It may not be the weekend, but downtown San Jose is ready to party. A block party on Thursday night hosted by nonprofit Urban Vibrancy Institute aims to attract hundreds of residents to downtown San Jose, in the hopes these midweek events will keep the momentum going for this long-struggling area. The block party is...
San Jose day care had dangerous lead levels in water
Recent reports ordered by the state reveal children at an East San Jose day care center were drinking lead-infected water. Kidango-Linda Vista Center is one of more than 14,000 licensed child care centers in California being ordered to test its drinking water for lead under Assembly Bill 2370. The law mandates that licensed child care...
Why dozens of downtown San Jose storefronts are vacant
When Khanh Chung steps out of his barbershop, he wants to see dozens of San Jose workers and residents bustling down First Street, but instead it’s a ghost town. That’s not how he envisioned it when he opened Concept in January 2022. The pandemic was waning and people were returning to work and normalcy. But his...
San Jose Cinco de Mayo street closures seen as ‘racist’
San Jose’s 36-year ban on cruising was lifted last fall—but the closure of 10 different highway ramps over Cinco de Mayo weekend left residents wondering whether the reversal was just symbolic. San Jose police coordinated with Caltrans and California Highway Patrol beginning Friday evening through early Monday morning to close several on-and-off ramps heading into...
Could street performers reignite downtown San Jose?
There’s something magical about walking through a city center while being serenaded to the riffs of a live guitar, then turning down an alley where the smooth sounds of a saxophone bounce off brick walls to fill the air. Spontaneous street performances have the ability to breathe life into a city. But downtown San Jose has never truly experienced that,...
Vietnamese markets are leaving downtown San Jose
Vietnamese supermarkets are moving from downtown San Jose to other neighborhoods, raising questions about access to authentic grocers as the city’s core struggles to retain its retailers. Đại-Thành Supermarket, a family-owned Vietnamese market on South Second Street that opened in 1985, closed its downtown location last December, and reopened in January at a new location in Berryessa. While Thien...
UPDATE: San Jose seeks resident input on golf course redevelopment
City leaders have agreed to spend six months hearing from residents about what they want to see happen with land in East San Jose that’s being eyed for a massive potential development. The San Jose City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to approve hiring a consultant to conduct a “city-led” outreach and engagement program about...
UPDATE: San Jose to transform Story Road-Keyes Street corridor
With a new influx of cash, the Story Road-Keyes Street corridor in East San Jose will be transformed from a danger zone to a safe stretch. The San Jose City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to secure the final funding for safety infrastructure across the 2.3-mile road project. The dollars will transform one of San...
Silicon Valley Vietnamese nonprofits struggle to secure grants
Vietnamese leaders are calling for equitable funding across community-based organizations in an effort to ensure residents aren’t left behind. Santa Clara County’s Vietnamese nonprofits have faced a longstanding gap in funding and resources, despite the population’s significant presence in the region. Advocates said these funding disparities are detrimental to the organizations that provide the greatest support...
When will downtown San Jose get another grocery store?
The once-busy corner of Second and San Fernando streets in San Jose that was home to a Safeway has been vacant for three years, and retailers are not jumping at the chance to fill the space. Safeway closed in 2019, after opening in 2009 to great fanfare. It was the only grocery store at the time...