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*-----------September 23, 1999----------*
*----San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin------*
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**The Alameda Neighborhood is experiencing a Renaissance of late, with several new
tenants
moving into the refurbished business district. A sushi restaurant is set to open across
from the Towne Theater; Juice Works will be open soon next door to that; and Blockbuster
Video is almost good to go as well. A key issue for increasing foot traffic and enhancing
the identity of the neighborhood concerns narrowing (or at least slowing the flow of
traffic) on the Alameda itself. The city is working to install a stoplight at Alameda &
Lenzen, in the neighborhood's heart, which should help somewhat. Residents of the
historic neighborhood still lament the lack of a corner grocery store or pharmacy --
either of which would also encourage a much-needed critical mass of walkers on the
Alameda.
**Great news for downtown: UA Cinemas has announced that it will not close it's downtown
location just yet, while UA and Forest City Development iron out a deal with San
Jose-based Camera Cinemas. If all goes well, there may be no interim period of emptyness
for the 8-screen complex, which is a lifesaver for the area's image as well as for the
upcoming San Jose Film Festival. More on this matter soon.
**Speaking of narrowing streets in neighborhood cores, there is some talk in Willow Glen
of making part of Lincoln Avenue two lanes. Similar to downtown Palo Alto or Burlingame,
visitors would park diagonally on either side of the street...WG Business comings &
goings: Chau's Choice (featuring pan-asian fast food) opens Oct. 2; The Tea Totaler has
closed for good.
**From the 'Be Proud of San Jose and Vicinity' file: Our County library system was ranked
second in the nation by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings Index. The ratings are
based on number of visitors per capita, library spending, collection turnover, and other
similar criteria. The library system's nine branches serve the cities of Campbell,
Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill,
Saratoga, and the entire unincorporated area of the County.
**Besides a one-billion dollar parking structure (which will be the largest in America)
and a new terminal, the San Jose Airport is also taking off with two greatly-expanded
food courts. While San Francisco's airport lives in the dark ages, with nary a fast food
chain in sight (despite the millions of children who trot through there annually), "SJC"
will soon host eateries to match all tastes. Among the restaurants to open this winter:
Cinnabon, California Pizza Kitchen, Gordon Biersch, Starbucks, Max's San Jose, TCBY
Treats, Juice Works and Pretzelmania (Terminal A) and Noah's Bagels, Martini Monkey Bar,
Togo's, Starbucks, Lappert's Hawaii, and Ocean Harbor (Terminal C).
**Five-year old Our City Forest understands that tree-lined streets hug neighborhoods,
creating an inviting sense of cozyness and urging people to linger on their way home. The
non-profit organization has raised over one million dollars to plant 11,000 trees in
neighborhoods and parks throughout San Jose. To make sure the 15-gallon creatures grow
tall and proud, the organization trains neighborhood folks to care for them.
Remarkably, a City audit reports a 90% survival rate. Great work, guys! For more
information, please call, appropriately, (408) 99-TREES.
**More on St. James Park: There is talk of a children's playground for the Park - an
attempt to make the place more family-friendly. This is a start, but changing the face of
the Park means changing the surrounding area. Fortunately, other efforts are underway to
do just that. Two years ago, the San Jose Downtown Association launched the very
successful "Concerts in the Other Park" series. The Redevelopment
Agency has drawn up plans for several condo and apartment complexes, some with rather
cutting-edge architecture, for "old" downtown as well. Finally, San Jose critic Eric
Carlson (aka, SJ Underbelly) offers an ingenious solution for the century-old Park:
rebuild the old San Jose Light Tower (a replica of which is located at the History Museum
in Kelley Park). The brainchild of J. J. Owen in 1881, the 237-foot tower was supposed to
turn night into day for downtown San Jose. The tower, which stood at Santa Clara
& Market, did not work as well as expected, and was removed in 1915 after it toppled down
in a windstorm.
In those days, the Tower was nationally-known. Such landmarks may have faded into
time, but they nonetheless are unique to our city. This is exactly what we need to be
doing -- resurrecting parts of the past, rifleing through the history books to unearth
the "real" San Jose. A Gap store, a 12-screen movie theater, and a dozen new restaurants,
though important for many reasons, will NOT bring outsiders into town; and, those who do
come, will NOT leave with an impression of somewhere special and unique. San Francisco
has the Castro, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf; New York, the Empire State Building;
Chicago, Buckingham Fountain and the Miracle Mile; Seattle, the Space Needle; San
Antonio, the River Walk. Each identity is cemented in the minds of those who visit these
places, and each identity works because it formed from something real, because it echoes
a fascinating story. It is contrived to erect another mall, or to pick a catchy theme out
of a hat to turn a former parking lot into a tourist mecca. Doing that will only turn the
City into a discombobulated collection of cliches which are well-represented in any other
part of the world. But, these elements of the past are rich; they fit together; and they
"are" San Jose. People will respond to that. People will remember that. And they will
certainly come back for more.
++A workshop for kids and parents on the planned Arena Green Playground will be held
October 9th at 10:00am at the Arena Green (adjacent to the San Jose Arena). The
Redevelopment Agency is seeking community input for the new children's play area. For
more information, please call Jill Escher at 294-3744.
++ Keep the gossip coming!! I want to emphasize that all sources shall remain completely
anonymous.
++ And, last but not least, past issues of the San Jose News/Gossip Bulletin are now
available at www.wgna.net/todd-nl.htm.
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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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