Another late night venue in downtown San Jose has temporarily closed its doors amid bureaucratic wrangling over operating permits. San Pedro Social, a Santa Clara Street establishment that opened in 2022, announced the closure in late June, citing a need to cut expenses amid a protracted effort to obtain permits that would allow the venue...
Annual summer jazz fest returns to downtown San Jose
For years, thousands of music fans have packed the Latin Tropical Stage at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, turning downtown into an open-air dance floor where salsa has long been one of the festival’s defining traditions. Christian Vela, associate artistic director with San Jose Jazz, the nonprofit group that hosts the annual festival, wants to keep...
Five finalists for renaming downtown San Jose plaza
San Jose residents suggested more than 600 new names for one of the city’s oldest public spaces. City officials have narrowed the final choices down to five. Officials are asking residents to fill out an online survey ranking the five potential new names for Plaza de César Chávez in downtown. The options are Plaza de...
Japanese grocery store opens in downtown San Jose
A new grocer has come to downtown San Jose, erasing its reputation as a food desert. Sakura Market, located on the ground floor below the San Jose State University dorms at 184 S. Market St. and next to the Signia hotel, opened its doors Friday. Part of the Osaka Marketplace brand, the specialty Japanese grocery...
Vacant San Jose building becomes new home for local artists
A long-vacant building near downtown San Jose is getting new life as a creative hub, with local artists preparing to move into studio spaces as early as next month. Local Color is transforming the ground floor of the Davidson Building at 255 W. Julian St. into the Big Arts Building through a partnership with developer...
Downtown San Jose venue faces lawsuit and $50K fine
San Jose has slapped a $50,000 fine on a late night, downtown establishment over allegations that it has been operating illegally. But the owner said protracted efforts to bring his business into compliance have been thwarted by one bureaucratic roadblock after another. Freddie Jackson, owner of Kaizen Lounge on East San Fernando Street, said he...
Downtown San Jose scores big with World Cup
Levi’s Stadium may have hosted its final FIFA World Cup match Wednesday, but the tournament’s economic impact is still playing out in downtown San Jose, where thousands of soccer fans continue gathering for watch parties that are bringing business to bars, restaurants and street vendors. As fans streamed into San Pedro Square ahead of the...
San Jose library could restrict archive access due to budget cuts
Access to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library room housing archives of San Jose and Santa Clara County’s rich history is about to become more limited if proposed cuts to the city’s budget pass. The California Room inside the library may close its services to the public as the city looks for ways to...
Is struggling hotel a bellwether for downtown San Jose?
With the Signia by Hilton San Jose seemingly set to be put on the market, questions are swirling about the future of San Jose’s largest hotel — and what it will mean for downtown. BrightSpire Capital, the owner of the 541-room hotel at 170 S. Market St., signaled to investors in a recent sales call...
San Jose rolls out the welcome mat at Arena Green
For more than a year, a small army of city workers and volunteers — backed by both public and private funding — have been working to renovate Arena Green Park along the Guadalupe River. Now, with several major projects completed, San Jose leaders are trying to get the word out that this long-underused park is...