The other day, I was talking with some friends about things that San Jose could do to make itself a better place for the single folks (or even the non-singles) that live in this town. We have already established that San Jose has lots of single people, and plenty of single men to boot, whose main complaint is always the lack of things to do.
Last week, my friends and I (you know, the fellow alcoholics) were looking for a place to sit outside on a Friday afternoon where we could get some good food and drinks and have a pleasant conversation in the sun. However, when we started to brainstorm ideas of where to go, the list was short. San Jose probably has 300 sunny days a year and we don’t have outdoor seating on every block? How does that make any sense?
We started talking about Seattle and San Francisco, and how the weather in these cities is less than desirable, yet you find outdoor cafes and restaurants galore. Then I started talking about a recent trip to Denver and how they seem to have a great idea that hasn’t caught on in many other places but would be the perfect thing to bring to San Jose: the rooftop restaurant.
Imagine walking around San Pedro Square, Fountain Alley or University Ave. in Los Gatos, and seeing people dining and drinking on top of two-story buildings, sitting in the sun and enjoying themselves and a great view. It sounds like a recipe for success to me. I don’t see why several entrepreneurs haven’t done this yet. Is it safety? Is it too hard to get a permit to do it?
The rooftop bar goes along with the outdoor mall as being architectural developments that work in Denver (a town similar to San Jose in that it’s landlocked), bringing businesses and crowds of people into the city to spend money. Someone really should use those models here. I am sure they would prove successful.
There is no such thing as an original idea, and I say that we need to start begging, borrowing and stealing ideas from other towns and making them our own.
If someone has some money to invest, I have a great business idea for you….
Here’s an idea to make San Jose a better place for singles:
Get off your keister and find something to do that doesn’t involve shopping, dining, drinking and whining.
Read to second graders at Horace Mann School. Volunteer at a RotaCare Free Clinic. (There’s one at the edge of downtown.) Put on a safety vest and hard hat and pick up trash along the highway of your choice. Volunteer at the Tech or Children’s Discovery Museum. Help dead-head roses at either of the rose gardens. Sort food for Second Harvest Food Bank.
Actually, they could use a bunch of these rooftop restaurants when they decide to put the Alviso waterfront to good use (i.e., not salt ponds) since, ya know….San Jose isn’t landlocked.
Scott’s is on top of the garage, but since the top floor is a level of the parking garage, only rarely have I seen tables set up outside.
Capers Loft has an open-to-the-sky seating area, but it’s enclosed by a high wall, so there is no view except straight up. On a clear night like last night when lots of stars were visible, that’s something; but a shorter wall would have been nicer.
I’ll have to ask Kam if the city made him build the wall so high so that you and all your alcoholic friends (just kidding!) could not possibly fall off in your stupor.
That second storey restaurant site across from St. Joseph’s Cathedral had some outside seating; but it had at least two operators who failed.
I like the idea of better using rooftops on future buildings downtown. Loyal Marymount University in Los Angeles has a large sports field on top of a parking garage – I always felt that was a good use of limited space and wondered why citiies like San Jose couldn’t do somtheng similar.
People do not want to eat outside in San Jose and risk being harassed by hobos. Why not put the homeless on the roofs and call it -“Piddler on the Roof”? Pipe in the Fiddler soundtrack on some crappy 8 track player with no “fencing” value and you’ve got yerself a bonafide tourist destination. Plus-how many Broadway sets can you simply hose down? The only downside would be casting-with so many “Tevya” look alikes competition could be fierce.
To dine at the outdoor patio of Carl’s Jr. with Carl Berg and Karl Rove would be sublime.
Um, been to San Pedro square lately? Quite a few of those places have outdoor seating.
Been to fountain alley lately? Tried the Grill? Askew? McCormick and Schmick’s?
No, they’re not on top of the buildings. Don’t be so picky.
Single Gal, are you nuts?! Why can’t we be like Denver? Well, on 16th St. mall, there are cheap stores that cater to tourists from nearby states. There are alot of pandhandlers and drunks on that strip. There are some abandoned buildings and vacant storefronts, too. Half of downtown Denver is scummy. It can be a scary place sometimes. Yeah, they have restaurants sitting atop 2 and 3 story buildings, particularly in LoDo, but San Jose tends to have them on street level. However, there are some good pluses about Denver. There are 4 major league teams playing at stadiums and arena in downtown. They have a cool new musuem wing there. I also like their newly expanded convention center. In terms of vibrancy, they’re equal. San Jose and Denver both have alot going for them, but downtown San Jose is much more cohesive and better put together than downtown Denver. San Jose’s is cleaner and safer than Denver’s, and downtown Denver has alot more gaps and dead spots than downtown San jose. Downtown Denver is a 2 street wide downtown, and San Jose’s is full square deal(7 streets by 10 streets). So stop idolizing!
Barbie
Sorry I do not have a heart of gold like you do and spend my free time helping others. Why would I want to do that when I can just complain about being single?
Our city can always be better – that is what this site is about. Making suggestions isn’t always complaining. I just don’t understand why people don’t try new things here.
Let me get this straight. Jack Van Zandt wants sunshine at the SCVWD, the MHP, parking garages, nightclubs, Mercury News and SJ Downtown Association. Tom McEnery wants sunshine on garbage contracts, the General Plan, City Hall and lobbyists. Now you want us to EAT in the sunshine. You three should seriously consider seeing a psychiatrist – you could qualify for a group rate.
I checked with Kam @ lunch today @ Capers Loft. As I suspected, the City of San Jose wanted him to build a wall around the rooftop patio two feet higher than they ultimately agreed to. Didn’t want drunk jumpers/fallers on their conscience. So, SG, thanks to CSJ, you and your besotted friends are safe while drinking there.
Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Ooops, it died at the hands of the protect-you-from-yourself-from-cradle-to-grave Democrats.
I’d rather have had a waist-high-or-so wall, so that we could see the view…such as it is. And if a sot or two fell off or jumped, so much the better for the gene pool.
Why can’t we be ourselves?
#12—you mean like the gun shooting hip hoppers, gangstas, low riders, and other vatos locos who invade downtown every weekend?