2018 Year in Review by Scott Knies

This post is long overdue. Below is the San Jose Downtown Association's recap of 2018 hosted by Scott Knies. It provides a great look at all of our highlights and lowlights last year along with nearly every major development project that is in the hopper today. Even though I'm 6 months late with this one, the content is still 100% relevant.

 

Adobe breaks ground on San Jose's largest office high-rise

Last week, Adobe broke ground on it's remarkable 4th tower in Downtown San Jose. At 1.3 million SQFT it is about as large as the existing three towers combined and will house over 4,000 employees. There will also be a new bridge over San Fernando connecting Tower 4 to the original campus

Adobe is already Downtown San Jose's largest employer, so this is a major vote of confidence for the area. If all goes well, the tower will be complete by 2022.

If this is what 4,000 employees looks like, imagine what 20,000 new Googlers will do for San Jose's core.

Source: SVBJ

Resident Roundtable: Life and Work in San Jose

A new video has been published by San Jose OED that focuses on three different people working and living in San Jose. It's short, but is an interesting and realistic discussion nonetheless.

Unemployment in San Jose Metro hits record low

According to the California Employment Development Department, unemployment in Santa Clara County has dropped to 2.1%. This is the lowest number on record, and that includes the .COM days in 1998-2000.

The six counties with the lowest unemployment in California are all here. San Mateo managed a jaw-dropping 1.7%, San Francisco was at 1.9%, Marin was at 1.9% Sonoma came in at 2.3%, and Napa rounds out the top 6 at 2.3%. This compares to a statewide unemployment rate of 3.5%.

This means that now is probably a great time to ask for a raise or evaluate all of your opportunities. It has become a strong employee's market with more available jobs than qualified applicants.

Source: SVBJ

"Disenchanted" @ 3Below - A Musical Parody on Disney Princesses!

Courtesy image by 3Below Theaters & Lounge

Although I may not be an expert of the world of Disney, I have always been a fan of their stories including the timeless animated movies. Breaking down "The Princess Complex", the musical comedy Disenchanted brings the audience to laughter on the alternative true stories of the many princesses you've come to love including:

• Belle from Beauty & the Beast
• Hua Mulan from Mulan
• Ariel from The Little Mermaid
• Pocahontas from Pocahontas
• Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
• Rapunzel from Tangled
• Jasmine from Aladdin
• Cinderalla from Cinderella
• Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) from Sleeping Beauty

The Princesses featured on Disenchanted at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
Pictured left to right: Mulan (played by Eimi Taormina), Sleeping Beauty (played by Natasha Drena), Tiana (played by Marissa Rudd), Snow White (played by Colette Froehlich), Cinderella (played by Theresa Swain), Ariel (played by Shannon Guggenheim)
Courtesy image by 3Below Theaters & Lounge

Arriving to 3Below Theaters & Lounge, there were so many people in line who were eagerly waiting to see Disenchanted. Some audience members wore their tiaras or some type of Disney gear. Once I got to my seat, I had some time to admire their stage design and lighting while playing a guessing game on which princess is which silhouette on the wall.

The set of Disenchanted at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
Photograph taken and with permission by John Huân Vu.

The program of Disenchanted at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
Photograph taken and with permission by John Huân Vu.

Sporting their Mickey hats, the small band starts off the first number of the musical comedy led by the hostesses, Snow White (played by Colette Froehlich), Cinderella (played by Theresa Swain), and Sleeping Beauty (played by Natasha Drena).

One of my all-time favorite characters, Mulan (played by Eimi Taormina), shared her story on the fact that she may in fact be a lesbian! Marissa Rudd played one of the most underrated princesses, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, who used her stature as a strong black woman stating one obvious truth: "Why’d it take ’em so long to give a sistah a song?"

However, one cast member that brought the audience members (including me) to passion, joy, and laughter was Shannon Guggenheim. In addition to being the show's choreographer, Shannon played Belle, Ariel, and Rapunzel. Although Shannon was able to exude Belle as clinically insane and why Ariel truly regrets having her own two feet, nothing can compare to her character as Rapunzel! With direct interaction with the audience members, Shannon's Rapunzel held her long hair while speaking to us with a strong German accent to literally whip us to sing "Not V'One Red Cent."

Unfortunately, one issue that I hope will be resolved in the future are the microphone issues. Ever since I saw their previous production of "A Spoonful of Sherman", it seems that the microphone did cut in and out for some of the musical numbers. Thankfully, it was not enough for me or for others to follow along with the stories, jokes, and singing from this cast.

The set of Disenchanted at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
Photograph taken and with permission by John Huân Vu.

All in all, the musical comedy Enchanted was a very entertaining and funny show hitting the humorous layers of sexism, racism, and women empowerment.

Catch a good laugh now and until July 21, 2019 by catching a performance of Disenchanted playing Thursdays to Sundays at 3Below Theaters & Lounge. You may purchasing tickets online or at their box office at 288 South 2nd Street, San Jose, CA, (408) 404-7711. Discount tickets are available for students, seniors, military, and educators and parking validation is available at the upstairs parking garage. Please note that the show may not suitable for everyone and discretion is advised due to some language and sexual innuendos. As their advertisement would put it: the show is "not suitable for youth but perfect for parents' night out!" As one running joke from the show went, the princesses always had to "wait for their princes ... to come."

Written by John Huân Vũ.

Quick look inside the Valley Fair expansion

The Silicon Valley Business Journal has given us a sneak peak into Valley Fair's $1.1 billion remodel and expansion. The mall is growing from 1.5 million SQFT to 2.2 million, making it by far the largest mall in Northern  California and the 15th largest in the US (If you were to count stores at Santana Row it would be the largest).

The expansion will bring flagship stores for Apple and Bloomindale's as well as other premium brands such as Jimmmy Choo, John Varvatos, UNTUCKit, and Gorjana. Double Eagle Steakhouse, Shake Shack, Salt & Straw, and SomiSomi are some of the new eateries. 80% of the expansion is already pre-leased. If you are concerned about parking, they just added another 1,200 space garage and optimized the new front entrance for car sharing/pooling, bikes, and pedestrians in mind (finally).

By pushing the mall outwards towards Stevens Creek and adding an outdoor paseo, they are doing their best to better connect to Santana Row. Inside the more traditional mall area, they are using a lot of high-end materials and leveraging natural light thanks to massive skylights.

The expansion will have its grand opening early next year, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the 100 new stores did a soft opening before Christmas.

Source: SVBJ

Grammy Award hits at Music in the Park this season

San Jose shows include The Delfonics June 21 and Ozomatli July 19

Rising stars Cuco and J Boog also headline San Jose Downtown Association-produced shows

SAN JOSE – Airfield Supply Co’s Music in the Park presented by Metro summer concert season at Plaza de Cesar Chavez opens with two Grammy Award winners:

·      June 21 – The Delfonics (soul and R&B)

·      July 19 – Ozomatli (Latin rock)

·      Aug. 2 – Cuco (Alternative Latin)

·      Aug. 23 – J Boog (reggae fused with R&B, hip-hop and rock)

Shows begin at 5:30 p.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Tickets are $15 in advance for general admission, $35 for a VIP experience, $20 and $40, respectively day of the show and available at http://musicintheparksj.com

The Delfonics:  Love songs and oldies from these Philly soul pioneers, headed by William “Poogie” Hart, including classics “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time), which won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance, and “La La Means I Love You.”  The Delfonics inspired other ’70s groups such as the Spinners, and Stylistics.

Ozomatli:  Ozomatli brings their melting pot of global sounds and rhythms from LA to SJ, an intoxicating blend of Latin rock, funk, and hip-hop.  Ozo delighted Music in the Park audience two other times, in 2013 and 2016.  They have won Grammy Awards for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album twice for “Embrace the Chaos” and “Street Signs.”

Cuco:  Based in Los Angeles, producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cuco exploded onto the scene via Twitter and social media, making music from his bedroom studio. His simple but catchy “Lo Que Siento” has more than 12 million streams combined on Spotify and Soundcloud.

J Boog:  Southern California native J Boog has built his musical career since his 2007 debut album “Hear Me Roar.”  His 2011 Backyard Boogie release expanded his following internationally, topping Billboard and iTunes charts in a number of countries. “Live Up!” earned him a Top 5 spot on the Reggae Albums charts in 2014.

San Jose Downtown Association has produced Music in the Park for 30 years.  Music in the Park sponsors for 2019 include:  Airfield Supply Co., Metro, Adobe Systems and Google.

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About San Jose Downtown Association:  SJDA, a non-profit membership-based organization founded in 1986, represents business and property owners and works to enhance downtown’s vitality and livability. www.sjdowntown.com

Lyft Scooters have arrived in San Jose

Scooters have become a popular "last mile" or micromobility transportation option for helping get people from public transit to their final destination or just for cruising around Downtown San Jose. Last week, Lyft tossed their hat in the ring to compete with Lime and Byrd. Here are the main points you should know about the program:

• San Jose is the first Bay Area city where Lyft is offering scooters
• Scooters cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents for each minute you ride
• With launch comes the unveiling of our Community Pass, allowing low-income San Jose residents  to ride for just $5/month.
• Lyft’s scooters are part of the existing Lyft app that San Jose residents already know and love, and can be rented with just a few taps in the app. Riders are also able to reserve scooters ahead of time.
• Lyft will also be providing trilingual on-scooter educational decals (English, Spanish, Vietnamese) along with Vietnamese translation of the San Jose microsite.

Below are quotes from Lyft, the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, and Councilmember Lan Diep.

Lyft: “We’re thrilled to bring Lyft Scooters to San Jose and provide a quick, affordable and sustainable way to move around - all within a single app,” said Jake Darby, Market Manager for Lyft Bikes & Scooters. “Lyft is committed to a future where cities are built around people instead of private cars — and Lyft scooters can play a key role in furthering this movement locally here in San Jose.”

Silicon Valley Bike Coalition: "Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition recognizes the enormous potential electric scooters have to improve mobility and accelerate our push for healthier communities,” said Shiloh Ballard, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. "We look forward to working alongside Lyft to support our overarching goals of making multi-modal options safe, accessible, convenient and fun."

Councilmember Lan Diep: “With today’s launch of Lyft scooters, San Jose residents will have an additional sustainable and affordable option for commuting across our city. I want to thank Lyft for working with the City of San Jose to better serve members of our Vietnamese community with trilingual in-app education and decals, and for offering its Community Pass to reach low-income residents across all neighborhoods."

The Lyft Scooter service area is below and for more information you can click here.