San Jose's fanciest movie theater shuts down

The ShowPlace Icon movie theater at Westfield Valley Fair has suddenly shut its doors. The theater was one of the many entertainment draws at Valley Fair and featured premium seating, food, and cocktails. The ShowPlace Icon in Mountain View's San Antonio Center has also shut down.

COVID and the writer's strike was not kind to the movie theater business. Even though Icon offered a more unique upscale spin on going to the movies, sadly it wasn't enough.

There is good news though. The space will remain a movie theater and the general manager of Westfield Valley Fair has indicated that there will be a new theater operator soon.

Source: Silicon Valley Business Journal

Prime corner spot in Downtown San Jose to become a new restaurant and office space

A new corner restaurant is destined for 189 West Santa Clara Street at the intersection of Almaden Avenue. The space is part of the thriving San Pedro Square area and the owner already operates multiple restaurants around this block.

The space is also known as the Lyndon Building and was constructed in 1884. In 1902 it housed the Times-Mercury which was a precursor to the San Jose Mercury News.

The new restaurant will span 5,500 SQFT and feature both a bar and outdoor seating. It will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the menu will be California-style farm-to-table. It still doesn't have a name, but will be something related to the newspaper printing heritage of the building.

There is also an 8,000 SQFT upper floor that will be leased as office space. This part of the building was a venue for big bands and country music in the 1940s and '50s, and then rock in the '60s. I believe it also hosted the Irish Innovation Center at one point. The building owner envisions a tenant such as a creative firm or AI startup for this space.

A restaurant and high-tech tenant would further activate this space and help connect it to the next block, which has an Opa! Greek restaurant and an office tower.

Source: The Mercury News

Downtown West Creekside Socials - Upcoming free classes

Downtown West's Creekside Socials programming is continuing into July. To me this gives hope that Google still has a foot in the door with San Jose. Their multi-million SQFT, mixed-use campus next to Diridon Station might be on hold, but the promised cultural activities and activation of the new neighborhood are still pushing forward.

The latest event is a series of West African dance classes on July 12, July 29, August 16th, and August 30th. This is hosted by Kuumba and is a energetic dance workout featuring live drummers and highlighting the dance and spirit of West Africa. All classes go from 6-7pm at 56 Barack Obama Blvd. in Downtown San Jose. 

There is also a sewing and upcycling event hosted by Chopsticks Alley Art from 5-7pm on Thursday, July 11th. This event will also feature live music by San Jose musician, Lucas Tecson.

Both events are free and you can RSVP to either over here.

San Jose to be part of five Bay Area air-taxi locations

How would you like to quickly hop between San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Livermore in just 10-15 minutes? How about Napa for an additional 15-30 minutes? That is exactly what Archer Aviation is planning in the Bay Area.

Archer is planning to build air mobility hubs, with the main one being at Kilroy's Oyster Point in South San Francisco. The San Jose location appears to be the private aviation facility at San Jose International Airport.

Archer is building electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that seat the pilot and up to four passengers and their carry-on luggage. The aircraft go up to 150 mph and skip all ground traffic. A 90 minute drive can become a 10 minute flight.

Timing is not available nor is pricing, but this will be a hot industry to watch as several companies are entering this space. I'm all for any alternatives that will help people bypass highway traffic.

Source: Businesswire

Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week is July 11-21

Later this week, one of the largest restaurant weeks in Downtown San Jose history will kick off with 40 participating restaurants. This is a great opportunity to try out fixed price multi-course menus and other specials at discount prices.  

There are many classic and new restaurants on the list. I'm going to highlight a few that I've personally been to:

• AJI - great Japanese Peruvian fusain restaurant in the lobby of the Signa Hotel (former Fairmont). Have been here several times and it has never disappointed, great for groups.
• Angkor Chef - Downtown San Jose's first Cambodian restaurant. Affordable and delicious.
• Club on Post - Great brunch, best Espresso Martini in San Jose. 
• Cobre & Clay (NEW) - Mexican cuisine at the corner of the San Jose Marriott.
• Dr. Funk - Tiki bar with outstanding ambiance, great way to surprise guests and friends.
• EggHead (NEW) - Very popular local chain featuring egg sandwiches.
• Elyse (NEW) - French Vietnamese fine dining in beautiful expanded space. Perfect date-night. restaurant.
• Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (NEW) - the only Japanese BBQ Downtown.
• ISO Beers (NEW) - They're back and newly remolded! Previously they did not serve food, but I see they have will have dinner specials.
• Orchestria Palm Court - One of the most unique restaurants I have ever been to. Part museum, part 40's restaurant experience.
• Petiscos - Downtown San Jose's only Michelin-rated restaurant. Excellent introduction to Portuguese cuisine.
• Pastelaria by Adega - Petisco's sister restaurant with a focus on Portuguese desserts (amazing egg tarts) and snacks.
• Rollati (NEW) - Hot addition to the San Jose dining scene and the flagship restaurant around City Hall.
• Silicon Valley Capital Club (LIMITED ACCESS) - This is Downtown San Jose's only place to dine in the sky. It takes up the penthouse floor at 50 West San Fernando and is actually a private club. It's only open for everyone during Restaurant Week. I'd recommend taking advantage of it and soaking up amazing views of San Jose and Silicon Valley from their giant outdoor balcony.
• Urban Putt (NEW) - The best minigolf course I have ever done, a true love letter to San Jose. Their food and drinks are surprisingly great and unique as well (Pad thai pizza?). If you haven't been here yet, this is a great reason to go.

Check out all 45+ restaurants over here and support your unique, local San Jose Restaurants!

New renders for impressive Willow Glen apartment midrise

A midrise proposal at 940 Willow Street has a new look. The 86-foot-tall project will be just a couple blocks away from San Jose's ritzy Downtown Willow Glen neighborhood. Excellent restaurants like The Table, Copia, and Bill's are a five minute walk away.

The building will total 183,750 SQFT, half of which is for housing, 15,600 SQFT is amenity space, a whopping 56,200 SQFT will be for parking, and 1,800 SQFT is allocated for retail. There will be a total of 126 apartment units (26 designated as affordable) and 135 parking spaces. The product mix will be: 52 studios, 50 one-bedrooms, 20 two-bedrooms, and four townhome-style units with three bedrooms at street level.

The design is beautiful, especially for a midrise building. I like the pool area and podium cutouts. I've included a few bonus renders on other projects this design studio is working on at the bottom which are also in San Jose.

A single-story commercial building will need to be torn down (image below) and I think you'll agree the tradeoff is worth it. There is no current ETA, but the sooner the better.

Source: SF YIMBY, siliconvalleyjoe from Skyscraper City

What this area looks like now in Willow Glen:

Bonus render for another proposal at 4th & Julian in Downtown San Jose:

Bonus render for another proposal at Alvin Ave. in East San Jose:

Taste of India Festival this weekend

As I was walking through Downtown San Jose today, I saw that a major event was being setup in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Now I know what that event is, the Taste of India Festival! It will feature over 150 varieties of Indian Food, nonstop entertainment, an open air Bollywood Glow Party, and a celebrity appearance.

The event goes from noon to 10pm both today and tomorrow is is completely free. All of the details are below.

Event Description: Experience the vibrant flavors and rich cultural heritage of India right here in the Bay Area at the Taste of India Festival! For the first time ever, this grand celebration of Indian cuisine and entertainment is coming to Plaza de Cesar Chavez on July 6th and 7th.

Join us for two unforgettable days filled with:

• Culinary Delights: Savor over 150+ varieties of delicious Indian food, from street food favorites to gourmet delicacies.
• Live Performances: Enjoy non-stop entertainment with over 300+ artists showcasing diversified range of Indian music, dance, and performances.
• Bollywood Glow Party: Dance the night away at the first-ever Open Air Bollywood Glow Party, an electrifying experience you won't want to miss!
• Celebrity Appearance: Meet and greet one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Preity Zinta, and capture memorable moments with her.

Event Details:

• Dates: July 6th & 7th
• Time: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
• Location: Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113, USA,
• Entry: Absolutely FREE

Gather your friends and family for a weekend of food, fun, and festivity. Don't miss out on the largest food festival of North America right here in your city. Mark your calendars and get ready for a spectacular Taste of India!

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.