.me wasn't something that Manly just wanted to do, it is something that he knew he was supposed to do.

The site has one of the coolest homepages I have seen and I love how San Jose locations are prominently displayed as a full-screen video (Santana Row, San Pedro Square, and Downtown high-rises are all in there). While I am not in the market for a new home, I have to admit that I spent the last hour searching for San Jose dream homes.

If you buy a home through the site, you will get 1% of the purchase price back. If selling a home, you pay a 3% commission instead of the standard 6%. In Silicon Valley, this translates to savings in the tens of thousands of dollars range--definitely something to think about.

Below is their inaugural blog post. Check out the site for yourself over here.


Hi there, neighbor!

So, about us — we’re a real estate startup based in San Jose creating an easier and faster way to connect home buyers and sellers. With over 90% of people using the internet as part of their research to buy or sell a home, we’ve built Places to bring buyers and sellers together in a platform that takes the hassle out of traditional real estate.

If you’ve ever bought or sold a home out in the wild, you’ve probably managed your transaction through an agent. And with the average sale to closing time starting at 4 weeks, the process can be pretty tedious and lengthy. The experience can make you feel like a number — it has for folks on our team who’ve been in the same boat. That’s not a great feeling when you’re talking about a transaction in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A new take on real estate

We’re trying a different angle. We want you to love the homebuying experience, start to finish. So we’ve built a data-driven platform that makes it easy to thoroughly and quickly research homes, get to know neighborhoods, and make offers quickly — without a traditional realtor. With new listings being added every day, and an average closing time of 10 days, you’ll be able to get a move on easily without all the usual rigamarole of traditional real estate. And we’re here for you every step of the way, so you can feel connected and in control throughout the whole transaction. Plus, buyers even get 1% back on their purchase price at closing, while sellers can save 50% on commissions — not too shabby, eh?

Let’s stay in touch

We’re just getting started, and we’ll be using this blog to keep you posted on what we’re up to. Stay tuned for the latest improvements to our marketplace, featured homes, stories from our local community, and more. And we want your feedback and ideas — so please, don’t be shy. Click those comment and share buttons, and let’s keep the conversation going!

Visit us at www.places.me

New SJSU student apartments are pending City Council approval

A 7-story, 86-unit apartment building has been proposed for the corner of E. Santa Clara St. and 11th St in Downtown San Jose. Given that it is two blocks away from the SJSU campus, it would be an ideal housing situation for college students. If it moves forward, there would a total of 171 beds in the building.

The project would also include 5,560 SQFT of retail on the ground floor and 5,700 SQFT of office space on the second floor. A restaurant was also mentioned as a possibility for the ground floor plaza. There would be a total of 67 parking spaces, far fewer than the number of students that would live in the building (some would say this is a positive--teach those young adults how to take transit, walk, or bike to get around).

The next step in moving the project forward is evaluation and approval by the City Council and the Planning Commission.

Source: TheRegistry, Robertee from The San Jose Development Forum

Santana Row news and events - April through June 2016

San Jose, CA (March 24, 2016)  - We’ve been waiting for you, sunshine! While we’ve appreciated the rain, Santana Row is ready to step into warmer days with new events such as the YWCA-Silicon Valley’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and the seasonal return of favorites like Yoga in the Park and Mommy & Me and Daddy, Too, both starting in May.

Warby Parker goes Warby Barker for April Fools’ Day
Get a free portrait of your dog done by a professional illustrator
Friday, April 1, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Join Warby Parker for this special and exclusive event, Warby Barker!
It’s become a tradition for the eyewear retailer: Several yearsa ago, it wanted to pull an April Fools' Day prank on its and created an entire website warbybarker.com to promote eyewear for dogs. It was so popular that the store started celebrating Warby Barker in its locations and this year, Santana Row is one of them.  Join in the fun and bring a furry friend who can strike a pose!
For more details, please call Warby Parker at Santana Row, 669.266.7063.

Light It Up Blue, benefit concert for the Pacific Autism Center for Education
Saturday, April 16, noon to 4 p.m.
The second annual Light It Up Blue music event happens at Santana Row Park.
Local bands will donate their time to help raise funds for PACE programs and services and the community can support PACE in several ways:

• Eat at participating restaurants
• Donate at the event or online
• Visit awareness booths
• Buy a raffle ticket

Performers include local youth musicians Monta Vista Jazz Band, Cymbalize,
The Drought and Monta Vista Tri-M
For more information, go to www.pacificautism.org.

Cars & Croissants
Saturday, April 23, 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 from March 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.

San Jose Dancin’ Downtown Festival, Santana Row Park
Sunday, April 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Santana Row and sjDANCEco has partnered again this year to bring together local as well as regional dance artists to celebrate National Dance Week. The free outdoor festival features the diversity of the area’s dance community.
Enjoy performances by sjDANCEco, Pointe of Departure (Karen Gabay), Los Lupenos de San Jose, Keesha & Johnny (Salsa), PERSpective Dance Company (Lindsey McLevis), The New Ballet School, Helen and JC (Salsa), The MoveMessenger(s) with Angela Dice Nguyen and Gabriel Mata/Movements.

lululemon Presents Yoga in the Park, May 7, 14, 21 and 28
Every Saturday through September, 9 a.m. Santana Row Park
Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by lululemon athletica begins May 7 and is held every Saturday through September, taking advantage of the best weather seasons!
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too, season kick-off event
May 10, 10 a.m. to noon, Santana Row Park
The popular kids’ club returns for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Special guest for the event, to-be-announced. Families can also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more.
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. 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
Saturday, May 28, 9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row again 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 from March 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.

lululemon Presents Yoga in the Park, June 4, 11, 18 and 25
Every Saturday through September, 9 a.m. Santana Row Park
Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by lululemon athletica is held every Saturday through September, taking advantage of the best weather seasons!
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact lululemon, 408.557.8721.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too Free Kids Club
Tuesday, June 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Santana Row Park
The popular kids’ club has returned for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Join us in June for the Pirates & Treasure event! Dress as a pirate and embark on a special treasure hunt through Santana Row. Enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more. Meet us in Santana Row Park to pick up your activity sheet!
Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Santana Row Park while Park Valencia is under renovation. 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.

YWCA Silicon Valley Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Wednesday June 22, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Entering it’s 14th year, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes may look like a stunt with men racing in heels, but it’s actually a statement about men's roles in ending violence against women and drawing attention to the issue that is connected to strict gender roles and expectations of men.
For the first time, the annual event will be held at Santana Row.
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event attracts hundreds of spectators and prominent walkers including the mayor and community and business leaders. It’s become an international event that engages men in raising awareness and funds to stop sexual assault and domestic violence.
Funds raised from Walk a Mile in Her Shoes make it possible for YWCA Silicon Valley to provide critical response, intervention, and comprehensive support services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
For more information and sponsorship/registration information, go to www.ywca-sv.org.

Cars & Croissants
Saturday, June 25, 9 a.m. to noon
Santana Row again 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 from March 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.

Big Changes Underway at Santana Row’s Park Valencia
An enhanced park and churned-to-order ice cream coming this summer!
A transformed plaza is opening this summer with two new food merchants including Smitten Ice Cream, an artisanal ice cream shop. Smitten will offer its cult-favorite frozen treats from classic flavors like TCHO chocolate and Cookie Dough with Pretzels and Chocolate Chips to more innovative seasonal flavors like Strawberry White Balsamic and Nectarine Crisp, in addition to its selection of creative toppings and fun sundaes.
The lively and family-friendly atmosphere of Park Valencia will be unveiled with plenty of outdoor seating, a dynamic fountain and an interactive playground with a tot-sized climbing structure, mounted in a brightly-colored "lizard-skin" turf. Four lifelike chameleon sculptures will look as if they’re lounging in the new "Chameleon Oasis," fountain. New café tables and seating areas will be added and the popular grass turf will be replaced.
 
Twitter and Instagram Promotion @SantanaRow invites tweets and IG 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.