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*------------October 21, 1999-----------*
*----San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin------*
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**Who says the Westgate neighborhood lacks character? On San Tomas Aquino Road, near
Payne, sits a very special house. Many who live on the Westside have grown
accustomed to the elaborate holiday displays that adorn the entire front yard, the roof,
and the driveway. Last Christmas, so many passerbys yearned to glimpse the animated elfs,
the hundreds of colored lights, and the miniature train-sets that flares had to be placed
in the roadway to slow down traffic. Halloween is no different, with a fantastic
display featuring dozens of lighted pumpkins, moving goblins, and scary ghosts.
Meanwhile, on weekends, the delightful couple who owns the house runs one of the hottest
garage sales in town. An interesting sidenote: as is often the case in the sprawling
Westside, the sandy sidewalk in front of this enchanted home remains of the few informal
gathering places for Westgate neighborhood residents to get to know one another.
**Yet again, San Jose joins the ranks of San Francisco. On October 25th, look for
bagpipers dressed in Scottish garb to lead a throng of spiffy partygoers (including,
rumor has it, the Italian Consul general) from the Capital Club to the Fairmont Hotel.
But, don't panic, it's all part of the San Jose Lions Club's first-ever Progressive Black
Tie Dinner (which our northern commuter suburb, SF, has been doing for years). Plus, it's
for a very worthy cause; all proceeds go towards providing vision screening and glasses
for San Jose schoolchildren. [Contact Jan Telesky at 408-558-0230 for more information.]
**The forthcoming Marriot Hotel, which will be built next year beside the McEnery
Convention Center, has successfully petitioned the City Planning Commission to add one
more story to the building, which will make it the tallest building in San Jose (at 25
stories). Kudos to the Commission (and, hopefully, soon the City Council) on the
decision, as urban planning studies have long-documented the link between building
height/density and a city's success (e.g., number of visitors). While the correlation
could clearly go the other way too (e.g., the city's prominence attracts big-name
developers), in young San Jose's case, a more prominent skyline would inform business
travellers, tourists, and visitors from around the Bay Area that we really ARE the
financial and technology center of Silicon Valley. In addition, many a local flocks to
San Francisco for the urban "experience," one component of which is to be awe-struck by
mountains of concrete that stretch into the sky. It will, however, take a bit of creative
planning to up the ante here in San Jose, as height requirements are set by the FAA in
the area surrounding San Jose International Airport. These range from 16 stories along
Santa Clara Street (the new 18-story office tower at Almaden & Santa Clara has asked for
a special exemption) to 24 stories near the Convention Center. Diverting the paths of
incoming planes is not an option, given the substantially increased air traffic expected at SJC in the future; however, one possibility is to encourage commercial development along the Western edge of downtown (e.g., Almaden Blvd.), where up to 30 stories are allowed; this would put us on par with Portland, Providence, and San Diego.
**More news on The Alameda...rumor has it that two significant regional restaurants are
very interested in the former Korean Palace building at Martin (near Race) & The Alameda.
The building will soon be renovated significantly, to include an art decco design and a
clocktower. Speaking of Race Street, this area has enormous potential, both for its
streetside retail and its relatively light traffic flow. The lower rents also make it
attractive to independent businesses, like Center Stage Salon (which recently relocated
there from next to the Towne Theater) and Ceramic City, a charming antique shop that
opened about a month ago. There's more on tap for the Alameda neighborhood as well,
including a possible major public relations firm moving in and a former Town & Country
retailer close to signing a lease.
**The San Jose News & Gossip Bulletin is on the Web. The site includes the Bulletin's
mission statement, past issues, as well as numerous links to San Jose neighborhoods.
Check out www.angelfire.com/ca4/sanjosengb for details. ATTENTION: Online neighborhood
groups, business associations, and city promotions organizations -- if appropriate,
please provide a link to the Bulletin from your own site. FINALLY, the Bulletin switches
to a BI-MONTHLY format starting today; the next issue will be November 4th.
++The Children's Carousel is open daily from 11am-5pm on the Arena Green, adjacent to the
San Jose Arena. The carousel features ornate hand-crafted animals and cheery carnival
music. Proceeds benefit the Sharks Foundation, dedicated to meeting the educational,
social and culture needs of youth in the community. Each ride is just $1.
++ Keep the gossip coming!! I want to emphasize that all sources shall remain completely
anonymous.
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Please send all news or gossip regarding new business openings, redevelopment projects,
celebrity sightings, and other interesting gems concerning San Jose to
todd_95130@yahoo.com.
To be added to the weekly bulletin, please email the above address.
The San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter intended
to boost city pride, to foster a vital link between city districts, and
to provide information on current and future plans for downtown and the
neighborhoods. Information is gathered from a variety of sources,
including non-profit organizations, neighborhood business
associations, local and national newswires, as well as city government
meetings and documents. All items are written by myself, unless otherwise noted.
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