Dine Downtown San Jose - RESTAURANT WEEK JUNE 2-12, 2010!!!

More juicy bits on Downtown San Jose's second Restaurant Week! This event has grown from 27 restaurants last year to 31 restaurants this year. There is only one restaurant not participating that was part of the original run, A.P. Stumps (sadly no longer open). The 5 newcomer restaurants are: Affinity, Hanuman Thai Cuisine, Motif, Pagoda, and Sonoma Chicken. For all the details, keep on reading!

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Download this Save the Date Reminder for City Bites Sampler Day:
June 2 and the 2010 dates June 2-12.

2010 Dine Downtown Participants

City Bites

Chef Profiles

Our Sponsors

Become our FAN

2010 Dine Downtown Participants
Click on a restaurant to see their special Dine Downtown Menu

• 19Market Restaurant - 19 N. Market St.; 280-6111
• 71 Saint Peter Mediterranean Grill - 71 N. San Pedro St.; 971-8523
• Affinity - in the Downtown Hilton, 300 Almaden Blvd.; 287-2100
• Agenda Restaurant - 399 S. First St.; 287-3991
• Arcadia Modern American Steakhouse - in the San Jose Marriott, 100 W. San Carlos St.; 278-4555
• Bella Mia Restaurant & Bar - 58 S. First St.; 280-1993
• Billy Berk's - 99 S. First St.; 292-4300
• Britannia Arms Downtown - 173 W. Santa Clara St.; 278-1400
• E&O Trading Company - 96 S. First St.; 938-4100
  
• Eulipia Restaurant & Bar - 374 S. First St.; 280-6161
  
• Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge & Restaurant - 99 E. San Fernando St.; 998-9998
• The Grill on the Alley - in the Fairmont Hotel, 172 S. Market St.; 294-2244
  
• Gumbo Jumbo Cajun Fusion - 80 N. Market St.; 294-8626
• Habana Cuba Restaurant - 238 Race St.; 998-2822
  
• Hanuman Thai Cuisine - 1 E. San Fernando St; 286-2482
  
• Hawgs Seafood Bar - 150 S. Second Street; 287-9955
  
• Il Fornaio - in the Sainte Claire Hotel, 302 S. Market St.; 271-3366
  
• La Pastaia Ristorante & Enoteca - in the Hotel De Anza; 233 W. Santa Clara St.; 286-8686
• Loft Bar and Bistro - 90 S. 2nd St.; 291-0677
• Mezcal Restaurant - 25 W. San Fernando St.; 283-9595
• Morocco's Restaurant - 86 N. Market St.; 998-1509
• Morton's The Steakhouse - 177 Park Ave.; 947-7000
• Mosaic Restaurant & Lounge - in the Four Points by Sheraton, 211 S. First St.; 282-8888
• Motif Restaurant and Club - 389 S. First St.; 279-1888
  
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro - 98 S. Second St.; 961-5250
  
• Pagoda Restaurant - in the Fairmont San Jose, 170 S. Market St.; 998-1900
• Paolo’s Restaurant - 333 W. San Carlos St. # 150; 294-2558
• San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar - 20 N. Almaden Ave.; 298-9463
• Silicon Valley Capital Club - 50 W. San Fernando St. #1700; 971-9300
  
• Sonoma Chicken - 31 N. Market St.; 287-4098
  

Participating restaurants displaying this sign offer two hours of validated parking at designated parking lots and garages.  sjdowntownparking.com/parking_validation.html

Restrictions 

Some restrictions may apply. These restrictions may include (but are not limited to):

• Prix Fixe menu prices do not include tax, beverages and gratuity (unless otherwise noted).
• Prix Fixe menus are per person (unless otherwise noted) and may not be split or shared.
• Prix Fixe menus may not be valid with Passport Cards, Discover Downtown San Jose cards, Downtown Arts & Dining Gift Certificates, other promotional offers, coupons, or discounts.

Please call individual restaurants for details about their restrictions.

The 88 is Offering 1/2 off HOA dues for 2 years (click to enlarge)

No SJ Blog Anniversary is Complete Without a San Jose Sharks Music Video

May 2010 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• Groundwerx gets high praise from their second-year survey:
• 89% of respondents said Downtown cleanliness has significantly improved
• 91% said the overall condition of downtown improved
• 85% approval rating for the second PBID-funded streetscape project
• Sobrato acquires 2 key blocks (no new info here that hasn't already been posted).
• The City Council voted unanimously to reduce fees involved in producing events in San Jose. The immediate impact to the SJDA would be more vendors in Music in the Park, a series permit simplifying the approval process for Starlight Cinemas, and substantial cost reductions in doing street closures.
• Dine Downtown is coming back from June 2nd to June 12th!!! This event kicks off with City Bites on June 2nd from noon to 2pm. At least 29 restaurants will participate including: 19 Market, 71 St. Peter, Affinity, Agenda, Arcadia, Bella Mia, Billy Berk's, The Brit, E&O, Emile's, Eulipia, Fahrenheit, The Grill on the Alley, Gumbo Jumbo, Habana Cuba, Hanuman Thai, Hawgs, Il Fornaio, La Pastaia, Loft, Mezcal, Morocco's, Morton's, Mosaic, Motif, Pagoda, Paolo's, San Pedro Square Bistro, The Capital Club
• 3 new spaces are now open in San Pedro Square: Sante Grill (saw their open sign lit today), La Victoria (re-opening soon), and Starbucks.
• Morton's added a 104-seat banquet room overlooking CityView Plaza.
• Philly Style Food has opened at 93 E. Santa Clara St.
• The Downtown Doors program is seeking to add art to at least 11 new doors downtown. 
• The Civic Auditorium renovation is well underway, expect new seats and new concession areas very soon.
• The RDA is acquiring parking lots in order to be able to widen and realign St. James Street and allow for a new wave of development, including 124 townhomes and 450 condo units.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Genghis Khan is Coming to The Tech!

A new exhibit is heading over to the Tech to replace Star Trek later this month. This will be the first and only west coast appearance of this exhibit featuring over 200 artifacts from Genghis' reign as well as a touch of Mongolian culture (just writing the word Mongolian is making me hungry for some Mongolian BBQ). For all the details, take a look below! If I find any available discounts, I'll post a link here.




Genghis Khan
Opens Saturday, May 22!
Tickets on Sale Now!

Discover the innovation, technological mastery, engineering marvels, the treasures and culture of the world's greatest and most misunderstood conqueror in this one-of-a kind exhibition. 

First and only West Coast appearance opens Saturday, May 22, for a limited engagement at The Tech Museum in San Jose in partnership with Team San Jose.

Learn about the two faces of Genghis Khan: Conqueror. Statesman.

Khan's infamous brutality is well known, but there was another side to the man - that of a gifted, innovative leader who brought stability and unity to his people who would form the first united Mongol nation. Genghis also brought us passports, the pony express, printed money, hamburgers and even pants.

View more than 200 13th century artifacts from Genghis' reign - including gold, silver jewelry and authentic clothing - never before seen outside Mongolia including a 13th century Mongolian princess mummy and her treasures.

PLUS Enjoy live cultural performances, featuring Mongolian singers, contortionists and musicians performing traditional folk arts. 

Prices
Adults: $25.00
Seniors (65+) / College Students with ID: $22.00
Children (ages 3-17): $15.00 

Includes admission to the exhibition and admission to all the galleries of The Tech Museum. Pricing does not include IMAX. 

Order Tickets Now!

San Jose Via Velo "Bike Party" this Saturday!

On Saturday, May 15th from 10am to 3pm, San Fernando Street is being shut down between 3rd St. and 87 for what is essentially a huge bike party. I'll quote the flyer below: "The ViaVelo turns this otherwise busy thoroughfare into a car-free promenade to gather, bike, walk, skate, dance, or stroll on a sunny May day." This event will feature live music on 2 stages, green living demonstrations, children's activities, guided bike rides, organic food cooking demos, a high-tech scavenger hunt via bike, yoga, and some giveaways for kids. Sounds like an awesome event! Thanks to Quan for sending this in.

The San Jose Blog's 1 Year Anniversary!!!

Exactly one year ago today The San Jose Blog launched with a simple premise, and that's to incubate enthusiasm for San Jose. 200+ blog posts later, I have to say I'm extremely satisfied with how things have turned out and it's crystal clear there are people out there that feel just as passionately about San Jose as I do. In fact, over 22,000 individuals have visited this blog since launch. We have even been able to add a second writer to cover the Shark's amazing run this playoff season!

While many San Jose blogs and sites have come and gone over the past year, the overall trend is a positive one. Never has there been such an active community of people that love San Jose. Over the past year, we've seen the launch of I Heart SJ, San Jose 2030, and the resurrection of SJ21. We have some outstanding projects in the hopper like the San Pedro Square Market, Little Italy, the Earthquakes Stadium, HSR, BART, SJC Terminal B, @First, Guadalupe River Park revitalization, the A's Stadium, and at least half dozen high-rises waiting in the wings when the economy improves. Downtown San Jose--the very heart of our city--is the most active it's been in half a century and its potential has never been greater than it is today.

I think this next year will be the one where San Jose is finally recognized as a true world-class city, and we'll be here to blog about it! Thanks so much for reading and supporting San Jose, and stay tuned for a whole lot of posts today in celebration of our 1st Anniversary!

-Josh

Tomorrow is our One Year Anniversary!

One last reminder that tomorrow will be our one year anniversary, expect lots of posts! Be sure to check back throughout the day.

Campbell Trying to Steal First Fridays?

Yesterday I ran into the blog post below on San Jose Metblogs. I think I'll take Downtown Campbell's blatant attempt to rip off San Jose's widely successful South First Fridays as a compliment. I just wish they picked another day (second Friday perhaps) so that these events would not have to compete with one another. This could turn ugly.

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Spring in Campbell – Downtown First Friday

By Gary Wiens

May 7th, 2010 @ 4:34 PM Campbell, Events, Fun, Wi-Fi

Stroll tree-lined Campbell Avenue from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm the first Friday each month for late-night shopping, dinning, live entertainment, or just sit at a sidewalk cafe watching everyone else stroll the avenue.

May’s First Friday features the artwork of children 12 years old and younger displayed on Downtown Campbell shop windows as part of the Children’s Art Contest.

Downtown Campbell has a free Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi Hot Spots providing outdoor coverage include Gelato Classico, Sonoma Chicken Coop, The King’s Head Pub, and Orchard Valley Coffee.

In 1892, Benjamin Campbell formed the Campbell Water Company, Campbell’s first utility company, and the 130-foot water tower has become a symbol for Historic Downtown Campbell. Explore over two-dozen historical landmarks with a free walking tour map available from the Campbell Historical Museum.

Downtown Campbell directory and parking map

The San Jose Blog's 1 Year Anniversary - May 11th!

Just a quick post to let you guys know that 2 days from now will be our 1 year anniversary. Expect a ton of content that day!

Free Mother's Day SJMA Admission!

San Jose Sharks Advance to the Conference Finals!

Sharks fans knew Game Five was going to be an exciting, nail-biting performance – and boy did they get a show! Congratulations to the San Jose Sharks for advancing to the Western Conference Finals, and doing so at home in front of thousands of loyal fans! This is great news for the fans not only because the Sharks have beaten the typically-dominant Red Wings franchise, but because the Sharks have shown signs of knocking away their post-regular season misfortunes in order to position themselves well for their quest towards winning the Stanley Cup.

With a final score of 2-1, the Sharks defeat the Detroit Red Wings at four games to one, where they face off against either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Vancouver Canucks (as their series is currently three games to one, in the favor of the Blackhawks) in the next stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks’ victory was by no means easy, as the Red Wings displayed their complete range of skill with their extremely talented roster of all-star players, and pulled no punches. Both of the Red Wings’ offense and defense were strong, not allowing the Sharks much opportunity to either score or defend their net from getting scored on, but the Sharks worked very hard and kept all that from happening.

The first period proved to be a real battle for both teams as the game remained scoreless for both teams the entire period. Fans were instilled with confidence, however, for their Sharks had been able to keep the puck in the Red Wings zone for most of the period, having many opportunities to score. Additionally, Sharks coach Todd McLellan knew from the prior game that there needed to be some added focus on some of the Red Wings offense, namely Johan Franzen, who had six points last game, and the usual suspects Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Neither Zetterberg nor Datsyuk had a point the whole game, although Franzen had been able to eek out an assist for the Red Wings’ lonely goal.

Although the Sharks got off to a good start the second period, the tide turned in the favor of the Red Wings as they had been able to keep the puck firmly inside the Sharks’ zone for most of the period. The Red Wings were able to strike first as defenseman Brian Rafalski slapped it past Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to make the game 1-0 Detroit. It did not take long for the Sharks to strike back, as a power play allowed fan favorite power forward Joe Thornton to bury it in front of a crowded net, making it 1-1 only two minutes later.

Since it was anyone’s game the third period, as it had been a tie game, both teams battled very hard. During an exciting moment when Joe Pavelski had poked the puck past the feet of the Red Wings defensemen to go against netminder Jimmy Howard, after which he was thwarted when he was hindered from behind, the referee granted him a penalty shot. With the San Jose crowd cheering wildly, Joe Paveski knew he was on the spot and had to score. Unfortunately, his shot only missed the mark by a little bit as it careened over Howard’s shoulder and into the crossbar. Sharks fans were quickly relieved, however, after forward Patrick Marleau released a wicked one-timer from the mid slot using a Joe Thornton feed to put the Sharks at a 2-1 lead. As this happened with ten minutes to go, this had been perhaps the most nail-biting portion of the game. While the Red Wings needed to score, the Sharks needed to only keep them from doing so, with smart plays in the defensive zone and well-timed puck dumps into the Red Wings’ zone from the red line.

Although the Red Wings had put up a very good fight, their efforts were unsuccessful. The Sharks kept the puck out of their net to grant them their victory in Gave Five.

Congratulations, Sharks! Now keep on going!

Staturday Stats: San Jose fastest-growing among California's big cities!

Posted by xThomasTroublex in the San Jose Development Forum:

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The largest numeric growth was in the expected cities: Los Angeles grew by 44,037 people, San Diego by 17,041 and San Jose by 16,237. But in percentage growth, the three that exceeded 5 percent were Colfax, Beaumont (Riverside County) and Sand City (

Monterey County). Sand City, near the former Fort Ord, grew from 312 to 329.

In the Bay Area, the fastest-growing cities by percentage were Oakley, Sebastopol, San Ramon and Millbrae. The only Bay Area city reporting a drop was Fairfield, in Solano County.

The state's population was put at 36,648,000, with Los Angeles at 4,094,764 by far the largest city. San Jose, at No. 3, had 1,023,083 residents, and was the fastest-growing city by percentage among the top 10.

No. 5 Fresno reached the milestone of 500,000, and Oxnard surpassed 200,000 for the first time.

Of 480 cities in the report, 445 reported gains. The four counties that reported a loss are all in the Sierra: Plumas, Sierra, Alpine and Mariposa.

The population estimates do not incorporate the 2010 Census counts.

Tough Loss for Sharks Forces Game 5 in San Jose

While a four-game sweep against the Detroit Red Wings dynasty would have been an awesome victory for the San Jose Sharks, the Red Wings' efforts alongside their energetic home crowd in Game Four have given them the opportunity to stay alive. Although the Red Wings completely dominated the scoreboard, winning the game with a mind-blowing 7-1, one win is only one win, and the Sharks still lead the series three games to one. Fortunately, the next game will be played in front of the San Jose crowd at the HP Pavilion this Saturday at 7:00 pm, all anxious to see their beloved hockey team advance to the Conference finals for only the second time in franchise history.

Tonight's game proved to be simply a down moment in the series. The Red Wings had a terrific game; in particular Johan Franzen (affectionately known as “The Mule” in Detroit after famed captain Steve Yzerman gave him that nickname), who managed a hat trick in just over three minutes of play, finishing the game with four goals and two assists. Additionally, Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard played a phenomenal game, turning away 28 out of 29 shots, most of them difficult to block. The Sharks, however, did not have an “on” game, for example, as goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who performed brilliantly on Tuesday's Game Three, allowed half the shots on him to go into the net. What the Sharks need is effective rest for the next day and a half before focusing and attacking Game Five with a vengeance to put the Red Wings away in front of the home San Jose crowd.

The only obstacle between now and then is to continue to persevere and finish off the Red Wings with another win. Even though the Sharks managed a 3-0 series lead, each game had been a tough battle. Last year, the Red Wings (then the defending Stanley Cup champions) unsurprisingly advanced to the finals, pushing the Pittsburgh Penguins all the way to Game Seven before the Penguins, arguably, barely pushed through to win the game with a 2-1 victory. This year, the Red Wings are even better, and to be able to advance past them this year in the playoffs will turn the San Jose Sharks into the new favorite to win the coveted Stanley Cup. The Sharks fans have a lot to believe in this year. Believe in your Sharks. Support your Sharks. It's the playoffs, so although there undoubtedly will be some down moments in the series, what matters is if, in the end, the Sharks persevere and emerge victorious.

GO SHARKS!

Game Four will be in San Jose's HP Pavilion arena at 7:00 pm this Saturday.
Tickets available tomorrow.

Little Italy San Jose - Walking Tour

Our New Sports Blogger - Jarrod Wells!!!

It's with great pleasure that I would like to introduce a new contributor to The San Jose Blog! Jarrod Wells is an accomplished hockey player--even playing internationally--and I'm thrilled that he'll be blogging about the Sharks' quest towards the Stanley Cup this season! I really think this will finally be our year. Please check out his first couple posts below!

Ultimate Comeback Grants Sharks a 3-0 Series Lead

Today, the Sharks knew they were going to enter a serious and painful battle. Long has the Detroit Red Wings’ Joe Louis Arena been host to the San Jose Sharks’ misery. Of the forty-four total away games the Sharks have played in Detroit, only eight have been victorious. In addition, the Red Wings have been a great team this year to boot. As the game progressed, the Sharks looked as if they were playing an average game. Unfortunately, when your opponent is the Red Wings, average does not cut it.

Within the first period, the Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg had been able to sneak a puck past Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov, although the “shot” was later ruled a “kick in,” disallowing the goal to a torrent of boos from the emotional Joe Louis crowd. Shortly thereafter, Red Wings’ goalie screening expert Tomas Holmstrom snuck one by Nabokov with a tip in for a 1-0 Detroit lead, calming the crowd from the disallowed goal.

As Sharks fans were likely disappointed by the Red Wings’ first period domination, some hopes were rekindled when Nabokov brilliantly gloved the shot of Zetterberg, who had been awarded an unhindered penalty shot when a Sharks player covered the puck in the crease with his hand. The Red Wings shortly extended the lead to 2-0 with a snap shot from forward Daniel Cleary. As the first period winded down to its end, Sharks forward Devin Setoguchi slid the puck past Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard to make the score 2-1, with less than three seconds remaining in the period.

During the second period, Red Wings again extended their lead to two goals after Zetterberg finally put the puck past Nabokov, making the score 3-1. Due to the Sharks’ disappointing history in Detroit and the Red Wings’ brilliant play, it was clear to some that the Sharks were not going to be able to win. The Red Wings’ defensive lineup, primarily the Brian Rafalski-Nicklas Lidstrom pair, had been blocking numerous shots and clearing out potential Sharks scoring opportunities. It was then the Sharks knew they had to carry out nothing short of a miracle to come back against the dominant Red Wings team.

The third period started out with a bang in the Sharks’ favor, as they rose to the occasion and stepped up their performance pace. Railing Red Wings goaltender Howard with many shots on net, the Sharks knew they would eventually wear him down and start putting the pucks past him. Fortunately, the Sharks were right. Almost seven minutes into the third period, power forward Joe Thornton executes an unassisted goal, and seven minutes after that, rookie Logan Couture of the Sharks’ third line rallies to score as well, placing the Sharks and Red Wings at a dead-even tie. The fans of the Joe Louis Arena could not believe it. It was their home, their arena, their domain, and the Sharks were supposed to lose.

Although the Sharks gained an upper hand with a late game power play, they failed to take advantage, and the game was sent into overtime. Both teams played very well in the overtime period, although it was not until a fluke shot by a Red Wings defenseman when the Sharks finally took advantage. The shot missed the net and wrapped around the boards to a patiently waiting Joe Thornton, who quickly broke out of the Sharks’ defensive zone and into the Red Wings’ zone on a two on two. With incredible speed, Sharks’ star forward Patrick Marleau broke past two Red Wings players, where we had been able to receive a pass from Thornton, underneath an outstretched Brian Rafalski, and into the net left open by an over-aggressive Howard, sealing the Sharks’ victory and 3-0 series lead.

May the Sharks continue to play well on Thursday to sweep the Red Wings!

San Jose Sharks to Continue Momentum versus Detroit in Game Three

After two impressive games on home ice, the Sharks are up two games to zero on the Detroit Red Wings as they head to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena for the next two contests of the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Sharks’ recent victories over the Red Wings are nothing short of spectacular. As many hockey fans understand, the Detroit Red Wings is widely known as a strong hockey franchise, with this year being no exception. Although they had only been the fifth seed entering the 2010 Playoffs, a lot of it had to do with their injury-marred season, leaving some of their stars, namely Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg, on the injured-reserve list for parts of the season. In the current stage of the playoffs, however, the Red Wings are pulling no punches, pairing up dynamic forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and strong, experienced defensemen Brian Rafalski and captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

Given the Sharks have demonstrated their ability to play a terrific game and win, the next two games must be played with a discerning focus, especially against a strong team like the Red Wings. Detroit does not plan to make the next games easy for the Sharks, now they have home ice advantage, and with coach Mike Babcock making it known to a few sources of his plans to shut down the Sharks’ offense and keep them from scoring.

Fortunately for the Sharks, they too have enough dynamic players to continue their momentum against the Red Wings this series. With the surprising star, 25-year old Joe Pavelski, currently atop the NHL Playoff leader board for goals (and second in points), power player Devon Setoguchi, rising star Manny Malhotra, and the first forward line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dany Heatley, the Sharks have arguably the strongest offense in the current playoffs. In addition, the Sharks have seen flashes of brilliance from defenseman Dan Boyle, despite the fluke “own goal” in Denver from Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Since the widely-reported error, Boyle has come through tremendously with great playmaking, and in addition, notching three assists in Game 1 versus Detroit and scoring against the Avalanche. To win, the Sharks must keep up their offensive front, while at the same time stepping up their defense with better breakouts and coverage of Red Wings players in the defensive zone. If the Sharks can pull off a series victory versus Detroit, their chances of winning the Cup will be much more likely.

Catch the game tonight at 4:30pm Pacific Time.

GO SHARKS!

I Heart San Jose - Syndicated Facebook Posts

There are a lot of great Facebook pages popping up centered around San Jose and I've posted links to the best ones over on the right hand side of this blog. Out of all these groups, the one that has far and away gained the most traction this year is "I Heart San Jose." It has over 4,000 followers and the missions is simple: "For people who love San Jose!" Needless to say, there is a lot of synergy between their goals and the goal of this blog!

A lot of great content is being posted over at I Heart San Jose daily, so if you haven't done so already you can check them out here. I also think I've figured out a way to syndicate their posts, so every 1-2 weeks I'll post their latest updates over here as well. See below for last week's content from I Heart San Jose!

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UPDATE: Sorry guys, this didn't work out quite as planned. The HTML from Facebook ended up killing the rest of the page. I'll have to better understand the code to make this work properly. Will try to get this back up ASAP!

$28m Residential Project in Japantown!

In Last week's San Jose / Silicon Valley Business Journal, there is a great article about a new Japantown residential project called Cornerstone.  Here is the brief summary:

• 53-unit affordable housing project, 3-stories, no retail
• Corner of N 10th and Hedding
• Made possible due to a $2m federal grant
• Being designed by LPMD Architects, based in Sunnyvale
• Residents should be able to move in summer 2011

Click here to read the full article (warning, you may need to be a subscriber to read this one).

Photo: Courtesy Illustration

Bike Sharing *IS* Coming to San Jose

On Earth Day I posted about an innovative bike-share program taking shape in Denver. The quick summary is that citizens can pick up one of 400 bikes at solar-powered stations throughout the city, use it for their daily commute or maybe just for a joyride (bike party anyone?), and then return it to any station they want. I thought this was a killer idea and one we should implement right here in Silicon Valley. Great news, it looks like that is EXACTLY what we're going to do. Thanks to an astute reader, below is VTA's press release for a half million dollar bike share program for Santa Clara County!

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VTA Awarded $500,000 for Valley Bike Share Pilot Project

Agency to Begin Distinctive Program

Release Number:	nr 09 12 14
Release Date:	Dec 21, 2009

San Jose, Calif. –The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) recently secured a $500,000 Safe Routes to Transit (SR2T) grant to fund a Bike Share Pilot Project. With the approval of the grant by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) last week, VTA can now jump start bike sharing in Santa Clara County.
          
Bike sharing provides users 24/7 access to public bicycles to commute to work, run errands or even ride for fun, without the worry of bicycle theft or lack of bicycle parking. With self-service stations that allow users to access a fleet of bicycles anytime, bike sharing offers a convenient option for making short trips when walking is too far and transit options are not available.

The concept of Bike Sharing, while not new, was championed locally on several fronts including the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC), elected officials, and VTA.  VTA’s bike sharing pilot project is expected to begin in Spring 2010. 

“I’m thrilled to see the many months of hard work by VTA staff and our bicycling advocates come to fruition with this MTC grant,“ said Sam Liccardo, VTA Board of Directors interim chair and San Jose City Councilmember, who publicly launched an initiative for a bike share pilot project in San José in 2008. “This effort combines an innovative way to enable people to use an old-fashioned, low-tech solution: the bicycle.  It boosts transit by helping eliminate the chronic “bumping” of riders trying to board bicycle-laden Caltrain cars, and it provides a much needed bridge for transit riders seeking to reach their office or ultimate destination.”

Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Chair Joe Walton is excited about the opportunity to explore bike sharing locally. “Bike sharing will reduce the use of private automobiles while also promote active transportation,” said Walton.

The transit-based bike sharing program is centered on VTA’s transit centers in San Jose, Palo Alto and Mountain View, and the surrounding 3-mile radius for potential bike sharing stations or pods. The three transit centers were chosen because they have the highest ridership and experience serious bike overcrowding and bumping problems. Bike sharing presents an opportunity to address these obstacles and expand the existing transportation system without additional infrastructure or new transit service.

VTA is currently conducting a study to assess feasibility of a bike sharing program in Santa Clara County. VTA is working with a consultant team and a working group comprised of representatives from the three cities, Caltrain, private businesses, SVBC, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) to conduct the necessary market research, technology review and develop a business and finance model. Based on promising initial results, over half of the people surveyed indicated they would use the bike sharing program if it were available. The study is slated for completion by March 2010, and based on its findings, VTA staff will develop the pilot project and use the SR2T grant to purchase the initial set of bicycles and bike share pods.

The SR2T grant program funds projects that facilitate safe walking and biking to regional transit. The program is funded by Regional Measure 2, the $1 bridge toll increase for transit. The SR2T Committee’s recommendation that the VTA Pilot Bike Sharing project receive the requested $500,000 in funding was approved by MTC at its December 16, 2009 meeting.

Help San Jose win "America's Best Rose Garden"

Click here to cast you vote for San Jose! For more details, check out the Friends of The San Jose Rose Garden website.

The 88 Now 50% Sold!

Based on the latest email I received today, it looks like half of the units in The 88 are now spoken for. Does this mean we can look forward to news on The 89 next door anytime soon?

From SJ/21: Tunnel Visions

Please check out SJ/21 for the original post!



Californians For High Speed Rail are planning what they call an"Informal SF-SJ Local Advocacy Team Meeting" on May 6th in Palo Alto:

This will be our kick-off meeting of CA4HSR's Local Advocacy Team for the San Francisco<-->San Jose section of the planned high speed rail route. We'll discuss HSR developments in the region and ways we can help bring high speed rail to California. Choo choo, see you there! 

Doubtless there will be a vocal contingent of peninsula NIMBYs, so it's important to support events, such as these. To be fair, residents of some of the wealthier communities in the valley and peninsula are fine with HSR in their neighborhoods—they just insist on tunnels and not to have to pay for them. We've seen popular projects tanked by loud interest groups before, and high speed rail is just too important to let that happen again. 

Hope to see you there.

San Pedro Square Market Interview Excerpt

From SJ/21: All About Kiosks, Pt II

From San Jose / Twenty-One by DHO:

Last week, I wrote about kiosks as a possible component to downtown San Jose's revitalization. I also wrote that I had a few ideas about where these could go.

So, here are three potential sites:

Fountain Alley 


Fountain Alley, between First and Second, is an interesting area. On the plus side, it has historic charm and, due to its proximity between two light rail lines, significant foot traffic. On the down side, it is straddled by a parking lot on one side. In 2006, there were plans to build a 16-story tower in that parking, but those never came to fruition, partially due to neighborhood concerns that it would be incongruent with the area's historical styles.



Regardless of whether that parking lot is developed it or not (and I certainly hope it eventually is), Fountain Alley still serves as an important corridor between First and Second. But as it stands, it's not terribly inviting.



A kiosk or two, maybe on both ends at First and Second, might encourage a more friendly pedestrian environment. A food or coffee kiosk, along with a seating area, could help soften some of the Alley's harder edges. (Curiously, not long ago there was a glass brick kiosk on the Second Street side, but for some reason it was torn down.) With a potential BART stop just around the corner, Fountain Alley could become a significant corridor to and from the station. Why not make it that much nicer of a stroll?

St. James Park


To imagine what St. James Park could be, you must first know what it was...





If you don't recognize St. James Park, it's because what was once a lush urban oasis is now a unpolished jewel in need of some serious attention. To be sure, the residents of The St. James Historical District have done their due diligence in promoting the needs of the park, but as of yet, progress has been slow.



St. James Park is a public space that is missing exactly that, a public. The San Jose Downtown Association's Music in the Other Park series was great, but its no longer being produced. So, the park is largely left to the homeless during the day. It's not that it's a dangerous park, it's just that it is unwelcoming and, despite a beautiful central fountain, lacking a focal point to pull people in.



Despite being cut into two, the park is still ideally situated for kiosks. The western half, between First and Second Streets is anchored by the majestic St. James Park Fountain. The problem here is that the surrounding elements don't beckon citizens to stay and enjoy the beautiful views. Imagine two or three kiosks strategically placed around the fountain, maybe ice cream for kids playing at the nearby playground, or a coffee or danish for mom and dad to enjoy. As in New York City, kiosks could be a way to encourage people to not only visit the park, but more fully engage it. And let's be honest, we have better weather than most cities, so why not?

Fairmont Plaza


This is another interesting area to consider. Across the street from The Plaza de Cesar Chavez, and nestled between The Fairmont Hotel, The San Jose Museum of Art, The Knight Ridder Building, it's difficult to ask for a better location than Fairmont Plaza. And during Christmas in the Park, the plaza comes alive with Downtown Ice.



Downtown Ice is an example of utilizing the best of a location. Of course, many cities have urban skating rinks, but the plaza's Circle of Palms, makes San Jose's unique. Unfortunately, that only happens a couple months out of the year. Most of the time, particularly during the day, the plaza is vastly underutilized.



Some efforts have been made to better utilize this space, namely The San Jose Museum of Art's Cafe Too! and The Knight Ridder Building's Cafe 1850. Both take advantage of the great views and weather. However, both also close at 3:30 PM, so for the better part of the afternoon and all evening, there's little to attract people to this space. A kiosk, perhaps along the hotel side, could entice people to stay longer. A late afternoon coffee or a small snack might entice passers-by to give the plaza a chance. Fairmont Plaza is a nice place to be, we just need to give people a reason to stay.

Final Notes


I would be remiss not to mention that downtown has indeed had two successful kiosks on the Paseo de San Antonio for years.Rosies & Posies Downtown Florist and Circle-A Skateboards are well-situated and offer useful services. Overall, Paseo de San Antonio still needs a lot more work, but theses two kiosks are definitely pluses.



And if you think kiosks are limited to the green, cast iron boxes we are used to seeing in places, like New York City, then their evolution might surprise you. In fact, several cities worldwide have embraced bold designs in their kiosks. Utilitarian or whimsical, contemporary kiosks come in all shapes and sizes, limited only by our imaginations.







I like how the folks at The Pop-Up City put it:

We all know the kiosks on the busy streets of our world cities — those small, neat pop-up booths that sell about everything, from newspapers and magazines to cigarettes and cold drinks. Kiosks mean a lot to me, and to the city itself. At these colourful places, where tourists buy their public transport tickets and commuters grab a fresh newspaper in the morning, is the metropolitan vibe at its best.

They are right. And though kiosks alone are not the answer to downtown's revitalization, they could play an integral part. I've humbly submitted my ideas for kiosk locations, but there are certainly many other possibilities throughout downtown.

Two New Potential Projects!

From the San Jose Development Forum, Posted by xThomasTroublex:


Fourth Street Apartments

First Community Housing will build 100 energy-efficient apartments (one, two and three-bedrooms) on a .79 acre site downtown located two blocks from light rail. This multifamily housing includes two stories of structured parking, with a landscaped courtyard providing open space, a seventh floor terrace and a demonstration green “living” roof.



Fisher Friedman Associates, AIA, an award-winning architectural firm, designed the nine story building.

* On-Site Manager and Maintenance Staff
* Laundry Facility
* Community Room/Lounge
* Computer Lab
* Play structure
* Picnic Tables/BBQ
* Each unit wired for Internet access
* Energy-efficient windows
* Free annual transit pass (Eco Pass)

Housing Choices Coalition (HCC) will provide Resident Services Coordination to Fourth Street residents with developmental disabilities, and facilitate communication between these residents and property management, providing one point of contact for the purposes of continuity and comprehensive communication. This includes a comprehensive marketing and screening process to ensure that appropriate services are in place before a client signs a lease. HCC will work with these special needs residents to create a sense of community and to encourage a support network among their neighbors and friends.

Second Street Studios

First Community Housing is proposing to build 134 energy-efficient studio and one-bedroom apartments at the corner of South Second Street and Keyes Street over ground-level retail. Thirty-five percent of the units will be set aside for the developmentally disabled population and those who require in-home services.



Rob Wellington Quigley, AIA is an award-winning architectural firm that designed the building. The current plan includes 11,211 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, with on-site parking for customers, employees, and residents. The building is registered in the LEED for Homes Mid-rise pilot program incorporates a living roof, and is expected to receive a LEED Gold or Platinum certification.

Second Street Studios will showcase innovative, green building materials and systems developed in Silicon Valley. The US Green Building Councils LEED certification program credits buildings that use regional materials within a 500 mile radius. The Second and Keyes building will focus more specifically on the influence and innovation of the Silicon Valley. LEED defines locally sourced materials as those building materials or products that have extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within proximity to the site.