Taylor Swift is the mayor of what?

Santa Clara is temporary being renamed "Swiftie Clara" and Taylor will become the honorary mayor for two days. Shockingly, this is not an April Fool's joke. Also, KBAY 94.5 will become "Tay Bay" for three days and play nothing but Taylor Swift music. 

If you haven't gotten tickets yet, don't worry. Ticketmaster still has plenty for you starting at only $1,000 a person. Of course, those will be up in the nosebleeds. If you want to be close to the stage, expect to pay Super Bowl prices... $4k and up.

What does this have to do with San Jose? Unless you are a huge Taylor Swift fan and either have tickets or plan to listen to the concert from the streets (which thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people will actually do) you are going to want to avoid every freeway and major road near Levi's Stadium this Friday and Saturday. That includes 101, 237, Montague Expressway, and don't even think about getting anywhere near Tasman Drive.

The concert at Levi's Stadium will be the second time Taylor Swift performs at the venue, after her 1989 World Tour in 2015. She will be joined by two opening acts: HAIM and Gracie Adams, both rising stars in the pop scene. The show will start at 6:30 p.m., but fans will be getting there many, many hours beforehand. Some are even planning to wear adult diapers to not miss a single song, which I really wish was an exaggeration.

Source: literally every news site

A deep dive into the history of city planning in San Jose

A video going through the history of San Jose and it's urban planning was uploaded a few months ago by Off Brand Urbanism. It was actually his first video and it kind of went viral--as viral as a video about San Jose urbanism can get. It's both enlightening and hard to watch because it conveys how poor San Jose's brand is to people that are not familiar with the city and based on the comments even many folks that actually live here. 

I disagree with many parts of the video. Certainly he could have taken a better route through Downtown and visited San Pedro Square, SoFA, even The Alameda. Given that technologies developed in San Jose are critical to almost all of the tech we value today from the internet to smartphones, the city is very culturally relevant. That being said, he raises a lot of valid concerns--including the complete dumpster fire that is VTA Light Rail. 

What do you think? Do you agree with Off Brand Urbanism?

Hat tip to Kevin Zing for sending in this link.

Downtown San Jose Scavenger Hunt

If you're feeling adventurous and want to try something new, sign up for the Downtown San Jose Scavenger Hunt today, which is a fun and interactive way to explore the city. You'll get clues and challenges that will take you to different landmarks and hidden gems in the downtown area. You can play solo or with a team, and you'll have a chance to win some prizes along the way. The scavenger hunt starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park, and you can register online or on-site.

For more info and tickets, head over here.

About this scavenger hunt

Who knew the Capital of Silicon Valley was packed with such spectacular street art? Murals in San Jose are plentiful, and this art hunt will lead you to the best of the best.

Local and international artists make their mark, showcasing a variety of themes. You'll see enormous wall pieces and a few smaller treats. At each stop, we'll offer fun factoids and quiz you with questions related to the artists and subject matter.

Are you ready to be blown away? Buy your tickets and bring your friends. This San Jose art walk is one for the memory books!

You can do our interactive scavenger hunt at any time. Explore the art, and culture of San Jose.

Some of what you'll see: SoFA District, Phylum of the Free, Qualities of Life, RBG

San Jose restaurants featured on TV

Just how many San Jose restaurants have been featured on TV? Quite a few actually. "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" hit up Falafel's Drive In and Naglee Park Garage. "Bizarre Foods America" swung by Mezcal, Bún Bò Huế An Nam, and Gaku Restaurant. "Man vs. Food" featured Henry's World Famous Hi-Life, Iguana's Burritozilla, and The Funny Farm.

My favorites on the list are Falafel's Drive In and Mezcal, but I have done the "Bizarre Foods" version of Bún Bò Huế An Nam with the pork blood and ox pizzle (you'll have to google it, but it's exactly what it sounds like).

For more on each and links to stream the episodes, visit the source link below.

Source: SJ Today

San Jose could get a cricket stadium

American Cricket Enterprises is working with Santa Clara County to design and seek approval for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium on a 14-acre part of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Cricket is the 2nd most popular sport in the world with 2.6 billion fans.

The stadium would cost around $50 million and have capacity for 6,000-8,000 people, with the potential to expand to 15,000 with temporary seating. It could also be used for concerts and other events.

Eventually Major League Cricket plans to have at least six stadiums in the US with capacity between 6,000-12,000 attendees. The Bay Area is a natural choice for one of those as 20% of the turf wicket grounds in the US where people practice cricket are here.

Source: Hoodline

ADEGA, first and only Michelin Star restaurant in San Jose is shutting down 😢

Ouch, this one hits me pretty hard. If you draw a Venn diagram for people that love Michelin Star restaurants, are San Jose advocates, and members of the Portuguese community--I would be right in the center. ADEGA was not just the first and only Michelin Star restaurant in San Jose, it was the only Portuguese Michelin Star restaurant ever west of New York. They also had the largest Portuguese wine collection of any restaurant outside of Portugal. Hearing that they are shutting down is a major bummer, especially just as their sister restaurant Petiscos won a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide (a step just below a star).

It's not all bad news. The space at 1614 Alum Rock Ave. in East San Jose / Little Portugal will be converted to a second Petiscos restaurant. This will be a format that is much more accessible to the local community, and... well, everyone else. Portuguese food is not traditionally fancy or expensive, it's down-to-earth cuisine best shared with family and friends tapas-style. That is why in many ways Petiscos is a more accurate representation of true Portuguese food, although I love what ADEGA did to elevate traditional dishes.

It also appears that they will try to open additional California Petiscos locations. Thankfully Pasteleria Adega and NOITE, two other projects by the same team are also staying open.

If you want to try ADEGA one last time (or for the first and last time) get your reservations before December 16th.

Source: SVBJ

THE CATS is back open and featuring live music from Beggar's Opera

The tavern you see on the way to Santa Cruz off Highway 17 is actually a pretty nice restaurant with traditional slow-cooked BBQ and some modern twists like smoked Wagyu with Chimichurri. It's one of the oldest restaurants in the Bay Area and has recently been renovated. It also happens to be a live music and stand up venue. They are kicking off live music again with Beggars Opera this Friday, July 21st from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. No cover charge.

The CATS is located at 17533 Santa Cruz Highway just a few minutes south of Downtown Los Gatos. For more info on the restaurant, bar, or upcoming events, head over here.

Affordable housing in Berryessa, San Jose

The VTA is planning to use an empty lot next to the Berryessa Transit Center (BART & bus terminal) to build 195 affordable apartments. Housing will only be available to those making 60% or less than the county's median income. For a family of four that would mean they would need to earn less than $100k a year. 46 of the apartments will be used to provide support for residents who have experienced homelessness.

The render looks pretty nice for affordable housing. Each resident will have access to bikes and scooters as well as get a free BART and VTA pass to encourage more use of public transit. Part of the first floor will be a child care facility, another surprising amenity for a project like this.

Measure A funds will be used to pay for the project as well three other projects specifically designated as affordable housing. VTA plans to build a total of 2,600 affordable homes over the next 20 years.

This specific project is expected to break ground in 2026 with completion slated for 2028.

Source: San Jose Spotlight