Le Meridien San Jose Hotel Tower approved

Last week, one of the most ambitious hotel projects in San Jose history received approval by the San Jose City Council. The 24-story Le Meridien hotel will cantilever over the historic Hotel Montgomery, which is currently branded as a Four Points Hotel. The juxtaposition of old and new culminates in a stunning project as you can see below.

A five-story atrium will connect the two hotels together, which are both part of the Marriott portfolio. The new tower will have 274 rooms and one of, if not the best, hotel amenity in San Jose... a rooftop swimming pool.

I can't wait to see this come together and will definitely be planning some stay-cations after this is built!

Source: SVBJ

San Jose is one of the top cities for millennials

COMMERCIALCafé has put together a study on the top 10 metros for millennials to live and work in. They ranked each metro based on seven indicators: millennial population, growth, regional price parity, millennial unemployment rate, percentage of millennials with employer-based health insurance, and commuting time.

San Jose came in 10th place and came in 1st place in terms of health insurance. Our millennial unemployment rate was also the fourth lowest in the study and we had the second best education metric. To find out more, hit the link below.

Source: COMMERCIALCafé

The 7 Wonders of the San Jose World

Searchlight San Jose has a great post about the most interesting "wonders" of San Jose. Number one is obvious and pictured below, I have yet to visit number two, there is a great movie about number three, number four is surrounded by delicious food stalls, number five is the only place in San Jose where you can find snow each year, number six is our most colorful park, number seven is a famous museum, and there is a bonus eight that will make you laugh (or cry).

Click here to find out what the 7 Wonders of the San Jose World are.

Atari-themed gaming hotel coming to San Jose

The hottest video game company of the 70s is coming to San Jose in an interesting way. A hotel developer is leasing the Atari brand to create eight video-game themed hotels in the United States and one will be in San Jose.

Each hotel will have an esports studio where pros compete, an Atari gaming playground, event rooms, co-working spaces, movie theaters, a gym, and probably a fun restaurant/bar area. This sounds like a very unique offering compared the the run-of-the-mill business hotels that mostly populate the South Bay. Details are still sparse, but hopefully we'll have more info soon.

Bonus fun fact, the founder of Atari--Nolan Bushnell--also founded the first Chuck E. Cheese in San Jose. Yes, it is the epic two-story one on Tully.  Turns out the first one was actually at 370 South Winchester Blvd in the old Town & Country shopping center, currently Santana Row.

Source: Engadget

San Jose Jazz Winter Fest: Feb 14-29

Winter Fest 2020 kicks off Valentine's Day and features jazz, blues, Latin jazz, New Orleans, and other genres in intimate venues across San Jose. Performances will take place at Cafe Stritch, the Hammer Theatre, Hedley Club, San Jose Museum of Art, the Poor House Bistro, and Art Boutiki.

For a full list of musicians and to get tickets, head over here.

Santana Row 2020 Openings and Events

The first big restaurant news for Santana Row in 2020 is Momosan, a Japanese yakitori spot owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is coming this summer. Think of it as grilled tapas and ramen along with a full bar. If you have been to Morimoto in Napa, you know the quality is bound to be quite high.

Hot 8 Yoga will bring another health and wellness option to Santana Row when it opens this Fall. It should complement SoulCycle and Barry's Bootcamp nicely.

As for events, the San Jose 408k 'Race to the Row' takes place on February 2nd and the Lunar New Year Celebration will be on February 8th. For all of the details, read on below for the full press release.

Santana Row - an Oasis for Delicious Food, Sought After Brands and Action-Packed Entertainment

SAN JOSE, Calif. – January 14, 2020 – Santana Row is kicking off 2020 with the announcement of incoming merchants and community celebrations! Upcoming dining and fitness additions will bring a number of new experiences to Santana Row in 2020. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, a Japanese master chef known for his innovative and signature style of cuisine, will open his popular ramen and yakitori Izakaya concept, Momosan, at Santana Row. This energetic and casual dining experience will feature the Iron Chef’s signature take on Japanese ramen, grilled skewers and Izakaya dishes, plus a diverse selection of premium sake, beer and spirits.

“I am looking forward to opening Momosan in San Jose’s vibrant Santana Row district,” said Chef Morimoto. “Momosan is all about enjoying ramen, yakitori, beer and sake in a fun, casual environment.”

At Momosan Santana Row, noodles will be front and center, highlighting Chef Morimoto’s varieties of Japanese-style flavor-forward ramen.  The menu will also shine with a variety of grilled dishes and Japanese bar snacks, all with Chef Morimoto’s signature twist. Playful small Izakaya plates and appetizers will take guests on a comfort food journey.

“San Jose is a city with traditional culture, including traditions that are adapted from Japan, as well as the most advanced technology as the center of Silicon Valley,” added Chef Morimoto. “I am very excited to explore the challenges and opportunities such a unique place offers me.” For more information on Chef Morimoto, visit ironchefmorimoto.com.

Group fitness concepts’ SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp have become ritual for many workout enthusiasts at Santana Row, and another is in the works! Hot 8 Yoga will bring a variety of hot yoga classes to The Row in Fall 2020 that are ideal for students of all levels, paired with luxury amenities in a spa-like setting. Santana Row is the ideal fit for Hot 8 Yoga: its offering of curated shops focused on delivering premium goods and services is directly in line with the studio’s careful cultivation of the best movement and wellness experience for its practitioners.

And the excitement doesn’t stop here! 2020 kicks off with celebrations and community events for the entire family.  Here’s what’s coming up this February for all to enjoy.

San Jose 408k ‘Race to The Row’

Sunday, February 2^nd, starting 8 am

Join us for the 9^th annual Race to The Row, brought to you by Amazon and benefitting Pat Tillman Foundation. Featuring the famous “Mariachi Mile” and “Memorial Mile,” this fun point-to-point course will take you through some of San Jose’s most charming neighborhoods. As you cross the finish line, Santana Row shops & restaurants will be waiting for you with free yoga classes, mimosas and more. Stay tuned for the official offers!

Click here to Register for this event. For registered runners, the Packet Pick Up will be held in Santana Row Park (across from Left Bank) on January 1^st from 2 pm – 7 pm, and February 3^rd from 10 am – 5 pm.

For more information, visit santanarow.com/events/408k-race-to-the-row.

Santana Row Lunar New Year Celebration

Saturday, February 8^th, 1 pm – 3 pm

Santana Row welcomes the Year of The Rat with an afternoon of Lunar New Year festivities, presented by NTD Television and The Epoch Times. Enjoy the drumbeats and crashing cymbals of the Dragon and Lion dances, plus other fascinating cultural performances on a large stage in Santana Row Park (across from Left Bank).

Every hour, on the hour from 1 pm – 3 pm, red envelopes will be distributed in the park filled with Santana Row shop & restaurant gifts and offers! *Available while supplies last. Also enjoy in-store events, discounts, arts & crafts and more on The Row in honor of Lunar New Year.

This event is free and open to the public. Bring the family and celebrate the start of 2020 coordinated by the cycles of the moon! For more information, visit santanarow.com/events/santana-row-lunar-new-year-celebration.

January 2020 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The latest addition of Downtown Dimension is now live. Below is a summary of the content this month.

The JANUARY 2020 Downtown Dimension is now available at:

 

https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/143959-1-DTDJAN2020.pdf

In this edition:

• Downtown Dimension reviews some of th accomplishments of the next two dec ages and ponders the questions: Will these be the Roaring '20s?
• San Jose State earned its second Golden Nail Award for the new Recreation and Aquatics Center.
• DASH comes to an end after serving the downtown area with free shuttle service from the train station for more than two decades.
• Have you gone skating at Downtown Ice yet?  Open through Jan. 12.

HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2020!

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

San Jose Restaurant Week - Jan 16 to 26

Restaurant week is back and it features 33 restaurants all around San Jose. Each will feature a multi-course tasting menu at a discounted price. You can see all of the deals over here.

The one I really would like to highlight is Adega, San Jose's first and only restaurant ever to get a Michelin star. They have a three-course restaurant week menu for $50 when one of their entrees alone costs $51. They added an intimate bar a while back and you might be able to stroll in there Tuesday through Thursday without a reservation to enjoy some of the best food San Jose has to offer.

The Adega owners also opened Pastelaria in Downtown San Jose, which is a must visit. They also have a $10 prix fix menu with a drink, grilled cheese sandwich, and a pastel de nata (best dessert you can find Downtown).

I'm also a big fan of 3rd & Bourbon, LB Steak, Meso, Luna, Oveja Negra, Park Station Hashery, Super Good Kitchen, Umi Handroll Bar, and Zona Rosa.