The 88 Interactive Art Codes - "Show Your Stripes" v2.0

My favorite art project Downtown is still the LED light installation at The 88. Few people realize that the lights are completely interactive and can be controlled by anyone. Where else can you completely change four stories of a high-rise facade with nothing but a cell phone?

All you need to do is dial (408) 287-0128, wait for the tone, then enter any 3 digits (including # or *), then press 0 and hang up. I recommend saving this number on your phone and impressing your friends whenever you walk by The 88.

Last month, the artist Jim Conti significantly expanded the number of codes available. When "Show Your Stripes" launched in 2008, there were only 129 possible combinations. Now there are 318!!! During SubZERO last June, Jim asked festival-goers for feedback and ideas. The new additions are a direct result of that feedback.

Below you can find a full list of all public codes and a rough description of the effect. There are also some secret codes that are not on the list such as *14, *25, *69, *88, ***, and my personal favorite *#*. If you find any other "Easter Egg" codes that are not on the list below, let me know and I'll add them to this post!

Content Magazine Pickup Party Today!

Content is celebrating the release of Issue 7.4 "Phase" tonight with its readers and contributors. This time around the party will be at the Rockbar Theater (360 Saratoga Avenue) and run from 7pm to 10pm. Subscribers and a +1 get in for free and will even receive a drink ticket and appetizer on the house at the Vodka Lounge Bar (random fact, they have over 100 vodkas here). Non-subscribers can still get in by paying $15 at the door per person, and that includes the latest issue.

To subscribe to Content Magazine and get invite to great events like this one, head over here. This is truly the best magazine out there for San Joseans.

Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest

Silicon Valley needs more landmarks. We live in the most innovative place on earth, yet there is a severe lack of branding for the region. A while back, Hafid Alfonso proposed a dynamic sign on the hillside that would serve as a beacon for the Valley. Now to keep the conversation going, he has partnered with the SJSU Engineering Honors Society to discover who has the best idea for a Silicon Valley sign.

The Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest runs until October 25th and the winner will be published on local media (including this site) and presented to a local Chamber of Commerce.

You can find more details below. To participate or learn more about the contest, click here.

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2015 Q4 Edition)

Today we get to discuss the latest changes to Downtown San Jose Restaurants. First off, the good news. We are up to a grand total of 260 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! Our little database had 206 eateries in 2011.

As always there were some significant closures as well. The ones that stood out to me were Sonoma Chicken Coup and South First Billiards (which was a cool place, but I'll be the first to say the food was not great). On the other hand, quite a few places opened up in the last few months. Here are some notable additions to the Downtown restaurant scene as well as a look into the future:

• Lou's Beachshack - The third incarnation of Lou's Village, located at the San Pedro Square Market. I love their fish sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, and abalone sliders. This is a solid addition to Downtown and a great nostalgic return of one of San Jose's most famous establishments.
• Oni Mexicantessan - Killer Mexican sandwiches, also at the San Pedro Square Market. This is a sister restaurant to Loteira Taco Bar down the hall.
• Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery - New American restaurant on San Fernando with a notable chef (Chad Ferry: The Plumed Horse, Paolo's, Spagos). Have not been here yet, but I can't wait to try their short rib tater tots.
• Voltaire Coffee House - New boutique coffee shop at the base of 360 Residences. Downtown San Jose has a lot of great coffee shops, and this already ranks among the best. 
• Aura Kitchen - New restaurant/nightclub replacing Motif in SoFA. They landed the chef from Nobu London. I've heard great things about this place even though it just opened.
• HOM Korean Kitchen - The Chipotle of Korean Food comes to Santa Clara St. and is open very late!
• Williams St. Restaurants: Added 6 restaurants that are technically within the boarder of Downtown San Jose: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai, Da Lat Cafe, Pho Cong Ly, Mi Chalateca, and Creasian. Highly recommend trying out Creasian.
• COMING SOON (Now you can find all "Coming Soon" restaurants at the top of the list)
• Hawaiian Poke Bowl (SoFA Market)
• Milk and Wood (SoFA Market)
• Vitamina Juices & Blends (SoFA Market)
• Origins Juicery (1st St., former Discovery Store)
• San Jose Pizza Co. (Santa Clara Street near San Pedro)
• Uproar Brewery (SoFA, former Zer01 Garage)

Below is the change log from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

7/31/2015	Chef Monalisa closed
7/31/2015	Added Uproar Brewery in SoFA
8/1/2015	Added Oni Mexicantessan and Lou's Beach Shack, both in the San Pedro Square Market
8/23/2015	Changed the formatting so that restaurants "COMING SOON" will always appear at the top of the list
9/8/2015	Sonoma Chicken Coop and South First Billiards closed
9/9/2015	Added Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery at 71 E. San Fernando
9/13/2015	Added 6 restaurants on Williams St. near SJSU: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai Cuisine, Creasian, Pho Cong Ly, Dalat Cafe, and Mi Chalateca
9/14/2015	Added Voltaire Coffee House in SoFA
9/21/2015	Motif has been replaced with Aura Kitchen and Bar on South First Street
10/4/2015	Replace Cheese Steak Shop on Santa Clara Street with HOM Korean Kitchen
10/4/2015	Added Origins Juicery, coming soon to 150 S. 1st Street

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.

Viva Calle SJ is Today! The 50 Tour @ St. James Park!

The amazing Villa Calle SJ event is happening today from 10am to 3pm. Six whole miles of streets stretching from Emma Prusch Farm Park (East San Jose) to Willow Glen to St. James Park will all be shut down, allowing residents to walk, run, bike, or play in the streets. There will be festivals at Emma Prusch, Parque De Los Pobladores, and St. James Park.

Each festival will have food, music, and special activities. One example I wanted to highlight is the "50 Tour" in St. James Park. There will be an autograph signing and story time with four-time Super Bowl Champion Eric Wright as well as San Jose-legend and Gold Medalist, Kristi Yamaguchi. All eight of the Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophies for the 49ers and the Raiders will be on display. There will even be a STEM Zone, an interactive space that shows how science and technology fuel innovation.

Please use the handy map below to locate the festivities. I'm going to try to walk from Emma Prusch to St. James Park... we'll see how that goes =).

50 TOUR: CHAMPIONS OF THE BAY PRESENTED BY CHEVRON COMES TO SAN JOSE OCTOBER 11

WHAT: The Tour: Champions of the Bay presented by Chevron will make its next stop in San Jose, joining VivaCalleSJ on October 11, 2015. The 50 Tour will be located at 1-99 East St. John Street, San Jose.

VivaCalleSJ is a free recreational program that closes miles of scenic San Jose streets. This free event brings together the San Jose community to walk, bike, skate, play, and explore downtown San Jose.

This 50 Tour stop will feature an autograph signing and story time with four-time Super Bowl Champion Eric Wright, who was considered one of the best cover cornerbacks of his day; and Kristi Yamaguchi, former figure skater Olympic gold medalist, world champion and philanthropist.

The 50 Tour is the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee’s mobile exhibit designed to celebrate the history of the Bay Area’s championship teams, the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. This 50 Tour stop will feature the eight Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophies of the two teams; the Chevron STEM Zone, an interactive space that demonstrates how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fuels innovation all around us – through the lens of football; and a youth area that includes the PLAY 60, Play On play space and The Re(a)d Zone early literacy corner.

WHEN: October 11, 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M., with  autograph signings from Kristi Yamaguchi and Eric Wright at 2:00 – 1:00 P.M., followed by story time in the Tour’s Re(a)d Zone.

About the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee:
Working in partnership with Bay Area public officials and the NFL, the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee is responsible for Super Bowl 50 and its celebration elements, including the Super Bowl Village, public exhibits and planning of game day logistics. The Host Committee seeks to make Super Bowl 50 the most giving ever, and is investing in Bay Area community initiatives and high-performing nonprofits through the 50 Fund, its signature philanthropic fund. To be hosted in the state-of-the-art Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2016, Super Bowl 50 will be celebrated through a series of events that showcase all the Bay Area has to offer. For more information, visit www.sfbaysuperbowl.com.

Saturday Stats: San Jose's Economic Growth is #1 in the Bay Area

Of all the cities in the country with more than 300,000 residents, San Jose came in 7th in terms of economic growth between 2008 and 2014. In the Bay Area, San Jose was king of the castle. Oakland came in 13th place and San Francisco was 15th.

Metrics included income growth, unemployment rate decrease, and housing prices. I should also note that this study was for individual cities and not metro areas, making the results even more impressive.

For mid-sized cities of 100,000-300,000 residents, Santa Clara, Fremont, and Sunnyvale make the top 10. For cities under 100,000 residents, Milpitas, Mountain View, and Redwood City were in the top 15.

Source: SVBJ

Harvest Festival 2015 - November 27-29 at the Convention Center

Next month the Harvest Festival is bringing a huge assortment of arts & crafts to Downtown San Jose. The festival--now a San Jose Black Friday holiday shopping tradition--features 24,000 American-made arts and crafts. In fact, it is the largest indoor arts and crafts show on the West Coast. You have everything from original art, jewelry, clothing, toys, and home decor. Many of the gifts can be custom ordered or personalized.

To compliment the shopping, there will be an assortment of food and music. Several bands will be performing throughout the show including James Garner's Cash Tribute and Le Jazz Hot (French Gypsy Jazz). There will also be holiday-themed entertainers wandering the festival.

While parents shop, kids can play at an expanded and interactive KidZone. Here the tykes can build their own art projects such as gingerbread cookie decorating.

New to the San Jose Harvest Festival this year is a series of Safety and Basic Use classes hosted by TechShop San Jose. Topics include sewing and vinyl cutting. Usually these classes are $90, but will be offered first-come-first-serve for $5 at the festival.

The Harvest Festival will run from (Black) Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29th at the San Jose Convention Center. Hours are 9am-6pm on Friday, 10am-6pm on Saturday, and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for teenagers, and those 12 & under are free. Admission includes the whole weekend, not just a specific day. The first 100 people in line on Black Friday get in for free. Also the first 100 people to visit the Christmas in the Park booth each day will get a special gift.

For more information or to buy tickets, head over to the Harvest Festival website over here.

Santana Row October-December 2015 News and Events

San Jose, CA - It’s finally sweater weather! A perfect time for Kit and Ace to open at Santana Row and introduce its “technical cashmere,” a durable, machine-washable fabric that is the signature of the company’s clothing line.

It’s also pumpkin season and the beginning of Santana Row’s autumn and winter events, including Halloween fun and trick-or-treating during a special Mommy & Me, a weekend of glass pumpkins to buy and admire and in November, the annual tree-lighting extravaganza.

Kit and Ace
Now open, next to lululemon athletica

Kit and Ace, a brand of casual, luxury clothing for women and men, is now open! Founded in Vancouver by the son and wife of lululemon founder Chip Wilson, Kit and Ace’s signature offering is clothing made from Qemir, a “technical cashmere” blend that is machine washable, more durable and resistant to pilling. The selection includes tops, bottoms, outerwear, tanks and simple-silhouette dresses in neutrals such as black, white, gray and dark blue in prices that range from $65 to $130 for basics.

Founders JJ Wilson and Shannon Wilson have a style philosophy that blends functionality with sophistication and fit.

The 3,793-square-foot location at Santana Row features garments for both men and women.

Go Niners!
Take the Round Trip Shuttle to Levi’s Stadium from Santana Row

Avoid the headache of game day traffic! Take the shuttle from The Row to Levi’s Stadium for a hassle-free day that starts with easy parking, shopping and dining perks.
Shuttles leave exactly two hours before game time.
Games:

• Sunday, Oct. 4, Niners vs. Packers (departs at 11.25 a.m.)
• Sunday, Oct. 18, Niners vs. Ravens (departs at 11:25 a.m.)
• Thursday, Oct. 22, Niners vs. Seahawks (departs at 3:25 p.m.)
• Sunday, Nov. 8, Niners. vs. Falcons (departs at 11:05 a.m.)
• Sunday, Nov. 29, Niners vs. Cardinals (departs at 11:05 a.m.)
• Sunday, Dec. 20, Niners vs. Bengals (departs at 3:30 p.m.)
• Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, Niners vs. Rams (departs at 11:25 a.m.)

The shuttle registration begins about 30 minutes before departure time. Registration and shuttles are located near the CineArts Theatre. Your $30 ticket includes:

• Round trip transportation to Levi’s Stadium
• Free parking at Santana Row
• Santana Row shopping and dining incentives

Details:
When you arrive at Santana Row, park your vehicle in the designated, secured parking lot on Winchester Boulevard in the former Century 21 Theatre area. Walk across Winchester Boulevard to Olsen Drive where the registration table and bus will be waiting to load in front of the theater. The bus departs at the scheduled time (two hours prior to game time), and will not wait for passengers.

Levi’s Stadium drop-off site:
The bus will park at the official shuttle drop-off location at the stadium. One hour after the conclusion of the game, the bus will depart from the same location. All passengers not on bus at the specified departure time, will not receive transportation back to Santana Row.

Glass Pumpkin Festival at Santana Row
Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9, 10 and 11, Santana Row Park

Experience the magic of glass! Stroll through thousands of hand-blown glass pumpkins crafted by BAGI (Bay Area Glass Institute) artists and renowned glass artisans from around the country. The pumpkins are unique gifts for friends and family and are a perfect addition to fall decoration. Some even make beautiful year-round display pieces: the pumpkins will be available in an assortment of colors, sizes and a range of prices. This is a once-a-year event, so come early and find the perfect glass pumpkin!

Details:  4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11. The event takes place at Santana Row Park, across from Left Bank Brasserie.

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Halloween Family Fun Fest!”
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to noon, Park Valencia

Trick-or-treat around The Row and enjoy pumpkin decorating, live musical performances and other activities during this popular Halloween event for children.

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too is a free kids club held on the second Tuesday of every month (except October) from May through December. For more information, call 408.551.4611 or visit SantanaRow.com.

Cars & Croissants
Oct. 24 and every fourth Saturday of the month, 9 a.m. to noon

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 fourth Saturday of the month through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

A look ahead to November and beyond…

Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too: “Give Thanks”
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to noon

The holidays remind us to pull together and help those less fortunate. November’s program encourages kids to bring a canned food item that will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Holiday fun includes face painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts Kids will be entertained by music and live performances.

Details: 10 a.m. to noon at Park Valencia. In the event of rain, the location moves to CineArts Theatre. Mommy & Me & Daddies, Too 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 visit SantanaRow.com.

Santana Row’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Santana Row kicks off the 2015 holiday season with the annual Light Up the Row tree lighting ceremony, a joyous day of celebration for the entire family. The day of holiday festivities begins at 3 p.m. with photos with performances by dancers from Ballet San Jose. The fun continues throughout the afternoon and evening with live music, costumed characters, special guests and performances by local theater and dance groups.

The highlight of the day takes place at 7 p.m. in Santana Row Park with the lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree, one of the most anticipated holiday events in Silicon Valley. Many of the restaurants will offer dining specials, kid-friendly menus and holiday-themed cocktails during the event. In-store parties, hot chocolate sampling, cookies and appetizers will also add to the festivities of the day.

Details: The celebration is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with tree lighting slated for 7 p.m. in Santana Row Park.

• 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Photos with Santa in the antique San Jose Fire Department truck in Park Valencia. Donate a toy for the annual Toys for Tots drive and take a photo with Santa! Live children’s entertainment including Andy Z.
• 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting Ceremony in Santana Row Park featuring a live performance from Ballet San Jose and local school groups.
• 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Live music, choirs, carolers, photos with Alice in Wonderland from Ballet San Jose and activities for children and families in Oak Tree Lounge.
• Start your holiday shopping: If you spend $200 or more in one day and present your same day receipts to the Santana Row concierge you will receive a free pair to tickets to The Nutcracker performed by Ballet San Jose. Tickets are available while supplies last.

“Dear Santa…”
Write a letter to Santa and get a letter back!
November 17 through December 10

Write a letter to Santa and receive a reply! Beginning Nov. 17, every child who leaves a letter for Santa in the mailbox outside of the Santana Row concierge office will receive a reply from the red-clad, jolly fellow! Each letter must include the child’s name and a mailing address. The letters must be dropped in the box by Dec. 10. Concierge is located near the garage between Sino restaurant and Left Bank Brasserie.

Cars & Croissants
Nov. 28 and every fourth Saturday of the month
9 a.m. to noon

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 fourth Saturday of the month through December, exotic car owners are invited to park on Santana Row Boulevard from Alyssum Lane to Tatum Boulevard, display their cars and mingle with other enthusiasts. The morning meet-up for coffee, croissants and cars drew 400 people and 60 cars during the first event and continues to grow in popularity. This event is free and open to the public.

The Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market
Saturday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Maker's Market Santa Cruz is coming back to Santana Row, just in time for holiday shopping! Craftspeople, artisans and other creative types will set up their unique, handmade wares in Santana Row Park near Left Bank brasserie and Village California Bistro.The Maker’s Market is dedicated to supporting the community by giving local artists, crafters, culinary creators and musicians a venue to showcase and sell their goods at a regular market while also financially benefiting a local non-profit, Mountain Community Resource which helps families and the elderly in need with food, medicine, and other necessities.

Holiday Open House, a Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Give to those in need while you complete your holiday shopping during Santana Row’s Holiday Open House, a benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides groceries and food to families and individuals in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Purchase a $40 ticket on SantanaRow.com or at the Concierge center and receive complimentary food and wine tastings in Santana Row shops and restaurants, a signature Santana Row wine glass and exclusive shopping discounts. Enjoy holiday fashion modeling and special seasonal offerings. Bring a donation of canned food into concierge when you purchase your ticket and receive $5 off the ticket. (Customers must be 21 years or older.)

Rainy Day Rewards, Nov. 1 through March 31, 2016

Here’s hoping the rainy season returns! Santana Row is optimistic and wants to reward shoppers and diners braving bad weather. When there’s a 70 percent or greater chance for rain, they will be offered discounts that include 15 percent off purchases at participating shops and restaurants, a free signature Santana Row golf umbrella for customers who spend $150 anywhere on The Row and a $20 gift certificate to a participating shop or restaurant for customers who spend $300 on a designated Rainy Day.

No need to get wet: Customers can pick up a complimentary umbrella to use while shopping and dining and then return it before leaving. The yellow umbrellas are conveniently located throughout The Row: outside Concierge, Via between Village California Bistro and Lark Creek Blue and the valet parking lot in the Winchester Parking Garage.

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 of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.
 
About Federal Realty

Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Founded in 1962, our mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply.  Our expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities.  Federal Realty’s 90 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 21 million square feet, and 1500 residential units.

Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 48 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visit www.FederalRealty.com.

October 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• San Jose is rebranding its parking facilities as PARK SJ to clearly differentiate city-owned lots (Market and San Pedro Square Garage, Second and San Carlos Street Garage, Third Street Garage, Fourth Street Garage) from private garages. These four garages have over 3,400 spaces and the Downtown validation program will not be changed.
• A huge urban tech campus has been proposed near Diridon Station. This would include 800,000 SQFT of modern offices, 325 residential units, plenty of retail, and 2,400 parking spaces (a net increase of 1,600 spaces). The first phase could be completed by 2017.
• San Jose will be included in several Super Bowl 50 events:
• Super Bowl Opening Night will take place Feb. 1 at the SAP Center
• The NFC Champion will stay at the Marriott Hotel Downtown and practice at SJSU
• Downtown Ice will be extended to February 7th to celebrate the Super Bowl
• There will be an expanded South First Fridays and Winter Market on February 5th
• A Super Guadalupe River Run (5K and 10K) will take place on the morning of February 7th
• VivaCalleSJ is going to transform the streets of San Jose on October 11th. Six whole miles of streets from East San Jose to Downtown will be closed down to automotive traffic from 10am to 3pm, letting residents freely walk, run, or bike throughout the streets. There will be several gathering hubs with vendors, activities, and entertainment. The 8 Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophies won by the 49ers and Raiders will be displayed at St. James Park.
• The 27,000 SQFT, five-story building at 100 E. Santa Clara is being converted into the upscale 44-room Hotel Clariana. It will also have a lobby bar, lounge, gift shop, and should be open in time for the Super Bowl.
• The interactive light sculpture called "Show Your Stripes" at The 88 now offers 318 different lighting schemes (up from 129). Anyone can change the lighting scheme by dialing (408) 287-0128 and typing three digits followed by a # sign. Some of the new patterns includes 192 for wonderful avocados, 378 for sun smooch, 358 for sizzling chaos, 215 for flying hearts, 249 for wold view, and 444 for deep blue black hole. The names and numbers can be downloaded from sanjoseca.gov/showyourstripes.
• The Hotel De Anza is wrapping up a $5.7 million renovation, modernizing its public spaces, meeting rooms, and 100 guestrooms.
• Aura Kitchen + Bar replaces Motif at 389 S. First St.
• A new La Vic's is now open at 291 N. Fourth Street.
• HoM Korean Kitchen is now open at 76 E. Santa Clara Street, offering Korean favorites made from scratch.
• The US Patent Office will officially open at San Jose City Hall on October 15th!

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Newly Updated Downtown San Jose Development Map!

Our good friend Mark from Think Bigger San Jose has done something awesome. He's gone and updated a map with all known development projects in Downtown San Jose, both those under construction and proposed. He has even aggregated the total number of residential, hotel, office, and retail units that will come online over the next few years. If all currently proposed projects come to fruition, Downtown San Jose will get another 7,062 residential units, 328 hotel rooms, almost 2 million SQFT of office space, 348k SQFT of Retail, and two new public parks/plazas.

Here is the link to the new Downtown San Jose Development Map! I have also replaced the link on the right in the "San Jose Development" section with the new map for easy access.

The Stunning Gateway Tower is Getting Closer to Reality!

New renderings have been released for the proposed Gateway Tower in SoFA (between Market Street and First Street in Downtown San Jose). If this gets built, I think it will be the most architecturally-bold building in the San Jose skyline. While you can't see it in the renders, this project would also integrate the facades of two historic buildings into the ground floor--combining old and new in a way not common in San Jose.

The latest version of the proposal now has 292 units across 24 floors (up from 280 units). Another nice change is boosting the ceiling height of the retail component from 15 feet to 20 feet, making it really stand out. There will be between 4,000 and 6,000 SQFT of retail in the project. 20 feet should also be tall enough for a partial second floor if desired by the retailer.

If all goes well, this could break ground in less than a year. The developer wants to get started by Q3 2016.

Source: SVBJ

Drone Video of Communications Hill

Below is a five minute video taken using a drone flying around Communications Hill in South San Jose. It captured "the stairs" from a new perspective along with showing off the great views of San Jose from the hill.

Hard Steel MMA Fight in Willow Glen

Willow Glen would probably be the last place I'd expect to find a mixed martial arts tournament, but that is exactly what is going down tonight. About two dozen fighters will be competing in the Hard Steel Amateur Fight Series. The event is located at the Willow Glen Lounge (444 W. Alma Ave.) and doors open at 5pm. Tickets range from $35 for general admission to $70 front-row seats. For more details, please head over here.

Scott's Seafood Downtown Resident Mixer

On October 15th, Scott's Seafood is hosting a Downtown San Jose resident mixer out on their slick rooftop patio. The event is actually open to anyone that enjoys hanging out Downtown, not just residents. Scott's will be providing complimentary food off their late-night menu and a free cocktail if you RSVP. The event will run from 9pm to midnight and I'm sure will be a blast.

To RSVP (it's free), click here.

Apple Buys More Land in North San Jose!

It looks like Apple is planning something huge in North San Jose. Last week they purchased another 27 acres in North San Jose off of Carcot Avenue. This is a high visibility site fronting Highway 101 (imagine the signage possibilities).

Apple paid Ellis Partners $166 million for the land, which includes a 290,000 SQFT building that Apple was previously going to lease. The deal also gives Apple 12 acres of land approved for 650,000 SQFT of additional R&D and/or office space. This will give Apple a grand total of 70 acres in North San Jose.

Without moving a single employee to San Jose, the city already is already getting a nice payout. The city will collect over $1 million in transfer tax from the sale of the property.

In typical Apple fashion, they are being very secretive on what their true intentions are for the land. My guess is that they are going to use the space to develop "Project Titan," their electric car rumored for release in 2019. They allegedly already have 800 employees working on the car, and plan to triple that to over 2,000 employees immediately. North San Jose property would be the absolute best location for Apple to develop an electric car. Here is why:

• Millions of square feet of develop-able space that could be built to meet Apple's unique requirements. Cupertino is out of land and is more difficult to work with than San Jose when it comes to new development.
• Access to the best engineering talent in the world. The Golden Triangle is still the largest tech cluster anywhere, and you are not going to find better hardware engineers elsewhere.
• Santa Clara County is becoming a Mecca for automotive innovation. You have Tesla and innovation centers for just about every car manufacturer in the immediate area. Let's also not forget NextEV is opening an R&D outpost in the neighborhood. Most of the talent required to build next-generation vehicles is already here.
• Easy access to the San Jose International Airport.
• Easy access to Light Rail and eventually BART.
• Easy access to Highway 101 and Highway 87.
• More central location than Cupertino with more housing options and urban amenities.

Tesla now has 12,000 employees. If Apple chooses to centralize "Project Titan" in San Jose, they will need every square foot of the land they just purchased. I can't wait to see how this develops!

Source: SVBJ

Samsung's New San Jose Headquarters is Complete!

Last week Samsung officially unveiled their new 1.1 million SQFT North American Headquarters in San Jose. The ten story main building (technically two connected towers) is state-of-the-art. Each floor is no more than one staircase away from expansive outdoor gardens, the floor plates are huge, ceilings are high on every floor, and the campus has every amenity you can think of (yes, that is a putting green in the sky photographed below). 700 employees have already moved in, but the building will accommodate up to 2,000 workers.

Check out some of the best photos I have found of the new campus below.

Source: CNET

Curry Up Now and Mortar & Pestle Now Open in North San Jose!

Finally, San Jose has gotten a Curry Up Now brick & mortar restaurant! Curry Up Now has been one of my favorite food trucks for years and I was elated when they built their first restaurant near my work in San Mateo. They went on to open two additional restaurants in San Francisco and Palo Alto, but have saved the best for San Jose.

Ideally situated in the Golden Triangle, San Jose's Curry Up Now is the largest with 160 seats. Of course it offers all of their favorites such as their famous Tikka Masala Burritos, Sexy Fries, Deconstructed Samosas, and Naughty Naan--however, there will be some new items exclusive to San Jose. The San Jose location will be the only one to offer Brunch, and they created an assortment of specialties for the occasion like the Bird's Nest Samosa (photo below) and Indian-style crepes.

It gets better. The San Jose location also has a Mortar & Pestle, their Indian-themed craft cocktail bar. The only other one that exists is in San Mateo, and it's my favorite bar on the Peninsula. The drinks are designed to be paired with spicy Indian dishes and have unique flavors I have not had at any other bar before. The drinks are outstanding and are worth a trip in and of themselves.

Curry up Now is located at 3250 Zanker Road, near Patxi's and Wahoo's. The restaurant is open 11am-10pm Monday through Thursday, 11am-11pm on Friday, 9am to 11pm on Saturday, and 9am-9pm on Sunday.

Source: Eat - Drink - Play

New Tech Campus Coming to Downtown San Jose!!!

Downtown San Jose is growing by leaps and bounds when it comes to residential development and retail, but has not been getting a lot of love from commercial developers. That is going to change with a very exciting project on Santa Clara street near Diridon station and the SAP Center.

Trammel Crow is a developer that acquired an 8.5 acre plot of land from Adobe for $58.5 million. Adobe was planning to build an expansion of their headquarters in this area, but instead reconfigured their existing three towers to support a larger number of employees (no more private offices for every employee). I think it was actually for the better. While I'm a huge fan of Adobe and believe they play a vital role Downtown, if they were to build out their expansion it would likely not have been very inclusive to the whole community. Trammel Crow on the other hand is planning the exact opposite.

I'm going to start with the quote from the developer that Nathan ended his SVBJ article with:

"We’ve committed ourselves to making it iconic," he said. "We think it will be a landmark in the South Bay."

Iconic sounds right. Trammel Crow want to build 800,000 SQFT of office space across two buildings 10-12 stories tall. This would be a 10% expansion of all the office space currently in Downtown San Jose today and the first major office project to break ground since 2010. 400,000 SQFT of the project would be built speculatively without requiring a signed tenant. This would also be Class A++ premium office space with huge 40,000 SQFT floor plates and soaring ceilings popular with tech companies.

There would be 325 apartment units in a separate nine-story building. The whole site would be sprinkled with shops and restaurants and even feature a large public plaza along West Santa Clara Street. The beautiful and historic San Jose Water Company building would be renovated and repurposed. 2,400 parking spaces would be built to support the whole project, mostly underground... but hopefully most people won't be driving here.

A big attraction to this spot for the developer is the access to transit at Diridon Station. They are even tentatively calling the project #Diridon. With Caltrain, Light Rail, Capital Corridor, ACE, and a VTA bus hub, this is already one of the most important transit hubs in California. In the future Diridon will also be getting multiple Bus Rapid Transit lines, BART, and California High-Speed Rail. Even the $2 billion Transbay Terminal will not be as well connected as Diridon.

Trammel is expecting to get their building permits in Q1 2016, start construction in the summer, and have the first office building ready for occupancy by the end of 2017. The apartments are slated for 2018. They are also promising a signature look that will make the project a South Bay landmark. I cant's wait to see the first drawings for this!

Source: SVBJ, Hat tip to Josh Russell for sending this in!

San Jose's Velostrata Raises $14M

Velostrata is a tech company that enables network admins to easily move virtual machines on their network into the cloud. Their software runs on top of VMware, and makes moving servers into the cloud as easy as right-clicking.

The San Jose company--which is headquartered at 2880 Zanker Road--has operated in stealth mode for over a year and is just now announcing a $14 million funding round. This goes to show that San Jose has tech startups as well, not just established companies.

Velostrata has a total of 25 employees, with plans to grow to 40 within a year. They also have an office in Tel Aviv.

Source: VentureBeat

Camera 12 Cinemas Getting 3-Screen Barco Escape Technology

Barco Escape is an immersive movie experience that uses three separate screens to wrap a film around the audience. It was used to highlight a few a few shorts during the last Cinequest Film Festival, but is now making its way into the mainstream.

Last week, Camera 12 was one of only 20 theaters in the country to use the technology for a full-length film: Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials. During the movie there are almost 23 minutes of footage that make full use of all three screens. The rest of the time, the screens are used for effects that help keep the audience immersed (such as dust storms). Camera 12 is the only theater in Silicon Valley with Barco Escape. You can get your tickets to see the film over here!

The technology will also be featured on two independent films during the 2016 Cinequest Film Festival.

Source: SVBJ

Google Eyeing North San Jose!

First Apple, and now Google. Momentum is quickly building in North San Jose for anchor tech companies! With little room to grow in Mountain View, Google has finally decided to consider office space in San Jose.

The company is planning to start with about 150,000 SQFT. If things go well, I would not be surprised if they expanded. North San Jose has millions and maybe even tens of millions of SQFT worth of potential office development. The SiliconBeat article also references the BART extension in Milpitas and Berryessa as one of the reasons why the North San Jose office market will get hotter over time. Completely agree. BART is going to be a huge amenity for East Bay commuters that Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Cupertino will not have easy access to.

Source: SiliconBeat

NextEV (Chinese Tesla Competitor) Building R&D in San Jose

There is a little known fact that before purchasing the NUMMI plant, Tesla was trying to build their factory in North San Jose. Since they would not qualify for federal incentives at that location, the deal fell through. However, Tesla still does have some history with San Jose as they chose to open the first Tesla Store in San Jose--which is still considered to be the United States flagship store. I should also note that they are rumored to be seeking office space in San Jose.

Well, it turns out Tesla won't be the only electric vehicle (EV) company in town for very long. A Chinese company called NextEV has selected North San Jose as their location for a significant R&D center. The company already has a supercar that competes in the Formula E racing series. Now their goal is to manufacture a mass-market electric car in 2017 for the Chinese market as well as a US-bound electric car in 2019. The company seems pretty serious unlike previous EV companies like Coda. They have hired a former CEO of Maserati and poached employees from both Tesla and BMW.

NextEV has leased a 85,000 SQFT building at 3200 North First Street. The R&D center will focus on "connected car" functionality. Manufacturing will be done in China while car design will be handled in Germany.

Now all we need is an Apple facility for their future self-driving cars as well as a relocation of the Tesla Headquarters to San Jose--then we'll have hands-down the EV capital of the world.

Source: SVBJ

Wednesday Wishlist: More Public Art

A few weeks ago I was in Vancouver and was surprised at the amount of public art around the city. Below is one example that I really loved. This piece turns a bland, windowless side of a building into an attraction that tells a story about the the building itself. There are so many walls throughout San Jose that could use something like this.

I love all the murals going up in San Jose right now, especially Japantown. Let's take it to the next level and aim for something at the scale shown below!

P.S. Notice the green rooftop. Despite having much worse weather than San Jose, almost every high-rise had trees, shrubs, and patios on the roof.

Kit and Ace Opening First Silicon Valley Location in San Jose

Santana Row is getting yet another premier tenant this month. Kit and Ace is a contemporary luxury apparel store that prides itself on "technical luxury," a combination of premium fibers with comfort and functionality. High-end clothing tends to be dry-clean only or fades/falls apart after a few washes. Kit and Ace specifically designs their clothing to be easy to maintain and last a long time--perhaps due to the fact that the line's proprietors are closely related to the founder of Lululemon. Even their cashmere apparel is machine washable.

I also like how there is an element of technology and innovation in their clothing line. Features includes smart ventilation, articulated knees on pants, hidden pockets, sewn inseams, and special materials that minimize wrinkles. It seems like an appropriate clothing store for Silicon Valley.

Hyper-local elements are also incorporated in each store. The San Jose location will have light fixtures and custom furnishings created by a San Jose designer.

Kit and Ace only has two other locations in California: Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their Santana Row store will be the first in Silicon Valley when it opens this Thursday, September 24th. To learn more about the company and see their clothing lines, head over here.

Shannon and JJ Wilson (wife and son of Chip Wilson, Lululemon founder)

Bay 101 is Moving Forward With a New Cardroom

Ever since Bay 101 purchased the San Jose Airport Garden Hotel on North First Street years ago, we knew it was just a matter of time before they would move ahead with a new project closer to M8trix. That time is apparently now, demolition of the 512 room hotel is going to begin by the end of the year. Bay 101 is going to construct a new casino and hotel worth around $100 million on that site.

The new card club will be two stories, 67,836 SQFT, and the same number of card tables as the current location (49). The layout will be more spread out and they are planning to do a high-end restaurant as an added attraction. The hotel would be seven stories and 174 room, which is actually much smaller than the hotel is replacing. It is too bad they are not planning to go larger with the first phase, because we really could use the extra hotel rooms.

There is a second phase being planned with a 10 story hotel tower and 150 rooms. In an area that could easily accommodate a 30 story hotel building (which would draw extra attention to the cardroom), this scale is very disappointing to me.

The parking lot east of the card room could also be developed into a 250,000 SQFT office building with 12 stories, but that would be in a far later phase. Bay 101's new home should be ready for gaming by Fall 2017.

Source: SVBJ

Pentagon Selects San Jose as Innovation Hub for Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing

The United States Defense Department has selected San Jose's FlexTech Alliance to lead an initiative on advanced manufacturing. FlexTech will receive $75 million in federal funding in order to pull several disparate manufacturing processes together and build the next generation of electronic sensors. The new sensors will weigh less and be highly malleable, allowing them to easily be worn or embedded just about anywhere. 96 companies will be a part of the FlexTech Alliance, along with 11 laboratories and 41 colleges.

San Jose made a strong name for itself in semiconductor manufacturing in the 90s and 2000s. It's great to see an innovation center being created locally to support the next generation of manufacturing high-tech components. The FlexTech is headquartered at 3081 Zanker Road, in the heart of North San Jose's Golden Triangle.

Source: SVBJ