On Jan. 30, in-the-know connoisseurs of vintage fashion lined up in droves for the grand opening of 2nd STREET at the Strawberry Park Shopping Center in San Jose. The store, which specializes in a wide selection of used clothing, shoes and accessories, is the international brand’s 54th location in the U.S. “According to the higher-ups...
San Jose restaurant workers became collateral damage
Jtown Pizza owner Jordan Trigg touched off a firestorm against San Jose’s historic building protections — and a push for reform — after calling out preservationist red tape leading to the closure of his restaurant last year. His former employees say that’s not the whole story. In statements to the media, Trigg said he was...
San Jose loosens rules for local card rooms
San Jose is easing restrictions on its local gambling industry as part of a months-long effort to lighten the regulatory burden placed on the city’s two card houses. The City Council approved a package of five rule changes Tuesday in a unanimous vote, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent. San Jose Police Department officials said the...
Follow the money in San Jose’s City Council races
A political newcomer is leading the fundraising pack in the race for this year’s sole open seat on the San Jose City Council, as incumbents in other districts raise funds to fend off rivals. The first round of campaign filings for the 2026 election cycle, submitted ahead of a Monday deadline, show candidates have raised...
San Jose mayor spars with gubernatorial candidates during debate
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan faced his first major test as a contender for California governor Tuesday during a televised debate. The debate, hosted in San Francisco by KTVU, had Mahan standing shoulder to shoulder with six other candidates — conservative TV news pundit Steve Hilton, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former...
San Jose is world’s least affordable city for first-time homebuyers
San Jose has been ranked No. 1 for the least affordable city in the world for first-time homebuyers in a new global study, underscoring how far housing costs have outpaced wages in the heart of Silicon Valley. The study — conducted by financial services company Remitly — analyzed housing affordability in more than 150 cities...
Santa Clara County residents rally against ICE ahead of Super Bowl
Silicon Valley community and government leaders gathered to denounce the expected arrival of federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the Bay Area during the upcoming Super Bowl. More than 100 Santa Clara County residents attended the rally, where local leaders including San Jose Councilmembers Peter Ortiz and Pamela Campos spoke out against...
San Jose boosts incentives to convert offices to housing
San Jose wants to make it easier to convert its underused office buildings into housing with new financial incentives. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to expand an existing housing incentive program covering downtown residential high-rise projects to include conversion projects with at least 20 new homes. The city will cut certain fees and taxes for...
Beloved Silicon Valley costume store takes final bow
The clustered racks of Natasha’s Attic were bustling with Victorian noblemen and Renaissance fairies looking for their evening gowns for the last time. The building where the retail-rental costume store in San Jose is located has been sold, and owner Kathy Bell has until the end of February to liquidate everything. While the eviction came...
San Jose mayor jumps into governor’s race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday joined the race for California governor, putting to rest months of will-he-won’t-he speculation about his gubernatorial ambitions. “We need to stand up for our rights, for our freedoms and for our neighbors. We need to use the tools we have at hand to protect our democracy,” Mahan posted...