We are getting ample proof that the “thugocracy” that has been created with the proliferation of nightclubs is finally destroying the hopes for a real downtown. With the closing time near-riot early last Sunday morning, it is becoming painfully clear that we cannot have a growing and prospering downtown of residents and small business entrepreneurs as long as these raucous nightclubs and out-of-control bars continue to operate. It is turning ugly and this ugliness is killing the hopes and dreams of generations of hard working San Joseans for their downtown.
The multiple fights, stabbing, and violence that tied down thirty police officers using batons, pepper spray, and other methods to quell the unruliness lasted for an hour and reduced the SoFa area to a battle zone. Sixteen arrests were made. This is not the first time that such violence has flared.
It is another clear case of the tail wagging the dog. A group of well-connected nightclub operators are employing highly paid lobbyists to derail the well-intentioned plans of the residential builders downtown and the many small business people that have invested their life savings in the hopes of a vital contribution to the renaissance of our city. This is turning into a cruel joke.
As the Ba’athist remnants of the Gonzales regime resort to the most transparent of reasoning and the most gullible of allies in their current incarnation as lobbyists, the city’s police force is reduced to nighttime security guards and riot police while other parts of the city beg for service.
Surely it is time for action. Our chief of police has the power to step in and use his emergency powers given to him by the council to stop this outrageous waste of resources and destruction of our image as a safe city. I would hope that the council, the Downtown Association, the Chamber of Commerce and others who care about our city and our safety will demand that this action be taken. The clubs and promoters who jeopardize our safety and make a farce of our plans for a better city must not be allowed to prevail.
Time is running out and, indeed, it’s about time for change we can believe in.
Tom,
I noted yesterday in Single Gal’s column that we do seem to have some unused resources within the SJPD.
Generally, every other morning as I pass by the Elks Lodge on Alma at 6:00 a.m., I witness three or four squad cars, parked side by side towards the rear of the parking lot.
As it happens, I needed to attend an early meeting this morning and passed by the Elks at 5:30 a.m. Again, I saw three squad cars in the lot.
Does that mean that the officers sit there for a half-hour and, if so, why are they not patrolling our fair city?
I wonder if Chief Davis condones this behavior and does he realize how this looks to our residents when all we hear is, “We need more officers.”
The spots causing the problems lately have been:
Motif Lounge
Agenda Lounge
Both are owned by inexperienced new owners.
Both are adding fuel to the nightlife fire with their problems.
Both refuse to take part in discussions with the city / police on how to make things better.
And oddly, related to this days blog. Both of these clubs are not apart of hiring the lobbyists that are mentioned above.
The “Clubs” hiring the lobbyist are working really hard to solve the issues. The only way we could talk to city staff / council members was by hiring a lobbyist firm.
Overwise, the council and city staff make decisions that don’t work and just give us two minutes at some stupid council meeting.
The SJPD needs to hire police officers with short fuses, explosive tempers and volatile personalities. The city needs to equip them with the proper tools to use in the downtown area. Pepper spray, batons and tasers are not adequate. Police officers should carry South African street sweepers. Then when a riot breaks out, two or three officers can cut the criminal scum to ribbons. The filthy trash would be mowed down like the blades of grass on a Willow Glen lawn.
Richard – the out of control, thuggish clubs, are ALL downtown – they are draining the police resources. The Downtown restaurants, the REP, CDM, etc. do not need more police. The response of the unruly operators, these clubs, is to hire more lobbyists to pressure the Council and the Chief. It is a sad state of affairs. TMcE John Michael – good pt., we will look into that information, but just look at SoFA and check out both the clubs, and the land lords – remember, they pay more to absentee landlords and ask few improvements – they are very profitable. TMcE
Tom, Isn’t downtown a real downtown already? For a long time, you advocated a “24hr” downtown with a thriving nightlife for all types of people to gather. Ofcourse, fights and other mishaps will occur every now and then. You must read about all the problems San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London and all the cities, that have vibrant downtown nightlife, have these same problems. Tom, what’s your idea of downtown if you really had it your way? Would it be sleepy or boring? What would it be like or what fun or exciting stuff you’d like to see downtown?
I’ve got news for you, Tom…the “thugocracy” of which you speak is evident all over town. I stopped taking Light Rail after being threatened by a self-professed gang member who was drinking and showing off his drug stash (in the middle of the day!). Transit security won’t confront them behaving badly at the stations—they’re probably concerned for their own personal saftey. I live on the edge of Willow Glen, and there are streets two blocks away that I won’t walk down after dark. So much for being the “Safest City”!
So all nightclubs are uniformly sabotaging the growth of downtown and contributing equal trouble for the police to handle? I’m not defending the “thugs” or the greed of owners, but we can never, ever paint with such a broad stroke. Instead of cracking down on clubs in general, let’s deal with this case-by-case. This isn’t a dictatorship. We are rational people, yes?
I suggest development of a new clubbing area away from the fancy new condos and restaurants that are going in our traditional downtown. Let the younger crowd have their fun in a revamped now-industrial area by South Campus. It’s probably just a pipe dream, but I just hope there’s room for everyone in the end.
Don – any comments I have made about Downtown, incl. families, neighborhoods, and basic entertainment and safety. I have never heralded a “24 hr.” downtown as a mecca of clubs, and a magnet for young men throughout the region – that is contrary to the simple enjoyment of the majority of our residents – and this is not a case of a “few” fights – people have been shot and knifed and severely injured, some killed. Our Downtown has no room for that type of “entertainment.” Thanks for asking, Don. TMcE
Duncan (#3),
Did you exhaust your cognitive juices coming up with that witty screen name? You wonder what cops are doing parked in a lot at 5:30 AM? Here’s a few clues, take your pick:
Writing reports covering the activities of the previous night (cops out at that hour work the midnight shift), shootin’ the breeze, enjoying the slow part of the shift, sharing information about the district, taking advantage of a Wi-Fi network, studying for a promotional, taking a break from driving (a good idea), bitching about having to go to court in the afternoon, or whatever else HUMAN BEINGS might feel the need to do at the end of a long night’s work.
Who knows, maybe they’ll spot your post on this site and initiate some no-tolerance traffic enforcement on your early morning commute. If we’re lucky, maybe you’ll do 38 in a 35 zone and get to meet one of those officers.
Since I’m seriously considering moving from WG to The 88, the topic of nighttime relative calm is important to me. I don’t expect downtown to be Stepford; but shootings, stabbings, huge melees sound more like Richmond than San Jose.
It seems that everyone knows who the “bad” owners are, and certainly everyone knows who the “bad” lessees/operators are. How about a no tolerance policy? No more PC bullshit about alleged rights, giving them “strike” after “strike” beforfe anything happens. Their rights end when they infringe upon the rights of the majority with violence; and so do the rights of the owners/operators who continue to cause problem for the rest of us.
The D.A.‘s office successfully got injunctions against known gang members prohibiting them from congregating in certain areas. Let’s get injunctions against the bad apple owners and operators. Let’s deny them necessary permits and licenses to re-open elsewhere in SJ once they have lost a permit or license due to the crap that happens @ their clubs. Try to get some co-operation from the ABC.
These clowns get lienses and use permits faster than you or I can get the building dept. to let us add a room to our home.
Clubs need incentives to curb violence. Period. Right now they make MORE money if they attract the most thuggish elements. Right now they make more money by attracting the thugs by being the ‘toughest’ club.
I don’t profess to know how to do this, so here are some amateur ideas just being thrown out there to be scoffed at and picked clean by any ‘professionals’ who are obviously doing a fine job of keeping San Jose a safe and family-oriented place today.
* If a fight starts in your club and police get involved, you close the next night. Yep—kiss one night’s profits goodbye.
* We keep a database of repeat offenders. Police can even distribute pictures. Club owners have the right to serve whoever they want, but we should somehow give club owners an incentive to NOT serve those people.
* The most effective way to ‘take back our clubs’ is for law-abiding club-goers to get actively involved in cleaning things up. Police, community groups, etc. should enable any possible grassroots movement among those who are club-goers, but themselves sick of violence. Lysistrata style, if you follow me.
Just ideas. Cost me a couple minutes of typing.
WHAT!!! Gambling in casablanca!?
-Tom McEnery
I love the myth being propagated here that thugs are destroying downtown’s hopes. It’s directly contrary to the reality—which is that because downtown so fails to deliver on its promises, it can only support such a “thugocracy.”
The nightclub owners that Mr. McEnery maligns are not simply bad agents bent on the moral corruption of downtown. They are businesspeople and they know their market; and in downtown the primary market for nightlife is “thugs.”
In less polite circles the idea of a downtown renaissance has a different name—gentrification. There are no gentrifying forces in downtown. The new condo developments are patently unappealing and badly located. There are no good restaurants in downtown. And per Mr. McEnery’s own admission here, the nightlife is just plain dangerous.
Use police forces to pressure the club owners, fine; but it won’t diminish the fundamental problems with downtown or make valid the foolish and wasteful idea of “revitalization.”
#15
You are so correct. Downtown is doomed as long as the airport is in its present location.
Granted, those who profit from the airport will always sing the same song about how great it is. However, in the real world the airport is a disaster, and downtown will never grow or prosper because of it.
It is time to move that dinosaur to Hollister, and let them sing the praises of the airport, while we use the 1000 acres in an intelligent manner to make San Jose better.
My question is this. The new condo owners, are they buying into downtown San Jose because they like San Jose in 2008? Or are they buying into downtown because they’re expecting something magical to happen like DSJ becomes Los Gatos?
JWW – hmmm …. “malign” club owners? – what color is the sky in your world? They are the problem, for sure. The HP Pavilion is one of busiest buildings in the world, the TECH is world class, the Children’s Museum and Opera SJ and the REP are fantastic, plus many, many more wonderful attractions, and perhaps most importantly, the neighborhoods and schools downtown are strong and becoming stronger – only the selfish, thug-enabling policies of the last decade, and a few greedy landlords, make Downtown a questionable spot between 10P and 3AM. Stop that, and families and neighborhoods can again be the places we want them to be. Open your eyes, please. TMcE
Finfan,
My, my, aren’t we tempermental today. Maybe it’s time for you to increase the dosage on your meds.
Actually, long workdays are not limited to safety officers, or didn’t you know that. My point is that, if they’re not on patrol, then they should be back at the office doing paperwork, chit-chat, etc.
It’s my belief that residents seeing a brood of squad cars parked in that setting can only give the SJPD a black eye. It’s particularly acute when many are screaming for more officers.
I guess your cognitive juices are in short supply… perhaps a crayon picture might help?
I fear that this regulation will turn to an all-out backlash and completely Disney-ize everything. Yeah, families are welcome as anyone, but let’s not turn downtown into one big suburban playdate. It won’t matter who feels safe after 10PM because everyone would be home in bed by then anyway.
What’s with #16, the one trick pony who believes all evil downtown (four+ miles away)is caused by the location of the San Jose, (Why Mineta?) Intergalactic Airport?
#15 uses the word “gentrification” as if it’s a bad thing; a four letter word, if you will.
My dictionary defines “gentrification” as “the immigration of middle-class people into a deteriorating or recently renewed city area”. How is that a bad thing, JMW? Would you prefer “Ghettoization” of the downtown, JMW?
I like how Tom speaks highly of HP, 2 of the most dangerous events take place inside the HP. THE BOMB concert, and SUPER OLDIES concert. Before you stroke your ego, take a look at 2 of your events. Both have 18,000 patrons of the “type” of “people” you are speaking of. OPEN YOUR EYES! Maybe the one that needs a reality check is you! You talk about cleaning up your area, maybe you should remind your partner that you guys got the wool pulled over your eyes with SABOR = TASTE!
Stop attacking the clubs, the same people that lined your pockets for many years in the past! DB COOPERS, CLUB MIAMI…And your rents were not cheap and Im sure you like the CASH payments…
concerned #23,
And add the ultimate fighting events. Every one of those has led to a huge amount of steriod infused fights throughout downtown after the events.
But Tom and his buddies at the Sharks make a huge amount of money on the sold out events.
I will be moving out of San Jose, first chance I get. I live downtown, and positively hate going out on the weekend to get something to eat. I don’t even like to drive anywhere near Santa Clara Street. I just don’t.
Now during the day, it’s cool. I see alot of people just doing their thing, but at night, I just wonder where do these goons all come from? I mean really? Traffic is at a standstill along Santa Clara Street, and EVERYONE wants to be an extra for the latest rap video. I wonder is this ussue bigger than San Jose?
I also think that the clubs should be spaced out more, meaning that if everyone has to be let out into the streets at 1:30 am, then if say Motif was in North San Jose, and Agend was on South First we would not have the mob scene anymore, and it would allow for other types of business’ to do their thing. We can’t have a liquor store on every corner (in my neghborhood I have 5 within walking distance), nor should we have nightclubs on every corner catering to the goonsquads that come from out of town.
Tom,
I hear what you`re saying and we need more police officers throughout the city,not just downtown.
The result of our police officers actions enforcing the laws downtown has sent these people to the next neighborhood over,“Willow Glen”.This PD action does not solve the problem.
If we could get 50 new officers (and most were enforcement trained officers)we could 5 new officers per district.This would make a differance.
It would be helpful if our so-called newspaper (Murky News) and your new partner (Metro) published the names of the clubs where the violence occurred and the names and addresses of the owners (surely it must be public record on their business license applications) so we would know where to avoid and to write to the owners of the constant trouble spots telling them to clean up or move out.
#19 Donutz,
Towards the end of a midnight shift officers have reports to write and paperwork to fill out. The patrol cars are their offices and portable cubicles. The patrol cars have computers that can’t be removed and provide the information needed to accurately complete reports. Officers tend to park together to write their reports for their own safety. There are those in society who hate police officers, and a single officer writing a report in his car becomes a target if someone wanted to ambush an officer. Several officers parked together officers some protection as one officer can keep an eye open as others write their reports. Would you rather they went into an office to do this and be unavailable to respond to calls for service? I am sure this would be safer for the officers so maybe that is a good idea, just don’t expect an officer to respond if needed if they are all in an office and not on the street.
Concerned Downtowner –
Now I don’t know which club you own, CD, but you definitely have a perspective. Now put your name to all your “opinion” and tell me in what venue you would like to debate the merits of my position vs. yours – and your special interest. You seem to know all about me – share a bit c. yourself and let’s debate this issue – like, I usually do, in public. TMcE
Tom,
I think its hilarious how you speak of bringing something back to a community that was never there.. I am 30 years old and as far as I can remember …. San Jose population has been a majority of single young men, hence the name “man jose”. I really dont think too many established families are going to be moving into those condos located downtown… If you drive away the nightlife, you will drive away all the people who actually enjoy downtown for what it is.
Put a leash on those specific nightclub owners that cant run a clean business…But I think you will find that you need the club owners that know how to run a business to keep “life” in downtown.
You keep on the campaign you are going with and you will drive away anyone who would be willing to move to a city like downtown San Jose. Now if you start building 4-5 bedroom homes with big back yards and pools instead of condos… then maybe you would be onto something…
Good point about HP Pavilion. That venue brings 10’s of thousands of hooligans every week through hockey games, football, hip hop shows etc. Where do you think they go after the game? Oh wait, HP is exempt, thats right.
What about Music in the Park? It brings a few thousand people each week, most not even from downtown, and encourages them to drink as many beers as possible fed to them by the title sponsor then invites them to drink more over dinner and dancing located where else? First and Santa Clara Streets. Oops, thats right, Music in the Park is exempt too! Shame on me, thats a different agenda plus where would the city be without alcohol sponsors to pay the overhead?
Can you say there is never an outbreak of violence or extra police needed for every one of those events?
Lets get it all out there, South First Street is a contradiction and a joke! California Theatre with its bright lights and black tie modernisms sits right across the street from AD Gallery which praises illegal graffiti and proudly paints its exterior with urban decay style art. Have you noticed graffiti has doubled/tripled downtown since AD opened?
Point is, its not just bars, clubs and the “thugocracy” bringing bad elements into our city, its also the idiocracy of San Jose politricks and the people running “ruining” it with their ideal fantasies of the perfect city.
Respectively, you are playing the cruel joke on yourself. You’ve lived in San Jose all your life and even been the Mayor yet you still complain about it.
Maybe its the dog wagging the dog?
Fights, stabbings, and violence are a part of every “real” city. Show me an example of a real city similar to San Jose thats ideal. Now pack your bags and go be happy.
You cannot have a tree without limbs because there will be no fruit or a bird without wings because it wont fly.
Stop blanketing the blame and counter productiveness on every club, thug and promoter and admit that its just a hand full of boneheads ruining it for themselves. The number of innocent folks, clubs and promoters trying hard to make this place unique and livable way outnumber every shady bar, club and gallery on First St.
Now go get em tiger!!!
My question for Tom is, after the Indians and orchards were butchered, when was San Jose ever real? And realistically, how and when will it be “real” again?
I personally think it is real now. Real lame. But I’m trying real hard to “change” that.
John Galt,
Your proposal is inspired, but I’m thinking that were you to call it a “grain footprint” you could use it to control and condemn (arrogantly, in the Gorestapo fashion) the consumption of beer, spirits, ethanol, toast, tortillas—even corncobs! One can only dream of the possibilities! Imagine charging a drunk driver (provided he’s not a struggling immigrant or a Kennedy) with not only a violation of our traffic laws, but also with grain and carbon footprint violations. The state could, like… take away his house (if he didn’t have political connections). With that kind of power, the Green State (red has already been used) could control everyone!
But as for the profits of such a campaign, well, in honor of the Gorestapo who started it all, I think the money should be spent on anti-nuclear energy commercials and on digging up more coal from the ground.
JMW 3 29 writes of “The 87”. he must be from SoCal.
Perhaps we should be looking at a “cap and trade” system when it comes to alcohol consumption in downtown San Jose. I would leave the details to the brainy, caring progressives, but I’m picturing something like the proposed “carbon footprint” rating for each citizen but in this case we might call it a “bourbon footprint”. Alcohol consumption would be limited because the total number of “bourbon credits” would be “capped” at some acceptable level. Drunken louts who desire to consume more than their share of alcohol and start fights or vomit on the sidewalk would be required to purchase “bourbon credits” from sober and teetotaling citizens who have relatively tiny “bourbon footprints”. These responsible people would then spend their proceeds on such things as donations to the policemen’s retirement fund, the 11-99 Foundation, and scrubbing brushes for the sidewalks.
As the brainy progressives like to say, “it would be a win win situation”.
My plan would have the added advantage of creating additional jobs
Talk, talk, talk – No action
Time to stop talking and write complaints
1) California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Complaint Form
http://www.abc.ca.gov/FORMS/ABC099E.pdf
Motif
http://www.abc.ca.gov/datport/LQSData.asp?ID=2027171258
Agenda
http://www.abc.ca.gov/datport/LQSDATA.asp?ID=2014831947
2) San Jose Code Enforcement
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/codeEnforcement/#tools
3) Santa Clara County – Health Department Complaint Form
http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/deh/agencyarticle?path=%2Fv7%2FEnvironmental%20Health%2C%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29&contentId=3416bb3166b34010VgnVCMP2200049dc4a92____
Agenda
http://www.decadeonline.com/insp.phtml?agency=scc&record_id=PR0307454
Motif
http://www.decadeonline.com/insp.phtml?agency=scc&record_id=PR0382847
Tom,
Excuse me! (1)Get your downtown residents organized,gather signatures, and send a group of downtown residential and business leaders with Sam Liccardo to the ABC office on Second Street, complain,ask for action from the ABC.
(2)Contact your state representive, Jim Beall Jr.have him put pressure on the ABC, they are a State agency.Ask Jim Beal who is the State Rep. that oversees the ABC, put pressure.
(3) Get our Mayor and City Manager to hire more police officers so that our Police Chief can “blitz” these two establishments.Watch theri customers cars and when their patrons get in their cars, pull them over and give them the breath test, if they fail look for drugs in the car.
These thugs are comming downtown from out of town,“Hayward,San Leandro,Oakland” and are bad news people.They don`t care about your downtown residents and legit professional business people.
The owner of the Business licence and Liquor Licence for Motif lives in Cupertino. The owner of the Agenda business licence and liquor licence lives in Belmont, Ca. These people don`t care a dam about downtown San Jose or our city.
These thugs coming down from the east bay have “NO RESPECT FOR THE LAW”,they could care less about our professional police officers.They know San Jose is short of police enforcement officers and they chalange our PD.
Sunday morning our Police should have called for back up police officers from the “State of California”,the County Sherrif dept. the liquor licence is a State Licence.
The City Council should wake up too. San Jose has a big investment in Downtown San Jose.If not brought under control it will effect sales tax revenues, and the City Council should be concerned.
Tom,
I agree that something needs to be done about this but I need to say one thing here, it is incorrect to assume all the public drunkenness is coming from club clients. On many occasions I’ve seen people drinking out of bottles outside the clubs. In working with youth and drunks, I can tell you they can’t afford the price of drinks in a club, so they drink to dam near drunkenness before they ever reach the club.
I agree too that the Police Chief needs to use his newfound power in closing clubs that repeatedly violate ABC laws, and ignore the rights of others to a safe place to live. Why do you think he isn’t closing these repeat offender clubs? It is unfair to the club owners who are trying to make an honest buck, and who do control their patrons.
JMW-are you a freak or what? Are you from downtown of San Jo from the 80’s or what? Downtown is clean and livable, albeit the thuggery needs to be remedied. Downtown is very pretty, not ugly like you said. What about the California theater, Tech, city hall and etc.. You can point out ugly things in any major and small cities downtowns. Doesn’t sound like a cheap shot?
Tom,
I am one of those life long San Joseans that invested my life savings into a small business downtown. I worked very hard for 2 years to grow my company and ran a clean profitable business. I was awarded 3 awards in 2007 for the best of Silicon Valley in the Mercury News. Then all of a sudden you and your business partners purchased the property I was leasing and I was evicted. Leads me to believe your about greed and money, not about cleaning up the so call “thugish” downtown. Every action you take is to build your local empire that feeds your puppets and political thugs. The proof is in the dirt that the lobbyist pull up on you everyday. The lobbyist werent hired to “derail’ the plan for downtown we genuinely care for our city’s future. The lobbyist were hired to assist us in fighting you and your regime. You speak of having a growing and prospering downtown but its kind of hard to do when your company is buying property downtown from the city at well below its appraised value. Why arent these properties ever put up for public auction. Is your agenda to eliminate “thugocracy” downtown or is it only in areas you dont profit from? Your HP pavillion attracts more violence to its events on a single night its open for a concert than any nightclub or bar downtown. I dont see you rally against events being held at HP, perhaps its because its lining your pockets. I agree that downtown San Jose can use a clean up but perhaps the clean up should start with you!
johnmichael:
Actually I am from the south … eastern U.S. Unlike you Californians who have never visited another state, I know what it’s like to live in a place that is beautiful, clean, livable, AND affordable. San Jose manages 3 out of the 4 in most places; and 0 out of the 4 in downtown.
What passes for governance and revitalization here is a joke. Mr. McEnery should be ashamed of downtown, not proud of it. Most politicians back east would be run out of town for running a city like this. In SJ a plurality of pseudo-liberal, politically-correct nuts run the town and the taxpayers are willing to be sopped for practically any measure.
Frank:
So you think downtown is clean and livable EXCEPT for the roving packs of gangs/thugs/creeps. That’s funny!
As to beauty—see my above commentary about “bad taste.” The only places that can reasonably called pretty are the public spaces and they are still full of homeless/bums/etc. I know. I see it every day, thanks.
Tom,
“The last thing San Jose needs to see happen is for downtown to fail after all the Redevelopment funds that have been invested rebuilding downtown.Also, “with all other financial problems our City is facing, the last thing our Mayor,City Council and City Manager need is loss of revenue from downtown because they failed to take action.
Tom,I have no idea why the City`s downtown leaders and especially downtown residents haven`t filed a complaint with the “ABC” Achloic Beverage Control Board on Second street in downtown San Jose.The ABC with a list of complainers can and will revoke the operators business licence.Usually a warning letter is sent out to the operators first.
The last thing these operators need is the loss of their liquor licence.They will still be stuck with a lease after this loss and could face a law suit from the landlord if they can`t pay rent because they have a serious cash flow problem without a liquor licence.
I was partner with Bill Graham Presents in downtown Monterey.The last thing we wanted was a problem with local residents and the City because it could have led to a ABC action,the loss of our liquor licence.We would not tolerate abusive drinkers, drugs or problem patrons.One call to the Monterey police from our management and the problem makers were hauled off by the Monterey police.
No restaurant or club operators wants the loss of their liquor licence.
When a unrully patron walks out of the establishment and harms anyone The owners of the restaurant or club are still responsible for a patron that has had to much to drink.The same patron didn`t dare walk to their car and try to drive off for fear of getting a DUI violation.
You, the residents and downtown association have the upper hand,use it.
You say ‘gentrification’, I say ‘People-get-stabbed-less’
Sal Pizzaro of the Merc stated before Motif opened in SoFa that it was a “Santana Row-like” establishment in downtown San Jose. Three brawls later, I must ask…WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!? I’ve never been to Motif personally, but looking at their website, the joint looks respectable; nice bar, lounge, and restaurant. So this leads me to believe that it must be the music and clientele that’s the problem. By the way, I don’t recall any real Santana Row establishments having late night brawls or fights. Perhaps downtown interests should “study” bars at Da Row to see what kind of music they play and what kind of people frequent their establishments. We could then apply Da Row formula to downtown bars and lounges (or at least those that cause problems). I’m sure the future condo owners of 360 Residence will appreciate it.
Tom:
Actually I live and work downtown so please don’t lecture me about how great it is. I also have more than enough capital to invest in your city and pay property taxes and, after careful consideration, trust me I won’t.
I would be one of those young affluent types who can gentr- … pardon me, bring about the renaissance in downtown.
Nothing you’ve named makes it worthwhile for me or anyone to pay $500,000 (roughly) for a condo to live here.
First of all, downtown San Jose is very ugly. There’s little architecture to speak of. There’s a pervasive homeless problem especially in the public spaces. It has few real conveniences. There are no good restaurants. The nightlife is, as you’ve so nicely pointed out for all of us, thuggish. It’s not particularly walkable because of the riff-raff, beggars, bad sections of Santa Clara, etc. Half of it is a down-trodden student ghetto due to SJSU. And how about the subsidized art galleries in the Sofa district? Beneath contempt, beyond ridiculous.
In response to my post you named venues that (arguably) provide value but are not in themselves real incentives to live or stay in downtown. For example—did it occur to you that if a reasonable person wants to go to HP, he doesn’t have to actually live downtown? It’s right off the 87!
Stop dreaming already. The problems with downtown are holistically ones of bad taste and poor management. They are environmental. Singular experiences at a theater or an event venue don’t make up for a bad overall climate.
John Galt,
Where would clean nuclear energy fit in? Each new nuclear energy plant can take the equivalent of 1 million cars emissions off the road.
How many thugs would a clean bourbon club take off?
Dunc (#19),
“… long workdays are not limited to safety officers, or didn’t you know that?”
The cops you’re seeing in the early AM work the midnight shift, a work schedule that is uniquely demanding on the body and spirit. They also must frequently appear in court, testify at parole hearings, attend training, etc, during the dayshift hours when they would otherwise be sleeping. If you can’t fathom the special demands of such a schedule, let alone having to deal with scumbags and danger and smart ass commuters during your work shift, then perhaps your problem is incurable.
Oh, and your suggestion that they return to the office to write reports earns you another dunce hat: those officers need to be out there available to respond quickly to emergency calls in their district.
Get the picture?
Well stated Issac. the only thing you guys did wrong was be successful.
Besides getting the properties for a reduced rent, the RDA is going to give them an additional 6 million!!
McInery attack on bars and clubs is because he is trying to build his own Santana Row downtown. Which will have bars and clubs as well.
I’m glad to see that finfan is well farther down the road to a coronary than he was the last time I stopped in.
JMW, you put it so well! All of these amenities are built to attract wealthy people to the downtown, but none of them actually provide an incentive for anyone to live downtown. San Jose does not provide the kind of urban environment that entices people to forgo a big house with a garage and no shared walls. Who goes to the opera enough to justify paying an extra hundred thousand or more for a tiny condo? Parking once or even six times a season is simply not that aggravating. Ditto for the other theaters and even moreso for the Tech museum. There is no reason for a wealthy person to live in downtown San Jose. If JMW wants urban living, he’ll choose San Francisco.
Right now, the only thing downtown has that people use regularly enough that they’d wish to be within walking distance is nightlife. Young people move downtown so that they can be near other young people and be near a variety of venues open after hours. What’s more, these young people cannot afford to move into expensive condos. They move into the suburban downtown of 50 year-old low-rise apartments, converted houses, and unconverted houses. If it weren’t for nightlife, nobody would choose to live downtown. It would be occupied only by those without the privilege of being able to choose a neighborhood.
For all that, Isaac of Taste made the most interesting comment. This page has become even more of a joke than it was when I stopped reading it. In this light, whole point of Tom McEnery’s demagogic rants against “the thugs,” a term that is still obviously racist, is to call for the police to clear the streets of anyone who might offend the eye of potential buyers and renters of his property. Pathetic.
You can’t compare SJ night scene with New York. I just got back from 20 years of living in Manhattan, and I never saw anything as pathetic as what goes on in San Jose every weekend.
Somehow, in new york, the nightlife seems to function just fine without an overbearing police presence. That said, the cops are out there and occasionally have to respond to a call, which generally gets a big write up in the Post and/or the Daily News. New York also has resturants by the score, a thriving theater district, movies, museums, and somehow it all works. Go back and read some of the post CdeM threads for commentary on the shortcomings on the police presence downtown.
Adam and Isaac,
I`m not qualified to judge your comments or the motivation of our former Mayor.
But, I have little respect for those that do not respect the laws that govern our city.There is no excuse for what took place Sunday morning downtown.
This article by McEnery is nothing short of ridiculous and the comment from Isaac of Taste Ultralounge sheds light on some of the former Mayor’s motivations. The piece drips of the lust for profit by gentrification- push out the brown and regular folks and bring in the white and wellheeled.
Its nearly laughable that all the rhetoric of cleaning up the downtown comes exactly at the moment several luxury condo high rises come onto the market in the downtown. I’ve lived in San Jose my whole life and patronized the clubs and bars for the last six (which seems like a sorely underrepresented group of folks on this blog). I love the downtown and surely some of the problems that San Jose nightlife faces are exactly the same as large cities such as SF and NY, which I’ve visited. If anything the true thuggish element of downtown night life are the over zealous police officers who intimidate patrons, arrest without cause and incite riots through provocation. They are the ones who need leashes and have pushed away business as much, if not more than a few poorly mannered club patrons.
It is a shame that the powerful in San Jose, in their drive to make us into a “real city,” want to stamp out all the valueable and worthwhile things in San Jose. Instead they would rather turn San Jose into a facsimile of every other non-descript mid-sized city, all the while they line their pockets with RDA subsidies and then afterwards complain how the city lacks ‘culture.’ Even a nice establishment such as the Ultra Longue fell victim to this process. Shame on you McEnery and your downtown cronies.
As a staff member of a sofa district establishment; I can tell you first hand what happened.
The convention center held another “hispanic” oriented dance. Over 2000 patrons attended. At the end of the night, the crowd from the convention center was being pushed down the street by the police at the same time most of the clubs were getting out in the sofa.
A small group pushed back. Which led to more police pushing; then it went out of control.
People who visit San Jose are sick of being pushed around by the police. Problem in this occurance, was the police were pushing around about 1,000 people. And really for no reason.
Why are the police and this city so afraid of persons of color? Why does the police and city need to push persons of color out of the city at the end of the night?
Also, why isn’t the convention center on the hook for the mess? Oh yeah, I forgot the convention center is owned by the city.
South First billiard’s employee
“Over 2000 patrons attended. At the end of the night, the crowd from the convention center was being pushed down the street by the police at the same time most of the clubs were getting out in the sofa.”
Why, exactly, do the cops need to push people out of downtown? Most places, when an event lets out folks pretty much head out on their own.
The least desirable land uses and owners will most often seek the cheapest place to operate. Downtown San Jose is by far the cheapest place to operate for some land uses—these operators would have to attract more solid customers if they located in downtown Carmel, Palo Alto, Santana Row, Willow Glen, etc.
You mean 20,000 people! those shows sellout, just like the HP shows do…
And of course the POLICE does ZERO outreach. Instead they let the mess get out of control, then go report to the City management that they need MORE resources! Becuase the “nightlife” is out of control.
That excuse is going to get old, if it hasnt already. Think out of the BOX already and start creating solutions, not excuses…
Dear former SJ Major,
Thank you for a most informative blog.
I’ve just learned that downtown San Jose is NOT the proper location for a “youth hostel”.
Your downtown is just too dangerous at night for visitors, especially those from overseas with limited English skills.
I question why any reasonable person would want to stay at your downtown hotels?
Other than the safety issue, San Jose would be a great place for a larger 200 bed hostel, an inexpensive type of accommodation catering to young international backpackers, families, school groups, boy and girl scouts, bicyclists, hikers, amateur athletes and their teams, company trainees, families of reservists training here, those attending conferences and trade shows at the Mc Enery (and Santa Clara) Conference Center, and visiting family members of downtowners living in small studios,
Visitors on corporate expense vouchers will continue to stay at your fancy, expensive business hotels. The young overseas tourists currently don’t visit San Jose since there are no urban hostels in Silicon Valley or other inexpensive places to stay. Service worker who pay by the week or month occupy entire cheap motels and flophouses.
Also “Silicon Valley” is not shown on any roadmap and few visitors know that San Jose is the “hub of Silicon Valley”. Instead these visitors just travel along the Coast staying at the two San Mateo area lighthouse hostels, Santa Cruz’s historic Carmelita Cottages Hostel near the Main Beach, Monterey Hostel above Cannery Row, or in Cambria or San Luis Obispo Hostels.
Silicon Valley needs a large urban (non-profit) hostel!
Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View (even Campbell or PA) would provide safer places establishing such a facility than downtown San Jose, despite its better transportation, more compact shopping, and tourist draws .
I’d like to see a super high-tech hostel with all the latest gizmos to attract all the world’s geeks, nerds and gamers (as well as normal people). Each dorm bed would have an LCD screen with movies on demand, free VOIP phone service, language translation, T1 and Wi-Fi access, latest video games and satellite TV news from all countries in all languages.
Guests could check out I-phones with pre-programmed tourist information, bus and train schedules, translation, GPS, GIS services. “Do you know the way to San Jose?” might be one of the selected songs.
The hostel, besides the normal common area, free self-help kitchen, dining area, library, coin laundry, bicycle storage, might feature a large “Google Earth” Dome, RFID controlled access, meeting rooms, rentals for bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, and small battery powered cars.
Who will pay for such extravagant hostel?
A unique marketing collaboration with a large locally headquartered company such as Apple, HP, Sun, Intel, AMD, Applied Mat, National Semi, nvidia, Philips, Adobe, Oracle, SAP Labs, MS Labs, Google, yahoo, eBay, Cisco, Netflix, Sony, etc would supply the building, make improvements and supply equipment. In return the sponsoring company will receive a nice tax write-off, would market their products 24/7 to our wide ranging well-educated guests from around the world who will purchase these products and services upon their return. The sponsor company would display their latest products and services, beta equipment and future product designs. Their staff could interview our guests from around the world and receive immediate feedback
Every geek, nerd and gamer (plus normal people) will want to visit and stay at this Silicon Valley Hostel that will shortly become a well-known local institution.
This relatively small initial hostel investment will pay off in goodwill, inexpensive marketing outlay, and future sales.
Total exposure, not just 15-second sound bites, with no competing brands displayed!
The income from overnight fees will pay for all operating expenses such as staff salaries, supplies, expert management, utilities, hostel marketing, repair, programming, improvements.
Since the hostel is a non-profit operation students, local hostellers, and those wanting to improve their foreign language skills are encouraged to volunteer at the Silicon Valley Hostel to keep overnight fees as low as possible.
The Silicon Valley Hostel should have a good safe location, close to public transport, restaurants, groceries, some shopping, and entertainment.
Since there would be just a single large urban hostel affiliated with Hostelling International (HI), formerly known as AYH (American Youth Hostels) the first company to invest will receive all the benefits. The marketing spin-off from over 4000 other HI affiliated hostels around the globe is difficult to gauge. HI affiliated hostels are the premium brand of hostel since all HI hostels have to meet and maintain high minimum standards (particularly guest safety) and are inspected annually.
The Silicon Valley Hostel’s overnight fee will be about $25/night/member. Non members will pay $3 more for dorm beds. Private rooms for couples, families and small groups cost slightly more. Plenty of beds will be available for large groups. There are no longer age restrictions at hostels. Younger guests receive large discounts. Sheets, pillowcases and towels are supplied. The free use of well-appointed self-help kitchens is included. Larger urban hostels are 24/7 operations; smaller hostels often observe late night curfews and middle of day lockout (for cleaning).
We suspect a marketing alliance with large high tech companies will usher in a new era of hostel development, that encourages young people to travel, meet and get to know people from different countries, backgrounds, languages and customs. This peace development will happen despite higher fuel costs and other discouragements to travel.
Everyone in Silicon Valley can benefit from the establishment of a large urban hostel, even if its located outside San Jose.
#54- PGPLLL,
A hostel here is a great idea! It would certainly draw travelers here.
#56
Why would anyone travel here if they didn’t have to?
Because we have an airport!!! If we did not have an airport then no one would come here. So, we need the airport.
At least that is the logic from airport supporters.
#55 Kathleen,
Thank you for your kind response!
Yes, a large urban hostel in Sillicon Valley would fill a great unmet need.
Hotel interests have little to fear from hostel competition. Few, if any, hostellers stay at fancy downtown high rise hotels.
I’m surprised that the former mayor is against hostels even though there a multitude of hostels all around Ireland (and England, Scotland and Wales).
Perhaps, if there was a Silicon Valley Hostel maybe the San Jose and Santa Clara Convention Centers could get the huge video gamers conventions back that are now at SF Moscone Center.
The former mayor and Mr. Swenson yesterday got a multi-million cash infusion from the City to improve the San Pedro Square area. Some time ago Mr. Swenson kindly offered a vacant frat house for use as a hostel. I put in a bit of effort to get a use permit, but was finally turned down by the City planning because the hostel would be charging by the night (not the week or month that Frat zoning required).
Luckily there are at least 8 million square feet of vacant office, commercial and industrial space in Silicon Valley. Much of it will never again be occupied (those businesses have folded or moved on to China and India).
I’m optimistic that HI Silicon Valley Hostel will find a home somewhere in the Valley and be very successful.
Afater a year’s absence I finally visited San Jose a week ago to look at the “Green Fair” at the Tent. Surprised to see so many vacant store fronts downtown, compared to Santa Cruz whose downtown is bustling.
The former Water Company Building on Santa Clara near the HP Pavillion would make a fine downtown hostel. Do any readers have contact with Adobe Systems big shots?
I really enjoy Google Maps “Street View”.
I can visit San Jose and Silicon Valley, check out the buildings, no wasting gas to actually drive to San Jose.
The theater hosting the San Jose Symphony was most impressive, what a fantastic refurbishing. I was stunned!
Why would anyone travel here if they didn’t have to?
(yo chek it! Dis be da first part o’ my going ons about dis ol crankety crank mayor. dat previous post be my second. do da tinkin and read on my good peeps. lend me yo lovely ears!!)
i be readin’ stuff from da old mayor and i tink he be a whacked out crook. he like a NY tammany hall political boss, his affairs stinkin’ to high heaven and him wit dis new mayor sucklin’ on his political teet.
first, like, he say he a writer, but he more like a pontificator of pornography. he all about puttin’ da benjamins in his pocket and he build his argument around anyting going to promote his land and his bank. his thrill be da dollar, and we all know porno ain’t limited to no nekid girls! you can get thrill rollin’ in da dough! dat’s mcenry: gettin’ thrill on his dough and shovin his gut around tryin to get his way like a fat cat in a small yard.
We know from right wing conservatives dat wen dey start actin’ all uppity and chastising others wit brimstone, dey prolly got a bird in da mouth like a quiet cat actin’ like he do no wrong. one right wing like to tap da shoe and make love to other men. one right wing be shovin crack up his nose. other right wing be running shady real estate deals. one like to pick up on young male pages. mcenry must have some dirty stuff cuz he too actin righteous and knockin’ down da small biz owner tryin’ to make a living instead of offering his good mayor wisdom and trying to solve it. he WAS da mayor but he now just a money hungry fool.
i glad i found dis website, cuz i gonna write all da time wen dis fool crony crack his mouth open and write nonsense like he done right now.
now, i start wit dis here poorly written piece of fanatical ranting:
“thugocracy” is a dumb word. plain and simple. he be implyin’ in his pseudo-clever way dat thugs be running the social systems in san jose. well, den he be hintin’ dat da mayor and all da city council and da redev peeps all be thugs cuz dey da ones be runnin’ da “ocracy” and be sidin’ wit da evildoer club owners. Mr. mayor: how you be callin thugs dose dat be linin’ yo pockets wit 6 million dollars??? you bite da hand dat makin’ you fat, fool, and dese thugs gonna figure it out sooner or later!
further, if dey is da thugs runnin’ tha “thugocracy” here, den dose dat elect da thugs be thug-lovin’ folks, too. In short, he sayin dat all votin’ citizens of san jose be lovin’ da thugs and lovin’ da violence. In other words, he be hatin’ da citizens demselves. He like a misanthropist hatin everyday folk dat do everyday things. Some good, some not good. To him, less we like those folks from Pleasantville or from mayberry, we ought to be run outta town cuz we trouble wit a capital T.
I think he only worries about san jose because his property in san jose, but hates the people who live in san jose and he wish his property would be in some place like boise. But he ain’t never been mayor in boise so he ain’t got no pull in Idaho, or Colorado springs, or even walnut creek. Instead, he be a landlord in san hoochie and he HATIN’ it and he hatin’ da people in it!!
you all gettin’ dis. TIME TO THINK PEOPLE!! Time to see what really goin’ on in da noggin of dis here former mayor turn fat cat.
dis mayor yak an yak about how san jose was and he be harkin’ to a time when san jose had it’s gilded age…..excuse me, but when was dis? I ain’t never read no history books or see some documentary on da public channel about san jose and its golden years. I ain’t seen no museum full of artifacts and anecdotes, and old people sittin on porches talking about the great restaurants and neighborhood of immigrants and old crooked mayors and old mob crooks runnin a block or two. No folklore and no oral history. Nothing. Just a workin’ town grown up by apricot pickin’, manufacturing, the roots of da computer age and all the assembly and blue collar jobs dat industry create all over da valley. But not a single bit of golden age lore. Why? Cuz dey never was, and ya’ll can’t return to what wasn’t der. No matter what time in history, always had da bar, da cantina, da bistro, da pub, da distillery by da tracks, da speakeasy, da undergrounds, da raves, and finally da clubs. People love altered states cuz it give us a chance to step outside da mundane. Booze be helping dis. Oldest profession is da hooker. Oldest drug be da booze. Simple as dat, and ain’t no small town mayor and a fanatical Taliban-like police chief gonna change dat. In da end, da people rule and if da people want a place to booze and relax, den dey gonna have it. Course, those club owners need to get it in gear and show who da boss to da DJs and whatnot so as not to incite crazy hormone-induced stupidity. Sure, all animals got rut season and humans have it year round, but don’t stoke dat fire less you want fightin in your club. Dance, drink, laugh, and go home fulfilled. Not acting like a raging former small town mayor ready to murder da next man who look at you askance. Ain’t civil to be dat way….
Back to my point, ain’t no local gonna brag about san jose’s gilded age cuz dey ain’t never been one!! first we was pickin apricots, den we was working in da factories, and now we be earnin da dollars doin assembly line stuff for dese money makin’ hitech honchos who be sending our jobs to the places we come from like india, china, Vietnam, mexico…dat, mr. literary mayor be called IRONY. Look it up.
So, we ain’t never had a gilded age!! No displays of extravagant wealth and luxury here in the past never!! If anything, our gilded age was a period of 4 years when da BOOM was putting bread in everyone’s mouth save the day laborers and da kitchen cooks. if dey really was a gilded age, we would be livin’ among ruins of a lost civilization with glimpses of world-class architecture and advances in design. What we look at from da past….da mcenery convention center??? Built around an old library???? Or a small park wit a big turd in it?? How about dat nice building near da police station where all da bureaucats be chillin in union-driven comfort??. That big brown block dat look like rusted hulk of a steamer floating sternside up in da bay?? Is we in a city wit da fine aged architecture of paris, or da broad boulevards of rome, or even da decaying medinas in sevilla?
we got two story flats all about made of brick and aged wood. we got old car garages and simple, provincial facades creakin with age and holding itself together by the will of gravity actin’ against itself at God graced angles.
dis mayor, he need to get outta town and live somewhere else. he speakin nonsense about a great downtown bein’ ruined. I don’t think he done lived anywhere else to really use as a frame of reference. And we all no dat no frame a reference means no comparison to be made. It’s like adam and eve ain’t known good until dey done evil. If ya ain’t done evil, how you gonna know you good? You can’t. If you ain’t live elsewhere, how you gonna know how you livin and how you want to live? Dat’s why he speak in fluffy, airfilled language. His rhetoric ain’t got no back. He pullin’ it from thin air!!
ain’t no city ever ruined. A city like a organism. it evolves and grows and changes. he be thinkin’ short term cuz he got about 20 years in life left and he be wantin’ to be sittin pretty with some nice ho’s enjoyin’ his view of his shiny block wit its wide streets and smokin a cuban stogie. he not thinkin long term san jose legacy. he thinkin’ he gonna die and he best get on wit makin money so he can hang wit hookers and get his name on some street instead of some backwater convention center that already be outdated and slated to be razed.
now, here’s a man who be more dogmatic than willin’ to speak truth. how you trust a man wit so much power who still talk like he a victim??? he don’t live nowhere near here. he be far away, but his future profit be here. so why he exagerate? why he say multiple stabbin? ain’t he bin no where else? i done hitchhiked from jamaica plains to dorchester, to philly to chi-town to KC to saint louis to saint monique and frisco, and now i be here. and dis city be da least dynamic inspiring city of all dose places.
no one like seeing a shankin’ but multiple times??? he be speakin’ rhetoric. he not a writer, he a dark preacher preaching fear. he like a mini bush. mr. mayor. yo new name be minibush.
so, minibush be rantin’ like he know world politics. he be talkin’ bout ba’athist. ain’t even been to da middle east, but he actin like he henry kissinger arguing fallin’ dominos and wat not.
mr. mayor, yo rhet is weak. you speak from fear. not a man who come from power. you like a cornered cat rantin’ about a crumblin world. da world always have violence. a dynamic city have goods and bads.
i tell you what da problem is: dis mayor is derivative!!!
he ain’t got no creative bone in his body. so he copy ideas from other places. “i like dis waterfront thingy, i put it der in san pedro”. news flash: ain’t no water near san pedro!! people go to waterfront for views and walk along wide sunny plazas. ain’t no wide sunny plazas in san pedro. only good guinness and a burger!!!
it’s a sign dis mayor cannot contribute to da positive evolution of a city cuz he ain’t been nowhere long enough to learn a thing. he got a mind of a small town provincial and cant’ open it up to da fun and love and excitement of cities like tokyo, sydney, hong kong, london, new york, paris, berlin, barcelona. i see him now: travelin’ da world wit big cash, but stickin’ to da tour busses and da fancy pants hotels. watchin’ CATS in new york and MAMA MIA in london. He ain’t a guy who will dance his rear off in spanish harlem to spanish beats and take in some columbian food in astoria. ain’t a guy who will mix it wit da gays in sydney and cut loose, or hit some flamenco spot in barcelona til da sun come arisin’.
he be a doubledecker tourist guy, in by 9 pm wit a wake up call to make da next doubledecker.
since he cant think about how to make a city good like dose other cities. he spend his nonmoney makin time crankin’ out foolish thinkin, and the people he be callin’ thugs—da voters and politicians—dey be eatin’ it up like he da king of da new world..
well, tank goodness, hamilton and franklin, and washington, and dat dude who made it wit a slave and had a baby, dey all made a democracy where we can aspire to be bold, and risque, and speak outright like dis fool and his position of fear, and we can build our cities…and like dis constitution, san jose be a work in progress and ain’t never gonna get worse, and always gonna get better. but it gonna take da bright creative minds who tink big and seen da world—not from a double decka bus, neither—but from a humble, street walkin, subway ridin’, get out and see da world perspective, cuz if we let his small town mind control dis business, we will still get there, but the long way there, and with a marooned ferry sittin’ out on market street, waitin for da waters to rise so it can dislodge itself and return to the real waterfront somewhere off the embarcadero 60 miles north.
Minibush, I can’t wait fo yo next pornographic pontification.
da mayor: lose the dialect and write english please. It’s much easier to read. And if you are “Da” anything you should be Da Mayah, to keep in character.
In a word, San Jose is pathetic. The only reason I’m here is because I work here and got tired of commuting. I figured if I bought a nice place downtown it would make up for a less appealing environment.
I moved from Felton, Boy, that was a mistake. While I did have a 45 minute commute. I enjoyed peace and quiet with neighbors who respected each other.
I see no respect in San Jose, saying hi to a neighbor or person on the street here is rarely met with a hello back.
To a lesser extent this is a California thing, but I have to say. San Jose is the worst large metro area I’ve lived in, as far as visiting it is above only places like Oakland, Richmond.
Currently I’m saving my money and will be moving out San Jose, either back to one of the nicer areas of the bay area or out of California altogether.
Honestly, it’s a just a real shame, we have such nice weather. I don’t understand why most of California is so poorly run.
People on here are complaining about the police force being to overzealous. I would disagree, I would say they are wholly mismanaged.
I used to live across the street from a crackhouse, the police FINALLY helped evict these squatters, boarded up the place and my immediate neighborhood changed overnight. No more car after car visiting in the middle of the night.
What I’m trying to say is, police need to actually patrol, hence their name, patrol officer.
They should introduce themselves to people in their beat. That’s it, we used to have honest to god beat cops. But cops don’t do real work anymore, Perhaps we should fire all police officers and expand the fire department, then deputize them. I think we’d be better off. They would be more motivated in cleaning up the streets not arresting everyone.
That was a bit of a tangent. I’d like to say in closing, I’m nearing my mid 30’s. I’ve worked in high tech my whole life, I command a GREAT salary, I own property, I have a GREAT girlfriend, everything is working out just fine. The only thing I do not like, is coming home to my house in San Jose.
Just imagine raising your kids here? the schools are a complete joke. That’s another major reason we can’t attract families.
Ever wonder why Los Gatos has such high land value? It’s not so much it’s location and downtown, it’s because parents are willing to spend everything they have to provide their children with a great experience.
Wake up!!!