San Jose ranked top metro for immigrant success

A report entitled "Immigrants and Opportunities in American Cities" ranked US metros that were most likely to help immigrants succeed. The criteria included household incomes, innovation, staffing in essential occupations like nursing, and measures of cultural appeal.

San Jose took home the gold medal as the city most likely to help immigrants succeed. San Jose was followed by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson in Maryland, San Francisco-Oakland in 3rd place, and Seattle in 4th.

Also included in the study was a note that metros with higher immigrant populations tended to preform better than other places in terms of income, startup businesses, and productivity.

As a product of two immigrants, I'm happy to see San Jose continue to be a welcoming environment to newcomers.

Source: SVBJ

28th Annual Assyrian Food Festival

One of the biggest benefits of living in San Jose is diversity. It's amazing that we have access to so many events each year celebrating different cultures. This weekend is the 28th Assyrian Food Festival. The two day event also features dancing, live entertainment, exotic teas, coffee, parties, arts, a raffle and of course a ton of authentic Assyrian cuisine.

The event runs from 11am to 11pm on Saturday and 11am to 9pm on Sunday at the Assyrian Church of the East (680 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125). Admission and parking are both free. For more info head over to assyrianfoodfestival.org.

Content 10th Anniversary Pick-Up Party

San Jose's leading publication focused on art and culture is celebrating 10 years in print on March 3rd with the release of issue 14.2 "Sight & Sound." As is tradition, Content kicks off each issue with a party, often including the people featured in the magazine. This time around, they are returning to the venue of one of their very first parties--the San Pedro Square Market.

Issue 14.2 features: Culture Night Market, Brandon “BQ” Quintanilla; 6th Street Studios, Abby Bettencourt; Baunfire, Juan Sanchez; Cartoonist/Writer, Trinidad Escobar; Artist/Muralist, Manuel Villagran; Artist, Caia Koopman; Photographer, Alex Knowbody; Tabrizi Productions, Faran Tabrizi; Photo 125, San Jose State Photographers; Musician, Bennett Roth-Newell; Instrumentalist, Lidia Rodriguez; 408 Collective, Gabe Rangel, Jared Carbajal, Misa James, & Tyler Richards; and Album Picks by Needle to the Groove.

There will be live music, courtesy of the artists in the latest issue, along with an assortment of local artwork on display.

This special event runs from 7pm-9:30pm at the San Pedro Square Market on March 3rd. Subscribers, features, and contributors will get a free drink and gift upon entry.

Content Pick-Up Party 12.4 "Profiles"

San Jose's premier art & culture magazine is resuming their "pick-up parties" with issue 13.4 on September 3rd--conveniently coinciding with the First Friday Art Walk. You can pick up your latest issue at Parque de Los Pobladores between 6pm-8pm and then check out the galleries and restaurants of SoFA. They'll even have live music, visual art, and mini auto show. What sort of magazine does that for their subscribers?

Speaking of which, if you're not already a subscriber you can learn more about the magazine over here.

In partnership with First Friday Art Walk - Content Magazine celebrates the release of issue 13.4 "Profiles" at Parque de Los Pobladores.

About this event

Join Content Magazine for the first outdoor Pick-Up Party of 2021 on Friday, September 3rd from 6:00-8:00pm in partnership with First Friday Art Walk.

This Pick-Up Party celebrates the release of Issue 13.4 "Profiles."

Featuring:

Low Conspiracy | Warren Chang | San Jose Foos | Annmariz | Aulala Design | 2021 West Valley Fashion Designers | Kaylee Dougherty | Barely Funktional | HeadHunter Crew | FlipSide Lovers | Francisco J Zarate | Google Downtown West | Needle to the Groove Album Picks

Connect with one another in this open outdoor setting and experience a blend of music by Barely Funktional and FlipSide Lovers, along with special guest performances, and visual art by Warren Chang, Francisco J Zarate, Jackelin Solorio, and more. Plus a special visit by Low Conspiracy Car Club.

It is a packed two hour event. We hope you will join us and stay and explore First Friday Art Walk. Open from 5-10pm.

We have missed you and cannot wait to see you!!

This event is made possible by Heritage Bank.

ArtWalk SJ + STREET MRKT

This month, South FIRST FRIDAYS is supersized with the return of our annual summer street market. All art venues will be open for in-person visits from 5pm-9pm, as will the indie urban street market featuring over 50 artists, performers, and creatives. You can't miss it since the market will take over a chunk of SoFA. Of course there will be great food and drinks as well.

For more info head over here.

Participating Artists & Indie Creatives:

Atiso Garden

Delilah Bender

Bolo Vintage

Caesura

Calpulli Tonalehqueh Aztec Dance (7:30pm)

Calli Miquiztli

Arely Cardenas

Classic Loot

Content Magazine

Jhovany R De Ala

Sharon Deibert

Kirsten Dorsey

Ruben Escalante

Faerie Goatmother

Kristin Fjeldheim 

FUSE Presents

Mark Gomez

Cynthia Gonzalez

Hand in Hand Henna

Matty Heimgartner

Higher Fire Clayspace & Gallery

Christine Hofstetter

Maureen Holcomb 

Inside Out Clothing

KathyKay Shirts & Kimonos

Nao Kondo

David Krase

Le Joe

LGBTQ Youth Space

The Local Creative Show

Frankie McFly

Joe Mandrick

Jodi Mascarenas

David Mejia

Poet Mighty Mike McGee + Friends

Bruce Miles

More Más Marami Arts

Sean Nash

Jean-Luc Pedanou

Leslie Perez Designs

Petite Galleria 

Plant Theory

Poetry Center San Jose

Al Preciado 

Francisco Ramirez

Marilyn Roaf 

SJ Institute of Contemporary Art

Second Hand Hustle

South Bay Burners 

Stay Tuft Rug Co.

Tochtli Wear

Willow Workshop Collective

Works San Jose

Zonkey Toys

In addition to neighborhood restaurants being open, we’ll have the 3 Brothers Kitchen and Road Doggs food trucks on site.

Beer Garden sponsored by LVL Uproar an independent brewery, gastropub and arcade now open in the SoFA District. Music provided by DJ Flipside Crew.

Silicon Valley Annual Check-up

In the video below Joint Venture CEO Russel Hancock summarizes the key learnings from the 2021 Silicon Valley Index. This year, special attention was paid to the impacts of the Coronavirus on our local economy. Other topics include income inequality, racial demographics, housing imbalances, patent registrations, and venture capital funding. The presentation provides an objective look at how our region is doing compared to previous years as well as the rest of the country.

If you find the content interesting, you can also read the whole 150-page study over here.

St. Patty's Day in Downtown San Jose

Downtown San Jose will be illuminated in green until March 17th for St. Patrick's Day. If you are in the area, these are the places you should pay special attention to:

• Security and Leticia Buildings at 70 S. First St.
• Twohy Building at 210 S. First St.
• The Pavilion at 150 S. First St.
• Circle of Palms on S. Market Street.
• Post Street between S. Market and S First streets
• San Pedro Square
• Fairmont Anex
• Bamboo Panda Mural on S. First St.

"Lucky the Leprechaun" will also be making an appearance at more than 30 different Downtown businesses. If you find him, take a photo and share it on social media with #DTSJlucky or #DTSJlove to be entered in a drawing for gift cards.

If you're looking for themed events, Ludwig's German Table will have a St. Patty's Day stand up comedy show featuring 5 local comics, Mezcal will be serving up Green Margarita's, and Plant Lush is discounting their Oxalis "shamrock" plants by 17% this week (if you find one with a 4-leaf clover it's free).

We could use a bit of luck right now, as could our local businesses so let's support them!

Go Vote!

San Jose and Santa Clara County voting locations can be found over here.

New San Jose Flag

Pop quiz, do you know what the San Jose flag looks like?

Here is a quick reminder:

It doesn't quite seem to represent the San Jose of today. Bushels of wheat and grape vines have little to do with our current culture of innovation, technology, diversity, or entrepreneurship. There was an attempt to redesign this flag in 2016, but it never gained traction.

Abhinav Ganesh has created a modernized version of the San Jose flag. It's clean and easy to remember. The sun iconography is also used in official City logos and reminds us of our 300 days of sunshine each year. Here is the official description of the unofficial redesign:

"the triangular shape represents the Santa Clara Valley, the triangles represent the mountains at our borders, and the sun represents our warmth and lofty aspirations. The blue and gold colors, currently used by the city, are also California's official colors."

If you would like to support the initiative to modernize the flag, Abhinav has started selling the new flags and donating $10 to local charities for each sale. You can learn more over here.

New San Jose Landmark Proposals!

After years of planning, we finally have an opportunity to make an internationally recognized landmark for San Jose! Urban Confluence Silicon Valley has collected hundreds of idea submissions from around the globe for an iconic landmark that incorporates modern technology, history, art, architecture, engineering, and place-making. These came from architects, artists, urban planners, and development enthusiasts from 72 different countries across 6 continents.

The next step is to choose three finalists that will each receive $150,000 to refine and re-develop their concept. After that a single winner will be chosen around April 2021 and fundraising would begin for what could be a $100 million+ project next to the SAP Center on the Arena Green.

I've gone through all 960 submissions, and some are truly epic. Below are images of my personal favorites. I love so many of these, but my vote would go to the Infinity Ring at the end (check out the video). It looks amazing despite the 200ft height restriction, you can walk inside it to cross the river while getting a view of San Jose, and it can do some impressive lighting effects than amplify it's coolness. Which is your favorite?

List of Top Submissions
List of all Submissions

The Ring

Ode To Nature

The Statue of Innovation

The Bulb

Urban Spiral

The Caterpillar

Super Natural Skypark

San Jose

Kinetic Obelisk

Land Lux

The Guadaloop

The Infinity Ring

Downtown refreshed with 10 new student art works

Coronavirus epidemics halts program – but not before receiving 75 submissions

SAN JOSE – San Jose Downtown Foundation art selection committee has chosen 10 new Downtown Doors from 98 art works submitted by area high school students before COVID-19 sent students and teachers home to study for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

The 10 doors will freshen the downtown as businesses reopen and some employees return to work.  Like the judging session, a virtual reception took place over Zoom Thursday, June 18.

“As businesses begin to recover from the COVID-19 virus, we want downtown looking vibrant with art,” said Ramona Snyder, SJDF board president.  “With funding already secured from the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, SVCreates and private donors such as Comerica Bank and Ernest and Irene Pestana Chari, we’re moving forward with half of the Downtown Doors program for this fiscal year and plans to proceed with the program when teachers and students are working together again.”

In its 17^th year, the number of Downtown Doors in the city’s center has reached 302.  Downtown Doors occupies 110 sites located mostly on busy pedestrian rotes through the downtown core.  Student artworks are digitized onto vinyl coatings that are attached in their full colorful splendor to service doors and utility boxes throughout downtown.

“Downtown Doors provides young artists the opportunity to publicly express themselves,” Snyder added.  “Students of all ethnicities and demographics have been posting their messages of change and hope downtown for 16 years now.”

In past years, Downtown Doors art works have paid tribute to strong women and the courageousness of parent and grandparent immigrants.  Several selections this year – submitted in January and February before pandemic or the call for racial change -- are self-expressions.

“As always, the art selected is amazing,” said Jessica Vuong, program coordinator.  “I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

Program donors and sponsors include:  City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs; Adobe, Comerica Charitable Foundation; Ernest and Irene Pestana Charitable Foundation; and SVCreates, and Councilmember Johnny Khamis.

Site hosts for the 2020 art work includes:  50 West, San Jose State University/Hammer Theatre Center; City of San Jose, Il Fornaio/Westin St. Claire; Fairmont San Jose; and The Studio Climbing Gym.

Art selection Committee: James Morgan of SJSU; Jeannine Flores, Santa Clara County Office of Education; Jeff Bordona, San Jose Museum of Art; Michael Ogilvie, San Jose Director of Public Art; Charlie McCollum, SJDF Trustee; and the Board of Trustees and Downtown Association staff which selected the 10^th door today.

The Downtown Doors Class of 2020 includes:

We Love San Jose Coloring Book

It's great to see people still being creative despite the lock-down. The Kirsten Reilly Silicon Valley Realty Team put together something pretty amazing--a coloring book highlighting San Jose landmarks!

They gathered ideas from San Jose residents on their favorite places and commissioned an artist to create the book. Inside you'll find City Hall, the California Theater, Five Wounds Church, the Japanese Friendship Gardens, Municipal Rose Garden, the San Pedro Square Market, Winchester Mystery House, and several others.

The coloring book is free and you can download it over here.

San Jose Goes Virtual

Searchlight San Jose has a great post about how San Jose businesses are now providing virtual experiences. Great America has virtual rides, Happy Hollow is providing photos and Zoom backgrounds, History San Jose is posting historical artifacts (including a terrifying Chuck E. Cheese animatronic). Museums like the SJMA, The Tech, and the Winchester Mystery House are doing virtual tours.

When it comes to shopping, SJMade has put together a very cool online storefront designed like a 16-bit video game. All of the items sold here are made by San Jose craftsmen.

Head over to Searchlight San Jose to see the full list of virtual experiences to keep you entertained for the next for weeks.

Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice returns for 24th season!

Iconic outdoor ice rink open daily Nov. 15, 2018 - Jan. 12, 2019

SAN JOSE – Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice will be front and center among downtown San Jose holiday attractions from Nov. 15 through Jan. 12.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic gold medal winner in women’s figure skating, will celebrate the opening of San Jose’s ice season with sponsors on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.

Yamaguchi adds her name to support the rink for the ninth time, and her Always Dream Foundation will again be a rink beneficiary.

This will be Downtown Ice’s 16th year in the Circle of Palms and 24th year overall.  More than 50,000 skaters and 120,000 of their friends are expected to visit the ice this season.  The rink generates more than $4 million in economic impact to San Jose.

As usual, the palms of the Circle of Palms will be lit with thousands of color-changing LED lights for skaters who pay one fee for unlimited skating time and skate rental.

Admission costs $18 for adults and $15 for children 10 years and younger.

Downtown Ice is presented by Alaska Airlines in association with Google, First Tech Credit Union and Swenson.

Proceeds from the Dec. 16 Santa Run Silicon Valley help support Downtown Ice.  Sign up at santarunsv.com.

During November, early December and after the holidays in January, Downtown Ice is open 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight on Friday; noon-midnight on Saturday; and noon-9 p.m. on Sunday.  During the winter break, the rink is open 11 a.m.-midnight daily.  Special hours apply to the holidays. 

The rink phone number is (408) 610-4055.  Details are at downtownicesj.com.

Parking information is at http://parksj.org

Admission:

Children 10 & younger, Seniors and Military: $15

10 years & older: $18

Bring your own skates: $10

Cash, Paypal, Visa, Mastercard and Discover Card accepted. Admission includes ice time and rental skates (skate sizes range from toddler 8 to men's 15) 

Skate all you want (no in-and-out privileges). First-come, first-serve.

Address (starting November 16):  120 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113

Phone: (408) 279-1775 (SJDA); (408) 610-4055 (rink, starting Nov. 15)

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The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), established 1986, is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose. SJDA advocates on issues that affect downtown business and property owners; enhances the image of downtown and attract new visitors through year-round marketing, public relations, and special events; and collaborates with its Property-Based Improvement District (PBID) for ongoing improvements to downtown’s cleanliness, security, aesthetics and delivery of services.

Live version of "San Jose" by Grace Kelly

Below is a live version of the new song entitled "San Jose" by Grace Kelly. This was a casual recording at the Clos LaChance Winery and I'm sure it won't be the last time you'll see a live version of this performed in Silicon Valley. For more details on the son and to see the official music video, head over here.

"San Jose" - a beautiful new anthem for our city!

Grace Kelly is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Auckland that has been visiting San Jose since she was eight years old. Her father used to work in San Jose and live in Santana Row and she would visit him during her time off of school. She even bought her first electric guitar in San Jose.

Many of us that have been here for decades are jaded. Honestly, we have probably seen more downs than ups and more broken promises than success stories. However, the last decade has been quite good for San Jose and the song tells a story of a new generation of people that see San Jose for what it is today without the decades of bias.

Grace Kelly's "San Jose" is, without a doubt, the best song about San Jose since Dionne Warwick's "Do you Know the Way to San Jose" in 1968. Yes... that was 51 years ago. A lot has changed since then and I'm not sure the lyrics are entirely accurate anymore (read them here for your entertainment).

The new song is pop with a hint of Nashville. It's a little eclectic, kind of like San Jose. It's upbeat, catchy, and I seriously hope it makes it's way into mainstream music channels.

For the San Jose nerds out there, you'll find all sorts of scenes from San Jose in the official music video below, including:

• Downtown San Jose
• The Improv
• St. Joseph's Cathedral
• Transit Corridor
• SJSU
• Paseo de San Antonio
• SAP Center
• the Tech Interactive
• SoFA
• Santana Row
• The San Jose Flea Market
• Willow Glen
• Japantown
• East San Jose foothills

Please give it a watch and share with your friends.

"A Night in Napoli" at Trianon Theatre on June 16th

On June 16th, Italian-born President of the Jury, Antonio Pompa-Baldi will host an unforgettable opening concert, "A Night in Napoli" at the sublime Trianon Theatre in downtown San Jose. This will kick off the ONLY international piano competition in Northern California: The San Jose International Piano Competition. Thirty contestants, ages 18 to 32 will fly in from 13 countries to compete. Anyone, regardless of music interest, be it jazz, hip hop, rock, or blues to become inspired. 

The opening night will include Italian appetizers and entrees (from ten local Italian eateries!) and wine. Pompa-Baldi is SJIPC's Jury President and a Van Cliburn medalist. 

This is the 19th annual competition. SJIPC is a nonprofit that works all year guiding, educating, and providing one-on-one mentorship to young people and children of all ages to learn, appreciate, and strive in piano. Music-lovers can dive into 8 days of events, mixers, masterclasses, and competition rounds starting on June 16th and ending on June 23rd. 

Events, both paid and free, will be held in San Jose, CA at the historic Trianon Theater (its last year as a public space) and San Jose State University.The contestants and attendees will immerse themselves into a week of music, education, and community. Contestants practice 5 to 8 hours every day!  The mission of SJIPC for almost 20 years has been to provide excellence in education and performance while nurturing the love of classical music. Many go on to win awards all around the world or to prestigious piano careers. 

Our community will have access to a week of free and paid performances of the highest caliber, fun mixers, and an inspiring master class. This will be a rare a unique and unforgettable experience. Pompa-Baldi, who does not reside in California, will lead a not-to-be-missed Master Class on June 21st. 

Please support our local music arts by visiting www.sjipc.com for the schedule, tickets, and to learn of the the various ways you can become involved.

5 reasons to buy your ticket, attend free competition rounds or donate to SJIPC 

1. It is motivating and inspiring to go for your own dreams and challenge yourself when you see making a challenging dream their #1 priority. Seeing students in San Jose and from around the world dedicated, mind, body, and soul, to polishing a skill that takes a lifetime of patience, practice, and perseverance...encourages us to root for others AND ourselves.  

2. We believe our core job is to encourage children and young adults to be their best at every moment of performance or practice as they pursue excellence.  We are mentors to our students, guiding them one-on-one through frustration, setbacks, and mistakes, and cheering for them when they improve, gain confidence, and triumph. Whatever the chosen field, SJIPC contestants learn lifetime values that will nurture them in all areas of life. 

3. We provide opportunities for the community to experience the highest caliber of piano performance in public spaces, like libraries, where we have Competition winners perform for the public. We feel classical piano is for all. We don't forget the reactions on peoples' faces when they hear the sounds of the keys of a SJIPC winner. It is awe and joy. We believe in accessibility to the learning, appreciation, and joy of classical piano.

4. This success story. Six years ago, a young 14  year old teenager flew over from Vietnam to compete. We worked with the community to provide lodging for her and her mother that they could not afford. As she competed, it was made known she was self-taught, she had NO access to teachers.  SJIPC provided her with sponsored masterclasses from every jury member, and then we had her taken to one of the  best piano teachers in the world. This tutor was one of Rachmaninoff's only students. She returned to SJIPC and received an Honorable Mention. We smiled through tears as she received a coveted SJIPC competition prize of a scholarship to a summer piano festival in Europe. It was a life-changing transformation. She dared to dream and we helped make the dream a reality. 

5. We pride ourselves in a transparent, honest competition and we are committed to making sure our Jury and contestants adhere to fair competition values and practices. This is why we have one of the most respected piano competitions in the world. Need more reason? We help mold world-renowned pianists. The 2012 winner of SJIPC, won the Gold Medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition yesterday. This is the most prestigious piano competition in the world! 

-Anna Bagirov 

Music in the Park 2019

With the recent weather it is hard to believe summer is just around the corner. This year's lineup for Music in the Park includes oldies from the The Delfonics, Latin rock/funk/hip-hop from Ozomatli, pop from Cuco, and reggae from J Boog. Early bird tickets start at only $10 and VIP tickets with private seating, a drink ticket, and nicer restrooms go for $35. You can get your tickets right over here.

Atlas Obscura - San Jose

Atlas Obscura is an interesting site that show unique or historical spots within a city. Their mission is "to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share." It is often used by travelers when planning trips to new places.

Atlas Obscura has a section for San Jose, but it has only 14 entries. This is compares to 168 entries for San Francisco or 324 for Manhattan. Heck, even Sacramento had 13 attractions listed. So what can we do about it? At the very end of the page, we can submit more suggestions for unique places and things to do in San Jose. Just head over here to see the current list and add your suggestions.

Hat tip to Kyle O'Dea for sending this in.

"Will a Vibrant New Skyline Finally Give San Jose a Sense of Place?"

There is a great article about San Jose in Redshift, a publication about the future of "making" that specializes in architecture and design. Silicon Valley is growing up, and creating a sense of place will become a very important part of our future. The article mentions the multitude of projects coming our way in the near future. Over 5.5 million SQFT of projects are in the works, including MIRO (two 28-story high-rise apartments), Modera, and Invicta. The new projects will connect Downtown and are more about placemaking than facades. The long term architectural strategy for one San Jose architect, Stenberg Hart, is creating buildings that impose an architectural point of view on San Jose and catalyze the community. The end goal is helping San Jose create a unique local culture that will eventually shape the overall aesthetic of the city.

To read the article, head over here.