SJ Economy: Indie coffee houses perk up Downtown

There is a blog post about the proliferation of indie coffee in Downtown San Jose over at the SJ Economy blog. I just started getting into coffee recently, and it is pretty amazing to see us go from mostly Starbucks and other chains a few years ago to a very diverse collection of outstanding coffee houses today. This list is growing longer and longer: Voltaire, Ola's, Vero's, Social Policy, Kartma, B2, Cafe Frascatti, Devine Grinde, iJava, Bel Bacio, Chromatic (coming soon), et cetera. Anyway, check out Tina Kapoor's post over here.

Omescape has brought three awesome escape games to San Jose with more to come

Escape games have become all the rage in the Bay Area, and for good reason--they are a lot of fun! The concept is simple, you are locked in a room and have an hour to solve a series of puzzles in order to get the key and escape. The puzzles are often very creative and require out-of-the-box thinking to solve.

Usually these games are very challenging (only 15-33% of teams escape). I have now done four of them and and have only escaped once, and I can tell you that every single time has been a blast including the three losses. You'll be thinking and talking about the game for days after it ends. I have to warn you that these can be very addicting.

Omescape was kind enough to invite me to try a game in their San Jose location. In 2014, the company opened its first Bay Area location in Richmond. They then opened the San Jose location late last year at 625 Wool Creek Dr, Ste E, San Jose 95112. Over 3,500 groups had already played in Richmond and 6,000+ individuals have played in San Jose. Omescape chose to open a location in San Jose since their target customers are smart, young professionals that are passionate about trying new things.

Currently Omescape San Jose has three rooms: Kingdom of Cats (easiest, 2-6 players), Dark Altar (medium difficulty, 4-6 players), and Joker's Asylum (very hard, 6-10 players). Since I have done a few escape rooms already, I asked to try Joker's Asylum which only has a 13% escape rate. It was by far the toughest room I have done, but we had an awesome team and managed to escape! There is not much I can tell you about the room without spoilers, but I will say the puzzles were very creative and the room(s) were well designed. They also heavily used technology to enhance the whole experience.

Two additional rooms are under construction right now. One will open next month (ToxiNation) and the last one will take another three months. After those are completed, Omescape San Jose will be the largest complex for escape games in the Bay Area.

As a special treat for everyone reading this right now, they have provided me with a coupon code good for 10% off any game. Head over here to check out their games and redeem the code!


Coupon Code: THESANJOSEBLOG
10% off

To redeem: Go to https://omescape.us/sanjose/book/ --> Pick the desired room by clicking "Book Now" -->  Choose a time and date --> Select the number of participants then click "Continue" --> Enter the code on the right column --> 10% discount will apply to the entire room rate.

Please note: The group must meet the minimum number of players required for the game room to make a booking, and once the booking is made, the room is exclusive to the group. If the group wants to add additional player(s) after the booking has been made, and the group is under the maximum number allowed for the room, they can just pay at Omescape once they arrive for the extra player(s).

June 2016 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• "An unprecedented flurry of development proposals has descended upon Downtown San Jose" and they range across housing, office, hotel, and retail unlike our previous boom. [Josh: there are so many development proposals, they can't even fit on one map any more. Check out the maps from http://sjdowntown.com/developmentresources below]
• Downtown San Jose currently has less than 9 million SQFT of office, 2.74 million additional SQFT have been proposed.
• There are currently 2,150 hotel rooms Downtown, 650 additional rooms have been proposed.
• A staggering 8,782 new homes have been proposed, which is more than double the amount during the absolute peak of the last boom.
• Retail has not been left out either, over 200,000 SQFT of new retail has been proposed for Downtown.
• A Stanley Cup title would have a significant positive economic impact for San Jose. Already, playoff games add $2.1 million of benefits to the Downtown area per game.
• Music in the Park will feature Los Lobos on June 24th, AC/DShe + The Killer Queens on July 14, and Ozomatli on August 4th. One more band will be announced later this month for August 24th.
• Dine Downtown Restaurant Week takes place from June 10-19th with 3-course meals starting at $20 (go to dinedowntownsj.com for details).
• Bryan Adams will play a special Fourth of July concert with a VIP viewing area for the Rotary Fireworks show. Tickets start at $15 and more details are available at sjdowntown.com/bigbang.
• An elevated double-sided mural has been completed on Second and San Carlos.
• Ludwig's German Table is now open at 261 N. Second Street [Josh: this is Downtown's second German restaurant after Teske's Germania].

To read the newsletter, click here!

Playful People Productions Presents: Magic Tree House - Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS is an adaptation of the first of Mary Pope Osborne's award-winning fantasy adventure books from the Magic Tree House book series, which has sold more than 100 million copies and is available in more than 100 countries around the world.

What would you do if a tree house in your neighborhood could transport you anywhere you wanted to go? While exploring one afternoon, Siblings, Jack and Annie, discover a tree house full of books while exploring one afternoon. Jack looks through a book about dinosaurs and wishes he could see a real one. Suddenly, the wind begins to blow and the tree house starts to spin wildly. When it finally stops, Jack and Annie open their eyes to find they have been transported back to the time of the dinosaurs. Jack and Annie have a harrowing adventure, befriending some dinosaurs along the way as they try to make their way back home.

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 17th - 7:00pm
Saturday, June 18th - 11:00am, 3:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, June 19th - 11:00am, and 3:00pm


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: Silicon Valley unemployment drops even further

Despite signs that the economy might be slowing down, unemployment somehow is continuing to drop. The San Jose metro has reached a ridiculously low 3.7% unemployment rate this April. This is down from 3.9% in the previous month and 4.1% a year ago. It's starting to feel a lot like 1999.

Statewide, 1,800 IT jobs were lost in April. In the San Jose metro, 400 were added in April. Clearly we're still doing something right. Hopefully we can maintain these stats for a while longer.

Source: SVBJ

Your guide to San Jose festivities during the Stanley Cup Final Series

Sharks Themed Festivities in San Jose Encourage Fans to #TurnUpInTeal

SAN JOSE, Calif. – For the first time ever, the Stanley Cup Final Series comes to San Jose and the city has planned several events and activities for Sharks supporters and traveling fans. There are a variety of ways to cheer on the Sharks and the list below is your guide to celebrating the Final in San Jose:

It's Happening! Sharks at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose (June 4, 6, 9, 12 and 15 from Noon – 6:00 p.m.)
During home and away Stanley Cup games Plaza de Cesar Chavez will host a Sharks Rally with food trucks, a dessert truck, SJ Boom Box, a beer/wine garden, and games including Cornhole, Ping-Pong, giant Jenga, and more.

San Pedro Square Market Viewing Party (June 6 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.)
San Pedro Square Market is the official Sharks viewing party for game 4. Fans will be treated to a Sharks game production and entertainment.

SubZERO Festival in the SoFA District (June 3 and 4 from 6:00 p.m. – Midnight)
SubZERO Festival is a mash-up of street-meets-geek with outdoor stages and entertainment from over 300 artists, musicians, performers, plus food trucks and craft beer tasting. The festival takes place along South First St. between San Carlos and Reed Streets.

SHARKS PROMOTIONS:

#TurnUpinTeal and win Sharks prizes
When you "turn up in teal" at participating locations throughout San José, you have a chance to win San Jose Sharks prizes and Final tickets. For a list of times and locations visit: http://sharks.nhl.com/.

20 Percent Off at the San Jose Museum of Art
The San Jose Museum of Art will offer 20 percent off museum admission to anyone wearing their Sharks gear. The museum’s “Art and Science” exhibition that opened on June 1, prominently features “Shark’s Tooth” by Catherine Wagner.

Lick Observatory Declares Itself Sharks Territory
Sharks territory extends to the top of Mount Hamilton at the iconic Lick Observatory, where visitors can enjoy stunning views from 4,200 feet above the valley and see one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world. Discover how physicist Stephen Hawking is working with Lick Observatory on the biggest scientific search for intelligent life in the universe.

Stanley Cup Cocktail Crawl – On your way to the game be sure to stop by the following restaurants and bars for Sharks themed cocktails:

• Peggy Sue's (29 N San Pedro St #100): Shark Tank (32oz. margarita) – three shots of Tequila, two shots of triple sec, lime juice, premium blue curacao, and sweet and sour mix.
• AFK Gaming Lounge (163 W Santa Clara St.): Shark Bowl cocktail – Smirnoff Sour Berry Vodka, special teal sauce and lemon lime soda.
• Nomikai (48 S 1st St.): Shark Tank Punch Bowl – Coconut rum, blue curacao, pineapple, lemon juice and gummy sharks.
• O'Flaherty's Irish Pub (25 N San Pedro St.): Shark Attack – a Great White Beer paired with a shot of Jameson.

Happy hour at Stanley’s Sports Bar
Stanley’s Sports Bar located inside Sharks Ice and the home of the San Jose practice facility is offering happy hour pricing for every Stanley Cup Final game.

“Jumbo Joe” Burger at the Fairmont San Jose
The Fairmont San Jose’s Lobby Lounge is offering Sharks themed menus including: Shark Attack Burger & Brew Special, which comes with a “Jumbo Joe” Burger (Niman Ranch Burger, Braised Short Ribs, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Onion Rings and Chipotle Ranch) and Local Draft Beer; and The Power Play Special, which comes with a “Jumbo Joe” Burger, Local Draft Beer and Decadent Chocolate Brownie.

Sharks themed sandwiches at Ike's Love & Sandwiches
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches in San Jose is serving up Sharks themed sandwiches including: a Patrick Marleau Sandwich with Roast beef, bacon, creamy horseradish, Sriracha and jack cheese; a Go Sharks Sandwich with Vegan Chicken, Honey Mustard, Buffalo Wing Sauce and Gouda; and a Randy Hahn with ham, dirty sauce and cheddar.

For the latest information on San Jose Sharks festivities and events, visit http://www.sanjoseca.gov/SJSharks.



In addition, here is a bonus release disclosing a wager between Team San Jose and VisitPITTSBURGH...



Team San Jose and VisitPittsburg Make Stanley Cup Final Series Wager

San Jose, Calif. – Team San Jose CEO Karolyn Kirchgesler and VisitPITTSBURGH President and CEO Craig Davis made a friendly wager for the Stanley Cup Final Series between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

VisitPITTSBURGH will send Primanti’s Bros. sandwiches, a burnt almond torte (one of Pittsburgh’s most famous desserts) from Prantl’s Bakery and traditional pierogies from Pierogies Plus to San Jose if the Penguins lose. Team San Jose will send tacos and orange sauce from La Victoria, J. Lohr wine and manju from San Jose’s Japantown to Pittsburgh, if the Sharks lose.

“San Jose has been waiting a long time for the Sharks to go to the finals we couldn’t be happier for our team and our city,” said Karolyn Kirchgesler. “We are grateful to share the spotlight with a major sports destination in Pittsburgh and look forward to showing Pittsburgh Penguins fans all that San Jose has to offer leisure travelers. It will be a great series and we’re glad to be part of the action with this wager against VisitPITTSBURGH.”

The city of San Jose will colored in teal in support of the Sharks throughout the Stanley Cup Final Series. Visitors can look forward to discounts at local attractions and enjoy viewing parties and street rally’s throughout Downtown San Jose.

“We are excited to make this wager with our colleagues from the beautiful city of San Jose, so we can show our tremendous pride in our Pittsburgh Penguins who have helped make Pittsburgh a legendary sports town and a major sports destination,” said Craig Davis, President and CEO. “Both of our teams have put our cities in the national spotlight, and that exposure will help drive tourism well into the future. We invite the great sports fans from San Jose to come and visit Pittsburgh and experience our great restaurants, hotels, sports events, attractions, theaters, museums and attractions.”

In 2015 Pittsburgh was named one of the top 10 destinations on the rise by Trip Advisor and the No. 1 Food City in the U.S. by Zagat. Prantl’s Bakery is a Pittsburgh institution and the Huffington Post recently named their Burnt Almond Torte the “best cake America has ever made.”

Primanti's Bros is a Pittsburgh original, known for topping its sandwiches with coleslaw and French fries. The Penguins' third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel — the HBK line — has grown in such popularity that it has its own Primanti's sandwich

Pierogies Plus is the go-to place for homemade authentic pierogies, a crescent-shaped, tender dumpling filled with a variety of fillings – potato and cheese is most popular.

SubZERO 2016 kicks off tonight and continues tomorrow!

One of my favorite 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 3rd & 4th 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!"

There are hundreds of art exhibits and live performances spanning multiple blocks, all of them free. Three different stages will be playing live music. 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, and musicians, head over to the SubZERO website! 

San Jose's Viptela raises $75 million

Viptela is a software-defined computer networking startup that is based in North San Jose. The company has just announced a $75 million funding round to help it ramp up globally. This will bring its total funding to nearly $110 million and its valuation to around $900 million.

The new dollars will be used to scale up sales, marketing, support, and R&D. Viptela has already grown its workforce to 150 in the past year and is planning to hit 200 employees by the end of the year and 300 employees by then end of 2017. With all of the downsizing happening in the Valley right now, it is nice to see some companies bucking the trend (especially in San Jose).

Viptela is located at 1732 N. 1st Street, Suite #600.

Source: SVBJ