Tuesday, February 5, 2013

New All-Access Play Garden Near Guadalupe River Park

The Downtown San Jose Rotary Club is planning to build an all-access play garden where children with and without special needs can play together. This would be the first of its kind in San Jose about would be located on 4.1 acres near the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens Visitor Center (Coleman and Autumn St.). Special equipment will allow wheelchair accessibility to slides, swings, merry-go-rounds, and other park attractions.

The total cost is going to be $6.35M. Groundbreaking is targeted for the end of 2013 and the opening should happen in 2014.

Source: SVBJ






Monday, February 4, 2013

More One South Market Renders!

Nathan Donato-Weinstein from the Silicon Valley Business Journal hooked us up! Check out the very latest renders for the 23-story One South Market residential building in Downtown San Jose. Several things to note:

  • The entire Santa Clara Steet side is retail/commercial space with support for three separate storefronts.
  • The garage entrance is now on South San Pedro instead of Market Street (sweet!).
  • The Market Street side has some retail, the lobby, and the leasing office. 
  • Remember that huge teal line running up the building? It is planned to be LED-based, meaning it can be any color.

My favorite render is the night shot at the very end. I am getting really, really excited about this building. The day this thing breaks ground, we'll have to celebrate at the San Pedro Square Market!










Sunday, February 3, 2013

START Program in Evergreen

A native San Josean and current teacher in Evergreen has kicked off the START Program at Silver Creek Academic Academy. If you have middle school or high school kids in South San Jose, this will be worth a look!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The START Jr. and START Program

High school and junior high can be a difficult sea to navigate. Now that the college admissions process is as competitive as ever, students must take advantage of every opportunity presented to them. To better serve all of our middle school and high school students at SCAA, we are offering a program that is designed to help guide and advise them through junior high school, high school and into college. This exciting program will provide your child with the tools and resources needed to help maximize their potential for admittance to their selected college choices. If you are interested in receiving more information about this addition to SCAA, please email us today at Info@TheSTARTProgram.com

GO NINERS!



San Jose Stage Company Presents John Logan’s Tony Award Winner: Red



Red by John Logan
San Jose, CA --- January 14, 2013  The color red conjures up emotions of passion, love, lust, anger, and creativity.  The Stage production of John Logan’s Red has all that and more. “What do you see?” is the opening line that lays the philosophical foundation for the evening.
 
The intimate Stage theatre serves as the studio of artist Mark Rothko during the late-1950’s as he was commissioned to paint a series of murals for the snazzy Four Seasons restaurant in New York City. Along with his new assistant, this bio-drama investigates the relationships of life, art, and each other. Red opens February 6.
 
“John Logan's Red is an incredible exploration into the genius and soul of a revolutionary artist that truly reflects the struggles and ambitions of all artists and art forms,” says Artistic Director Randall King.
  
Set to a soundtrack of symphonic classical scores, Red allows the audience to peer into the soul of the artist as well as his work.
 
Performances are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Red runs through March 3.
 
Tickets range from $20 – $45 and are available at www.thestage.org or by calling the box office at 408.283.7142. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, and discounts are available for groups, students and seniors. The theatre is handicapped accessible.
 
The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Street in downtown San Jose’s South First (SoFA) area.
 
# # # 
 
The Cast of Red:
 
Randall King* (Mark Rothko) is the co-founder and Artistic Director of San Jose Stage Company. He was most recently seen as Jack Lawson in Race, Dodge in Buried Child, Johnny Friendly in On The Waterfront, The Waiter in Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sharky in The Seafarer, Ariel in The Pillowman and Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross.
 
Aaron Wilton* (Ken) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where he played James Monroe and Red Eagle in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Katurian in The Pillowman. His regional credits include performances at Regional credits include George Street Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, Theatre Rhinoceros, Capital Stage and Sacramento Theatre Company.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
 
Kenneth Kelleher (Director) has directed over twenty performances for The Stage, includingRecklessBuried Child, On The Waterfront and Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is currently the Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company and B Street Theatre.
 
The other members of the show’s creative team include designers Richard C. Ortenblad(set), Jean Cardinale (costumes), Michael Palumbo (lighting) and John Koss (sound).
  
   # # # 
 
 
About San Jose Stage Company:
 
Now in its 30th season, San Jose Stage Company is recognized as The Bay Area's Premiere Off-Broadway Theatre. The Stage is known for its devotion to new and cutting-edge work and for its commitment to showcasing high-quality local talent.
 
Ranked 3rd largest theatre and 9th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (May 2012), San Jose Stage Company is a vital force in the community. The Stage has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by providing high-quality, edgy theatrical experiences that engage, educate and provoke audiences. The Stage has produced 143 productions, 44 new works and 11 world premieres.
 
The Stage also offers five core educational and outreach programs, including National High School Top Honors Awards, and has housed over 200 independent performance groups in its theatre. The Stage is located at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. For more information: www.thestage.org   Box Office: 408.283.7142

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Saturday Stats: San Jose Commute Times

Do you think that your commute in Silicon Valley is pretty bad? Well, it turns out that it is probably less worse than in other major metros in California. The average commute in San Jose is 24.4 minutes. This compares to 28.8 minutes in San Francisco (the worst of ALL major metros), 28.3 minutes in Los Angeles, and 25.9 minutes in Sacramento. San Diego tied with San Jose at 24.4 minutes. As much as we complain, it is at least 18% worse up north.

Source: SVBJ

Friday, February 1, 2013

South First Friday Tonight!

The very first South First Friday of 2013 kicks off tonight, and it looks like there are several new participants in Downtown San Jose's premier art crawl. This is the first time I have even heard of the Seeing Things Gallery on 30 North Third St., same with the LGBTQ Youth Center. I also don't remember The Studio Rock Climbing Gym or Pagoda officially participating in the past. It should be a lot of fun, so come on down and check out some cool art at 21 venues Downtown! For more info click here.