San Jose is revisiting a plan to make the heart of the city more walkable and easy to navigate ahead of two major sports events. The city is working to replace outdated signs in the downtown area to highlight local landmarks, businesses and public transportation options before Super Bowl 60 and the FIFA World Cup come...
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San Jose coffee shop is community anchor for local artists
Nirvana Soul, a Black, women-owned business known for its vibrant pink-painted coffee shops, serves up more than unique brews — it’s a hub for local artists, poets and musicians to showcase their talents. The co-founder/sister duo, Be’Anka Ashaolu and Jeronica Macey, whose San Jose coffee shop sits on the corner of South First Street, support...
San Jose parks lose millions as developers get tax break
San Jose is cutting taxes and fees for at least 14 high-rise development projects or more than 4,000 homes in downtown. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend the existing Downtown Residential High-Rise Program to reduce developer costs in an effort to spark more incentives for housing construction. Under the new...
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Vibrant San Jose mural draws locals downtown
The promenade at San Pedro Square has a stunning new look after more than 1,000 volunteers picked up a paint roller. A new mural called “Threads Woven” has dramatically changed San Pedro Square. The brainchild of the San Jose Downtown Association and arts nonprofit Local Color, the mural was funded through the Adobe Hometown Grant....
San Jose cannabis dispensary opens in downtown
San Jose has opened its first ever retail storefront for cannabis in the heart of downtown. For years the city had strict rules on where dispensaries could operate, relegating them to industrial areas. Last year the City Council revised regulations on where dispensaries rent space and allowing one operator to have more than one location. Mark Ritchie, president...
San Jose food hall has rocky start
People driving by San Jose’s Downtown Food Hall might be forgiven for thinking it’s closed. The dark interior seems to be housing abandoned equipment. Next to a locked door directly under the building’s marquee, an “open” sign is turned off. The real entrance is three windows down, under an incongruous green and white striped awning....
Here’s what’s replacing San Jose’s beloved Flames Eatery
A new restaurant is opening in downtown San Jose at the site of a former meeting hotspot for local politicos. Home Eat, a Chinese restaurant chain with locations in Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Fremont, is slated to open sometime next week under a five-year lease with the city. The restaurant will fill the vacant site on...
Downtown San Jose property owner neglects blighted building
It’s been three years since a fire raged through the Lawrence Hotel building in downtown San Jose, but it looks like the fire happened just a couple of days ago. Since the four-alarm fire on Jan. 7, 2021, the historic building on San Fernando and Third streets has been in disrepair with burn marks on...
Historic downtown San Jose park revamp hit with major setback
The plan to turn a historic-yet-blighted downtown San Jose park into a major event venue as part of the city’s revitalization plans faces a major delay. After a four-year battle over a redesign of St. James Park between the city and the Saint Claire Club — the second oldest men’s club in California — the...
San Jose-raised NFL player is energizing downtown
San Jose native and NFL cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has long used his fame and influence to support children in the city where he was raised, hosting annual youth football camps at his alma mater and local stadiums since 2018. But for the past couple of years, Awuzie, who goes by the nickname Chido, has set...