Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Holiday SJMade!

The event that supports local vendors and entrepreneurs is back for the holidays! SJMADE is bringing an epic list of vendors together at the San Pedro Square Market (below). This special edition of SJMADE  is one day only, this Saturday, and it runs from 11am - 6pm. You won't want to miss it!



The Vendor List for Holiday SJMADE

December 1, 2012, 11a-6p at San Pedro Square Market
Amour Ame
Arancia Scura Photography
Atreya Art
Black Cat Collective
Bugs & Monsters
Calia Designs
Classic Loot
Content Magazine
Cuckoo Worldwide
Die Hard Company

Desire Gems
Erik's Wood Creations
Eskandari
Filthy Cute
Fluffed Animals
Galactic Romance
Gems and Stuff
Glowees
HEIRLoom
Hello Sisters
Homegrown Blends

Homegrown Specialties Marketplace
I Heart Licorice and Little Landscapes
Jate Clothing
Jewels By Daisy
Kathryn Marie Designs
KeAloha Designs
The LA RIDAS
Lucrezia's Delight
Magda Designs
Mayari Jewelry
Mister Dada
Nicole Steward Designs
Ohayo Cali Brand
Peggy Li Creations
Petite Fute
PYRCE
Red Stripes Boutique
Rockin' Chair Knit & Yarn Wear
Rock N The Trend
Ropes4Dogs
San Jose Screen Printing
shop.find.love
Splendid Colors
Steam Powell Industries
Steamy Tech
Sweetdragon Baking Company
Tech Shop San Jose
Tinkertart
tousleddolly
ther.a.py
Urban Antiq
Vintage Fusion Jewelry
Yeah Hello
San Pedro Square
Market Merchants
Ay Dios Mio!
B2
Blush Raw Bar Lounge
Creparis
Crewners
Little Chef Counter
Little Cheese Shoppe
On A Roll
Phonomenal
Pizza Bocca Lupo
Robees Falafel
San Pedro Square Market Bar
Satori Tea Company
Showroom
Tinkertart
Treatbot
Vino Vino

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Health Trust Hike & Bike

To commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, 2012, The Health Trust is doing a Hike & Bike event featuring a 2 mile hike, 11 mile bike ride, and a 32 mile bike ride. Proceeds are put towards AIDS Services in San Jose and other Santa Clara County locations. For more information and to register, just click this link.

The Health Trust Hike & Bike Silicon Valley

THE HIKE & BIKE COURSE

2 Mile Hike

The entire Hike route is contained within the Santa Clara University Campus. Students and community groups have collaborated to make this an enjoyable and inspiring stroll through the beautiful Santa Clara University Campus. Special commemorative prizes for those that raise at least $100, $250, $500, or $1,000.00

The walk and 11 Mile Bike Ride will begin at 10:00 AM with check in beginning at 9:00 AM.

11 Mile Bike Ride

For those of you who prefer a shorter version of the ride, we have included a 11 mile route also. Just register for the ride and turnaround at the (xxx) mile rest stop.

The walk and 11 Mile Bike Ride will begin at 10:00 AM with check in beginning at 9:00 AM.

32 Mile Bike Ride

We chose 32 miles to recognize 32 years of fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS and 32 years of helping people live longer better lives with HIV and AIDS. This specially designed route will take you through some important community sites such as the San Jose AIDS Memorial Grove and the Health Trust Food Basket program. We hope this mostly flat course on a beautiful December Saturday morning will inspire you to join your community in the continuing fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS and we hope you will become inspired or re-inspired to help your community members living with HIV/AIDS to live active and healthy lives. Special commemorative prizes for those that raise at least $100, $250, $500, or $1,000.00

The 32 Mile Bike Ride will begin at 9:00 AM with check/registration in at 8:00 AM

Monday, November 26, 2012

Crescent Village Apartments is Open

The largest apartment complex to open in San Jose since the great recession is well into leasing and I imagine pretty close to being fully booked by now. This development contains 1,750 apartment homes and is close to the 1,400 tech companies in North San Jose--several within walking distance--as well as Light Rail, making that trip to Mizu Downtown pretty convenient. Their amenities include an impressive 5 acre park, pools and spas, a theater, and fitness facilities. Three more complexes next to Crescent Village will be opening in mid 2013 by the same developer, Irvine Company.

For more info, just continue reading the press release below.




Mayor Reed, Councilman Chu Celebrate Grand Opening of Crescent Village Apartment Homes

Community is Largest to Open Since Great Recession;
Part of Irvine Company’s Long-Term Commitment to Silicon Valley

San Jose, Calif., Sept. 25, 2012 — San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilman Kansen Chu joined executives of the Irvine Company and about 60 invited guests to celebrate the grand opening of Crescent Village Apartment Homes, the largest apartment community to open in years in Silicon Valley.

“I’d like to thank the Irvine Company for this significant investment in our community,” Reed told the audience gathered at Crescent Village for a grand opening party that included a red carpet entry and VIP tours of the community. “Crescent Village will provide new homes and amenities to accommodate our growing workforce in North San Jose.”

“The development of Crescent Village marks a remarkable milestone in North San Jose,” said Councilman Chu, who represents San Jose’s District 4, which includes Crescent Village. “I want to recognize and thank the Irvine Company for their investments in North San Jose, home to 1,400 global technology companies employing more than 55,000 people.”

With 1,750 apartments, Crescent Village is the most significant apartment community to open in Silicon Valley since the Great Recession. The community, which has been a draw for technology professionals, young couples and young families, is a sign of Silicon Valley’s resurgence as one of the strongest economies in the country.

The community is part of the Irvine Company’s expanding presence in Silicon Valley, where the company has provided premier offices and apartments for more than 15 years.

In all, the Irvine Company owns and manages 11 apartment communities with more than 5,500 units in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Redwood City. The company also owns and manages more than 3 million square feet of office space in Sunnyvale, San Jose, Santa Clara and Milpitas.

“We see our heritage of master planning as a perfect fit with the innovation economy of Silicon Valley, and Crescent Village is a reflection of that,” said Kevin Baldridge, president of Irvine Company Apartment Communities. “We believe our role and purpose is to serve San Jose and all of Silicon Valley by providing exceptional living and working environments and experiences.”

Crescent Village brings resort-style living and expansive amenities to North San Jose’s Innovation Triangle, the center of Silicon Valley.

Crescent Village is part of Vision North San Jose, a master planning effort by the City of San Jose to advance housing and employment by creating communities in walking distance to jobs, shopping and regional transportation.

The community is walking distance to operations of Cisco Systems Inc., Broadcom Corp., Altera Corp. and other major area employers. Crescent Village also is near the Valley Transportation Authority’s River Oaks light-rail station, which links to downtown San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley.

Crescent Village’s amenities include five saltwater pools and spas, a fitness center, spin, yoga and aerobics rooms, a five-acre park, clubhouses, an Internet cafe and movie theater. For more information, please see www.CrescentVillageApts.com.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

New Sunnyvale Documentary

Our good friend David Manzo (San Jose 2030) has just completed a documentary on our neighbor, Sunnyvale. It is premiering tomorrow, Nov 26, at the Sunnyvale Heritage Museum. Additional showings are also being planned, as well as a DVD release. To watch a 3 minute trailer, just click here. Looks like a great documentary and I hope David does one for San Jose too =).

UPDATE: You can now watch the trailer below as well!


Reckless is Coming to the San Jose Stage Theater



San Jose, CA (November 14, 2012) – San Jose Stage Company continues its 30th season by presenting Reckless by Craig Lucas. Just in time for the holidays, this surreal comedy begins with a Christmas Eve event that propels the characters on a wild journey of revelation and surprise.
 
The Stage offers a twist on traditional holiday fare. Reckless, from gifted playwright Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, Prelude to a Kiss), is a comic fable of a modern-day Alice in a perilous winter wonderland. This surreal comedy follows the fate of Rachel, whose blissful life gets turned upside down after one fateful Christmas Eve, when her husband reveals (spoiler alert!) he has taken a contract out on her life. She flees her home and embarks on a series of misadventures that challenges her preconceptions concerning family, love and the wonders of life. Reckless is a timeless story of whirlwind lunacy, triumph and transformation – perfect for the holidays. Reckless opens November 28.
 
Author, director and actor Craig Lucas received a Drama Desk nomination Outstanding New Play for RecklessLucas has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for Prelude to a Kiss, and he has also received a Tony Award Nomination for The Light in the Piazza (Best Book of a Musical). He has won two OBIE Awards for Best New American Play (Small Tragedy and Prelude to a Kiss). His diverse body of work has been seen on Broadway three times. His many plays include The Dying Gaul, Prayer for My Enemy, The Singing Forest, Blue Window and God’s Heart. He has written the screenplays Longtime Companion, Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless and The Secret Lives of Dentists.
 
Craig Lucas has a very decided and personal kinship with lost souls adrift in the world and in Reckless, we collide with them at every turn,” explains Kenneth Kelleher, director of Reckless. “And as we meet them, eccentric and fragile, we begin, with Rachel’s help, to understand the innocence in all of us.”
 
Kenneth Kelleher returns to direct Reckless for The Stage, where he has helmed over twenty productions, including Buried Child, On The Waterfront, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Wit, Biedermann and the Firebugs, Bariona, The Living and Six Characters in Search of an Author.
 
Kelleher invites everyone to “take a drive with Rachel through the snowy Christmases of her imagination and perhaps her salvation. And to all a good night!”
 
Performances are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Reckless runs through December 16.
 
Tickets range from $20 - $45 and are available at www.thestage.org or by calling the box office at 408.283.7142. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, and discounts are available for groups, students and seniors. The theatre is handicapped accessible.
 
The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Street in downtown San Jose’s South First (SoFA) area.
# # # 
 
The Cast of Reckless: 
 
Halsey Varady* (Rachel Fitzsimmons) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where she played Rachel Jackson in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Steph in the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. She has also appeared locally at Bus Barn Stage Company, The Spare Stage Company, Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company, City Lights Theater Company, Palo Alto Players, Foothill College Saratoga Drama Group. In Washington D.C., she appeared at Ford’s Theatre and Spooky Action Theater. She is an Associate Artist at The Stage.
 
Will Springhorn Jr.* (Tom Fitzsimmons) returns to The Stage, where he was last seen in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Cabaret and the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. He is a Bay Area actor, teacher and designer and has appeared with TheatreWorks, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, SF Playhouse and Theatre Rhinoceros
 
Michael Navarra* (Lloyd Bophtelophti) returns to The Stage, where he appeared in Buried Child. He has played leading roles with TheatreWorks, B Street Theatre, Traveling Jewish Theatre, Word for Word, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre and Central Works.
 
Dena Martinez* (Doctors) returns to The Stage, where she was last seen in the California Premiere of Octavio Solis’ Gibraltar, a co-production with Thick Description. She has also appeared at American Conservatory Theater, Shotgun Players, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks and Campo Santo. She is currently the Casting Director at Bay Area Playwrights Foundation.
 
Judith Miller (Trish Hammers) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where she was last seen in Buried Child, Cabaret, Dirty Blonde and reprising the title role in Always…Patsy Cline. She has also performed numerous roles with San Jose Repertory Theatre, Woodminster Theatre, Marin Theatre Company and California Actors Theatre.
 
Katie O’Bryon (Pooty) is making her debut at The Stage. She was recently seen as Varya in The Cherry Orchard at The Pear Avenue Theatre and as Smitty in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Foothill Music Theatre. She is the School of Performing Arts Director and Resident Choreographer at Peninsula Youth Theatre.
 
Jay Steele (Roy/Tim Timko) is making his San Jose Stage Company debut. His local credits include City Lights Theater Company, South Bay Musical Theatre Lyric Theatre of San Jose. He’s also performed with the Lamplighters and West Valley Light Opera. He is chairperson of the board at South Bay Musical Theatre, where he regularly produces and performs.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
 
Kenneth Kelleher (Director) has directed over twenty performances for The Stage, including Buried Child, On The Waterfront and Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is currently the Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company and B Street Theatre.
 
The other members of the show’s creative team include designers Richard C. Ortenblad (set), Jean Cardinale (costumes), Michael Palumbo(lighting) and John Koss (sound).
 
Attn: Media and Calendar Editors:  San Jose Stage Company holds the press opening on Saturday, December 1 at 8:00 PM, with previews beginning Wednesday and Thursday, November 28 and 29 at 7:30 PM and Friday, November 30 at 8:00 PM.
Production photos are available upon request. Visit www.thestage.org
   # # # 
 
About San Jose Stage Company:
 
Now in its 30th season, San Jose Stage Company is recognized as The Bay Area's Premiere Off-Broadway Theatre. The Stage is known for its devotion to new and cutting-edge work and for its commitment to showcasing high-quality local talent.
 
Ranked 3rd largest theatre and 9th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (May 2012), San Jose Stage Company is a vital force in the community. The Stage has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by providing high-quality, edgy theatrical experiences that engage, educate and provoke audiences. The Stage has produced 143 productions, 44 new works and 11 world premieres.
 
The Stage also offers five core educational and outreach programs, including National High School Top Honors Awards, and has housed over 200 independent performance groups in its theatre. The Stage is located at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. For more information:www.thestage.org   Box Office: 408.283.7142
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS
 
San Jose Stage Company presents RecklessReckless, from gifted playwright Craig Lucas (The Light in the PiazzaPrelude to a Kiss), is a comic tale of a modern-day Alice in a perilous winter wonderland. This surreal comedy follows the fate of Rachel, whose blissful life gets turned upside down after one fateful Christmas Eve, when her husband reveals he has taken a contract out on her life. She flees her home and embarks on a series of misadventures that challenges her preconceptions concerning family, love and the wonders of life.
 
Reckless is a timeless story of whirlwind lunacy, triumph and transformation – perfect for the holidays!
 
Run Dates:     November 28– December 16, 2012
Previews:       November 28 – 30, 2012
Opening:        December 1, 2012
Shows:            Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
Sunday at 2:00 pm
Location:         The Stage, 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA
Tickets:           $20 - $45 with discounts for seniors, students and groups
Box Office:      408.283.7142 or www.thestage.org
 
Author:           Craig Lucas
Director:         Kenneth Kelleher
Featuring:      Halsey Varady*Will Springhorn Jr.*Michael Navarra*Dena Martinez*,
Judith MilerKatie O’Bryon and Jay Steele

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Saturday Stats: Partners in Silicon Valley Law Firms Claim Top Pay

The San Jose metro can add another "top salary" stat to it's belt, and you may want to take a deep breath for this one.

Partners at our law firms are raking in an average annual compensation of $1.2 million, and yes, those are American dollars. This again is the compensation for partners only, so entry-level attorneys are not factored in.

In second place was New York with an average compensation of $1 million, and San Francisco came in seventh place with $723k. If you're considering a career change in San Jose, this may not be a bad option =).

Source: SFBJ

Friday, November 23, 2012

Shop San Jose This Black Friday

This Black Friday, support San Jose by shopping local. Not only will you be contributing sales taxes to pay for our parks, libraries, and essential services, but you will help those San Jose businesses and jobs alive.

You can also double down on San Jose by not only purchasing within the city limits, but also choosing brands that are headquartered in San Jose. Below is a list of San Jose companies that sell consumer products. You can view this as a filterable Google doc with website links by clicking here.

I have not updated this list in a while, so if you have more companies that I should add just let me know in the comments. Thanks!



Black Friday @ The Usuals

Black Friday at The Usuals


The Usual Black Friday Extravaganza
Friday, November 23, 2012

Secret Sale
10:00a – 12:00p (noon)

Discounts are a SECRET, but the secret is oh so good…
First THREE customers in the shop, as always, get 50% off of lowest marked price on everything (yes, EVERYTHING)!

Not-So-Secret Sale
12:00p (noon) – 10:00p

Get up to 40% OFF of everything in the shop! EVERYTHING is discounted, so don’t miss. All graphic tees and hoodies (Including I HEART SJ) are Buy One, Get One Half Off.