Wednesday Wishlist: Smaller Spaces Downtown

Think Bigger San Jose has a great post about Downtown San Jose needing smaller spaces. Most of the available retail Downtown is gigantic, ranging from 1,500 sqft all the way up to 10,000 sqft. This is not very well aligned with the demand right now in the local retail space. Mark cites Japantown as a San Jose retail success story because it has availability of smaller spaces as "cozy" as 300 sqft. The one example of smaller retail space Downtown is The San Pedro Square Market, and it has been a raging success.

This also extends to residential living. The cost of housing in San Jose is astronomical, especially for students and young professionals. We need smaller residential spaces Downtown along with appropriately scaled down rents. I'm totally aligned with Mark on this one and if I had the money and resources to put up a high-rise of my own up right now, the top item on my list would be a Micro-condo building. None exist in the South Bay and it would open up the housing and rental markets to a whole new group of people and possibilities.

To read Mark's post in Think Bigger San Jose, click here!

Two New Downtown San Jose High-Rises May Break Ground This Year!!!

I have some epic news today. Downtown San Jose may get not one, but two residential high-rises breaking ground this year. We have all seen the impact that that current 4 towers have had on life Downtown. There are more people walking around at any given day/time and both restaurants and retail have continued to grow over the last couple years. Another 1,000 residents on the street should be enough to create critical mass for Downtown's main districts.

Tower #1 is rumored to be The Carlysle in San Pedro square right between the San Pedro Square Market and Axis. Given the ridiculous success of the still very incomplete Market, this is going to be a hot location. This will be a 21-story apartment tower with no planned retail on the ground floor. Usually I would be disappointed with the lack of ground retail, but with San Pedro Square across the street I don't think it will be missed. 12,000 sqft of retail! (Thanks for the correction Santa Teresa Hills).

Tower #2 is right in the middle of Downtown on Santa Clara and Market. KT Properties is planning a $75 million, 22-story apartment building with 485 units. There will be 6,000 sqft of ground floor retail and two floors of underground parking. I'm really excited about this location as it is the first residential high-rise on Santa Clara street and will go a long way to improving the conditions of Downtown's main avenue. It also will have the unique attribute of being only a 5-10min walk away from absolutely everything Downtown.

Downtown renters will have some tough decisions to make when these next two building are up. Oh, and Sam Liccardo is implying there may be even more to come.

Source: SJBJ, The Registry

Pop-Up Brow Bar Downtown

The pop-up sensation is again moving beyond standard retail and food and is headed towards services. This weekend Plan Be Salon on 2nd St. Downtown is hosting a pop-up brow bar from 2-6pm. It would be nice to see more service oriented pop-ups in the future, perhaps even utilizing some of our empty retails space.

Wednesday Wishlist: Bring Hart's Back

This one may be a bit of a stretch, but how cool would it be to see Hart's department store return to Downtown San Jose? I would love to see a new retail anchor Downtown that is completely unique to San Jose and offers quality products with a high level of customer service. Hart's filled those shoes perfectly before Valley Fair and suburban sprawl started to come into play. 

A couple week ago, the Merc had a great article about the store that played such a large role in San Jose's history. It's well worth a read right over here.

Fresh & Easy May be Coming Downtown!

This could be the news of the month if it comes to fruition. The retail anchor spot formerly occupied by Su Vianda (and Albertsons before that) has been vacant for well over a year. Now Fresh & Easy--a new market to the Bay Area similar to Trader Joe's--may be filling the void. This would be a tremendous resource for San Jose residents and visitors. They also have a large selection of ready-to-eat options, which is not a strong suit for The Market at the moment. As Matt mentions below, another huge added benefit would be if they are able to keep the general area clean. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

Fresh & Easy in Downtown San Jose?

from San Jose Metblogs by Matt Bruensteiner

I haven’t seen any public announcement yet, but “Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets” has requested a city permit for beer and wine sales at 272 East Santa Clara Street in San Jose. That’s the former Albertsen’s /

Lucky’s / Su Vianda location next door to City Hall.

If this works out, it will be a great shopping option for downtown dwellers. Fresh & Easy has a kind of different business model: They have a lot of own-branded items like Trader Joe’s, but they tend to focus more on prepared items like salads and sandwiches rather than the packaged items that dominate TJ’s. In addition to ready-to-eat, they also have a pretty much complete line of other kitchen basics including fresh fruit, vegetables, and meats. They don’t have the selection of a full-size suburban mega-market, but they cover every-day needs.

They’ll be in direct competition with Safeway’s The Market a few blocks away, but they’ll have the advantage of a surface-level parking lot. If they do one thing to improve the streetscape on Santa Clara Street, though, it will be to keep that parking lot clean, which previous owners have never done.

Here’s looking forward to another shopping choice in downtown.

Crewners Barbershop Opens in the San Pedro Square Market

You have to check out this vintage single chair barber shop in the San Pedro Square Market! You can't miss it right by the entrance on San Pedro Street.

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from feed/http://www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com/CMS/UI/Modules/BizBlogger/rss.aspx?tabid=211291&moduleid=341923&maxcount=25 by Michael Maida

Today is a great day at the San Pedro Square Market. Our newest vendor, Dan Dixon of Crewners Barbershop, has opened for business. Crewners is an upscale barbershop, providing fashionable and stylish haircuts and the highest quality full barbershop services. Vintage decor blended with modern equipment creates an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming and invites customers to relax, refresh and reminisce.

Dan found his barber chair in Las Vegas, Nevada and took it to be refurbished by the boys at American Restoration. Dan is just another example of the entrepreneurial spirit that in Silicon Valley. Dan is an asset to the project and an amazing person. We are so happy to welcome Crewners Barber shop to the San Pedro Square Market family.

                            

Before the restoration

The Finished Product 

Location & Hours
San Pedro Square Market | 87 North San Pedro Street #107 | San Jose, California 95110 | Phone:408.663.1813 |
 Hours:
Sunday              Closed
Monday              Closed
Tuesday             10am - 6pm
Wednesday         10am - 5pm
Thursday            10am - 6pm
Friday                 10am - 8pm
Saturday             8am - 5pm

Artist's For Andy's Pet Shop Event

Unfortunately the only pet store downtown is in trouble and it's up to help keep them around and servicing local pet owners. They'll be doing a benefit show at O'Flaherty's this Thursday, full details below:

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Andy's Pet Shop and Adoption Center needs our help or they will not be able to keep their doors open to the community nor to the local animal rescue centers they partner with.

To help raise awareness of their situation, a benefit show will be held at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub.

You're invited to O'Flaherty's Irish Pub on Thursday 9/22 at 9:00 p.m. for a special evening of music, comedy and art to benefit Andy's Pet Shop and Adoption Center. 100% Rescued Animals since 2007 and featured on A&E program "Hoarders".

There's a great line up of very talented artists including NY jam fusion electric guitarist John Ford Winter from the Woodstock Guitar Festival making his West Coast debut in downtown San Jose. Also performing are comedians Dan St. Paul and Mike Meehan. Portraits of animals and a custom painting of the famous building sign will be created by artist Crystal Wade.

A percentage of the bar sales will be generously donated by O'Flaherty's Irish Pub.

Show your support for the animals, the arts, and for downtown businesses!

For more information, please visit the Facebook event page here.

One More Plug for the Hyperlocal Vendor Faire Today

For Bay Area Die Hards

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 05:12PM

Mayberry Workshop is a full-Service design workshop--ranging from graphic design and branding, to apparel, and building and urban design. Over the past few months, the brothers, Adam and Ben, have been selling their sports apparel out of their pop-up shop at the vacant restaurant on the corner of Santa Clara St. and San Pedro in downtown San Jose. They are opening their doors to SJMade in their last weekend at this pop-up location. Thanks, Mayberry Workshop!

SJMADE One-Day Hyperlocal Retail Event!

San Jose Made
Saturday, January 29, 2011
1:00p - 7:00p

San Jose Made (SJMADE) is a one-day event comprised of local store-owners, makers, artists, and purveyors of Bay Area goods. From garage silk screeners, to twilight jewelry artists, to local brick-and-mortars, San Jose's homegrown scene is growing and flourishing. Meet creative minds from San Jose as well as other parts of the Bay Area.
The Usuals will be there! We've got a prime location on the second floor mezzanine.

SJMADE will be at the vacant restaurant (formerly Spiedo) on the corner of W. Santa Clara St. and San Pedro St. in San Jose. For a full line-up and descriptions of participating vendors, check-out the SJMADE website:www.sanjosemade.com

Questions? Send us an email at: info@shoptheusuals.com. See you there!

TechShop is Coming to San Jose!

As mentioned earlier today, TechShop is planning to open a Downtown San Jose location on 300 S. 2nd Street. At 17,000 sqft it would be one of, if not their largest location. TechShop is membership-based workshop that provides access to tools, equipment, and classes to allow creative people to build whatever they want. It's designed for artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, hackers, roboteers, arts & crafts enthusiats, etc. Instead of buying crazy expensive equipment to create things, you just get a monthly membership and have access to over a million dollars worth of equipment including cool stuff like 3D printers, metalworking and woodworking tools, laser cutters, and fast computer workstations. Think of it as a gym membership for people that want to build things.

What a tremendous resource this would be for Downtown San Jose! This would be 2 blocks away from SoFA (the artist mecca for the South Bay), 2 blocks away from San Jose State University, and in the neighborhood of several start-up companies and incubators. This type of easy-access workshop is exactly what we need to make the fires burn hotter in the burgeoning art and cultural districts of San Jose, particularly the Downtown core. There would also be a retail store open to everyone with basic supplies for projects, such as hardware, paint, pliers, safety equipment, electronic components, and reading materials.

Right now they are looking for help launching this location by asking for volunteers, membership pledges (you would get a membership if the San Jose location is opened), or donations. Fore more information, just click here.

Also here is a list of equipment that you would have access to with membership:

• Epilog Helix 60-Watt Laser Cutters
• Tormach CNC Milling Machines
• 3D Printer
• NextEngine 3D Scanner
• Formech 600 24" x 24" Vacuum Forming System
• Formech Heat Strip Bending System
• Morgan Industries Injection Molding System
• Sewing Machines
• Overlock Sewing Machine
• Tin Lizzie Quilting Machine
• Computer-Controlled Vinyl Cutter
• Powder Coating System
• Lincoln MIG Welders (Steel)
• Lincoln TIG Welders (Steel and Aluminum)
• Hand-Held Plasma Cutter
• Sheet Metal Spot Welder
• Sheet Metal Brake, 16 ga x 50"
• Rotary Sheet Metal Punch
• Sheet Metal Corner Notcher
• English Wheel and Planishing Hammer
• Sheet Metal Shear, 16 ga x 50"
• Sheet Metal Roller, 16 ga x 50"
• Sandblast Cabinet
• Metal Grinders and Sanders
• Metal Chop Saw
• Metal Horizontal Band Saw
• Metal Vertical Band Saw
• Computer Controlled Embroidery Sewing Machine
• Electronics Testing and Soldering Equipment
• Epson R1900 13" x 19" Achival Printer with Continuous Inking System
• ShopBot 4' x 8' CNC Wood Router System
• SawStop Professional Cabinet Table Saw
• Panel Saw
• Wood Planer
• Wood Jointer
• Wood Band Saw
• Wood Sanders
• Wood Scroll Saws
• Wood Lathe
• Drill Presses
• Metal Lathes, 14" x 40"
• Vertical Milling Machines with DRO and Power Feed
• Granite Surface Plate with Digital Height Gauges
• Lots of Machine Shop Accessories and Tooling
• Lots of Fast Computer Workstations with 2D and 3D Design Software
• Complete Stocked Tool Room
• Member Storage Rental
• Private Studio / Office Rental
• Meeting Rooms
• Comfortable HackerSpace Areas with Power and WiFi
• Retail Store with Supplies and Materials
• Free Coffee and Popcorn
• ...And LOTS More!

The Latest on the Downtown SJ Retail Front

I haven't checked out the SJ Redevelopment agency reports in a while, so I thought I would do a quick post on the latest info. Below is data from the August SJRA report. The MMoon is obviously already open and I'm really looking forward to Paesano's (the first restaurant in Little Italy), Pho 69, and Soho Cafe. In the SJ Development Forum, sjdowntownguy broke the news of a 7-Eleven coming to 15 N. Second (Dr. Eu building) and Bank of the West offices coming to 95 S. Market (former McWhorter's). Lastly, at the SJDA meeting yesterday I heard some really great news about TechShop coming to San Jose at 300 South 2nd Street. I found some additional details on this and will break it out into a separate blog post for later today. I think they would be a great addition to the downtown community!



New Retail Openings
• Morton’s Steakhouse – expansion (177 Park Ave.)
• Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt (567 Coleman Ave., Ste. 10)

New Retail Lease
• Soho Café (30 E. Santa Clara St., Fountain Alley)

Retail Under Construction
There are four retail stores or restaurants in the Downtown currently under construction or in the permitting process:

Opening Third Quarter 2010
• La Victoria - expansion (131 W. Santa Clara St.)
• Paesano’s Sicilian Restaurant (350 W. Julian St.)
• The MMoon Empanada Restaurant (177 W. Santa Clara St.)

Opening Fourth Quarter 2010
• Pho 69 Restaurant (321 South First St.)

San Pedro Square Market Update! Veggie Box and Crewners Sign Leases!

Over the next few weeks we will be revealing several of the tenants coming to the San Pedro Square Market, Downtown San Jose's entertainment-oriented version of the Ferry Building or Pike's Place scheduled to open early next year! This is why every sentence is ending with exclamation marks! Below are two of the establishments with official, signed leases:

Veggie Box: Fresh from the Valley of Heart's Delight, Veggie Box brings the best of California produce, gourmet goods, and prepared foods to the San Pedro Square Market. Owner Diana Foss is committed to serving only the finest fruits, vegetables, and gourmet goods. She will offer products which are simply not available anywhere else. Taste the difference that truly local makes.

Crewners: A unique, yet traditional barbershop offering precision haircuts and straight razor shaves for gentlemen. Crewners includes a beautifully restored vintage barber chair. Owner Dan Dixon is the most talented and charming barber you’ll ever meet.

Satori Tea - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

My new favorite tea shop announced that they are having their ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug 20th at 10:30am! Swing on by to celebrate their opening and enjoy some Free Masala Chai and a 10% discount off tea & teawares.

Satori Tea in Downtown San Jose!!!

Satori is a Japanese Buddhist term that essentially means "enlightenment." It's a name that embodies what Downtown is striving for right now, although I think we have quite a journey ahead of us. Shops like Satori are what's pushing Downtown along that road!

Satori offers undoubtedly the best tea and chai I've ever had. It's a bold statement, but my wife and I drink tea all the time and we're never buying tea from a grocery store or mall store ever again. Satori offers just about every loose leaf tea you can think of: black, green, white, chai, decaf, organic, exotic, fusion, rare display teas... you name it. If you look at some of the photos below, you'll get an idea of the crazy variety of carefully selected teas they offer. We've tried 8 different kinds, and they have ALL been amazing (my favorites so far are the Coconut Chai and Coconut Ginger Green Tea).

Vicoria Boyert is the proprietor behind Satori (photo down below). She's invested her entire life savings and the last year of her life--see previous blog post--following her dreams and opening up this shop in Downtown San Jose. Ever since she took a class on tea preparation at the age of seven, she's know that she wanted a career in tea. Today, her ambitions are more than just having a small tea shop. Victoria believes that tea is an experience and wants to build community around enjoying tea, perhaps similar to the the way people enjoy coffee in Europe today. To help build this community she's planning to have classes to teach people on different kinds of tea and proper preparation, as well as a focus on bringing various events to her tea boutique. In addition to purchasing tea to take home, patrons can also immediately enjoy a professionally brewed cup of any tea they carry, either toasty hot or iced (great idea for hot San Jose days).

As you can see in the photos below, the store has a really charming atmosphere. It's uncluttered, unpretentious, unique, with very comfortable furnishings.  There's plenty of local art on the wall (some by SJSU students), with more to come. Satori is even utilizing part of the late A.P. Stumps outdoor patio. You definitely won't find a tea shop like this anywhere else... as mentioned before, exactly the type of retail store Downtown needs!

Satori is located at 37 N San Pedro St (around the corner from Peggie Sue's), and is open 7 days a week, Mon-Fri from 9am to 6pm, and Sat-Sun from 12pm to 5pm. They also validate parking in public garages. They are planning a Grand Opening celebration for the public soon and while I don't have an exact date yet, I'll be sure to post more information as soon as I receive it.

New Downtown San Jose Retail - Q2 and Q3 2010

The latest San Jose Redevelopment Agency monthly report is out and it has an updated list of new retail opening it's doors Downtown through September. Details below!

Retail Under Construction
There are twelve retail stores or restaurants Downtown currently under construction or in the permitting process.

Opening Second Quarter 2010
• Ruffled Feathered Eatery (200 S. First St., Ste. 10)
• The Pasta Market (579 Coleman Ave., Unit #80 - San Jose Market Center)
• Sante Grill (143 West Santa Clara St.) Now Open!
• La Victoria - expansion (131 W. Santa Clara St.)
• Teagre Tea Shop (33 North Almaden Ave. - San Pedro Square)
• Panda Express – (567 Coleman Ave. - San Jose Market Center)
• Tutti Frutti Yogurt – (567 Coleman Ave. - San Jose Market Center)
• Paesano’s Sicilian Restaurant (350 W. Julian St., - Little Italy)

Opening Third Quarter 2010
• Ross Dress for Less (27 South First St.)
• Morton’s Steakhouse – expansion (177 Park Ave.)
• Pho 69 Restaurant (321 South First St.)
• The MMoon Empanada Restaurant (177 W. Santa Clara St. - San Pedro Square)

To read the full report, click here!

New Retail Openings Downtown!

Thanks Mark for pointing out that the Redevelopment Agency updated their Monthly Report. Below is what's opening soon in Downtown San Jose as well as a couple recent openings. 8 retail stores are currently under construction or in permitting!

Recent Openings

• Tangerine Hookah Lounge (30 E. Santa Clara St., Suite 150)

New Retail Lease

• Ruffled Feathered Eatery (200 S. First St., Suite 10)

Opening Q1 2010 (i.e. This Month)

• The Pasta Market (579 Coleman Ave.)
• Sante Grill (143 West Santa Clara St.)
• La Victoria Expansion (131 W. Santa Clara St.)

Opening Q2 2010

• The MMoon Empanada Restaurant (177 W. Santa Clara St.)
• Teagre Tea Shop (96 North Almaden Ave.)
• Pho 69 Restaurant (321 South First St.)
• Morton's The Steakhouse Expansion (177 Park Ave.)
• Ross Dress for Less (27 South First St.)