First annual "Bark in the Park" at Notre Dame Park

A new community-building event for Downtown residents, workers, visitors, and their pets kicks off this Sunday from 4-8pm at Notre Dame Park (intersection of Almaden Boulevard and Carlyle Street). This park exists today thanks to a group of Downtown residents that started a grassroots effort to clean out the unused lot and add some greenery.

The "Bark in the Park" event will have music, food trucks, wine, beer, an animal petting zoo, and art projects. Proceeds will go towards upgrading the park and helping with the maintenance for Andy's Pet Shop. With so many new residents comings into the Downtown area, we need to encourage more projects like this to improve the quality of the Downtown neighborhoods and create a stronger sense of community in the area!

San Jose musicians Lucid Optics & Museum release new album

Project info: It was three years ago that Hip Hop duo Modern Language (Lucid Optics on rhymes & Museum on production) leaked two demos to the public. In a matter of days both songs gained thousands of listens then were mysteriously deleted off the Internet without any formal explanation.

Here we are now, still without much background and the duo is back with their first official project, a four-song EP titled Ok Txt Me that was available for free starting Friday May 27th. The work is heavily inspired by communication in a digital age with a spaced-out backpacker sound. Upon release they announced that these were the first handful of tracks they wrote 3 years ago, and that they have an LP coming out sometime this summer. An official release date hasn’t been set but we can likely expect the project by late July.

The duo does finally have some social media set up, so you can keep track of their projects and hear about Lucid’s forlorn love for fish tacos on Twitter & Facebook.

You can access the new album Ok Txt Me for free at https://lucidoptics.bandcamp.com/album/ok-txt-me

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the #3 best metro for entrepreneurship growth

In the latest annual Kauffman study for startup funding growth, San Jose rose from fifth to third place on the list behind Washington D.C. and Austin. Note that this ranking is for growth and not total funding. In terms of total funding, the Bay Area nabbed $34 billion in investment during 2015, which is 27% of all the money invested in startups for the entire world. San Francisco dropped rank in the study from sixth place to eighth place.

The report also ranked the San Jose metro as being #1 for "emerging growth IPO density," whatever that means. San Francisco clocked in at #2 for that list.

Source: SVBJ

Hicklebees Children's Bookstore hosts a summer reading road trip celebration

San Jose, CA (Press Release) - In an effort to get kids reading this summer, the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip RV will visit Hicklebees Children's Books on June 26th from 12:00-2:00pm. Kids and families will have the opportunity to participate in their very own “pop-up” reading festival, meet some of their favorite authors, and engage in fun reading activities. The RVs will visit 20 U.S. cities nationwide throughout the summer, traveling more than 10,000 miles to spread the message about the importance of summer reading to kids.

At the Hicklebee's Children's Books reading road trip stop kids and families will enjoy a fun day of free reading activities including:

• An author visit and book signing from
• Susan Katz , author of ABC School's for Me!
• Mike Jung, author of Unidentified Suburban Object
• David Carter, author of Spot the Dot
• An activity tent filled with reading activities
• Giveaway tables and a prize wheel
• Animated photo stations with Clifford the Big Red Dog® and Slappy from Goosebumps®
• "Instaframes” picture stations for kids to show-off their “reading muscles”
• Costume characters including: Clifford the Big Red Dog®

WHERE: Hicklebees Children's Books, 1378 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125

WHEN:  June 25th

TIME: 11:00 - 1:00pm

To track the RVs and find local events, visit the tour schedule here: http://scholastic.com/summerroadtrip. Follow the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip live on social media via @Scholastic and #SummerReading.

Sun Basket is San Jose's answer to on-demand food delivery

Blue Apron, EatClub, and Caviar have all been gaining in popularity for on-demand food service, but we have a local San Jose company that has thrown its hat in the ring. Sun Basket is a subscription-based meal service that specializes in healthy, organic, paleo, and gluten-free options. They deliver the raw ingredients in the right proportions along with instructions on how to prepare the meals. It is a fantastic option for people that want to cook wholesome meals but do not want to waste time shopping for ingredients or hunting new recipes.

My wife and I currently use Blue Apron which has a similar business model, but are planning to try out Sun Basket very soon. So far we have had great experiences with Blue Apron meals. I really think these services are a great compromise between getting take out and traditional cooking. 90% of the meals I've had are restaurant-grade and half the price.

Sun Basket already has 20,000 subscribers. The company has 225 full-time employees and is planning to grow to 300 in the near future. They are based in a 65,000 SQFT warehouse on Olinder Court in East San Jose (formerly Race Street Foods).

Check out the Sun Basket website over here, and make sure to read SJ Economy's post using the source link below.

Source: SJ Economy Blog

San Jose's first BART station is coming along nicely

If you have driven around Berryessa recently, it is nearly impossible to miss the new BART station. The project seem to be moving pretty quickly and will hopefully hit its 2018 completion date. Below are the most recent construction photos I have found.

Source: Hillrise from the San Jose Development Forum

San Jose District 3 New & Events

Sure, the Stanley Cup Final didn't go as expected. That still does not negate the positive branding benefits that we received thanks to the Shark's stellar performance this season. Raul Peralez--San Jose City Councilmember for District 3 (Downtown)--started his last newsletter with some thoughts on how San Jose's brand is changing for the better. I have included his statement in its entirety below, but recommend reading the whole newsletter over here. 

Sports and politics putting us in the spotlight.

Never before has the Bay Area and specifically San José been in the spotlight as much as it has in recent weeks. Holding strong as the tenth largest city in the Unites States, it has been difficult to receive the same level of national recognition as other major cities. Sitting in the shadow of one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world, we San Joséans have regularly described ourselves in geographical context with San Francisco. This year I believe we can finally begin to see ourselves emerging with our own identity and that means our own internationally news worthy moments, for better or for worse.

Starting with Super Bowl 50 in February, there began to be a sense of pride amongst city officials, staff and our partners. When the San José Sports Authority helped cement a downtown hotel as the official NFC team host and the SAP Center as the official opening night venue, there was a measurable buzz going around. Fast forward to this past week, downtown has now played host to three more internationally newsworthy and historical events.

A few weeks ago both Democratic presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton made campaign stops in San José. Last Thursday night, while the Centennial of COPA America was having a kick off VIP celebration at our City Hall Rotunda, some San Joséans were helping to create national news with an inexcusable and disappointing display of violent protesting outside of the Trump rally at the McEnery Convention Center.

Friday afternoon, one of the greatest soccer players of all time was practicing at Spartan Stadium while fans were laying on the ground just trying to get a peek at him. Later that evening after the US National team lost to Colombia, downtown SubZero Festival guests could see lines of Colombia's visiting fans still donning their jerseys and patronized bars in the SoFA District.

On Saturday night the SAP Center hosted its first Stanley Cup Hockey game as our San José Sharks played their very first championship home game. The Sharks won the game with a spectacular overtime goal and created what may very well have been one of the single most prideful and exciting nights for San Josèans in a long time. The city had been shining teal all week with support pouring in from all over and after Saturday's win, the streets of downtown were flush with Sharks fans celebrating into the early morning.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention our friends to the Northeast, the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Needless to say there are plenty of San José residents who are also enjoying the spectacular and historic run that this team is having. I'll note that the SAP Center kicked off the Warriors preseason this year by hosting a game here in San José and fans even received a fantastic Stephan Curry bobble head with him wearing a Sharks Jersey. For those who caught it you may have also noticed Marreese Speights wearing his own personalized Sharks jersey prior to his team's game 2 win on Sunday.

Tomorrow marks a very important day in both national and local politics and I know I will be very keenly focused on the results. To keep your sports fix going, have no fear, San José is gearing up to become Gymnastics City USA once again when we host the Women's Gymnastic Olympic Trials early next month. Our very own San José Earthquakes are still undefeated at home and the San José Giants continue to farm their talents to their Major league ball club in that little city to our North.

Thank you to every one of our downtown residents, businesses and community partners for making San José shine brighter into the future.

Go Sharks!
Raul

Downtown Doors student art exhibit expands to 103 locations

20 new pieces of student art adorn downtown in 2016

SAN JOSE – Twenty vibrant, dynamic and inspiring artworks by high school students have been added to the urban landscape, the result of the 13th Downtown Doors art competition and exhibition.

The artworks are transferred onto vinyl decals and then pasted to service doors and utility boxes in high pedestrian areas of downtown San Jose.  In all, 103 doors and boxes are covered downtown by the Downtown Doors program, which stretches to all corners of the center city.

With the 20 new additions from students at 14 different schools, a total 234 pieces of art have helped beautify the downtown for thousands of passersby.  This year, the San Jose Downtown Foundation received 152 submissions from 19 high schools.

“Our selection committee always has a very difficult decision to make because so much of the art is truly outstanding,” said Diana Beechie, San Jose Downtown Foundation president.

The artworks cross a wide range of emotions.  “Amity” by Cayley Nickerson of Santa Teresa High School exudes a message of love and optimism; Willow Glen High School student Claire Krumm’s “The Whale House” takes a powerful introspective look at the relationship between humankind and the environment; Radiante Liu of Notre Dame High School and Kelly Lien of Evergreen Valley High were inspired by famous painters to tell their love stories; Sarah Enzminger of Leland High paid tribute to San Jose landmarks; Thu Nguyen of Independence High School and Homestead’s Nick Ybarra created pieces that are both poignant and light-hearted.  All the selectees bring to bear a worldview from the eyes of today’s teenagers.

A walking map of the art sites and more information can be downloaded from http://sjdowntown.com/downtown_doors/.

Downtown Doors 2016 sponsors include: Applied Materials; Catered Too!; City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs; Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco; San Jose City Councilmembers Rose Herrera, Tam Nguyen and Raul Peralez; Donor Circle for the Arts at Silicon Valley Community Foundation; eBay Inc.; Jeppesen; Kimley-Horn and Associates: KQED; Law Offices of Willoughby, Stuart, Bening & Cook; Orchard City Commercial, Inc.; San Jose Downtown Foundation; San Jose Water Company; and Xactly.

The Downtown Doors Class of 2016 includes:

Andrew P. Hill High School – Eastside Union

Tuyet Lam - Coloration of the Mind – Located on McEnery Convention Center

Evergreen Valley High School – Eastside Union

Kelly Lien - The Start of Love – Located on the Fairmont

Phillip Nguyen - Window of Davitha – Located on the Hilton San Jose

Gunderson High School – San Jose Unified

Alejandra Fraume – Topspin – Located at 33 S. Third Street Apartments

Randon Nijmeh – Untitled – Located at Paseo de San Antonio near Starbucks

Adrianne Taylor  - Untitled – Located on Market Street at Post Street

Homestead High School – Fremont Union

Nick Ybarra - Personas me Reuniré – Located on Plaza de Cesar Chavez at Park Avenue

Independence High School – Eastside Union

Thu Nguyen – Faded – Located on City Hall off Fourth Street

James Lick High School – Eastside Union

Jack Griffin – Repetition – Located on Third Street at San Carlos Street

Leigh High School – Campbell Union

Heather Ho - Afternoon Ride – Located on Market Street at Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

Leland High School – San Jose Unified

Sarah Enzminger - Attack on De Anza Hotel – Located on Park Avenue at Almaden Boulevard

Mount Pleasant High School – Eastside Union

Brianna Lucio - Fox Guardian – Located at Hilton San Jose

Notre Dame High School – Private

Frances Maurer - Lost at Sea – Located on Second Street between San Fernando Street and Paseo de San Antonio

Radiante Liu - Portrait of the Princess of Eboli and the Governor of Netherlands – Located at Studio Climbing

San Jose High School - San Jose Unified

Vicky Ho – Birds – Located at The Globe

Santa Teresa High School – Eastside Union

Cayley Nickerson - Amity – Located on First Street between San Fernando and Paseo de San Antonio

Willow Glen High School – San Jose Unified

E’lan Hawkins – Moonlight – Located on Second Street between San Fernando and Paseo de San Antonio

Aly Carley – Wolf – Located at 8 N. San Pedro St.

Claire Krumm - The Whale House – Located at McEnery Convention Center

Yerba Buena High School – Eastside Union

Michelle Pham - Pieces – Located on San Carlos Street at Second Street

###

About:  The San Jose Downtown Foundation (SJDF) promotes cultural awareness and civic participation in San Jose and Santa Clara County through youth education programs, public events and art exhibits.  SJDF is the 501c3 arm of the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), whose mission is to represent business and property owners to improve downtown and enhance downtown’s vitality and livability.

School tally of Downtown Doors Winners (2003-2016)

East Side Union HS District
(8) Andrew P Hill – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 15, 16
(15) Evergreen Valley – 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16
(6) Independence – 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 16
(3) James Lick – 11, 12, 16
(8) Mount Pleasant -  04, 05, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12, 16
(3) Oak Grove – 07, 07, 07
(16) Piedmont Hills – 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15
(13) Santa Teresa – 06, 09, 11, 11, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 16
(2) Silver Creek – 12, 13
(5) Yerba Buena – 10, 14, 14, 15, 16
(79) East Side Total

(1) Bellarmine College Prep. – 10
(6) Cupertino – 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 11
(5) Del Mar – 12, 12, 13, 14, 15
(3) Downtown College Prep – 04, 07, 07
(9) Gunderson – 14, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16
(10) Homestead – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 16
(7) Leigh – 09, 11, 12, 13, 15, 15, 16
(1) Leland – 16
(48) Lincoln (includes Saturday Art Academy) – 03, 03, 03, 03, 04, 04, 04, 04, 04, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 10, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14
(31)Notre Dame – 06, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16
(9) Pioneer –12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 14
(5) San Jose High Academy – 04, 05, 05, 05, 05
(1) San Jose High – 16
(8) Willow Glen – 12, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16
(1) Castillero Middle – 12
(145) All other districts subtotal

(2) Dublin, Ireland – 14, 16
(2) Okayama, Japan – 14, 16
(2) Pune, India – 14, 16
(2) Tainan, Taiwan – 14, 16
(2) San Jose, Costa Rica – 14, 16
(10) International Subtotal

(234) TOTAL