Friday, June 6, 2014

Starlight Cinemas Start Next Week!

Several films will be screening outdoors this summer, taking advantage of San Jose's awesome weather. Bend it Like Beckham will kick off the "Starlight Cinemas" program, which will follow a World Cup Game viewing in the same location. The rest of the films will be shown either at St. James Park or the San Pedro Square Market.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure will also be tied to a San Jose Bike Party. I love seeing the synergy here between multiple big events happening Downtown. The full calendar is below and all movies are family friendly.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

7th Annual SubZERO Festival Tomorrow AND Saturday!!!

One of the best festivals in the entire Bay Area is happening tomorrow--and for the first time SubZERO has been extended to take place across two days! It is going to be truly epic for 2014.

I don't even know where to begin. You'll have hundreds of vendors, dozens of galleries, live music across three different stages, 11 food trucks, a beer garden, and all sorts of interesting surprises. This is a must-attend event for anyone who is a fan of Downtown San Jose.

The festival will take up at least three city blocks along S. First Street from San Carlos all the way to Reed. I would recommend parking in the Convention Center and walking across the street. Below you can see a list of artists and vendors participating as well as the food trucks. For more info and a music schedule, check out the SubZERO Website.


Confirmed Artists, Indie Creatives & Vendors participating in 
the 7th Annual SubZERO Festival 

Frank Aguilar
Darius B'Alexander
Jaime Benoist 
Black & Brown
Black Lotus Clothing 
Mike Borja 
Bugs & Monsters
Keith Bunnell
David Canavese
The Cannery Gallery 
Classic Loot
Content Magazine
Crossroads Trading Co.
Cryptic
The Cube by Jarid
Current Tattoo
Donbon 
Drew & Barb 
EcoMonster
Elements SJ Vape Shop
Empire Seven
EyeDesign Art
Faire Goatmother
Tulio Flores
Francisco Franco
Friends with Benefits
Force 129
Fotography by Abe Menor 
FRPArt.org  
Lila Gemellos 
ThOm Golia 
Cynthia Gonzalez 
Michele Guieu / Drew Detweiller
Andre Hart 
Genevieve Hastings
Jeff Hemming
Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery
Hologlyphics 
ILADORA Apparel 
iMiNUSD Fixed Gear Boutique
Jumbo Jibbles
KALEID  Gallery
KKUP
Denis Korkh 
Korrupt Clothing
John Kurtyka 
The LGBTQ Youth Space
Lost San Jose
Lucy & Mabel 
Luna Park Chalk Art Festival
Frances Marin
Masako
Jason McHenry
Mejia Arts
Keith Melot
Woody Miller
Mariya Milovidova 
Minou
Monocle Art Group
LAuruS Myth 
Anna Nguyen 
Oliver/Wilde
Out of Print Vintage 
Petitie Galleria
Gianfranco Paolozzi
Persephone Dance Company
Poetry Site 
James Pollard
SJ Bike Valet
SJ Rock Shop 
Steven Reece
RevoLights
School of Visual Philosophy
Freya Seeburger 
Seeing Things Gallery
Melanie Sharr
SJSU Art Alliance
SJSU Game Dev
SLG / Art Boutiki
Steamy Tech 
There There
Kori Thompson
Space Palette 
Tinkertart 
Tiny Splendor 
The Usuals / Showroom
Audre VanBroers 
Visual Confections
Visual Philosophy
Andy Wallace
Michelle and Peter Waters
Women Environmental Artists Directory
Works Gallery
Zenning
 
3 Stages of Music
Anno Domini Stage
The People's Park Stage
Secret Garden Stage

Lagunitas Brewing Company presents THE SECRET GARDEN


Lagunitas_on_tap.jpg
  • 2 Bros Kitchen
  • Banjara Bistro
  • Bill's Hot Dogs
  • SJ Meatball Company
  • Hula Truck
  • Mad Maxx Mex
  • OhMisoHungry
  • Porky's
  • Rice Rockit
  • Takoz Mod Mex
  • Twisted Chill

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Bringing and International Design Competition to San Jose

I've been meaning to plug this article for quite some time. Mark has a great suggestion over at Think Bigger San Jose on bringing an international design competition to San Jose. We need to encourage less generic/bland architectural designs and try to acquire landmark pieces that will make the city more unique and inspire others to do even better. I especially like the idea of having the competition in St. James Park as a way to help revitalize it. Read the article over here and let us know what you think.




Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Sourisseau News: The Bank of America Building

In the latest edition of the Sourisseau News, learn all about Giannini and the Bank of Italy America Building in Downtown San Jose. Pay special attention to the photos of the Safe Deposit Bank building at the corner of 1st and Santa Clara around the 1:10 mark. That beautiful building used to stand where The Bank of America Building is today. I wish they built the high-rise on another corner so this structure could have been preserved. Check out the 2 minute video below!


Giannini and the Bank of America Building from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

New San Jose Downtown Association Summer Event Site!

The Downtown Association is gearing up for a huge summer filled with a large variety of events. This includes 2 Music in the Park Concerts (English Beat 7/17 and Pete Escovedo 8/21); 8 free outdoor movie events (80's themed this year); 10 World Cup Soccer Viewing Events with the SJ Earthquakes partnering; 10 days of pre fixe menus during Dine Downtown Restaurant Week; the weekly Downtown Farmers' Market every Friday through Nov. 21, as well as helping with the SoFA SubZERO festival and South First Friday Street MRKTs.

To keep track of all these great events, please check out http://www.sjdowntown.com/summer. That site will be updated regularly all summer long as new events and updates come up.

Also for live music, you definitely have to bookmark http://www.liveandlocalsj.com.



Monday, June 2, 2014

Loring Ward Moving HQ From Santana Row to Downtown San Jose

Loring Ward is a rapidly growing investment management firm with $11.2 billion under management. They currently have 100 employees that are split between two offices in Santana Row that total 25,000 SQFT. They needed a lot of room to grow and wanted an environment that provided easy access to amenities, so they choose Downtown San Jose. The company leased 43,000 SQFT at 10 Almaden, making it the largest new Downtown lease of the year.

As part of the eight-year contract, they will get their name on the building with great visibility from Santa Clara Street. Loring Ward is hoping to complete construction this fall, which will include a mix of private workspaces, open offices, and private interior offices.

As an added bonus in the Silicon Valley Business Journal article, it looks like brokers for the Boston Properties office project near the convention center have started marketing the space again. If they find a tenant, the project could reach 800,000 SQFT (I remember old renderings consisting of three high-rise buildings). It's nice to see that more than just residential and retail are picking up steam Downtown.

Side note: Did anyone know that 10 Almaden had a lap pool? I didn't until I saw the photo below.

Source: SVBJ



PAC*SJ Summer Walking Tours!


The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) will be doing three walking tours this summer. They will be in the Vendome neighborhood, Palm Haven and North Willow Glen, and also a stroll down The Alameda. All tours will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays. More information and advance tickets for the set or individual tours are available on the website http://www.preservation.org/events/walkingtours/tickets2014.html

You can also purchase tickets on the day of the tour if slots are available by arriving about 10 minutes early. Individual tickets are $10 for members of PAC*SJ and $15 for the general public. It is $25/$35 for the complete set.

Vendome, June 14

This walk shows six decades of San Jose homes on only four streets. 

The tour will begin at Ryland Park near First Street. There are some parking spaces in the Ryland Park lot and along San Pedro, but parking east of First Street or taking Light Rail to Ayer is recommended. In the park, we’ll learn a little history about San Jose and how the neighborhood filled in over time. The biggest growth spurt was during the 1930’s when the property of the Vendome Hotel became available for development. After we visit the Rotary Ryland Pool, we’ll stroll through the southern half of the neighborhood to see the homes. The architecture includes Victorian, Craftsman, Prairie style, Tudor, art moderne, and a wide variety of Spanish styles.

Palm Haven and North Willow Glen, June 28

This tour begins at the corner of Fuller and Bird in North Willow Glen where is more street parking available. We’ll pass some interesting homes on Bird, before going through Palm Haven. Palm Haven was laid out in 1913 with a border of Mexican Fan Palms. The earliest homes were all substantial. Later homes on the outer streets are more varied in size. Many famous civic and business leaders lived in Palm Haven, as well as artists and architects, most notably in the Wolfe family. 

The Alameda, July 12

The tour begins at the corner of Emory and the Alameda, across from the Central Y. The resources for this tour are The Alameda: The Beautiful Way and the Alameda Right of Way Context Statement produced by the City. 

The Alameda is the piece of the El Camino Real that ran between Mission Santa Clara and Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe. The name comes from the shade trees that were planted along the route. On the first part of the tour, we’ll look at the prominent homes along the street and discuss some of the ones that are now gone. We’ll learn about some prominent people in city history. Later we’ll walk through a resurgent business area and talk about the past – and future – changes to the landscape.

The narrative will be finished as we approach Stockton Street after a 1 mile walk, so depending on the heat and how individuals are feeling, there is the option to take the #22 or #522 bus back to the starting point. They both run every 15 minutes.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Patxi's 10th Anniversary Party

This Wednesday is the 10 year anniversary of Patxi's Pizza, and they are doing a variety of promotions to celebrate. First off is free food and drinks (beer and wine) on June 4th from 3pm to 4pm at every location. Those wearing a Patxi's t-shirt to the party will get a $20 gift card.

Also on June 4th, anyone who orders a pizza for delivery will get a Willy Wonka-style golden ticket that give customers a chance to win $25-$50 gift cards or the grand prize of "Pizza for a Year."

Lastly, any children under 10 that have their birthday on June 4th will get a free pizza. Those lucky enough to turn exactly 10 years old on June 4th will win a pizza party valued at $200.

Patxi's San Jose location is on the edge of Crescent Village at 3350 Zanker Road.


PATXI’S CELEBRATES ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY
Party at Every Location, Specials, & More
Patxi’s Pizza, the Bay Area brand famous for classic Chicago-style stuffed pizza and authentic Italian thin crust, celebrates its 10th Anniversary on June 4 with celebrations around town, food and drink specials, contests and more.  

Patxi’s (pronounced pah-cheese. ‘t’ before ‘x’) began as a labor of love for old friends and now business partners William Freeman and Francisco “Patxi” Azpiroz. From their first location in Palo Alto, which is still operational, the duo has built the business into a successful, growing brand with twelve restaurants spanning two, soon to be three, states. With nine locations in the Bay Area, a thriving three-store operation in Denver, and plans to open in Seattle later this summer, Patxi’s is set up for an even more exciting ten years to come. 

“Throughout the last 10 years and as we’ve expanded from our first location in Palo Alto, we’ve really tried to remain true to our initial mission; which is to service excellent pizza and top-notch hospitality,” says CEO Bill Freeman. “So, to celebrate, we want all of the communities in which we have a restaurant to feel the appreciation we have for each of them.”

COMPLIMENTARY CELEBRATION AT EVERY PATXI’S
Wednesday, June 4, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Patxi’s invites customers and friends to join them for complimentary food and drinks (beer and wine) at every location in the Bay Area. Plus, Patxi’s will celebrate with cake and a toast for everyone. Those wearing a Patxi’s t-shirt to the party will receive a complimentary $20 gift card. Space is limited, event is first-come, first-served. 

GOLDEN TICKET DELIVERY DAY
Wednesday, June 4, all day
Patxi’s isn’t leaving out their valued delivery customers during their anniversary celebrations. Everyone who orders pizza for delivery will get the chance to win big—Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-style. 

With each delivery on June 4 comes a “Golden Ticket,” guests can check their tickets value on Facebook to see what prizes they have won. Prizes include gift cards in $25 and $50 denominations along with a Grand “Pizza for a Year” Prize, valued at $500. 

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Wednesday, June 4, all day
Any child 10 and under also having a birthday on June 4 will receive a complimentary pizza (or gift certificate for a free pizza). Plus, any child also celebrating their 10th Birthday will win a pizza party celebration, value of $200. Plus, balloons for the kiddos at the grand celebration. 

LOYAL CUSTOMERS GET “THANXED”!
Month of June
For those customers participating in Patxi’s Loyalty Program, through Thanx, there are some fun anniversary specials as well. Thankx customers who dine at Patxi’s ten times during the month of June will receive a special VIP $50 reward. For details visit http://thanx.com/patxispizza

PATXI’S PIZZA LOCATIONS
San Jose: 3350 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA, 95134, 408.526.1999
Fillmore: 3318 Fillmore Street San Francisco, CA 94123, 415.345.3995
Hayes Valley: 511 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102 , 415.558.9991
Irving: 822 Irving Street San Francisco, CA 94122, 415.759.9000
Noe Valley: 4042 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94114, 415.285.2000
Campbell: 1875 South Bascom Ave, Suite 405, Campbell, CA 95008 The Pruneyard Shopping Center, 408.559.0700
Palo Alto: 441 Emerson Street Palo Alto, CA 94301, 650.473.9999
Lafayette: 3577 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549, 925.299.0700
Livermore: 2470 1st St, Livermore, CA, 94550, 925.371.1000

ABOUT PATXI’S PIZZA
Founded in 2004 by two friends, entrepreneur Bill Freeman and pizza expert Francisco “Patxi” Azpiroz, Patxi’s Pizza offers authentic Chicago- and Italian-style pizza, featuring two distinct, handcrafted styles of dough, four types of mozzarella and over 30 different fresh meat and veggie toppings (ingredients sourced locally whenever possible).  Patxi’s Pizza (pronounced pah-cheese) is privately owned and operated with a total of 12 locations between the San Francisco Bay Area and Denver, CO. Patxi’s Pizza was ranked #6 in the Food & Beverage Industry by Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Hire Power Companies of 2013 and named among the Top 10 “Most Life-Changing Pizzas” of 2012 by Esquire Magazine. CEO Bill Freeman was recently named one of the “Most-Admired” CEOs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times

Patxi’s menu features a standout family of pizzas and an array of salads and small plates. Says Executive Chef / Partner Patxi Azpiroz, “Here at Patxi’s we happily renounce stovetops, deep fryers and freezers. Instead we prepare all of our dishes using fresh ingredients, sourced locally when possible.”
In addition to pizza, Patxi’s features an array of small plates great for sharing, including Burrata Bruschetta and the Meatball, which is inspired by a long-time Boston-Italian family recipe and features sustainably raised beef and a Chicago-style Italian sausage braised in a house made tomato sauce and topped with basil and Grana Padano cheese. In lieu of dessert, Patxi’s offers honey for the “bones” or crust of the pizza—the perfect way to enjoy those last remnants of crust after the meal. Guests can also enjoy fresh salads and beverages including a full bar. Complete menu is here. Photos available upon request. 

Through their 52 Weeks of Giving program, Patxi’s donates a portion of its profits to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to education and children’s health and welfare – totaling over $315,000 in donations to date.
52 Weeks of Giving Facts:
  • In 2013, Patxi’s Pizza donated more than $166,620 to partner organizations through a total of 395 fundraising events 
  • To date, the program has raised more than $315,277 for partner organizations with their shared mission. 
  • Since the program’s inception, Patxi’s has hosted just over 740 individual fundraisers for community organizations, nonprofits and schools.
  • Over 397 community organizations participated in the program this year including a total of 128 local schools and in-school programs; and non-profit organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation (Bay Area and Denver Chapters), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, United Autism Foundation, Children’s Hospital Oakland, Muscular Distrophy Association, and dozens more.
  • Money raised through the program funded programs like a trip to Washington, D.C. for Lincoln High School, a 5th Grade Science Camp for Livermore’s Rancho Las Positas Elementary, and travel for the Team World Finals for Stanley Odyssey of the Mind among many others.
  • The program currently operates through Patxi’s nine Bay Area locations and three Denver locations, and will expand to the Seattle and Santa Barbara markets, totaling 15 locations in 2015
  • Patxi’s goal is to raise $200,000 to benefit charity organizations in 2014