SJC regains an airline and five more nonstop routes

San Jose Mineta International Airport had some pretty big news yesterday. Frontier Airlines is returning to San Jose! It's always exciting to get a new airline, or in this case regain one. Frontier previously flew to San Jose in 2018 and 2019.

Frontier will add five daily nonstop routes this summer in two parts. Service to Denver and San Diego begin on July 22nd. Service to Las Vegas, Los Angeles (LAX), and Phoenix begin on August 13th. It also looks like they have a code-sharing agreement with Volaris for flights to Guadalajara, Mexico.

I'm happy with any addition of flights to San Jose, but all five of these routes already exist at SJC. Actually, all of them have not one but at least 2-4 other airlines flying those routes. Competition does means lower prices and more departure/arrival time options. Also, Frontier is an ultra-low cost carrier like Spirit Airlines, so their prices are already low to begin with. They even have some flights as low as $19 to promote the launch of the new San Jose service.

If they are successful with their initial offering, hopefully they will bestow some new nonstop routes as well.

Six-story office building to be replaced with townhomes

Over 100 homes could replace an office building in North San Jose, but there is a twist. The proposed project at 2107 North First St. would include 105 townhomes right next to the headquarters of PayPal and several other tech companies in the golden triangle of North San Jose. It has easy access to VTA Light Rail and in general is in a prime location.

Ready for the twist? In order to make room for those townhomes, a perfectly good 6-story office building would be torn down. While I understand the need to convert more office space to housing in order to balance supply and demand of each real estate use, this seems like a step backwards. Silicon Valley townhomes are typically three stories and in some rare cases four stories. 

If they are tearing down a whole office building, why not go with high-density housing? This site could easily support high-rises taller than Downtown San Jose. Townhomes do not seem like the best use for this land.

Source: The Mercury News

Affordable housing headed for Cambrian Park

Adobe Communities is proposing a 100% affordable housing project across from Cambrian Park Plaza. The six-story building at 1999 Camden Avenue would feature 90 residential units: nine studios, 30 one bedroom units, 26 two-bedrooms, and 25 with three bedrooms. It would also include a courtyard, 1,600 SQFT community room, study rooms, and a laundry facility.

Cambrian Park Plaza is also destined to add more housing with a major mixed-use development on the horizon. This would be a larger-scale project with 58,000 SQFT of retail, 305 apartment units, townhomes, a few rare single family homes, an assisted living facility, a hotel, and several new parks.

Source: SVBJ

Industry Standard aka Indy performing in San Jose on June 3rd

Prepare for a night of electrifying Afrobeats, Pop, and R&B music as Industry Standard, better known as Indy, takes the stage at The Coterie Den in Japantown. This highly anticipated event offers fans an opportunity to experience Indy's unique blend of infectious rhythms and soulful melodies in an intimate setting.

Indy has quickly risen to prominence in the Afrobeats genre, known for his captivating stage presence and a unique sound that blends elements of Pop and R&B. His performance in San Jose is set to showcase his biggest hits as well as new, unreleased tracks that are sure to become fan favorites.

The Coterie Den at 169 Jackson St. in San Jose will provide the perfect backdrop for Indy's performance. With its exceptional acoustics and intimate setting, The Coterie Den remains a favorite destination for music lovers in San Jose. Doors open for the show at 7pm on June 3rd.

About Indy:

Indy, also known as Industry Standard, is an Atlanta-based Afrobeats artist renowned for his innovative sound and dynamic performances. With a growing international fanbase, Indy continues to push the boundaries of Afrobeats, blending elements of Pop and R&B to create a truly unique musical experience.

About The Coterie Den:

The Coterie Den is a premier live music venue in San Jose, known for its exceptional acoustics and intimate setting. It has hosted a variety of acclaimed artists and remains a favorite destination for music lovers.

For more information, visit: https://thecoterieden.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thecoterieden/

Culture night market tonight at Discovery Meadow

Head over to Discovery Meadow today anytime from 4pm-10pm for live music, activities for the kids (bouncy houses, connect four, jenga), and all sorts of local vendors. There are two stages, food trucks, a beer garden, Coterie Den vintage thrift market and more.

The event is free and open to all ages and pets. For more info click here.

Free Comic Con at the Santa Clara Central Park Library

What more appropriate place is there to host a ComicCon than a library? Well, perhaps a place that actually publishes comics. In any case, the Central Park Library in Santa Cara is hosting a free ComicCon on Saturday, October 12th.

The event will bring together local artists, comic book shops, cosplayers, and games for a full day of celebration. There will be panels, signings, anime screenings, vendors, crafts, and tons of special guests. They are still building out the full agenda, but some of their guests and vendors are already listed here.

It's rare to have access to events like this for free. If you're interested you can RSVP here.

Source: City of Santa Clara Bulletin

Santa Clara County population has stabilized

While real estate prices are falling all around the country, you have to wonder why prices are still super high in the heart of Silicon Valley if the population is dropping. The answer is simple, the population is no longer dropping. The exodus appears to be over with Santa Clara County gaining a small number of people overall and San Jose having a drop of only 1,281 people... a fraction of what happened during the pandemic.

Next year, we could be headed back to growth with substantial new housing projects opening up and plenty of capacity for large businesses to come to San Jose.

Source: usdmedia from Skyscraper City, State of California Department of Finance

Downtown San Jose is getting a new high school

An 87-year-old private school called Hillbrook that is based in Los Gatos is expanding to Downtown San Jose. The school is leasing two historic buildings: the Moir Building at 227 N. First Street and the San Jose Armory at 240 N. Second Street. These buildings will be leased for at least 25 years, which will breathe some new life to the area around St. James Park.

The school was specifically seeking a Downtown San Jose location so that they can partner with local nonprofits, businesses, and SJSU.  Social impact and entrepreneurship are two of the tenants the high school wants to focus on. 

It will take two years to get the buildings ready and total enrollment for the school is expected to reach 300 students. If you have kids in grade school and this is sounding interesting so far... start saving. Today's tuition for Hillbrook goes all the way up to $40,700 per year.

Source: San Jose Spotlight