Google still investing in Downtown San Jose, outdoor dining and beer garden coming to Downtown West

Many have speculated that Google's plans to build a flagship office in Downtown San Jose near Diridon have been cancelled due to the state of the office market and tech worker's reluctance to return to physical offices. However, Google has continued to make small moves to show their intentions have not changed. This includes funding community programming (Creekside Socials) to bring people to "Downtown West" and beginning to prep various parcels they have assembled for eventual construction. This latest announcement marks one of the clearest signs that plans are still a go.

Google is now looking to fund new experiences and placemaking in the neighborhood. In early 2025 they plan to add food & beverage, health & wellness, and retail concepts along Barack Obama Boulevard and South Montgomery street. The goal is to create a lively street scene BEFORE the Google offices are built. I'll take it.

Google is partnered with Jamestown, development and real estate experts responsible for Ghirardelli Square in SF, Fourth Street in Berkeley, and both Chelsea Market and Pier 57 in NYC. The duo is eyeing 57 Barack Obama Boulevards for a beer garden and dining spots. It does have a cool industrial vibe to it that looks ripe for something trendy.

One of the first major construction projects will likely be an affordable housing project on the site of the old Orchard Supply Hardware store. Dirt has already been moved to clear the site.

The goal for early investment is to get others excited about developing here and truly creating a brand new district and ecosystem. It could easily evolve to have a better quality of life than Mountain View, as it's close to the biggest transit project on the West Coast and the 300+ eateries, bars, and entertainment venues in Downtown San Jose. That's not to mention the fact that housing close to this area is nearly a fraction of what you pay for Mountain View and Palo Alto.

Exiting times are ahead for Downtown West.

Source: The Mercury News

Santana Row ends free parking

Well, it finally happened. I think the writing was on the wall as soon as Valley Fair started charging for parking. After 20 years, Santana Row will start charging for parking. The first two hours will still remain free, but each additional hour will cost $2 with a daily cap of $10. Workers can park for $20 each month or $2 per day.

This is not just a money grab. Valley Fair employees and patrons started parking at Santana Row and walking across the street. The silver lining is that it will likely be much easier to find a parking space, especially during weekends and holidays where it can take a significant amount of time to find a spot. Paid parking tend to improve security as well in garages.

The parking system will be ticketless. Instead it will track license places and calculate time spent at the Row. It has been implemented in one garage so far, but the rest will soon follow. 

Source: San Jose Spotlight

The median home price in the San Jose metro hits $2M (!)

There are some leaderboards you just don't want to be at the top of, and this is one of them. The San Jose metro is the most expensive place to buy a home in the country, and we just set a new benchmark. The median (not average, but median) price of a single-family home in the San Jose metro is now over $2 million. This is a staggering amount anywhere in the world.

For comparison, San Francisco is ranked as the second most expensive place for single-family homes in the United States and the median price is $1.5 million.

We need creative solutions to work on reducing housing costs. On Wednesday I'll post an out-of-the-box idea that is very Silicon Valley.

Source: SFGATE  

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan supporting harsher penalties for criminals

Proposition 47 greatly reduced penalties for drug offenses and petty crimes. Unfortunately this resulted in dramatic increases in retail theft, which have all but shuttered large parts of San Francisco and other California cities. San Jose has been less impacted, as SJPD has still been aggressive about enforcing what they can.

Now there is a new proposal on the table, Proposition 36, that would bring back more severe penalties for smaller crimes. Instead of any theft less than $950 being categorized as a misdemeanor, repeat offenders could be charged with a felony. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is now fully championing Proposition 36 as a way to combat retail theft and improve safety across San Jose.

Prop 36 also takes a tougher stance on some drug crimes and gives prosecutors the ability to charge someone with a treatment-mandated felony. This will give some alternatives to prison for those that need medical assistance in combating addiction.

Some, including Governor Newsom, have pushed back citing potential increases in our prison population and costs associated with that. However, continuing to just do the same thing is clearly not working. Mahan believe that Prop 36 is not about mass incarceration but addressing repeat offenses and the need for more government accountability to create treatment services.

Having lower crime has significantly benefited San Jose recently, which has seen more and more businesses and shoppers heading south.

Source: The Mercury News

Starlight Cinema - free outdoor screening of To Wong Foo Aug 17th

Starlight Cinema is a beloved Downtown San Jose tradition featuring popular movies along with accompanying activities in Saint James Park. This weekend the movie is To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar starting at dusk (~8:20pm) on Saturday, August 17th. This will be the last Starlight Cinema for 2024.

The pre-movie activities start at 7pm and include:

• Beats from Splash DJs
• Red carpet drag performances and photo ops
• Tie-dye creations with Guadalupe River Park Conservancy
• Bocce ball
• Luv's Brownies Dessert Truck featuring decadent brownies and sundaes

There will also be a contest with San Jose Earthquake game vouchers and Music in the Park tickets for Cuco. The afterparty is being hosted at Splash with drink specials.

Festival for Foodies

Westfield Valley Fair is hosting a foodie event this Friday. You can sample dishes from 14 restaurants while enjoying live music and pop-up shops. Featured eateries include Salt & Straw, Rooster & Rice, and Shake Shack. Each $40 ticket includes 10 food tastings and games/prizes.

For those with bigger appetites, there are also dine-in experiences for a higher ticket price at Eataly, Mastro's, AnQi, Tacomania, and King's Fish House (one of my favorites).

Proceeds of ticket sales will benefit the Hunger At Home non-profit. The event is this Friday, August 16th from 12pm to 8pm. For more information and tickets, click here.

What's there to do on a Tuesday night in Downtown San Jose?

I remember for years most people would say there is nothing to do in Downtown San Jose, period. Then as most realized weekends are almost all filled with activities and major events Downtown, the new mantra became there is nothing to do after work Downtown during the week.

Let's put aside the 300+ eateries, the SAP Center, Improv, Urban Putt, and the many venues open during the week. I had a look at the San Jose Downtown Association Newsletter, and today's featured events on a random Tuesday seemed like a pretty fun night out.

Sorry the links below aren't clickable, but you have Tequila Tuesday with 50% off tequila tastings and $3 tacos. Karaoke at the Caravan. Traditional Irish music at O'Flaherty's. An Open Mic at Mama Kin (great venue). Last but not least, you can cap off the night with DJs spinning Punk and Country at the Ritz until midnight. If that's not an eclectic mix of options for a Tuesday, I don't know what is.

Source: San Jose Downtown Association Newsletter

Downtown San Jose restaurant updates

A couple weeks back, Nathan Donato-Weinstein from the San Jose Office of Economic Development had a slew of restaurant updates. I was going to break these out into separate posts, but in the interest of getting the news out quicker, here they are:

• Hobee's is full-steam ahead for their new diner and beer garden at 261 N. Second St. in the coming weeks 
• City staff are working with restaurateurs for two high-profile locations: 
• The former Togo's space at 18 N. San Pedro St. is destined for an exciting Thai restaurant 
• The former Curry On (née Taqueria San Jose) at 241 E. Santa Clara St. will host a unique new burger concept (I've always thought there was plenty of room for burgers in Downtown.) 
• Don't miss two old Santa Clara Street favorites, recently re-opened: 
• Fuji Sushi just re-opened at 56 W. Santa Clara St. and 
• ISO Beers has also recently re-opened after a renovation (it's perfect for happy hour after work). 
• Speaking of happy hour... Urban Putt has a new HH menu Tuesday-Thursday (check it out here). While you're there, you might as well play a few holes.. (9 holes is just $11). 
• Time flies… SoFA Market will be celebrating its 10^th anniversary this fall (stay tuned for details)… Stop by its beloved Fountainhead Bar, which is under the new ownership of Uyen Nguyen with a background in biomedical, venture capital, and investing who also owns NUE, a well-reviewed restaurant in Seattle.  
• You may have seen new signage at San Jose's Downtown Food Hall (operated by Cloud kitchens). Masala Pizza [Josh: pictured below] will be occupying a front-of-house walk-up window in just a few weeks. Stay tuned for more announcements as additional restaurant concepts are being added shortly.