The Valley Transit Authority will move forward with its plan to force out the owners and tenants of two buildings in downtown San Jose to make room for the future BART extension. In a meeting this week, VTA’s board of directors voted to allow the agency to assume ownership of the buildings on East Santa...
Downtown
Downtown
UPDATE: San Jose nonprofit raises six figures for proposed landmark
Three years after unveiling an ambitious proposal to build a world-class landmark in Silicon Valley, organizers on Tuesday raised $170,000 to bring the plan one step closer to reality. Leaders from Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, the nonprofit behind the project, also announced this week the proposed landmark in downtown San Jose will now include a...
Downtown San Jose loses another major retailer
The closing of a neighborhood drugstore means the loss of much needed services for residents and business owners in downtown San Jose. The CVS on The Alameda, which closed about two weeks ago, offered a convenient one-stop shop for groceries, basic goods and pharmaceutical needs, but it also became a “magnet” for homeless residents who...
The Biz Beat: Cajun eats and live music define Mama Kin’s success
The first thing you’re likely to notice as you enter Mama Kin in downtown San Jose is the live band onstage, or the line of hopefuls with guitars signed up for the open mic if it’s Tuesday. Music is essential to Mama Kin’s atmosphere—appropriate for a venue named after an Aerosmith song—as is the selection of Cajun...
World Cup a win for downtown San Jose
The United States soccer team may have tied England at the World Cup’s Friday match, but the game was a win for San Jose regardless of the results. World Cup watch parties—organized by the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, local businesses and the San Jose Downtown Association—have activated San Pedro Square in a way the...
San Jose art pavilion only opened once
A grand art installation in San Jose’s SoFA district was supposed to stimulate economic growth and revitalize the downtown—but it’s unclear if it will ever do so. The curvaceous, fiberglass art installation and event center known as the Serpentine Pavilion was completed in late 2021, with plans to stay for eight months. It’s been a year, and the pavilion...
The Biz Beat: Enticing Caribbean food plated in downtown San Jose
Island Taste Caribbean Grill is where Jamaican and Haitian food flow through San Jose. If all you know about Jamaica is Bob Marley is from there, a visit to Island Taste will introduce your taste buds to a new world of spices and flavors that are familiar, yet deliciously otherworldly. Opened last April, the downtown San...
San Jose leaders condemn ‘racist’ mailer
The fight to represent downtown San Jose has taken an ugly turn, with a candidate in hot water over a mailer some are calling racist. Irene Smith, a white woman, sent out a campaign mailer this week showing a photo of her standing next to two white female councilmembers, with another photo of her opponent...
The Biz Beat: Urban Momo brings Nepalese cuisine to San Jose
Tucked neatly between China and India, Nepal combines the best of neighboring cuisines with little twists and turns that make it uniquely delicious. While better known for its towering Mt. Everest, the country is also the home of the momo, an instantly recognizable take on Chinese potstickers. “Most people might not know what Nepali food...
Downtown San Jose council candidates disagree on issues
San Jose’s downtown council seat is up for grabs, and the two candidates running for the District 3 spot couldn’t be more different. At a Friday debate hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association, candidates Omar Torres and Irene Smith shared their vision for the downtown core. Torres was the frontrunner after the June primary...