Southwest launching new flights from SJC to Hawaii

The good news continues to roll in for our airport. Southwest announced last week that they are going to add flights from San Jose to Hawaii. This is already one of the most popular destinations from SJC and is currently serviced by both Hawaiian airlines and Alaska Airlines. Competition means more departure options, lower fares, and more tax dollars for San Jose (both directly and indirectly). Southwest already implied that they will have the lowest rates for the route, great news for us.

Southwest is planning to fly to four different islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii-"The Big Island" (Kona). Tickets sales will begin later this year and service could begin as soon as this winter using long-range versions of Boeing 737s.

As an added bonus, Southwest is also planning to add inter-island flights. That means lower fares for those that want to travel to multiple islands on one trip.

Source: SVBJ

Cinco de Mayo celebration

Olla Cocina is throwing an all-day Cinco de Mayo party tomorrow with live music, tacos, and margaritas. Admission tickets are $15 and food and drink tickets are $10 each on-site. This one is only for those 21 and over, so leave the kiddies at home.

Greater Rose Garden Certified Farmers Market

A new farmer's market near the Rose Garden will take place every Saturday from 10am to 2pm starting this weekend. There is no official end date, it will continue as long as the community is willing to support it.

The exact location is 577 Dana Avenue (a Lincoln High School parking lot). The official Grand Opening Celebration of the new market is on May 12th at 11am.

Thanks to Alex Shoor for sending this in!

Veggielution's 1st Saturday

This Saturday, May 5th, Veggielution is co-hosting their 1st Saturday event with the Open Space Authority. Veggielution is a great organization that is taking us back to the roots of the Valley of Heart's Delight by farming right here in San Jose. The event is kid-friendly and free.

You can find the schedule below. For more info head over to the Veggielution FB page.

Schedule:

9:00am - 10:00am YOGA by Jovanna at Vida Lifestyle Yoga in collaboration with Be The Change Yoga & Wellness (Bilingual English & Spanish/donation based)

10:00am - 11:00am Gardening 101 Workshops by La Mesa Verde (English & Spanish)

10:00am - 2:00pm Farm Stand

10:00am - 12:30pm Farm Volunteering

10:00am - 12:30pm Neighborhood Harvest (fruit gleaning off site)

10:00am - 12:30pm Youth Garden Volunteering & Activities

10:00am - 12:30pm Our Community Kitchen Food Truck will be serving FREE samples prepared by a Community Chef alongside the volunteer food truck team

10:00am - 12:30pm Cocina Cooking Class - Spanish Language Cooking Class - Contact Rosa Contreras at 408-753-6705 ext 7 to sign up (25 max capacity)

12:30pm - 1:30pm Community Lunch (food offered and potluck encouraged)

12:30pm - 3:30pm Live Music

1:30pm - 3:30pm Art in the Garden

New 19-story hotel proposed for Downtown San Jose

KT Urban, perhaps Downtown's most prolific developer, is proposing yet another high-rise tower. This time around it is a 19-story hotel with 220 rooms next to the Hotel DeAnza on Santa Clara Street. The tower would be an angular 209-foot-tall glass structure, somewhat similar to Silvery Towers a few blocks away.

My favorite part of the project is the giant indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar on the penthouse floor featuring amazing views of Downtown San Jose and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Unlike the Capital Club, this would be open to the public. It's also a sign of the times, this latest generation of projects is bring more to the table than cookie-cutter buildings and is offering amenities new to Silicon Valley (I'm still waiting for a completed project with a rooftop pool).

The ground floor will also feature some retail, likely a restaurant. One thing that is missing from this project is onsite parking, and that is likely a good thing if you are an urbanist. They will partner with a nearby garage to offer at least 77 parking spaces for guests. This really shouldn't be a big deal, most hotel guests are already using Uber/Lyft to get around instead of renting cars--a trend that will only continue until autonomous cars take over.

Overall, this looks like another big win for Downtown!

Source: SVBJ

AT&T installing 200 "small cells" in San Jose

We live in the middle of Silicon Valley, yet it often feels like infrastructure is slow to keep up with the times and our population growth. My family on a tiny island in the Azores with a population of 4,200 people (not a typo) got fiber optic internet four years ago. I still don't have fiber in my home, and Cisco's headquarters is practically next door. I was finally able to get a gigabit connection through Comcast last year, albeit with the same copper wires we've been using for decades.

Some relief is coming soon for our choked networks thanks to a partnership between the city of San Jose and AT&T. "Small cells" are miniature towers that can provide high speed 4G LTE and eventually 5G internet to a small neighborhood. They are small enough to be hung on lightpoles or the sides of buildings. AT&T is planning to install 200 of these throughout San Jose, improving both coverage and internet speeds.

San Jose will collect $5 million over 15 years in exchange for letting AT&T use the poles. These funds are currently earmarked for digital inclusion projects that will extend broadband to San Joseans that cannot afford internet access.

San Jose will also get a $1 million grant to help accelerate internal permitting processes related to small cell deployments. 5G internet is coming within a couple years, and it relies heavily on small cell sites that provide gigabit speeds, but only to a small area. Speeding up permitting means we are less likely to be left out of the next major infrastructure improvement for the internet. It's great to see AT&T investing in the community and helping San Jose realize its vision for becoming a "smart city." It will be great if other telco's join in as well.

For more information on the project, click here.

Downtown Farmer's Market begins May 4th

Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market season begins May 4

Fresh produce, hot food, unique gifts available each Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

SAN JOSE – The  Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente, opens for its 26th season on May 4 along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets.

Open each Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the Farmers’ Market offers fresh-picked fruits and vegetables direct from California growers, gifts, goodies and garb from local artists, cut flowers and gourmet foods.  

The Farmers’ Market features from 25-40 vendors curated by the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA).  The market also features live music, demonstrations, recipes and other special events throughout the season. On Opening Day, activities include live music by Amigos Music, games and prize wheel giveaways by Mix 106.5 FM, and a participatory art project by Local Color.

Admission is free.

The market continues each week into November.  On average, 2,500 residents, office workers and visitors head to the Farmers’ Market and San Pedro Square for lunch, activities, people-watching and shopping.  Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable and washed bags.

Market partner Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA for eight years to focus attendees on healthful and “green” living.

Follow the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Twitter (@SJ_Downtown) and Facebook (/sjdowntown and /DowntownFarmers’Market).  The market website is https://sjdowntown.com/farmers-market-presented-by-kaiser-permanente/

Parking validations for Farmers’ Market shoppers are available for the Market-San Pedro Garage at the SJDA information table.  Visit www.parksj.org.

About the San Jose Downtown Association:  The San Jose Downtown Association is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  Established in 1986, SJDA programs more than 100 days of events each year.

Camino Brewery and Tap Room Now Open

Yet another craft brewery is calling the greater Downtown Area home. Located in a brick building that used to be a mechanic's warehouse just south of 280, the Camino Brewery and Tap room is officially open for business at 718 South First Street. They are now the 12th brewing company in San Jose.

In addition to traditional beers, Camino has also partnered with other local businesses like Chromatic Coffee to make some of their more unique brews (ex: Cafe Con Leche Sweet Milk Stout with single origin coffee). Camino has been getting a lot of traction on their craft beers and you can now find them at 43 Whole Foods, Costco, and high-end Bay Area bars.

San Jose Beer enthusiasts have a lot to celebrate. In addition to Camino, we now have Clandestine Brewing, Hermitage, Strike, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, Hapa, and Uproar all within a few miles. It looks like the trend won't stop anytime soon--San Jose's becoming a craft beer destination.

Source: SJ Economy Blog