A homeless man wandered into a navigation center in East San Jose last month. He was injured, walking unsteadily with an open wound on his leg. “I’ve been walking for 10 days, not knowing where to go, and I just landed here,” he said to a worker. He had tried getting help in various places...
San Jose could combine two options to rename downtown plaza
A nearly 250-year-old gathering place in downtown San Jose could soon have a new name, combining two of the top-ranked choices from the city’s monthslong renaming process. The San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission voted Wednesday to recommend renaming Plaza de César Chávez to Plaza del Pueblo de San Jose, a name proposed by Commissioner...
San Jose increases parking garage rates, but not meters
It took three attempts for the San Jose City Council to reach a compromise Tuesday on contentious parking rate changes, with officials approving higher garage rates and special event fees while putting off plans for downtown meter rate increases and extended evening meter hours. The final proposal passed 7-3 — with Councilmembers Peter Ortiz, Bien...
San Jose parking official raises alarms about rate hike plan
A San Jose parking official is calling for the city to pause discussions on a controversial plan to hike parking rates, arguing it must first address longstanding concerns over the management of revenue from parking fees. In an open letter sent Friday to councilmembers and city administrators, Downtown Parking Board Vice Chair Tamiko Rast leveled...
San Jose attempts phased increase for downtown parking rates
San Jose officials are preparing to roll out a revised proposal to increase downtown parking rates, after the original plan met opposition from the city’s business community. The new plan — set to go before the City Council on Tuesday — seeks to soften the financial blow to businesses and workers. It does this in part...
San Jose residents make art for upcoming theater show
For Sandy Del Rio, making an alebrije has felt a little like returning to her family’s kitchen table. Del Rio, who was born and raised in San Jose, is one of about 20 residents who participated in a free four-part workshop by Teatro Vision, where participants learned about alebrijes and created their own papier-mâché creatures....
The Biz Beat: Worker-owned eatery serves San Jose State students
Owner Richard Hobbs said that when he purchased Peanuts Deluxe Cafe in early 2025, he had more in mind than simply renovating the popular but “fully dilapidated” restaurant across from San Jose State University by slapping on a coat of paint and installing new booths and tables. “I thought this would be a golden opportunity...
ICE observer sues after being handcuffed in San Jose
It never crossed former San Jose resident Yesenia Campos’ mind she would be detained by federal immigration agents for recording activity from a distance. On Oct. 30, 2025, Campos was notified of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity at the South San Jose field office, where immigrants periodically check-in for compliance. She immediately drove...
San Jose conference highlights digital divide facing Latinos
As artificial intelligence reshapes Silicon Valley, Latino leaders are pushing for a bigger role in deciding who benefits from the technology and who might get left behind. That question was at the center of a two-day conference in San Jose, hosted by the New York-based Hispanic Federation, which brought together nonprofit leaders and community advocates...
Fourth annual Lowrider Day returns to downtown San Jose
Lowriders will cruise into downtown San Jose this weekend, bringing a piece of East San Jose’s Chicano culture to City Hall for an afternoon of custom cars, music and celebration. San Jose Lowrider Day returns Sunday for its fourth year, marking the anniversary of the City Council’s decision to repeal a decades-old cruising ban. The celebration...