Great America WinterFest 2019

Now that the rain has stopped, it's the perfect time to go out and enjoy the holiday amenities around San Jose. Great America's WinterFest has a strong showing this year with almost all of the rides open, including the two newest roller coasters RailBlazer and Gold Striker. There are 10 different holiday-themed shows, ice skating, interactive cookie decorating, arts & crafts, and festive food throughout the park. If you're with small children, I'd recommend heading over to Camp Snoopy for a dozen toddler-friendly rides.

Every corner of the park was decked out and I had a great time just walking through each themed area and seeing the decorations. There's even a section with fire pits this year.

WinterFest runs until December 31st and is open every day except for the 21st, 24th, and 25th. Tickets start at $27 a person ($19 if you know someone with a season pass) and are available over here.

December 2019 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The latest addition of Downtown Dimension is now live. Below is a summary of the content this month: The DECEMBER 2019 Downtown Dimension is now available at:   https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DTDDEC2019.pdf In this edition: For more than a decade, Veronica Moya has delivered the Downtown Dimension to downtown businesses.  This month, she will deliver the newsletter to her customers, who will get to read a profile all about her.  Moya is definitely a Downtown Gem, downtown ambassador and one of USPS's best. Be sure to tell her so when you see her on our streets. SJDA put together a program to provide tenants of the brand-new and now-open Villas on the Park with day-to-day necessities, helping to "turn apartments into homes" for the previously homeless. New schematics show what Diridon Station may look like in the near future. Meet Katia McClain, SJDA's new President of its Board of Directors. For 2020, developers will get a break on high-rise residential fees, in hopes that construction of a few entitled buildings actually begin. Urban Catalyst continues to make moves to change downtown. What do you think of the new barriers on Second Street? Can trains get through downtown faster? Will the barriers help with safety? As a pedestrian, are they helpful or a hindrance? The Improv gets a beauty makeover and Adega Pastelaria brings tasty pastries to East Santa Clara Street. December hours extended for Downtown Ice - time to take a few spins around this signature holiday activity. You are invited to SJDA's annual Year-End meeting:  Dec. 13, 8 a.m. at the Hammer Theatre.  RSVP to attend at sjdarsvp@sjdowntown.com. FYI: Live and Local SJ for live music Traffic alerts lane and road closures. Maps of downtown commercial property availability and development proposals. Downtown Dimension is a leading source for information about downtown San Jose news, events and businesses.  Subscribe with a simple email to sjda@sjdowntown.com, subject line:  Subscribe Copyright © 2019 San Jose Downtown Association, All rights reserved.

27-story Garden Gate Tower moves forward

A shiny residential tower proposed for SoFA recently received City Council approval to move forward. The 27-story tower at 600 South 1st Street would have 290 apartments, 4,840 SQFT of retail across five commercial condos (for-sale retail spaces), and 232 parking spaces. 28 of the 290 residential units would be categorized as affordable.

KT Urban presented two different options to the City Council. The other was to build a 850-bedroom co-living building that would be about the same size.

Hopefully this moves forward, we need more housing Downtown ASAP to keep the momentum going.

Source: SVBJ

SJC gets their first daytime nonstop to Boston

Next summer, you won't need to take a redeye if you're travelling to Boston. JetBlue is adding a daytime nonstop starting June 11, 2020. If you don't mind the redeye, don't worry that is sticking around.

JetBlue will also start flying to London from Boston in a couple years, so this will likely provide a nice alternative to British Airways from San Jose when those flights kick off in 2021. I've taken the British Airways SJC flight and it's fantastic, but can be expensive.

Speaking of cost, it looks like San Jose International is now the fourth most affordable airport in the country. This is based on average airfare and food costs. Our neighbor up north, SFO, is the 4th most expensive in the country. Something to keep in mind next time you fly.

Source: SVBJ

Latest concept plans for Diridon Station

In order to mitigate the traffic nightmare in the Bay Area, we have to locate jobs and homes close to transit. There is no better transit location in the South Bay than Diridon Station. Millions of square feet of office space, residential units, retail, and hotels are destined to be built near or next to the station. Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure to make the station live up to the attention it is getting. The centerpiece of Downtown San Jose's next phase of urbanization needs to be world class.

Below are some of the latest drawings from Dutch planning firms that are working on the next big redesign of the station. These need to incorporate BART and potentially High Speed Rail, as well as easier access from every direction.

Part of the concept is elevating the tracks for all lines except for Light Rail and BART, which will both meet the station underground. There will also be two main concourses beneath the rail lines with multiple entrances on both Santa Clara Street and San Fernando Street.

The drawings are quite impressive compared to the current layout of the station. I'm optimistic the final product will do the Capital of Silicon Valley justice.

Source: SVBJ

Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

Hope you all have a wonderful time and lots of delicious eats today. Warm wishes to you and your family from your friends at The San Jose Blog!

Black Friday at Santana Row

Below is the list of Black Friday offers and specials at Santana Row this year:

An insider scoop on Black Friday festivities on The Row

Santana Row has planned a true ‘shoppers paradise’ for Black Friday this year! First, spend $1,000 or more on Friday, November 29 and receive a pair of tickets to Cirque du Soleil AMALUNA performing at Oracle Park! Secondly, enjoy complimentary gift wrapping, live holiday music and more throughout Black Friday on The Row. *See link for details.

As you shop for the season’s gifts and must-haves, don’t forget to leave a new or gently used coat behind for a neighbor in need. One Warm Coat Charity Drive begins on Black Friday – drop your coats in the barrels located outside the Santana Row Concierge, CineArts Theatre, and Crate and Barrel (throughout December). Plus, enjoy the sound of live music and spectacular holiday décor with larger than life animal installations, mistletoe and more.

Here’s the exclusive list of this year’s Black Friday deals from Santana Row –

Store	Offer
100% Pure	Opening at 9 a.m. with exclusive offers.
Atelier Salon	Open on Black Friday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. for a holiday sales event! 20% off all items! *Valid for full-priced items only – excludes gift sets, which are already marked 20% off.
Barry’s Bootcamp	Barry’s SHOP & POP – Black Friday only! Swing by the Santana Row studio for a chance to win some special Barry’s prizes. For every $100 spent on retail, packages, or gift cards, you’ll have the chance to pop a balloon containing retail gifts, free passes, shakes & more!
BellaU Spa & Wellness	Buy 2 get 1 Free (Signature facial, Eminence facial, Swedish massage, Eminence massage). Buy 3 get 1 Free (Hydrafacial, Microchanneling). All products 10% off.
Blue Bottle Coffee	Opening at 7 a.m.
BoConcept	Black Friday Week: 11/25/19 – 12/1/19 Special offer on our Osaka Sofa – for one week only! Black Friday Week only, from $1,099 USD + 15% off our entire collection!
Bonobos	35% off exclusive to Guideshop’s ONLY.
Crate & Barrel	Opening at 8 a.m. with exclusive offers!
DryBar	Get $10 off your Black Friday blowout and a $10 off digital bounce-back for a blowout in January. Plus, 20% off products, tools, and kits.
H&M	Opening at 6 a.m. with door buster discounts.
Lululemon	Opening at 8 a.m. with markdown celebrations.
Makers Market	20% off purchases of $100 or more.
Marine Layer	Extra 20% off Retired Styles, and complimentary gift wrapping for all purchases.
Native Shoes	Up to 60% off select merchandise.
Pressed Juicery	Check out the juiciest deals out there at Pressed Juicery! Get a juice or Freeze+ shot for $8 AND. the first 50 people at each store get 2 Juices + 2 Shots + 2 Snack Grab Bags for $10.
SoulCycle	Don’t miss the 90-minute “Turkey Burn” at SoulCycle, starting at 9:30 a.m. on Black Friday!
Tea Collection	Tea Collection will be offering select styles at $20, $15, and $10 starting Monday, 11/25/19! Black Friday event applies to select styles only. Offer ends on 11/30/19. Limited stock on hand. Restrictions apply.
Ted Baker London	Enjoy 30% off everything in the store, with up to 40% and 50% off select items. *Terms and conditions apply.
TravisMathew	50% off all racks (select merchandise). Buy one get one 50% off!

San Jose is a top city for public transit ridership increase

Between 2010 and 2017, public transit ridership increased by 11% in the US while car use only increased by 6%. What is more interesting--and perhaps shocking--is that San Jose's use of public transit shot up by 46.7%. This was the largest increase in the country during this time period.

Now 46.7% of a small number is still a small number. San Jose didn't rank in the top 10 cities for actual public transportation trips even though we are the 10th largest city in the US. In fact, much smaller cities like Portland, Baltimore, and Boston pushed us to 13th place when it comes to actual usage. That being said, the growth rate is reassuring that things are headed in the right direction and one day we will have more options of getting from Point A to Point B.

BART may finally open in December and that will definitely help our standings. Traffic is getting out of hand, a robust transit system will benefit everyone including those that still want to drive.

For more info and stats, hit the link below.

Source: STORAGECafe