The sandwich board outside The Funny Farm Restaurant advertises a rum cake so good it needs a designated driver. A sign on the front counter next to a bucket of rubber chickens reads, “Warning: Snarky Staff.” A stuffed unicorn hangs upside down from the ceiling, surrounded by dangling multi-colored Slinkies. “We’re a very homey place,”...
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San Jose hosts a futuristic vision of mass transit
The future of transportation arrived in San Jose via a conference centered on automated, sustainable forms of public transit for the region and beyond. The 2023 Podcar City transit innovation conference took place Friday at San Jose City Hall, where about 100 representatives from transit organizations, companies and municipal governments from around the world gathered...
Downtown Sunnyvale’s housing anchors the community
The stream of customers barely slowed at Bean Scene Cafe on Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale, as owner Kenny Lam poured espresso shots and steamed milk for lattes. The cafe, along with all of downtown Sunnyvale, has returned to pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic and engagement. City leaders and business owners attribute the success to a...
San Jose nonprofits are food lifeline for Thanksgiving
Each year, the lines are long at Sacred Heart Community Service in San Jose, as people and cars queue up for nutritious boxed holiday meals. From Monday to Wednesday, the nonprofit distributed approximately 3,500 free boxes of food. Each box, valued at $150, included a chicken, ham or turkey and all the fixings for the...
San Jose mellows cannabis rules to help industry grow
San Jose officials are relaxing cannabis regulations and instead want to refocus efforts to end the black market industry. The San Jose City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to reduce fines on dispensaries that violate city policy. Councilmembers also expanded hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The move is aimed...
The Biz Beat: Authentic Cuban food hidden in San Jose’s SoFA Market
It would be hard to question Habana Cuba Restaurant’s authenticity: it was founded by Ciro Calvo, the personal chef to the island’s former president, Fulgencio Batista, who fled the country when the dictator was deposed in 1959. Located inside First Street’s SoFA Market food hall, Habana Cuba faithfully recreates Calvo’s recipes, serving dishes with street...
The Biz Beat: Tikis, comics and jazz intersect at San Jose’s Art Boutiki
It is almost impossible to describe what awaits you at San Jose’s Art Boutiki as anything other than “eclectic.” It is a serendipitously curated shop in downtown that combines a live music venue with a store that features graphic novels and comics, an art gallery and a large selection of Tiki items you never knew...
Silicon Valley arts programs funnel millions into economy
Tech might be king in Silicon Valley but the economic effect of arts and culture on the region should not be brushed aside — it brings millions of dollars into Santa Clara County. The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study showed Santa Clara County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $384.5 million in economic activity...
California targets Apple, but Cupertino loses big
Cupertino may be forced to lay off dozens of workers, cut services and put new tax measures on the ballot to compensate for the loss of nearly $60 million likely to be ripped from its budget. California’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration is targeting tech giant Apple over how it allocates local sales taxes,...
Sunnyvale wants to give residents in need monthly checks
Sunnyvale’s low-income residents might be receiving a financial boost from the city. The Sunnyvale City Council is looking to pilot a guaranteed income program to support residents who are financially burdened. The councilmembers on Oct. 24 gave input on who the program should be serving, and how they would want it organized. They discussed how...