28-story high-rise proposed next to San Jose's City Hall

A new high-rise is being proposed at the site of a Lee's Sandwiches and New Tung Kee Noodle House across the street from City Hall. The 28-story tower would have 529 residential units, 21,000 SQFT of retail or restaurant space, and 12,100 SQFT of office space.

There is a rumor that a drawing was made for the project, if anyone has it please send it in and I'll update this post. The project could also spur more development across the entire block, which also include a Grocery Outlet.

This is an up-and-coming part of Downtown San Jose. You now have the two MIRO residential towers across the street, a new project planned for where 4th Street Pizza used to be, and one of the best Downtown restaurants (Rollati). SJSU is just a few blocks away, as is a future BART station. Hopefully this new tower comes to fruition and further enhances the neighborhood.

Source: The Mercury News

Elyse Teaser

I had a chance to try the new Elyse yesterday and I think everyone reading this is going to be pretty happy with Downtown San Jose's newest restaurant. I'll have a lot more info by next week, but wow... what a story behind this opening. The food was exceptional, just as I had expected. I always liked Elyse at their previous location, but it seems like they stepped it up a notch for their greatly expanded restaurant at 96 S. First St. in San Jose (former Nemea corner space).

You can already make a reservation over here. I would recommend going there as soon as possible to get a taste for the future of Downtown San Jose and supporting local entrepreneurs. Stay tuned for more on Elyse very soon!

Fitoor is now open, bringing high-end Indian cuisine and late-night music to Santana Row

The San Jose food-scene continues to evolve and reach new heights. Fitoor (which is the word for passion in Hindi) is brining Indian food back to Santana Row in the same space that housed Amber India for years. However, Fitoor is a much higher-end concept than Amber and is run by serial entrepreneurs that also own the Michelin-recommended Rooh in Palo Alto.

Fitoor's ambiance and food look exquisite and I can't wait to try it for myself in early May. For now, I'll just have to savor these photos from The Merc.

Another twist on traditional Indian cuisine is their take on nightlife. On Friday and Saturday nights the lounge portion of the restaurant features DJs, fire dancers, and a more clubby vibe. It's certainly a unique addition to the Row and seems like a step up from what was there before (and I really liked Amber).

In other restaurant news, the expanded Elyse featuring French Vietnamese cuisine--and a local San Jose chef--has their official ribbon cutting tonight. More on that later this week.

Source: The Mercury News

Sky Zone is bringing indoor zip lines and climbing walls to West San Jose

A major indoor active entertainment space is coming to Westgate Center at 1600 Saratoga Avenue. Sky Zone will feature zip lines, trampolines, climbing walls, and drop zones inside a 34,800 SQFT anchor retail spot.

Kids will get to run, jump, and play in a safe environment. Some of the activities also include aerial dodgeball, basketball dunking, gladiator-style jousts, and free climbing. There is also a toddler zone for younger children.

There is still no ETA for when Sky Zone will open, but when it does it'll be a great addition for the many young families that live in Silicon Valley.

Source: The Mercury News

The Fay, Downtown San Jose's newest residential high-rise is almost complete

SoFA's shiny new 23-story high-rise is still on schedule to welcome its first residents in 2025. The building started construction in 2022 and already has had a major impact on the Downtown San Jose skyline. Below are a few recent photos for your enjoyment from my favorite online forum.

Amenities include a 24/7 concierge, co-working spaces, community lounges, and 5,000 SQFT of new retail on the ground floor. Best of all, it will have the amenity I have been clamoring for... a rooftop pool and amenity deck complete with cabanas, the gym, a sky garden, and BBQ grills. San Jose weather and Downtown San Jose's central location with views of the valley make it an ideal place for a heated rooftop pool and this will be the first high-rise building in San Jose to have this feature. In fact, it will be one of only three in the whole Bay Area I'm aware of when it's ready in 2025, the other two being built right now in Santa Clara.

Source: aphelion2100 from Skyscraper City

Culture Night Market today

The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is hosting a Culture Night Market today right outside Little Italy in Downtown San Jose. The free event includes live music, a soccer tournament, a screening of Shrek (7:30pm-10pm), food trucks, and of course the vendors you would expect from a night market. It's going to be 77 degrees outside--perfect weather for an event like this.

The event is both kid and pet friendly and will run from 4pm-10pm at Arena Green East, 340 W. St. John St., San Jose, CA 95110.

Viva CalleSJ: SoFA to the Streets (San Jose's SoFA, SCC Fairgrounds, and Martial Cottle Park)

Viva CalleSJ is back for it's 1st event of the 2024! Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, dance, bike, unicycle, skateboard, or hoverboard down the streets of San Jose. 

SoFA to the Streets features three activity hubs which are festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This time the activity hubs will be SoFA, the SCC Fairgrounds, and Martial Cottle Park. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all of the hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores.

A unique feature this time around is the route is a single line with no branches. It's crazy to think you can walk all the way from Martial Cottle Park on Branham Lane all the way to Downtown San Jose on city streets.

The event takes place on Sunday, April 21st from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). There is no beginning or end and the traffic flows in both directions. It's completely free and you can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here.

Eye-catching residential towers could rise near Valley Fair and Santana Row

If there ever was an area ripe for high-rise development outside of Downtown it would be right around our shopping mecca of Valley Fair and Santana Row. While it has limited transit, the area is flush with shopping, dining, and jobs.

A two-tower project has been proposed to replace a dilapidated building at 826 North Winchester Blvd. The project would consist of 135 residential units (70 one-bedroom and 65 two-bedroom units), 20 of which would be affordable. There would also be 13,000 SQFT of open space, 6,000 SQFT of terrace space, and 7,500 SQFT of amenity space.

The top floors would have amazing views in all directions, including views of neighboring Downtown San Jose. Another impressive feature is a sky bridge connecting the two towers and likely featuring outdoor and amenity space with views.

If this comes to fruition, it'll be the new standard for development going forward in "uptown" San Jose.

Source: The Mercury News