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*------------August 26, 1999------------*
*----San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin------*
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**The downtown entertainment scene is exploding...as mentioned earier, Polly Esther's is
opening in the SOFA District (December is the new target date); Fanny and Alexander's is
almost ready to rock in San Pedro Square, in back of 71 Saint Peter; and now...HOUSE OF
BLUES, known for drawing top-notch acts, promises a downtown location before 2000. The
LA-based chain HAD been looking around Fountain Alley (1st St., between San Fernando and
Santa Clara) at the old Woolworth's building, which is now owned by the Redevelopment
Agency. Current rumored locations include Santa Clara St. and San Pedro Square. Stay
tuned.
**It's just a matter of time before shopping takes off downtown. Critical mass (people
seeing other people walking around and conceptualizing the area as a destination place)
plus a big retail player taking the first plunge are two of the ingredients. Well, word
on the street has The Gap extremely interested in a downtown store. Stay tuned on this
one as well.
**The Alameda neighborhood has been taking off, if you haven't noticed. From used
bookstores (Odyssey Books; Recycled Books) to vintage clothing stores (Channel One), the
area is poised to become the artsy district of San Jose. Check out the new Riga European
Bakery and Post Street Gallery - in front of the new Avalon Bay Apartment complex. Juice
Club is set to open there as well. Meanwhile, two new luxury apartment complexes (in
addition to Avalon Bay, which is now 80% occupied) are slated to be built near the
Arena/CalTrain station, adding even more permanent residents to the trendy neighborhood.
**Speaking of housing, a swarm of new projects are on tap for downtown, particularly in
historic ("old") downtown (North of Santa Clara St.). The latest proposal, for Taylor &
First, pitches three 13-story residential towers. Other projects include: Julian Street
Court Condominiums (at 1st & Julian); another planned condominium complex across from St.
James Park; a second apartment complex for Japantown (at Taylor & 7th); and a smaller
condo complex on Bassett St. (a block from St. James Park).
**This month's issue of San Jose Magazine (Yes, we have our own, nationally-distributed
city magazine) features their own take on the Best of the Best for the Silicon Valley,
including "power lunch" spots, spas, and hotels.
**Between Historic downtown and the San Jose Airport lies Rosemary Gardens, a
little-known residential neighborhood. The neighborhood, centered at Rosemary Street, off
North First, has its own neighborhood association and its own home on the World Wide Web
(http://members.tripod.com/rgna/). Of interest now to the RG folks, a gigantic mixed-use
development at North First & Sonora. The proposal calls for two large hotels, 1.1 million
square feet of office space, 240 units of apartments, retail buildings, and parking
garages - transforming the area adjacent to San Jose Airport into a bustling commercial
district. While the City would prefer (rightfully so) that the development be integrated
into the airport entrance, no one is talking about unifying it with the surrounding
neighborhood. If done correctly, this could rapidly and inexpensively (for the taxpayers)
add an urban neighborhood to the very end of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens. Done
wrong, and we've just brought suburban strip malls and office parks even closer to our
new, walkable downtown region.
**Tennis, anyone? The brand new tennis courts at Confluence Point, between the San Jose
Arena and the Guadalupe Park and Gardens, are ready for action. A second,
state-of-the-art playground is planned for the Park next door.
++The San Jose Film & Video Commission announces the 17th annual Joey Awards show on
October 30th. The show and dinner recognizes talent in all forms of media, including
short subjects, TV and radio commercials, web sites, and print. Deadline for entries is
on Sept. 1 -- so wrap it up quickly!! For more information, contact Kevin Kurimoto at
408-792-4135. Incidentally, the Film and Video Commission's web site
(www.sanjose.org/filmvideo) contains a lengthy listing of past films and tv shows shot in
our beloved city. (And, yes, it includes "Flubber.")
Correction: (from 8/19): Togos was formerly located in the South University Neighborhood
(7th and Williams), not in Naglee Park.
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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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