San Jose Sea Lions Bring Professional Women’s Hockey to Downtown

The Professional Women’s Hockey League unveiled the San Jose Sea Lions as the name and identity for California’s first PWHL franchise. The logo centers on a blue sea lion rising from white waves against an orange sunset, with a palette of coastal blue, sunset orange, tidal navy, and sea mist.

The name draws from the marine mammals along the Bay Area coastline and also references the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball Association, who played in 1946 and included Toni Stone, the first woman to play regularly in a major men’s professional baseball league. Women-led design teams at the PWHL shaped the identity in collaboration with the New York agency Doubleday & Cartwright.

The Sea Lions join a league expansion that also brought the Detroit Clutch, Hamilton Havoc, and Vegas Vanguards. They become the third professional women’s sports team launched in San Jose in a little more than three years, following the NWSL’s Bay FC and the Major League Volleyball club NorCal Rumble. Home games will take place at SAP Center, with the inaugural contest set for December 5 against the Minnesota Frost.

Local leaders have pointed to the arrival as another step toward a more active Downtown San Jose. San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Leah Toeniskoetter noted that the team will help build a seven-day-a-week downtown and support restaurants and hotels through additional visitors. The city has already advanced related work, including a $425 million SAP Center renovation that keeps the Sharks in place through 2051 and a $1.1 million update to nearby Arena Green. Discussions around a broader sports and entertainment district continue.

Tickets for the December 5 home opener and the rest of the 2026-27 season are available through the PWHL.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose Holiday Lights Returns to Discovery Meadow for a Second Season

San Jose Holiday Lights opens November 13 at Discovery Meadow in Guadalupe River Park and Gardens and runs nightly through January 1. The walk-through festival operates from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. at 330 W San Carlos Street and brings six themed light areas, more than 40 illuminated attractions, and free public spaces near the entrance.

The zones include Golden Christmas with a 60-foot Santa Tree and glowing reindeer, Enchanted Jungle with towering dinosaurs and California wildlife, California Garden filled with luminous flowers and butterflies, a new Mermaid area featuring a giant mermaid, sea creatures, and a pink octopus, Cactus Mirage with illuminated cacti, Quetzalcoatl, and La Catrina, and White Christmas Wonderland of ice tunnels and snowflakes. Nine young artists ages 4 to 8 have had their drawings turned into glowing sculptures through the Doca Dream Lab program. Radiant Canvas places large illuminated works by local artists outside the ticketed area, and outdoor short films curated by Doca Film Festival screen throughout the grounds.

A Holiday Lounge near the main entrance stays open to the public without a festival ticket and offers hot cocoa, cider, beer, and wine. Food trucks and local vendors operate on site. Special days include Ugly Christmas Sweater Days on November 20–21, SJSU Night on December 3 with $15 admission for students with ID, Santa Photo Days on December 11–12, and Cosplay Days on December 18–19. School-night specials drop admission for kids ages 4–12 to $10 on select Monday–Thursday evenings before December 18.

Weekday general admission runs $25 for ages 13–64 and $19 for children 4–12 and seniors 65+. Weekend and holiday rates rise to $29 and $23. Children 3 and under enter free. Group tickets for 20 or more start at $23.88 per person.

Tickets and full details are available at sjhl.us.

Nine-Acre Site Near Levi’s Stadium Hits Market With Capacity for Nearly 1,000 Homes

A roughly 9-acre parcel at 2101 Tasman Drive and 2222 Calle de Luna in Santa Clara has returned to the market after BrightSpire Capital took control through a deed in lieu of foreclosure. JLL is marketing the site on behalf of the lender, with concepts ranging from about 600 apartments to two 22-story towers totaling 950 units.

The land sits inside the Tasman East Specific Plan area, a transit-oriented district on former industrial ground that Santa Clara has targeted for up to 4,500 homes (with an amendment under review that would raise that figure). Proximity to light rail, major employers including Nvidia, and Levi’s Stadium has kept the location in developers’ sights for more than a decade, even as earlier plans stalled before vertical construction began.

Apartments already completed in the district have leased quickly. Occupancy sits near 95 percent, with effective rents averaging about $3,684 for one-bedroom units and $4,916 for two-bedroom units. Those results, combined with continued Bay Area housing demand, are what BrightSpire expects will draw buyer interest as it looks to sell rather than hold the property.

Large, well-located residential sites remain scarce across Silicon Valley. A sale that moves this parcel into active development would add hundreds of homes within walking distance of transit and jobs, expanding options for people who live and work across the South Bay, including in San Jose.

Higher interest rates continue to complicate pricing conversations between buyers and sellers on sites like this one. BrightSpire has indicated it intends to market the property promptly rather than wait for financing conditions to shift.

Source: SVBJ

Content Magazine Launches Issue 19.1 “Discover” at San José Holiday Lights

Content Magazine has scheduled its Pick-Up Party for Issue 19.1, “Discover,” on Thursday, November 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. inside the Holiday Hut at Discovery Meadow. The 77th edition of the magazine profiles people who shape the region and those shaped by it, including San Jose Earthquakes player Beau Leroux, glass artist Viva Paredes, SJSU digital media professor Esteban Garcia Bravo, and Strāta chef Roberto Mendoza.

Attendees will receive early access to the San José Holiday Lights installation a day before it opens to the public. The evening also includes art displays of work from every visual artist featured in the issue, a photo booth curated by artist and educator Ellis Stephens, wine from Terah Wine Co., and small bites for Content members. DJ Los Ritmos Calientes and live music from acari and Misa James will handle the soundtrack.

Other subjects covered in the issue include Minasan Japantown’s Brendan Boon, muralist John Barrick, Porkchop’s House of Reframe’s Kelly Hensley, singer-songwriter Misa James, multidisciplinary artist Nasim Moghadam, Terah Wine Co.’s Terah Bajjalieh, Doca Festival founders Wan Zhao, Yixin Zhang, and Ye Yuan, and artist Winsor Kinkade.

No dedicated on-site parking exists at Discovery Meadow. Nearby options include the Woz Way Surface Lot, the Almaden Boulevard Parking Garage, the Convention Center Garage, and metered street parking along Woz Way, San Carlos Street, and Market Street.

Tickets and further details are available through Eventbrite. Copies of Issue 19.1 can be ordered ahead of the party.

Santa Clara Seeks Developer to Rebuild Its Long-Lost Downtown

Santa Clara has released a request for proposals for a mixed-use project on roughly 4.8 acres of city-owned land at 900 and 1000 Lafayette Street. The site, near Santa Clara University, Caltrain, and the planned BART extension, is intended as the flagship property for a rebuilt downtown. Economic Development Director Reena Brilliot described it as a catalyst that can help restore the soul the city lost when much of its historic core was cleared in the 1960s for an urban renewal project that never materialized.

The RFP calls for at least 300 residential units, with 25 percent set aside as affordable, a two-story food and beverage hall, a town square, ground-floor retail, a theater that recreates the historic Santa Clara Theater, and additional community amenities. The requirements follow the city’s Downtown Precise Plan and Form-Based Code, developed after extensive community input. The current site includes Peddlers Plaza with several retail spaces and an older office building that would need major upgrades.

Brilliot noted that people often associate Santa Clara with Nvidia or Levi’s Stadium, yet the city has a deeper history. Restoring a walkable downtown with housing, gathering places, and cultural venues would give residents and visitors a central destination that has been missing for decades. The city is seeking a long-term ground lease partner and expects the selection process to take nine months to a year.

Proposals are due January 17, 2027. Interested developers must attend a mandatory pre-proposal conference on November 18. Details on the RFP and process are available through the City of Santa Clara website.

Source: SVBJ

Lazy Dog Brings Seasonal Comfort with Bold Twists to San Jose

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar at 5305 Almaden Expressway has rolled out a seasonal menu that leans into fall cravings while adding unexpected edges. The San Jose location, with its lodge-style interior, fireplaces, and dog-friendly patio, started serving the new lineup on October 7. Menu availability can shift by location, so a quick check with the restaurant confirms what is on hand that day.

New dishes include Panko-Crusted Crab Cakes paired with an arugula and grapefruit salad, Hot Honey Black + Blue Flatbread layered with blackened chicken, bacon, blue cheese, and a hot honey drizzle, and Spicy Sausage + Burrata Rigatoni in a Calabrian chili cream sauce. Lomo Saltado combines pork tenderloin, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and fries in a soy-cumin sauce over rice. The Carolina Reaper Fried Chicken Sandwich brings extra heat with onion straws and coleslaw, and it also appears on the Happy Hour menu. Wagyu Beef + Bison Chili comes topped with cheese, sour cream, and housemade cornbread fries. Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake finishes the savory options for those who want a seasonal sweet.

A handcrafted TV Dinner of Three-Cheese Baked Rigatoni with garlic butter broccoli and strawberry butter cake is available as well. Cocktails include a Sour Apple Sloshie, Blood Orange Margarita (also offered as a shareable pitcher), and a Paper Plane. Non-alcoholic choices run to a Mango Matcha Tea Iced Latte and a Salted Caramel Cold Brew Iced Latte. The Honey Miso Chicken Bowl remains on the all-day Fireside Favorites menu, paired with a personal dessert.

Weekend brunch, daily Happy Hour, late-night service, and options for catering, takeout, and delivery round out the schedule. Details on current availability and reservations appear at lazydogrestaurants.com.

Muindi Foundation Hosts Free Community Art Auction Today at San Jose Clubhouse

The Muindi Foundation opens its third annual Community Art Auction today at the San Jose Clubhouse, 15480 Union Avenue. The free event runs noon to 8 p.m., with an open house until 4 p.m. and an auction party from 4 to 8 p.m. Visitors can walk through more than 100 original works by over 35 Bay Area artists, meet the creators, and see how an auction operates, all without any requirement to place a bid.

Proceeds from the auction support the foundation’s LearnNow programs. Those efforts expand academic support, tutoring, mentorship, and enrichment for under-resourced children and families in San Jose. The day includes complimentary champagne, wine, and appetizers along with live music. Online bidding, which opened October 16, closes at 8 p.m. today.

The San Jose Clubhouse, a historic Arts and Crafts bungalow built in 1910 and long associated with the We and Our Neighbors women’s club, provides an intimate setting for the gathering. Parking is available in the Union School District lot across the street. All ages are welcome, and admission remains free throughout the afternoon and evening.

Full catalog details, registration to bid, and additional information appear at MuindiArtAuction.auctria.events.

Supreme Crab AYCE Opens All-You-Can-Eat Seafood and Wagyu Spot at San Jose Market Center

Supreme Crab AYCE opened October 5 at 625 Coleman Avenue inside the San Jose Market Center, filling the former Sweet Tomatoes space next to Trader Joe’s and Blue Mango Thai. The roughly 7,500-square-foot restaurant seats 180 to 200 people and marks the concept’s third California location after Redwood City and San Francisco, with an additional site in Denton, Texas. CEO Queenie Chen signed a 15-year lease and hired 30 people across servers, chefs, and hosts.

The all-you-can-eat menu runs about $30 per person at lunch and $45 at dinner. Offerings include oysters, snow crab legs, wagyu, sushi, and a mix of Cajun-style seafood alongside other proteins. Chen noted that the format aims to serve full families rather than seafood specialists alone. “It cannot just be only the seafood, because the whole family, the kids, they're not going to like that much seafood, maybe, right?” she said. “They [can’t always] find a place to have both. We can say three plus: good sushi, good Cajun and good meat combinations.”

Demand has built quickly. Chen reported long lines, particularly at dinner, after the opening week. She added that customers from San Jose, Monterey, and Santa Cruz had already been driving to the earlier Peninsula locations. “In the beginning, we didn't think about expanding,” Chen said. “But after we opened, local customers liked it. They’re coming all the way from San Jose, Monterey and even Santa Cruz. I was surprised.”

The San Jose Market Center spans about 362,000 square feet and is anchored by Target, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s. Other tenants include BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse and Chili’s. Slice House, the fast-casual pizza concept from 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, is scheduled to open later at 685 Coleman Avenue in a former Blaze Pizza space. The center opened in 2006 under Cousins Properties of Atlanta and is managed by LaSalle Investment Management.

Details and reservations are available at supremecrabayce.com.

Source: SVBJ

South First Fridays Returns November 6 with Free Galleries and Live Performances Across SoFA

The November 6 edition of South First Fridays runs from 5 to 9 p.m. through the SoFA District and nearby blocks of Downtown San Jose. Galleries and museums stay open late with free admission for all ages. Street parking becomes free after 6 p.m., and city garages at South Third and San Carlos offer the standard 90-minute free window.

Anno Domini at 366 South First Street opens a tribute exhibition for Joseph Loughborough titled An Empire of the Lost. The London-based artist, who showed at the gallery multiple times over 13 years, died in June 2025. The works on view reflect his rapid charcoal process and interest in human figures drawn from expressionist and existential sources. KALEID Gallery at 320 South First hosts a reception for David Mejia’s solo show The Winter Solstice, a series of narrative pieces that draw on Northern European myths, shamanism, and a proto-Santa legend set in a mythic Stone Age.

MACLA at 510 South First presents Poetic Utterances by Viviana Paredes, using glass, light, sound, and organic materials to explore Indigenous and Latinx traditions alongside climate themes. Venezuelan dance group Dulce Tricolor performs during the evening. At the California Theatre, Opera San José stages free Opera on First from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with live singing, the historic Wurlitzer organ, and a preview of the company’s upcoming Fiddler on the Roof. San Jose Jazz at 310 South First runs the SJZ Break Room Jazz Jam, opening with the U19s and Michael Webster Group before an all-ages open jam.

The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art at 560 South First shows Greg Ito’s To Give and Take and closes its silent auction with snacks, drinks, and music from 6 to 9 p.m. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles at 520 South First exhibits Soft Structures: The Female Body as Labor and Resistance. In the Historic District, Chopsticks Alley Gallery and Works/San Jose share space at 38 South Second Street with exhibitions on food, migration, and housing insecurity, plus a 7 p.m. cooking-and-light presentation. Phantom Galleries at The Pierce features Eddie Ramirez’s Points of Perspective with live music by Mike Huguenor. Additional shows continue in the Martha Gardens District.

Full venue list and maps appear at southfirstfridays.com.

San Jose Leads Nation in Share of Jobs Exposed to AI Automation

A Business Journals analysis places the San Jose metro area at the top of a national ranking of cities where AI automation could affect the largest share of local workers. Nearly 29 percent of the total workforce in the area falls into occupations the study identifies as most vulnerable. That figure exceeds Washington, D.C. at 27.7 percent, Durham at 26.7 percent, Seattle at 26.6 percent, and Austin at 25.4 percent.

The ranking draws on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for occupation counts and wages, then filters those numbers against U.S. Census figures for total workers and for Gen Z workers ages 18 to 27. Occupations are weighted according to the Eloundou study scores that estimate how many tasks within a job AI can perform. Metros with heavy concentrations of professional services, technology, business, finance, computing, and information roles score highest. Those categories include software engineers, credit analysts, financial managers, database administrators, and writers. Cities built more around physical, service, or hospitality work rank lower because those jobs require in-person interaction that current generative AI tools do not readily replace.

San Jose’s position reflects its long concentration of knowledge-work roles rather than a sudden shift. The same analysis notes that Gen Z workers across the top 100 metros tend, on average, to hold positions less exposed to automation, often because many are still in retail, food service, personal care, or construction roles. New York-New Jersey shows the highest Gen Z exposure at 18.1 percent. Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Salt Lake City appear in the top ten for both overall workers and Gen Z workers.

Observers quoted in the coverage point out that the most exposed tasks tend to be repeatable, digital, and low-context work such as basic writing, simple research, scheduling, and routine administrative follow-up. Those duties once formed common entry points into office careers. Critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and the ability to identify questions others have not asked remain harder for current systems to replicate. Separate surveys of executives have found widespread AI adoption alongside limited measured effects on productivity or employment in the past three years. Local governments in other regions have begun placing limits on new data-center projects amid broader concerns, though San Jose’s economy continues to generate demand for both technical and support roles.

The ranking underscores how tightly the local job mix is tied to the industries building and deploying AI tools. Workers and employers in the area will continue to adjust task boundaries and skill requirements as the technology evolves. For now, the data show San Jose with the highest measured exposure among large U.S. metros.

Source: SVBJ