San Jose music pavilion takes another step forward

A long awaited Levitt Pavilion in the corner of St. James Park is getting closer to reality. The project would include a music pavilion, a reimagined park, picnic grove, garden, monument walks, fountain, dog park, and playground.

The city of San Jose would contribute $15 million to  $5 million would come from a local nonprofit called Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose.

When completed, it will accommodate up to 5,000 people for free, family-friendly concerts. Performing arts and community groups will also be able to rent the pavilion.

The developers are going to host a partial concert season during the construction phase until May 2026. The first full season of 50 free concerts is expected in 2027.

Source: San Jose Spotlight

Santana Row gains three more office tenants

One Santana West across the street from the famous Row has three new tenants and a brand new cafe. Calix is a cloud and managed services company leasing 22,990 SQFT on the 4th floor. They are moving from North San Jose in August. Better Help is taking 10,361 SQFT on the third floor while Pivot Interiors will take 15,000 SQFT on the third floor.

Those three leases will bring the 375,000 SQFT building to 70% occupancy, which is impressive given the current state of the market.

As a final bonus, a brand new cafe will be added to the first floor of the building in Spring. It might not be a full expansion of Santana Row, but I hope the cafe will live up to same standards set across the street.

Source: SVBJ

Massive North San Jose housing project advances

There aren't many large swaths of land left in Silicon Valley, but a few still remain in San Jose. The Sakauye and Karolewski families had one of those large blocks and have just sold 22 acres of prime land in North San Jose for $78.6 million. The land is at 2620 Seely Avenue, right off of Montague Expressway next to Cadence's headquarters.

The former orchard will become a whopping 1,472 homes. The breakdown will be 154 townhomes (by SummerHill Homes), 178 affordable units, 1,140 apartments, 19,000 SQFT of neighborhood retail, and a 2.5-acre city park. A farm site will also be preserved and moved to History Park.

There is no official ETA yet, but it can't come soon enough.

Source: The Mercury News

Free game night tonight

Date and time

Tuesday, February 18 · 5 - 7pm PST

Location

20 Barack Obama Blvd, San Jose

About this event

Learn fun Chinese and Vietnamese games, Majong and O An Quan, while enjoying snacks to welcome the new year. Fun activities like playing games can trigger the release of endorphins, promoting feelings of well-being and connection with others.

About the Musician

Maleli Raiyawa

MALELI!! is a folk singer-songwriter who turns heartbreak, identity, and cultural tension into music that’s emotionally vulnerable to a fault. Raised between suburban America and his father’s island heritage, he’s spent a lifetime navigating the space between belonging and feeling misunderstood. Through raw confessionals, spoken-word flourishes, and flashes of dark humor, Maleli’s songs confront mental health struggles, generational trauma, and the tangled question of who you’re supposed to be in a world that expects you to fit one narrow mold. Onstage, he wields his cannon of a voice and vulnerable storytelling like a boxcutter—slicing through knots of anxiety, grief, and longing. The result is a theatrical, raw, unfiltered sound that invites listeners to embrace their own complexities. For Maleli, music isn’t just an art form; it’s a lifeline and a safe haven—where every haunted heart and searching soul can find the courage to speak truth, shed shame, and keep running toward hope.

IG: @maleli.live

Transit-oriented developments in San Jose

TODGod posted a video earlier this month highlighting all of the TODs (transit oriented developments) in San Jose. He goes though the VTA Light Rail network station-by-station in the first 7 minutes in the video embedded below. There are more projects than I expected, and hopefully it will make a notable impact in the coming years.

Source: TODGod on Youtube

Meet Donatello at San Jose's Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow has a new resident, a capybara named Donatello. He got his name after picking up sticks with his mouth and swinging them around like a Ninja Turtle. Happy Hollow is also in the process of expanding the capybara habitat to include a larger yard and more vantage points for visitors. It should be ready later this year, but you can go visit Donatello right now.

It's amazing how many San Jose residents have never been to this cute little zoo. It's very nicely maintained and is the perfect size for toddlers and elementary school-aged kids. There is also a historic puppet theater, a handful of carnival-type rides, and a family roller coaster. It's also rarely crowded. If you have kids, it's the perfect outing to work into a weekend.

Source: SJ Today

MACLA Presents: Esto No Tiene Nombre Performed by Denice Frohman

San José, CA – January 15, 2025 – MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana is proud to present the West Coast debut of the full-length version of Esto No Tiene Nombre, a one-woman show written and performed by the acclaimed poet and performer Denice Frohman. The performances will take place from March 21–23, 2025, at MACLA’s Castellano Playhouse in downtown San José.

Esto No Tiene Nombre is a powerful tribute to the oral histories of Latina lesbian elders, brought to life through a series of poignant, vivid vignettes. Denice Frohman, known for her electrifying storytelling and lyrical depth, brings to life voices gathered as part of I See My Light Shining: Oral Histories of Our Elders, a project curated by MacArthur Fellow Jacqueline Woodson.

These narratives, curated under Woodson’s visionary guidance, serve as the foundation for Frohman’s powerful exploration of identity, love, and survival. The show spans stories of resilience, connection, and joy, from pre-Stonewall police raids in Philadelphia to the intimate moments of first kisses. Frohman intertwines her own personal journey with the voices of Latina lesbian elders, including activists, barbers, lovers, and chefs, to offer a moving and multidimensional portrait of their lives and legacies.

About Denice Frohman

Denice Frohman is an award-winning poet, performer, and writer from New York City whose groundbreaking work explores culture, identity, queerness, and social justice. As a queer Nuyorican and the daughter of Puerto Rican and Jewish parents, Frohman uses her craft to challenge power structures and preserve cultural heritage. A former Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion, she has performed on iconic stages like The Apollo, MoMA PS1, and The White House during the Obama Administration.

Her poetry has been featured in The New York Times, Poem-A-Day by the Academy of American Poets, and anthologies like Nepantla: An Anthology for Queer Poets of Color and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext. Supported by organizations such as The Pew Center for the Arts and Baldwin for the Arts, Frohman’s work continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Website: www.denicefrohman.com

Instagram: @denicefrohman

About MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

MACLA is an inclusive contemporary arts space grounded in the Chicano/Latino experience that incubates new visual, literary and performance art in order to engage people in civic dialogue and community transformation.

Founded in 1989, MACLA emerged from a broad community mobilization in San José and across the nation advocating for multicultural arts. Since its inception, MACLA has envisioned arts programming as a powerful vehicle for civic dialogue and social equity serving over 38,000 people annually and produces 50 programs each year in three core program tracts: visual arts; performance and literary arts; and youth arts education.

MACLA is located at 510 South First Street, San José, CA 95113

For tickets, additional photos, media opportunties or more details about Esto No Tiene Nombre and other MACLA events, visit www.maclaarte.org, email info@maclaarte.org, or call (408) 998-ARTE.

Don’t miss this unforgettable performance that celebrates Latina lesbian history, love, and resilience. Join us for Esto No Tiene Nombre, March 21–23, 2025, at MACLA’s Castellano Playhouse!

Performance Dates:

Friday, March, 21, 2025 – Doors: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM

Saturday, March, 22, 2025 – Doors: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM

Sunday, March, 23, 2025 (Matinée) – Doors: 1:30 PM | Show: 2:00 PM

Tickets available at macla.eventbrite.com

$45 Reserved Seating

$30 General Admission

$10 Students

Run time: Approximately 75 minutes

Valentine's Day in San Jose 💗

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! If you are looking for a list of fun things to do, head over to Visit San Jose. You'll find a list of romantic restaurants and sweet shops along with unique suggestions. The image below IS in San Jose. It's the Grandview Restaurant on the way to Mount Hamilton. Check it out along with other ideas over here.