I always feel like we are so lucky to have events like Sweet Sixteen and Elite 8 in our town. However, it’s interesting to note that as each event comes and goes, there are those who love every minute and naysayers who react negatively about our city as a result.
Maybe I am too biased, too pro-San Jose, too clouded with my glass-is-half-full perspective (how I got this way after being on this site for over a year is beyond me), but I thought the March Madness event was top notch and more fun than I have had in days. (You’re supposed to say “in years,” but I can have fun in a paper sack and usually do, no matter where I am.) I know that not everyone knows how to have a good time and need fun events to come to them. Well, this basketball tournament was tailor-made for them.
What I loved was the influx of people from four different parts of the country. You had the SoCal 8-clappin’ UCLA fans that made the quick jaunt up I5 to spend their money and throw around their Bruin fever. Then you had the single best mascot in college basketball, the Salukis from Southern Illinois, just happy to be there and spend their money. (We even saw Salukis out on the town on Sat night in FULL gear, even when their team lost, enjoying their “holiday” in California. You gotta love ‘em!) Then we had the hardcore boosters from Kansas, a real traditional basketball school, and the support of Pitt. I loved that it was the WEST Regional and UCLA was the only team located in the West. Maybe that explains the unfair fan advantage.
On more than one occasion, I heard my male friends commenting on how the place was a “sausage fest.” (For those who are scratching their heads, it means “too many men in one place.” I say there is no such thing as too many men in one place.) It’s college basketball—what do you really expect? The only women you see are single gals like me, college co-eds and very flexible cheerleaders. It could always be worse.
I loved how the crowds filled pubs, bars and restaurants from midday to late in the evening. When have you ever seen O’Flaherty’s packed at 1 p.m. on a Saturday, or Spiedo filled with late night diners at 10 p.m. on a Thursday? Not often enough. But isn’t that what we want? Let’s acknowledge that San Jose’s downtown nightlife is directly affected by the events being held there on any given day or night.
The visitors that we met said how nice the city was, how great the weather was, and how nice the people were. I’ll bet that we would have gotten only one of those comments if the tournament had been in San Francisco.
So, the next time you hear a college event like the Sweet Sixteen is coming to town, order your tickets and get yourself downtown, because it is not to be missed!
I think it’s great that basketball brought so much attention to San Jose, however, I do think that events like this will attract people from out of town who have the disposable income to attend. If we hope that the hotels continue with such success as was witnessed, events will need to attract people from outside San Jose. No doubt that is needed, but we still have not found the hook that will attract and benefit the normal San Jose Joe.
Wonder Woman,
I’m a normal joe and enjoy most parts of san jose except downtown.
Maybe if the parking meter people and police would lighten up on their mission of ending anything sustainable in downtown I, as a card carrying normal joe, would come back downtown and spend my hard earned money.
We had a bunch of inlaws come up from L.A. for the Elite 8 games. They had never been to S.J. before but had all the traditional CowTown, 2d City biases about S.J. They were, in two words, BLOWN AWAY by S.J. They liked the bars. They liked the restaurants. They LOVED being able to walk from downtown to the arena. If you were to have them read this blog, they would ask, “Why do you guys complain so much?”
WW—The hooks for San Jose Joe are down at Santana Row. Not even any hooks downtown for all the residences being built downtown. Shark Tank is the only hook, very, very occasionally dropped in the water. Shopping, not houses, not night clubs, not city halls. A concentration of businesses, like La Brea in LA, even 3rd St. in Berkeley. or the furniture district south of Mission in SF, would make a big difference. Tell Planning. Duh. George Green
Just needed to vent Single Gal. But watching the Sweet 16 this weekend got me thinking…this is how downtown would be on a regular basis if we had Major League Baseball at Diridon South, or an NBA team at the Shark Tank. Don’t get me wrong, the Sharks and the occasional NCAA tourny/summer time festivals are great. It’s just to bad we don’t have that critical mass of people downtown on a year-around basis…it would be nice, don’t you think?
Single Gal, now you know what I’m talkin’! Don’t forget the Shark’s playoff and the Grand Prix! Ofcourse, my favorite is the jazz festival and Tapestry arts festival. Enjoy downtown which I’ve been right all along! Please, no more naysayin’, girl.
A great weekend in downtown San Jose. I love events like Cinequest, Jazz Festival, Grand Prix, Sharks and the NCAA tournament. Friends, family meet up – and I can even talk to my friends around the country about what SJ’s up to.
Makes me proud to be a native San Josean. Does that count for anything? Anyone know if our mayor made an appearance?
#2 – Totally agree with you about the parking, this has been a deterrent for years; hinders retail and the possibility of future retail. The parking meter that really got me is the one somewhat recently installed on St. John St. across from the post office; it’s where there used to be a mail box. We used to be able to turn off Market to St. John, but now we have to remember to drive on the same side of the the street that the post office is located on, either that or jay walk! How much could the city possibly be making off that one meter? Talk about a user-unfriendly!
Anyone know if the parking meter maids are from the former East Germany or Communist Russia?
I agree, great event! Now all we need is to give them a reason to come back. Some of the ideas that 1st act has is a good start. We also need to let visitors know who we are today and its relationship to our history our.
#9 I sure hope you’re not charging Mr. Reed for your services . . .
The 2007 Girls’/Women’s National Championships currently at Logitech Ice. The largest ice hockey tournament ever held in California. But it’s girls and not downtown, so…
I sure am! I told him to put the American Flag tie away in the drawer too! I am thinking to pull out more pink in his wardrobe however – pink IS the new black you know.
The Sweet 16 was awesome! I attended all the games and it was so much fun. I have never seen downtown so packed!
Hey all. I agree that the NCAA and Sharks are a great draw to downtown. So are all the theaters. So are the movie theaters. So are the art galleries.
My family enjoys all of these activities and more. We take light rail or ride our bikes. This way we do not need to deal with the parking issues.
Get out into downtown San Jose and experience someting new, like First Fridays at the art galleries on South First Street. It is the first Friday of each month and it’s free. There are many great restaruants in downtown too, more than Santana Row. You just need to wal a little to see a lot.
#14 –
Speaking of art galleries…the new gallery at the 4th Street Parking Garage has an interesting selection. It’s free and full of local artists. It used to be an art supply store. Check it out after a visit to city hall or the library.
The gallery even displays work from a Bellarmine art teacher who expresses (though his artwork) his struggle with the complexity of women…ironic, I know…