Asian Fusion Restaurant Replacing P.F. Chang's Location Downtown

There is so much restaurant news Downtown that I'm having a hard time keeping up! Perhaps the biggest news in the past month is that the flagship 7,100 SQFT space at the corner of San Fernando and Second Street that was occupied by PF Chang's has already been leased. The turnaround time here was dramatically faster than replacing E&O Trading Company... another key restaurant that disappeared years ago whose space is now filled by Nemea (a big improvement in my opinion).

M Lounge Bar and Restaurant is the name of the upscale Asian fusion restaurant going into 98 S. Second Street and filling a key corner in Downtown San Jose. Ashwini Kumar is the restaurateur and is already known for Madhuban Indian, which is located in San Jose (50 Skyport Drive) and Sunnyvale (544 Lawrence Expressway). M Lounge will be a mix of Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Indian cuisine. Clocking in a 260 seats, it will also be one of the largest restaurants Downtown.

M Lounge has signed a 5-year lease, so expect them to be around for quite a while. The target opening date is August, but that might be a little optimistic. I can't wait to try this place out!

Source: SVBJ

Blach Moving HQ to San Jose

Blach Construction is a 44-year-old general contractor that has built offices for Stanford, Kaiser, and Silver Lake Partners. They have been renting in Santa Clara (about 26,000 SQFT) but have decided to take a big step up and purchase an 88,000 SQFT R&D building in North San Jose. Of that space, they will occupy 54,000 SQFT--still giving the company plenty of room to grow--and leasing the rest to Laird Technologies.

Blach plans on putting $7 million in improvements to their new San Jose headquarters at 2040 Fortune Drive. They are hoping to stay there for generations to come.

Source: SVBJ

Hermitage Brewing Company to Tap Very Limited Barrel-Aged Beers

On Thurs., May 15 at 4pm, Hermitage Brewing Company is set to tap four very limited amounts of barrel-aged beers in their San Jose brewery and tap room at 1627 South 7th Street. The aged beers will be a brown, vanilla porter, Maltopia Scotch Ale and Maltopia Scotch Ale made with apricots. The tap room will be the only place offering these beers, and I can't wait to try them.

Hermitage Brewing, established in 2009, provides contract brewing services for other brewing companies, but they've been making impressive beers of late, such as their Single Hop IPA series and their seasonal Ryetopia Barrel-Aged Rye Barley Wine.

The unique beers that Hermitage is making, along with the tapping parties, certainly go a long way to enhancing San Jose's beer scene.

If you haven't visited the Hermitage tap room yet, it's a bit tricky to get to as I indicated earlier today in my SanJose.com article (which also has more info. on the barrel-aged beers). Basically head south on 7th towards Phelan Ave. and look for signage at the last driveway on the right before hitting Phelan Ave. Proceed towards the back of the large industrial buildings.

If you do make it, please let me know what you think of the beers via comments.

Prost! Gun bae! Cheers!

Hermitage Brewing Company tasting room, Credits: Hermitage

New Urgent Care Clinic in Evergreen

Does anyone remember the Hollywood Video at the corner of Capital Expressway and Silver Creek in San Jose's Evergreen district? It was last used as a Spirit store last Halloween. This 8,480 SQFT space is being converted into an urgent care facility run by San Jose-based Action Urgent Care. The company just signed a ten-year lease so I think they will be there for quite a while.

Action Urgent Care has another location (pictured below I believe) at 1375 Blossom Hill Road. There is also a rumor that they will open another location in San Jose's Westgate Shopping Center.

The company provides walk-in services for emergencies that are not life threatening. This should be a big benefit to the community since the nearest major hospitals are 10-15 minutes away. Action Urgent Care is hoping to be ready for patients in June or July.

Source: SVBJ

VTA News - BRT Artwork and Real-time Bus/Light Rail Info

There were a couple nice tidbits of information related to VTA improvements in Sam Liccardo's latest newsletter. The first is a partnership between VTA and the City of San Jose to add localized artwork to 20 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations when they go online. Read the excerpt below for a listing of some of the stations:

"Several of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bus Rapid Transit stations will be getting enhancements  with public art thanks to a collaboration between VTA and the City of San Jose. 20 stations in all (most including an east/west bound) which will feature vibrant color and unique designs. The artists and each local community collaborated to capture each individual community's spirit. The designs range from informative to whimsical. The art project is in its 'design/development' stage and the stations receiving the art enhancements will include: The Arena (SAP Center), Santa Clara, City Hall, 17th, 24th, King, Jackson, Alum Rock, Story Road, Ocala, Eastridge."

The second bit of news is that VTA now provides their riders with real-time information on where buses and light rail trains are, so you'll never have to guess whether you missed a train or when the next one is arriving. Again, more details below:

"VTA has created a series of four videos to help our customers use their real-time information app for bus and light rail. These real-time information tools tell you when the next bus or train will arrive, which means you don’t have to carry a paper schedule, can anticipate bus arrivals in between published stop times, and can estimate when you’ll arrive at your destination.

Each describes how to access real-time information using a different tool: by calling 511 on your landline or cell phone; visiting m.511.org or 511.org on the Internet; or downloading the TransLoc mobile app for real time light rail information. The TransLoc app for real-time light rail information is also very popular. For more information visit VTA Realtime."

Erik's DeliCafe Moving HQ to San Jose!

Erik's has always been one of my favorite chain deli's. I don't know if its the sprouts or the mason jars, but there is something about this place that seems to have more character than you typical sandwich shop (especially in their Downtown San Jose location with historic photos plastered all over the walls). The company was founded in 1973 in Scotts Valley and now has over 30 locations. Wanting to get closer to where the action is and scale up, they have decided to move over the hill to The Alameda right outside Downtown San Jose.

By moving their HQ to San Jose, they believe it will be easier to attract potential franchisees. They are also looking for corporate locations, very similar to what Specialties has been doing. Also in the plans is to remodel many of their stores with more modern interiors, support in the kitchen for panini sandwiches, and at the front of the house online ordering.

I think Erik's DeliCafe is a welcome addition to San Jose and I hope they find all of the success they are looking for.

Source: SVBJ

Happy Mother's Day!

If you woke up this morning and are still trying to figure out what to do for Mother's Day today, the San Jose Food Blog has some good recommendations over here. Congrats and Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!

5 Year Anniversary of TSJB, San Jose Population Hits 1 Million!!!

Today marks this blog's fifth anniversary, which is quite a long time in the local blogosphere! I was feeling a bit nostalgic, so I decided to pull up the very first post from May 10th, 2009:

Born and raised in San Jose, I've had the opportunity to witness this city's amazing transformation from a midsized suburban town into the 10th largest city in the US, the capital of Silicon Valley, and a incubator for innovation and entrepreneurship. The goal of this blog is to highlight new developments in San Jose as well as to visually show a side of the city that many people haven't seen before.  Major changes are underway, and there hasn't been a better time to be a San Josean. Cheers to the future!

I still stand by this statement today, but I have to admit that this really doesn't tell the full story on the blog's origins. Five years ago it was estimated that San Jose broke one million residents. I thought this was a cause for celebration, but I noticed in a couple of online forums when the news broke out instead of congratulating San Jose, the city was getting berated. Posters complained about San Jose's lack of culture, development, and downtown area. In essence, the theme was that San Jose did not deserve to be a city of a million people. Of course, the guys from Skyscraper City and I quickly rose to the challenge and vehemently defended our city. However, I didn't think that was enough. I wanted to prove to the world that San Jose is already a great place and it is developing and innovating at a rapid pace. That was the real impetus for the blog.

When the official census numbers came out a year later in 2010, San Jose did not hit the million mark in population. The figure came out to only 945,952 residents, definitely a disappointment.

Fast forward to 2014. San Jose is again estimated to have hit the million mark, except this time it is an official government statistic and will almost certainly stick by the time the 2020 census comes around. The exact figure released by the California Department of Finance is 1,006,892 residents.

This time the reaction is quite a bit different. There is very little negativity or mockery coming from the news, and even a few San Franciscans have offered congratulations on online forums. It you look at the San Jose of today, it is very different than five years ago. Downtown is booming. The restaurant scene has exploded, multiple cranes are up for major projects, the San Pedro Square Market is bringing people from across the Bay into the area, the convention center is expanded, and I have never seen so many people on the streets over the weekends. As far as infrastructure goes, San Jose is getting BART in a few short years, it will be the core of a new and extensive Bus Rapid Transit system, and Light Rail is going to get several improvements and a new line. In terms of pro sports (a big draw), over the last five years two major stadiums were approved in the area and are well under construction: the Earthquakes stadium at the edge of Downtown and the $1.3 billion Levi's Stadium less than a mile away from San Jose's border. Both will have a big impact on tourism and the area's brand. Lastly, over the last half decade millions of square feet in office have been added with several million more to come. San Jose has become a clear choice for large tech companies that need a large amount of space as well as startups looking for a more urban atmosphere and public transit.

The last five years have had their ups and downs, but I think we are hitting this marker on a very high note. The next five years are going to be much more exciting and I can't wait to see where we'll be in 2019.

Hope you all have a great weekend, Cheers!

Photo by LastLightBender

Reboot:music Live! Tomorrow at The Tech

The Tech will be hosting unique musical event tomorrow in conjunction with their new "Reboot:music" exhibit. Several world-class electronic musicians will be performing beside the largest exhibition of interactive and collaborative digital music installations ever created. To get a feel for some of the performances, here are a handful of Youtube videos featuring the artists.

Reboot:music Live!

Saturday, May 10

7:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

Admission $20

This event is 21 and over only. 

The Tech Museum of Innovation brings you a world-class lineup of live electronic musicianship, staged amid the largest exhibition of interactive, collaborative digital music installations ever created. Unleash your inner musician and immerse yourself in a new world of musical performances led by revolutionaries who are redefining the intersection of humans and machines.

Panel discussion with the artists moderated by ANI starts at 7:00 p.m. 

Performances by:  

• Daedelus
• Jeremy Ellis
• Onyx Ashanti
• Author & Punisher
• Daniel Bekman

Engage with instrument builders, fellow music enthusiasts, and creative tech luminaries. Inspire your creative spirit with 16 interactive installations in our REBOOT:music exhibition. REBOOT:music Live! is the ultramodern experience that you won't want to miss.

Contributing Curators: LoveTech

Walmart Grocery Store Will Anchor Monterey Road Shopping Center

Yet another Walmart Neighborhood Market is coming to San Jose. This one will be a 50,000 SQFT anchor store at the new Sun Garden Center on Monterey Road. It is expected that it will open in Q4 of this year.

This location is near Spartan Stadium and the Plant Shopping Center. Sun Garden will also have space for a 44,576 anchor store and 4-5 smaller retail spots for restaurants or banks.

Source: SVBJ

The National Hispanic University is Shutting its Doors

After 30 years of educating first-gen college students with Latino backgrounds, The National Hispanic University is shutting down in 2015. It is the only private institution of its kind west of the Mississippi. The closure is due to financial issues and you can read the full story over at the source link below.

Source: NPR, Hat tip to Tim Reed

Sourisseau News: Air Corps

In the latest installment of the Sourisseau News you can get a nice areal view of San Jose in 1930. Have a look using the two minute video embedded below.


Air Corps from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Orchard Park Coming to North San Jose

The New Home Co. is building a 239 home community in North San Jose called Orchard Park. The development will consist of a variety of townhomes, flats, and courts (homes surrounding courtyards) ranging from 1,600 to 2,150 SQFT. You can pretty much forget any new single family homes going up anywhere North of Downtown, all of the new housing is going to be much higher density from now on.

Orchard Park is a master planned community that will feature both a new 1-acre park and a 2-acre river path which will be an extension of the San Jose Coyote Creek Trail. There will also be a community center with a bocce ball court, community room, and dining areas. The project will be close to the new Berryessa BART Station and just two miles away from SJC.

They should have a sales office with model homes near the intersection of Old Oakland Road and East Brokaw Road up soon. Prices will start at $700,000 and I have a feeling they will go pretty quickly.

Sources: Commercial Property Executive, SVBJ

Couple of New One South Market Shots

Below are a couple of new wide angle One South Market shots courtesy of Jeff Arko. Most shots of One South are taken from Santa Clara Street, but these were taken just north of Santa Clara in the parking lot between Market and 1st. One South is really helping fill the skyline from this angle and still has at least six more floors to go before being topped off. I can't wait to see this building when it's done, especially at night when the LEDs are on. I added a couple of renders for reference on what this will end up looking like.

Cinco de Mayo @ El Jardin

El Jardin at the end of Santana Row is throwing a big Cinco de Mayo celebration (it actually started yesterday). Throughout today and tomorrow they will have live mariachi and salsa music, Mayan and Folklorico dance performances, games, pinatas, DJs, dancing, and a huge selection of tequilas. Of course they will also feature Mexican street food like carnitas, carne asada, and barbacoa tacos. The festivities go from noon to 10pm both today and tomorrow.

Saturday Stats: San Jose Metro is the #1 Best Big City for Jobs!

San Jose just nailed the top stop in a study listing the best big cities for jobs in Forbes. Our metro area had 982,000 jobs in 2013, job growth was 4.3% last year, and job growth over the last 5 years was 8.1%.

All 398 metropolitan statistical areas were put through their paces in the survey, and the largest 66 metros were all competing with San Jose. Our neighbor San Francisco came in second (their 2013 job growth was 3.6%) and New York City came in 7th (2013 job growth was 2.2%).

This is a huge statistical win for San Jose. Sometimes you have to separate out the real numbers from all of the media hype going around for other regions.

Source: Forbes, Hat tip to Dan De La O

FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk Today!

Tonight come enjoy the amazing weather at the FIRST FRIDAYS art walk in Downtown San Jose's SoFA district! 20 venues are participating and the galleries will be open at least from 7-11pm. For a full lineup of the art on display and a walking map, head over to the South FIRST FRIDAYS website over here.

Santana Row Summer Events

Santana Row May 2014 Happenings

And a Look Ahead to June and July

Events, Promotions, New Openings at Silicon Valley’s Premier Destination


 

 

San Jose, CA (April 22, 2014) – When temperatures warm up, so do the activities at Santana Row! In May, enjoy a glamorous evening for a good cause at the second annual Beauty Bash. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a popular spot near Santana Row Park. On Saturdays in May, learn to salsa at a free dance lessons or salute the sun with complimentary yoga classes. The month of May also welcomes the return of Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too. Looking ahead, mark your calendars for June 7: the popular summer fashion shows features 49er Vernon Davis on the runway!

 

Free Yoga on Saturdays, presented by Lululemon Athletica

Saturdays, May 3 through September 27, 8:30 a.m.

Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine at Park Valencia every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. from May through September. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Lululemon,408.557.8721.

 

Free Latin Dance Classes, presented by Cheryl Burke Dance

Saturdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 5 p.m.

Learn to salsa, samba or merengue with professional dancers from Cheryl Burke Dance! The lessons take place in Park Valencia at 5 p.m. every Saturday in May.

 

The Promise Walk for Preclampsia

Saturday, May 3, walk begins at 10 a.m.

Santana Row is the location for the 2014 San Jose Promise Walk, a national event for the Preeclampsia Foundation. The non-profit organization is dedicated to reducing maternal and infant illness and death from preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy.The annual walk supports innovative research and raises public awareness about the warning signs of preeclampsia.

The registration desk opening at 9 a.m. in Santana Row Park (across from Left Bank Brasserie). The route is through Santana Row.

Visit The Promise Walk website for more information about the San Jose Promise Walk. Registration is available online and non-walkers are welcome to support walkers and walking teams.

 

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo!

Monday, May 5, noon to 9 p.m.

The Mexican holiday is commemorated with special menu items, drink specials, live entertainment and more at El Jardin. Sip on a refreshing cocktails under the giant oak tree while listening to music.

 

Mother’s Day Gift-with-Purchase Offer: Tickets to San Jose Repertory Theatre’s production of The Big Meal

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11

Give mom something that extends the gift beyond Mother’s Day!

Purchase a Santana Row gift card for $200 or more and receive two complimentary tickets to San Jose Repertory Theatre’s production of The Big Meal by Dan Le Franc, which runs through June 1, 2014. (Limit, one pair per customer, while supplies last.)

 

A description of The Big Meal: In a quintessential American restaurant, two people meet, fall in love and begin the messy process of creating a life. From birth to that inevitable last course – and every corn dog, calamari and Cadillac Margarita in between – a potluck of characters’ lives fly by like short order fare as five generations experience joy, heartache, love and loss. Expect humor and heartache as this off Broadway hit serves up a veritable theatrical feast. Le Franc is the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award Winner.

 

Also offered for your special mom: gift sets, suggestions below or design your own. Available atSantanaRow.com, the concierge office or by calling408.551.4611.

 

Date Night  ($155)

·         Dinner for two at LB Steak

·         Movie for two PLUS a large popcorn @ Cine Arts Theatre

·         Dessert for two @ Kara’s Cupcakes

·         Complimentary Valet Parking

 

Wine & Dine ($150)

·         Four glasses of Wine at Vintage Wine Merchants

·         Two signature Santana Row wine glasses

·         Dinner for two at Left Bank-

·         Complimentary Valet Parking

 

Mom’s Relaxation ($175)

·         A 50-minute Pure Relaxation Massage from Burke Williams with a complimentary  hot Stone enhancement

·         Blowout from The Drybar

·         Complimentary Valet Parking

 

Just For Her ($145)

·         Blowout at Drybar

·         A manicure & pedicure @ Lavande Nail Spa

·         Make-up application at Atelier Aveda

·         Complimentary Valet Pass

 

 

Second Annual Beauty Bash: A Benefit for Dress for Success

Wednesday, May 7, 6 to 9 p.m.

Join some of Silicon Valley’s most buzzed-about fashion bloggers and editors and their  fresh style and beauty voices Beauty Bash!

For the second year, Santana Row brings together pampering and primping for a good cause. Beauty Bash is an evening of style and beauty tips with makeup, hair and fashion experts, retailers and salons.

New this year: Gastronomique en Vogue (GEV) magazine will give guests a chance to test themselves posing like a cover model and an after-party at 

Hotel Valencia caps the evening of fashionable fun.

It’s all to raise funds for Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that provides interview suits, confidence boosts and career development to low-income women.

The public is invited to shop, nibble and enjoy cocktails while talking to the style experts who will be stationed at more than a dozen stops, including C. Wonder, Calypso St. Barth, Atelier Aveda, 100% Pure, Kate Spade New York, Loft, Drybar, Jest Jewels, Scotch & Soda, Diesel and Brooks Brothers. Guests are invited to try the latest hair and make-up trends and receive personalized consultations from the experts. A mini-magazine with a collection of tips and inspirations from the experts is a special gift.

Tickets are $20, or $15 with the donation of a gently used accessory (jewelry, bags, scarves) and available at SantanaRow.com beginning April 14. Guests receive a "passport” for in-store events, a wine glass (wine will be poured in the stores) and a gift bag.

Don’t miss out on this glamorous evening of philanthropy and fashion!

Provenance Wine Dinner at Citrus in Hotel Valencia

Thursday, May 8th, 7 p.m. seating time

Enjoy a prix fixe five-course dinner with wine pairings, featuring globally-influential California cuisine. Price is $68 per person, exclusive of 20 percent service charge/gratuity and 8.75 percent tax. Reservations and pre-payment required. Please call 408.423.5405.

 

Cielo at Hotel Valencia, Grand Opening for the Season

Thursday, May 15, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Enjoy breathtaking sunset views overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains at Cielo, Hotel Valencia’s seventh floor rooftop terrace, open during the warm months of the year. Sample paella, sangria and an assortment of passed tapas for $20 while listening to live flamenco-style music. Reservations required. Call408.423.5405. You must be 21 years of age or older.

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too

Tuesday, May 13 and every Tuesday through December

The popular kids’ club returns for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Meet “Super Why” at a meet and greet, courtesy of KQED. Families will also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more.

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visitwww.SantanaRow.com.

 

 

A look ahead to June and July…

Santana Row’s Annual Summer Fashion Shows

Featuring Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers

Saturday, June 7, two shows at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

This popular summer event returns for the sixth year with two poolside runway shows at Santana Heights and a catwalk appearance by the popular 49er.

A portion of the sales will benefit the Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts, created by the athlete/artist/philanthropist to promote art education and art appreciation among youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As always, the shows will feature the season’s best fashions for women and men as well as style surprises and special guests.

Runway shows are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Included in the price of the $50 ticket is poolside seating to view the fashion show, access to the Beauty Lounge, pre-event champagne, wine and light hors d’oeuvres, a Passion for Fashion shopping card that entitles guests to discounts around Santana Row, prize drawings and in-store events. Tickets go on sale in April at the concierge office and online atwww.SantanaRow.com.

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “All About Animals”

Tuesday, June 10 and every second Tuesdaythrough December

The popular kids’ club returns for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children.

Learn all about animals with special guests. Enjoy live performances by Andy Z, the San Jose Public Library and Ballet San Jose and participate in activites with Children’s Discover Museum, Let’s Play in Spanish, Club One and more. Take a photo for Dad for Father’s Day in Santana Row Park for $10.

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visitwww.SantanaRow.com.

 

Summer Solstice Wine Stroll: a benefit for the Bill Wilson Center

Saturday, June 21, 5 to 7 p.m.

Enjoy wine and food tastings, signature Santana Row wine glass and exclusive discounts to shops and restaurants, all to benefit the Bill Wilson Center, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling, housing and youth shelter for children, teens and young adults. The evening also includes a wine tasting seminar with ABC-TV’s Spencer Christian and a chance to bid on silent art auction items.

Tickets are $35 and available for purchase beginningMay 9 SantanaRow.com or inside of the Concierge Center.

 

Cars & Croissants

Saturday, June 28, and July 26, 9 a.m. to noon

Continuing on the last Saturday of every month through December

Santana Row partners with 100 OCT to present Cars & Croissants on The Row, a monthly gathering for exotic car owners and car enthusiasts. On the last Saturday of the month, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their car and mingle with other enthusiasts. This event is free and open to the public.

 

Retail Happy Hour

Wednesday, July 2 and every Wednesday in July and August, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Summer gets a bit hotter than usual at Santana Row as we introduce Retail Happy Hour, an invitation to shoppers to stop in different stores each week for music by DJs, raffles and exclusive discounts. The event is free and open to the public. Each week Santana Row will create a “passport” that lists the participating retail locations. The passport will be available online at SantanaRow.com, through Facebook, inside of participating shops and at the Concierge Center.

 

Fourth of July Summer Block Party

Friday, July 4, noon to 4 p.m.

An annual Santana Row tradition: enjoy big band entertainment in Park Valencia, stilt walkers and balloon artists. Browse racks of designer clothes at our annual sidewalk sample sale and enjoy exclusive discounts.

 

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Summertime Party”

Tuesday, July 8

Celebrate summer with a Santana Row style party! Enjoy live entertainment from Andy Z, The San Jose Public Library, Let’s Play in Spanish and Ballet San Jose. Enjoy activities with Children’s Discovery Museum, Let’s Play in Spanish, Club One and more. Free Face Painting, Balloon Animals and snacks from Happy Baby Brands!

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me is a free kids’ club held on the second Tuesday of every month from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visitwww.SantanaRow.com.

 

Opera San Jose presents Opera Al Fresco in Park Valencia

Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Opera San Jose will present a spectacular al fresco concert of arias and ensembles at Park Valencia. More details available closer to the date.

 

Santana Row Beer Walk

Wednesday, July 30, 6 to 9 p.m.

Stroll The Row, taste 20-plus beers, enjoy shopping and dining incentives and more. 

 

#LifeOnTheRow

Twitter Promotion @SantanaRow invites Tweets and Instagram tags

For a Chance to Win Gift Cards to Restaurants at The Row

Santana Row’s Twitter campaign and photo contest continues through the @SantanaRow Twitter handle. The contest invites anyone at Santana Row to Tweet or Instagram photos of a new outfit, haircut, meal, event or artsy shots and then tag it with the hash tag #LifeonTheRow. Every month, Santana Row will post an album on Facebook with all of the photos with the #LifeonTheRow hash tag. The person who took the best or most original photo will win a gift card to a Santana Row restaurant.

 

About Santana Row

 

Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property ofwww.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visitwww.santanarow.com.

 

About Federal Realty

 

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 20 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.8% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of December 31, 2013, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.5% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 46 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.

Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market Kicks Off 22nd Season Tomorrow!

SAN JOSE, CA – The 22nd year of the Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente, begins May 2, just as fruits including apricots, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes and raspberries start to ripen in California.

From May 2 to Nov. 21, the Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market opens each Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., on a vibrant block of San Pedro Square, at Santa Clara and San Pedro streets.  The location and combination of fun, sunshine, fresh goods, artist booths, lunchtime eateries and festival atmosphere attract residents, students, downtown employees and visitors.  With more than 2,000 people attending each week, the market features some of the best people-watching in the South Bay.

The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) has worked with the San Jose Downtown Association on the downtown market since the beginning in 1992.  PCFMA selects up to 35 vendors arrive each week with fresh-picked seasonal produce, artisan breads and baked goods, fresh fish, cheeses, honey products, olive oils and vinegars, wine, jams, sauces and ethnic treats, all locally grown and made.  They are joined by several local artists displaying crafts, jewelry, soaps, lotions, candles, scarves and clothing.

Throughout the season, the market includes:

• Live music
• Kids’ activities and arts and crafts
• Appearances by Mr. Carrot, the PCFMA mascot
• Cooking demonstrations and tastings with the Cookin’ the Market chefs
• “Green” days of eco-minded vendors and programs and reusable bag giveaways
• Fun promotional giveaways of recycled bags, pens, and mugs
• Enter-to-win contests, including bags of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Get ready for cherry-pit-spitting, melon-eating and pie-eating contests
• Validated parking in the adjacent Market-San Pedro Garage

Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA for the fifth consecutive year to present the market and focus on healthful and “green” living.  For opening day, Kaiser Permanente will have its Blender Bike for Smoothies available for attendees to hop on the stationary bike and whip up a smoothie made from fresh Farmers’ Market fruit.

Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable and washed bags.  Call (408) 279-1775 or visit www.sjdowntown.com for more information.

About the San Jose Downtown Association:  The San Jose Downtown Association is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  Established in 1986, SJDA programs more than 100 days of events each year.

La Vic's Opening a Third Restaurant Downtown!

If you can't get enough orange sauce, you'll have one more La Victoria restaurant Downtown to help you get your fix. La Vic's is taking over the former Tico's Tacos site at 291 N. Fourth and Julian (this was the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Jose, established in 1957). As far as I know, La Vics will be the only homegrown San Jose restaurant to expand to three locations in Downtown San Jose. They have a total of five restaurants in the greater San Jose area.

Super Micro Planning a 1.6 Million SQFT Complex in North San Jose

Super Micro is a multi-billion dollar networking and communications company headquartered in San Jose with over 1,100 employees based here. They recently purchased the San Jose Mercury News headquarters in North San Jose--which is near their current headquarters--and have started revealing their intentions for the site.

Super Micro would like to build out a 1.6 Million SQFT project, comprising of both manufacturing space and offices. The plans also include 2,800 parking spaces, indicating that they plan on having at least as many employees. Phase 1 of the project would only include a 140,000 SQFT warehouse and 30,000 SQFT office building, with a whole lot more to come in future phases.

The net result will be more high-paying jobs in San Jose, always a good thing.

Source: The Merc, SVBJ

Community Towers Getting a $6M Upgrade

Swift Realty Partners purchased the Community Towers buildings near the San Pedro Square Market for $40M. The company is going to maximize their investment by spending an additional $6M to do substantial upgrades across the two buildings that comprise 309,235 SQFT of prime Downtown real estate.

The improvements will include redoing the lobbies, upgrading the outside areas, and enhancing the flow between the two buildings. A significant amount of money will also be used to improve the back-end infrastructure such as plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.

The San Pedro Area is really turning around nicely and these improvements will hopefully help drive office vacancy rates lower in the Downtown Area.

Source: SVBJ, Hat tip to William Burch

Japantown's 37th Annual Nikkei Matsuri Today, 9:30am-4pm

Japantown is considered one of San Jose's hippest neighborhoods, and today they are going to be extra hip with a massive event. The Nikkei Maturi is a festival that celebrates the community's appreciation for Japanese-American culture and heritage. The event was started in 1976 and includes variety of performances (marial arts, dance, music), cultural displays, a Japanese food court, and Japanese arts & crafts fair. Expect a solid day of Japanese culture immersion! The core of the event is at 5th and Jackson, but I'm sure all of Japantown will be partying today.