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*------------November 18, 1999----------*
*----San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin------*
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**The San Jose sports scene heats up, with the city in the spotlight for the NCAA Women's
Soccer College Cup. With Santa Clara U's Broncos ranked #1 in the nation, under the
outstanding leadership of head coach Jerry Smith and World Cup champ Brandi
Chastain, this promises to be a major deal. Look for the yellow banners all over downtown
starting this weekend, and watch for the athletes, coaching staff, and ESPN and ESPN2 TV
crews to file into two prominent city center hotels in early December. The semifinals are
played December 3rd, with the finals on tap for December 5th. All games are at SJSU's Spartan Stadium.
**City-focused media publications help communicate a place's prestige to business leaders,
political figures, as well as to visitors. Two years ago, Gilbert Sangari launched San Jose Magazine, which now boasts a circulation of over 400,000, in a dozen US States. Now, the newest kid on the block, Click Magazine: The Talk of Silicon Valley, aims for a different readership niche. Previously in weekly newspaper format, the start-up magazine plans to hone in on the industry players that make the Valley tick. And, despite a Menlo Park location, the publication has done a fantastic job covering San Jose area events,
companies, and high tech buzz. Look for the first issue on news stands around
Mid-January.
**With the 30th anniversary of Earth Day approaching, one environmentally-focused San
Jose nonprofit has decided to put the city at the heart of the action. San Jose Beautiful
is bringing out the stars for an all-out bash at the Arena Green next April. Among the
ideas being tossed around: an eco-poetry slam, GE's 2000 line of electric cars, and a
live web broadcast. Word has it that motown sensation Kool in the Gang, world beat
performer Viviana Guzman, and actor Ben Vereen may all be part of the line-up as well.
Meanwhile, the organization is keeping busy planting 20,000 daffodils around the city.
Most recently, the bright yellow and white flowers were placed with care at Santa Clara &
9th and at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
**The rumors come and go (Ross, House of Blues); the deals fall through (Burger King and
a sports retailer); but the seven decades-old former Woolworth building sits empty, a
sharp-edged reminder of the end of an era. Bravo, though, to the San Jose Downtown
Association, which has decided to spotlight the space with the first annual Winter
Tapestry, beginning November 29th. Now, after an hour of skating at Downtown Ice, a
steaming cup of hot chocolate amid the dazzling animated displays of Christmas in the
Park, locals and tourists can gaze at (and purchase) the works of over 40 artists,
including ceramics, photography, jewelry, woodwork, and furniture. The SJDA is not ruling out other seasonal uses for the vacant building in the future.
**A sign of Alviso's pending yuppification: A new housing development called Southbrook is slated for North First and Michigan. 34 three- to four-bedroom homes are slated to be constructed on lots of about 35' by 100'. The price: low 400's & up. Shocking until you remember that this tiny, historic neighborhood sits within a few miles of many of the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley (from Cisco to Altera to Intel to Adobe). No doubt that significant changes are in store for the once neglected and forgotten Bay-side community. More on Alviso in future issues.
**Finally, the city is wising up on the neighborhood issue, and realizing that building
bustling neighborhood business districts (as is the case with San Francisco) necessitates
relaxing retail restrictions. Merchants in Willow Glen and the Alameda have asked to
allow so-called sandwich board signs in front of their eateries, shops, and cafes, and the city is mulling it over and will likely relent. But, this is part of a much larger issue. Downtown rebirth will continue; however, for whatever reasons, it is happening much more naturally in many of the neighborhoods. To fight this evolution with zoning restraints (e.g., the only entertainment mecca will be downtown, and then only in the SOFA for nightclubs) hurts us all. You cannot force something to become trendy; and you cannot always name the conglomeration of influences that transforms a sleepy district into a renowned, famed neighborhood. If bookstores or cafes or galleries or new residents fall in love with Willow Glen or any other urban enclave, then encourage it, promote it, and be thankful for it. Otherwise, we could very well be thwarting the next SOHO or Gaslamp District or Noe Valley in exchange for, well, nothing that would draw folks from outside of the County.
++San Jose's Japantown boasts one of the few year-round Farmers Markets in the city. The
weekly food-fair features fresh vegetables and fruits, including specialty Asian produce
(such as daikon and bak choi). In addition, vendors offer fresh-baked breads, flowers,
and pastries. It all happens Sunday mornings, from 8 to noon, at Jackson and 6th streets
in the heart of Japantown.
++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.
++ 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 bimonthly bulletin, please email the above address.
The San Jose News and Gossip Bulletin is a free bimonthly 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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