Starlight Cinema - free outdoor screening of Barbie tomorrow

Starlight Cinema is a beloved Downtown San Jose tradition featuring popular movies along with accompanying activities in Saint James Park. Tomorrow the movie is Barbie, starting at dusk (8:50pm). 

The pre-movie activities this time around include craft activities for kids, Barbie-themed face painting, a DJ, local drag queens, lawn games, a rock wall, and a selfie area with props. Dressing up as your favorite Barbie or Ken is also encouraged. The festivities start at 7:30pm.

If you are looking to have a picnic, some local restaurants are offering discounts if you mention "Starlight Cinema." That includes 10% off Serious Dumpling and Angelou's Mexican Grill (newly expanded with a bar) and 15% off at The City Fish. After the movie, Splash will have a Pink Drink special until 1:45am.

Upcoming movies are Kicking & Screaming on July 20th, The Goonies on August 3rd, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar on August 17th.

Happy 4th of July! 🎆

This year, the big news is a new fireworks show in East San Jose centered around Lake Cunningham. This will be the first official fireworks show on the East Side.

There are already even more ambitious plans for next year to include carnival rides. This could be a great new tradition for an area that has been underserved when it comes to cultural events.

Stay safe and have a great 4th!

Source: NBC Bay Area

Rose, White & Blue Parade and Festival

San Jose's 4th of July "Rose, White & Blue" Parade and Festival is a beloved tradition along the Rose Garden neighborhood and The Alameda. The parade itself starts at 9:45am on Dana Avenue and then goes down Naglee and turns onto The Alameda. After the parade is a huge party near the end of the route.

The festival is wrapped around the Westminster Presbyterian Church and goes from 11am-3pm. The event includes dancing, pro wrestling, skateboarding lessons, live music, and a kids play area. The entertainment is accompanied by food trucks and vendors.

In addition to being patriotic, this event represents the multicultural diversity of San Jose and the amalgamation of many different communities. It's a beautiful event and a great way to start off the 4th of July!

BollyBE: Uniting Communities and Overcoming Barriers through Dance

There are so many excellent resources, events, and free classes offered by San Jose libraries. I'm starting to take advantage of them myself with a toddler running around. 

Below we have a guest post from Anusha Upadhyayula. The library played a crucial role in shaping her identity as an Indian American. Inspired by all of the great multicultural events local libraries host, the author founded BollyBE, a community-driven initiative that uses Bollywood dance to promote cultural understanding and inclusivity. BollyBE workshops at the Morgan Hill Library have been well-received, with attendees praising the multicultural environment and the fun, easy-to-follow dance routines. Anusha's goal is to spread the joy of Bollywood dance and create a welcoming space for all to learn and celebrate South Asian culture, aiming to break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity.

You can sign up your kids for free classes hosted by BollyBE over here. Even if you are not interested in dance, it's a great story that showcases one of the many benefits of living in a diverse city.

BollyBE: Uniting Communities and Overcoming Barriers through Dance

The cozy book-lined walls of the library and the memories of the time I spent there attending “Family Time” story sessions and “Mommy & Me” dances are forever etched in my mind. The library helped expand my boundaries as I participated in Lunar New Year and other cultural events and learnt about cultures of the world. Slowly, as I grew older, my sense of identity became increasingly complex. As an Indian American, I struggled with which part of that word I resonated with more closely. Should I embrace my Indian heritage? Or should I be just American? The lack of representation of my South Asian heritage in my community made me feel that it was an insignificant part of who I was. That’s when I fell in love with Bollywood music and dance.

When we listen to a song, regardless of the language, the human body naturally responds, whether it’s tapping feet or swaying to the rhythm. Rhythm, music, and dance transcend language barriers and cultural divides. They possess a unique power to convey entire stories without the need to understand the words themselves. Through Bollywood dance and music, with its soulful melodies and energetic beats, I discovered a way to connect with my heritage. Bollywood movies played a significant role in this discovery, as they seamlessly intertwined dance and music with cultural storytelling. Attending Indian weddings and community events further deepened my love for Bollywood dance, as I witnessed how dance and music were not only integral to the culture of South Asia but also to the community. 

Inspired by the key role dance and music play within a culture and a community and eager to share my own South Asian culture with the rest of the world, I founded BollyBE. From there, it only felt fitting to give back to the library community and share a piece of my own identity in the place that played such a key role in developing it throughout the years. BollyBE is not just about teaching dance steps; it’s about creating a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can come together, learn, and celebrate South Asian culture.

When I first taught a beginners’ garba routine (a dance style from the state of Gujarat in India), many attendees were eager to delve into the complexities and historical roots of the dance, highlighting the appreciation people have for South Asian art forms and cultural representation. The overwhelming love and enthusiasm for our workshops, especially at the Morgan Hill Library, is a testament to the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere we strive to create at BollyBE. Durdana, who attended one of our Bollywood dance classes, shared her experience, highlighting the unique and multicultural nature of our events: “I attended Anusha’s Bollywood dance class in Morgan Hill, CA. My friends and I had decided to go because we thought it might be fun. We are Pakistani, so we are very familiar with Bollywood music and dance. It was very interesting to see a very diverse group of people turn up for the dance class - not just Indian/Pakistanis. Everyone had a lot of fun, and I think it was great as a multicultural immersion event.”

BollyBE not only provides a platform for cultural immersion but also offers a free and enjoyable way to incorporate physical exercise into people’s routines. Dance experience doesn’t matter at BollyBE; it’s easy for beginners, and participants are encouraged to have fun while dancing. This inclusive approach was highlighted by Kiran R., who attended a BollyBE workshop at the Morgan Hill library with three friends. Kiran shared, “We had a blast. It was fun, great music, easy steps (for women with not so great hearing and body coordination). Anusha broke down the steps and made them easy to follow and didn’t mind the giggles we dissolved into while laughing at ourselves. She is a fantastic teacher, can’t wait to take another class with her.”

As I continue teaching in different library branches across Santa Clara County, my goal is to spread the joy of Bollywood dance and create a welcoming space for all to learn and celebrate South Asian culture together. Through BollyBE, I aim to break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity. I believe that by sharing the beauty of Bollywood dance, we can inspire people to embrace and celebrate their own cultural identities while appreciating the richness of other cultures. In this way, BollyBE is not just a dance initiative; it’s a cultural movement, bringing people together through the universal language of dance.

-Anusha Upadhyayula

New renders of a slightly downsized Gateway Tower in SoFA

A tower proposed for the edge of Downtown San Jose in the artsy SoFA District has new renders. It's appropriately called the Gateway Tower as it will welcome visitors and residents to the Downtown area. The latest render has been reduced from 20 floors to 15. It still looks fantastic with different facades on each side and even incorporates some of the the historic buildings on the ground floor into the project.

The tower will have a total of 220 units, which now appear to have been allocated to affordable housing. Originally the Gateway Tower was supposed to contain luxury apartments, but they have likely been converted to make approvals and financing easier. If you want luxury, The Fay is just down the street. There will also be 3,800 SQFT of retail along the ground floor.

One exciting aspect of the project is that there will be a small plaza and area for live performances, which jives really well with the character of the SoFA District. The area is known for art festivals and live music.

Another interesting twist is that it will include a historical exhibit to commemorate the career of "Doc" Herrold, who was the first entertainment radio broadcaster (yes, from San Jose). This will pass on some of the legacy of the Herrold College that used to sit on this site.

There is still no ETA for construction, but hopefully they will be able to break ground as soon as possible.

Source: SiliconValley.com

Scott's Seafood is expanding to a banquet space on 4th Street in Downtown San Jose

Scott's Seafood is one of my favorite restaurants Downtown. However, I still do miss it's old location that was on top of the City Plaza parking structure, overlooking Plaza de Cesar Chavez. It was one of just two places Downtown where you could enjoy an elevated view with your meal, the other being The Capital Club--which is not easy to get into.

Fortunately, Scott's is expanding to the roof of another parking structure. The space was previously used by the San Jose Rotary on top of the 4th Street Parking structure. Now it is called the Fourth Street Summit Center and will be managed by Scott's Seafood. It's located at 88 S 4th Street on the 7th floor.

The ballroom has floor-to-ceiling glass windows, two open-air balconies, and a variety of spaces. Indoor capacity is a whopping 450 people. Unfortunately it will only be used only for events, not everyday dining.

You can learn more about the space over here.

New Costco mixed-use concept adds residential housing

Costco already sells everything else in bulk, why not add apartments to the list and help out with our housing crisis? That is exactly what they are doing in LA (Baldwin Village/Crenshaw area in South LA).

The new concept combines a 185,000 SQFT Costco Wholesale store with 800 residential units, 184 of which are set aside for low-income renters. The units are all contained in a five-story mid-rise building on top of the Costco along with amenities like a basketball court, lounge areas, and multiple courtyards. To make it as affordable as possible, the apartments are on the smaller side and are mostly prefabricated and installed in modules like Legos.

The parking for both the Costco and the residential units are all underground across multiple levels. In fact, they will dig almost as deep as the building is tall. The project also happens to be close to transit, although that might not be the best option if you are purchasing bulk items.

What is relevant for San Jose is they plan to roll out this concept outside of LA in the near future. San Joseans love their Costco's and we are about to get our first one with parking on the roof so that it can fit in a more urban area (West San Jose). So the question is, would this mixed-use concept make sense in San Jose? It could be a relatively quick way to add large amounts of housing by remodeling existing locations or as part of future Costco projects in Silicon Valley.

Source: SF GATE

Exciting new restaurant coming to Downtown San Jose's 50 West San Fernando building

The owners of Waterbar and Epic Steak in SF and Hurrica in Redwood City are going to build a new 4,000 SQFT restaurant on the ground-floor of 50 W. San Fernando. This was previously the location of KQED offices. Instead, this prime corner in between the San Jose Museum of Art and the Signia Hotel (formerly Fairmont San Jose) is going to become a new flagship restaurant.

There is not a lot of information yet on the restaurant but we do know it will offer lunch, happy hour with specialty cocktails, and dinner. The source article also mentions that it will be an indoor outdoor concept, which is perfect for San Jose weather. That likely means that the windows will be replaced with glass doors that fully open and the outdoor seating will open up to the Circle of Palms. This area also happens to be used for the ice skating rink during Christmas in the Park, so it will be interesting to see how the restaurant will function during the holidays.

The building used to have a coffee shop called Crema using part of this space, but I think it will be much better suited for an upscale full-service restaurant. The building also hosts the Capital Club on the 17th floor, which has a private restaurant and two large outdoor balconies. It's also the only restaurant on top of a high-rise in San Jose and anyone will be able to check it out during Dine Downtown Restaurant Week (more on that soon).

Source: SiliconValley.com