Bark in the Park this Saturday

The largest dog festival in the United States takes place this weekend at William Street Park. Over 15,000 dog lovers and 3,900 dogs are expected to be in attendance. The festival stretches across 10 acres of grass, trees, and water.

Events include a variety of workshops, shows, and contests (dog costumes, pet owner look-a-like, tail and tail wagging. There will also be a kids entertainment zone, low-cost vaccines, microchiping, and vendor booths.

Bark in the Park runs from 10am-5pm this Saturday at S. 16th Street and William Street. The event is free but a $5 donation is encouraged for each dog.

For more information, head over to the Bark in the Park website.

Another residential tower proposed Downtown

Equus Capital Partners is adding yet another potential high-rise project to the Downtown queue. This one clocks in at 24-stories, 260 residential units (70 studios, 109 one-bedrooms, 77 two-bedrooms, 3 three-bedrooms), 1,500 SQFT of retail facing Park Avenue, 319 parking spots, and 66 bicycle parking spaces.

One of the most interesting aspects of the proposal is the location on Almaden Boulevard. Currently there are no residential projects anywhere on this street Downtown. If you scroll to the very last image, you can see the empty courthouse that sits on the property today. If built, not only would it be extremely convenient for residents that work Downtown, but the property would have immediate access to 40,000 SQFT of restaurants in the same complex such as Morton's, Scott's Seafood, Specialty's, and Peggy Sue's.

Aesthetically, the design is a bit more interesting than existing residential towers. My favorite features are the cutout on the 7th floor (first image) and the penthouse amenity floor. It looks like they are actually planning a common space on the top floor with trees and a lounge area. This should be a mandatory feature on new residential towers given how amazing our weather typically is.

Source: SVBJ (requires subscription)

Southwest is adding more flights at SJC

Southwest Airlines recently announced 25% increase in San Jose departures and a 50% increase in nonstop destinations by Spring. This will help keep Alaska Airlines at bay, who have also been steadily increasing their San Jose flights.

The new daily nonstops include Orlando, St. Louis, Houston's Hobby Airport, Spokane, and Boise. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only flights to New Orleans and Albuquerque. The new flights begin May 6th except for Orlando, which starts on April 8th. If those weren't enough new flights for you, on March 10th they are also launching their first international flight--San Jose to Cabo San Lucas (Alaska Airlines is the only other carrier with a direct flight to Cabo from SJC).

Southwest will be increasing the frequency of their Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas flights as well. After all of the changes, the airline will have 80 new flights each week and feature a total of 24 nonstop destinations.

Source: SVBJ

Downtown Development since 2005

Downtown San José’s bright future has been a primary focus for many of us urbanists. However, as we grease our gears for full steam ahead into the future, many of us may have forgotten just how far the downtown has come in the past decade. The City’s Planning Division keeps track of development proposals in downtown San José dating back to 2005 when the Downtown Strategy 2000 was adopted by City Council. Part of this tracking includes creating an annual map showing where residential and commercial development proposals have occurred. As shown in the map in the link below, there have been numerous mixed-use residential development proposals within downtown San José, mostly centered near or north of E/W Santa Clara Street. Specifically, 2,643 units are currently built or under construction with another 4,228 approved units on the way. This equates to over 6,800 NEW units within the downtown, meaning many more residents walking, biking, and increasing the vibrancy of the core of our city. This explosion of residential development can be a large factor in explaining the increase in cafes, restaurants, and bars that the downtown has seen recently. Let’s all hope that office proposals can now make up for lost time!

-Kimberly Vacca

Downtown Development Map

(click to enlarge map)

Stroll The Alameda on September 17th

The Shasta / Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association along with the Alameda Business Association host a great wine and beer walk each year. It is a great way to explore the neighborhood while sampling local wines and craft beers, listening/dancing to music, and shopping (Alameda stores typically provide special offers during the event).

The 7th Annual "Stroll The Alameda" event takes place Sunday, September 17th from 2-5pm. Tickets are only $25 per person and include 12 tastings, a souvenir glass, and event map (this goes up to $35 on the day of the event). The stroll will start at the Park Ave. Preschool at 1080 The Alameda.

For more information and tickets, head over here!

Friday Night Concert @ St. James Park tomorrow from 6-8pm

St. James Park is going to be filled with activity tomorrow night thanks to the Summer in St. James Park Concert Series. In addition to live music, there will be all sorts of games and food. It is nice to really see this park finally come alive and contribute to the Downtown culture. More details below from the FB event page.

It’s Happening! this summer in St. James Park! The City of San Jose’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services has partnered with San Jose Jazz to bring the downtown community and jazzy tunes and chill vibes with a series of SJ Jazz Boom Box Performances and rotating free and family-friendly activities. This Friday’s activities will include: SJ Jazz Boom Box FEAT. Kenya B. https://youtu.be/U1QB-zBhfMA https://youtu.be/5xfOuqtdBhE

• Zen Den Pop-Up 
• Life-Sized Dart Board 
• Cornhole Tournament 
• Croquet Games 
• Food Trucks 
• Café Dining Area 
• Lamzac Seating

For other It’s Happening! Summer in St. James and Plaza de Cesar Chavez activities, visit our website at www.sanjoseca.gov/itshappening, where you can find a full calendar of activities.

Viva Calle SJ 2017 - September 17th

One of my favorite events of the year returns in just couple of weeks. During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose.

Viva Calle features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year they will be located in Japantown, Roosevelt Park, the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Alum Rock Village, and Lake Cunningham Park. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at each and every one. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores.

The route has changed again this year. It is now just a single line without branching out, and for the first time it will go straight down Santa Clara Street. At 7 miles and five activity hubs, it is the largest Viva Calle yet!

If you are one of the 50 million people that still play PokemonGo, the company that makes the game is leveraging Viva Calle as their first official event in San Jose. I'm about to out myself as a huge nerd, but I use the game when visiting someplace new to find hidden street art and all sorts of points-of-interest that even locals don't know about. It's like a hyper-local Tripadvisor for each block. The game will feature temporary stops and extra pokemon along the route as part of the event.

Viva Calle 2017 takes place on Sunday, September 17th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end as it's not a race. You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!