Chuck and Cami Want “Authentic Experience” in Silicon Valley
After a successful few days in San Francisco trumpeting organic farming and environmental stewardship, Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall and future HRH The Princess Consort, expressed the need to “let down our hair and slum a bit.”
And with that wish, Her Majesty’s servants added another day to the royal west coast swing, and hastily threw together a closely guarded itinerary that was created with the sole purpose of “exposing the royals to a typical day in Silicon Valley,” according to an official spokesbloke.
Starting with an early breakfast at Hummer of Silicon Valley, where they test drove three new concept cars, the royals spent the next few hours of the morning riding in a golf cart at Cordevalle Country Club “enjoying Santa Clara Valley and all its natural settings.” They then enjoyed tea at the Silicon Valley Capital Club, followed by an afternoon nap in the Fairmont penthouse, and spent the early evening shopping at Santana Row.
Camilla seemed impressed with San Jose’s “charm.” “Your downtown is so beautiful,” she said to a throng of reporters outside Urban Outfitters in Santana Row. “It feels so new and clean…almost like it was manufactured.”
But the day was not without controversy. As the royals finished their night of dancing at the Ambassador nightclub, several violent altercations broke out and The Prince of Wales and his wife were quickly whisked away by their security and driven to the airport for the trip home.
Showing surprising fortitude at the airport, The Prince of Wales paused before boarding his plane to express his delight for the “wonderful time the little people of San Jose have shown us,” and because of the hospitality and the free Hummer keychain, said he would work with the European Union to “secure the immediate deployment of French riot police to help with San Jose’s civil unrest.”
Why do we care about what two spoiled royals say or do?
The most insightful comment gleaned from their regal lips is the painfully igorant mistake of Santana Row for downtown. Of course, I can see why people would want them to think that Santana Row is our downtown- because in reality it is pathetic.
Why would we want the royals to see all of our empty downtown streets, where nothing happens except for the more than occasional pre-contextual traffic stop?
Maybe this will open our eyes as to what our downtown should eventually become…maybe, but I’m not going to count on it.
I, for one, am glad our downtown is not Santana Row or anything resembling it. It is a Hollywood town, a false facade, that would be content with having screen idols as its sole visitors.
Downtown is a wonderful place that offers a diversity of ideas, cultures, people and events. We don’t need anything manufactured in our authentic urban core.
God save the queen!
Prince Charles was driving around his mother’s estate when he accidentally ran over her favorite dog, a corgi, crushing it to a pulp. He got out of his Range Rover and sat down on the grass totally distraught.
The whole world was against him and now his mother would go ballistic.
Suddenly he noticed a lamp half-buried in the ground. He dug it up, polished it and immediately a genie appeared.
“You have freed me from thousands of years of imprisonment,” said the genie. “As a reward, I shall grant you one wish.”
“Well,” said the Prince, “I have all the material things I need, but let me show you this dog.”
They walk over to the splattered remains of the dog. “Do you think you could bring this dog back to life for me?” the Prince asked.
The genie carefully looked at the remains and shook his head. “This body is too far gone for even me to bring it back to life. Is there something else you would like?”
The Prince thought for a minute, reached into his pocket and pulled out two photos. “I was married to this beautiful woman called Diana,” said the Prince showing the genie the first photo. “But now I love this woman called Camilla,” and he showed the genie the second photo. ‘You see Camilla isn’t beautiful at all, so do you think you can make Camilla as beautiful as Diana?”
The genie studied the two photographs and after a few minutes said, “Let’s have a look at that dog again.”
Santana Row is real, downtown is wishful thinking.
Walnut Creek has a nice look. Just a thought.
Hey Joe, I think you’re going to get that manufactured look downtown whether you like it or not when the CIM project gets going.
Heading back to sunny Pasadena next week where they had enough sense to hang on to their old buildings downtown and now it’s back to being a thriving shopping/dining/business district. They even have the diagonal pedestrian crossings like Rodeo Drive now.
SJ can only dream of what might have been because the jokers at City Hall have ordered entire potential retail blocks to get blown up for something artificial in their place.
Don’t want downtown to be the least bit like Santana Row…it needs to have it’s own personality, and flair, and I want to count on that happening one day.
One thing Downtown fought for and protected from the evil empire of SR was the ice rink. They threw all the money they could at their own ice rink, trying to steal it from San Jose’s heart and soul, and failed!
Come to think of it they did the same thing with the outdoor movie festival…and failed.
Forget God save the Queen…don’t waste a prayer on that one – God save the downtown!
Hey Tonya-
You would fit right in with our family…
Take each one of the places the Royals toured, individually, and they seem ordinary – but lumping them together seems to bring out an uncomfortable excess, an elitist feel, a faux quality…
I am sticking with my “old schools:” Original Joe’s, Eulipia, Happy Hollow, Los Gatos River trail, Lincoln Ave. shopping, and CB Hannegan’s. Places with a bit of history and personality…
Support your homegrowns…
Carole-
How about Val’s, Manny’s Cellar, Lou’s Donuts, Woolworth’s, and the original D.B. Coopers. There was even a Victoria’s Secret in Downtown in the Pavilion Shops – let’s keep that kind of retail alive!
Do you think Santana Row might want to buy a slightly used statue of a Snake-God-Poop-Pile? Then SR really would be just like downtown!
Downtown SJ is real! It’s dynamic and chic. Downtown has everything a big city can have such as river park, arena, convention center, library, rep theater, city hall and cinema. The night club scene is decent. Come and take a look, meat heads!
Old School is fine, but what about New School… the Tech, Downtown Ice, O’Flaherty’s, Sonoma Chicken, Montgomery Hotel, Hedley Lounge.
You Old Schoolers have to get out a bit more.
If you don’t like nightclubs, pack it in at midnight. You will have had a great evening out and be in early enough to stay out of way of any violence.
No one needs to go to Santana Row to have a good time. There is plenty to do right in downtown.
Let the small city to the north keep the Royals – we have Rigo Chacon…
Jackarooski, fed up, et al,
Sorry guys but I don’t enjoy walking among boarded up store fronts. I need to go shopping and for plywood it is not.
irrelevent, boarded up storefronts are few and far between. just check out other cities, and they’re much worst. There are more good stuff than bad in this downtown.
So much negativity on these blogs about downtown- and the funny thing about the people posting it is that they seem to think they are experts of sorts, able to point the critical finger and give their “coulda shoulda wouldas” out like candy.
It’s not that simple, and frankly all you’re doing is making things harder for the groups that are actually working to make a difference in the area. You can wail about boarded up storefronts all you want, but unless you’re going to open up a series of retail stores, or if you’re involved in the planning aspect of it, please shut it. The making of a city is complicated, and complainers can play Monday morning quarterback all they want, and say what should have happened, but know that your negativity couldn’t be less helpful.
I for one will nurture the businesses that are here now, and welcome the ones that will undoubtedly come in the future. I encourage every other community minded individual to do the same.
Cheery-O! Did Camila and Charles wonder if Santana Row was actually a Hollywood movie set?
to #8 Leo, downtown has it’s own personallity and is a fun place to wonder around. Lots of nice restaurants but a lack of shopping. It’s clean has a great arena with numerous stars ans sports and an easy walk from anywhere downtown. You can park and eat then walk to the arena. Are great weather is a plus forl walking. Some great old buildings still remain and some beautiful new ones. There is finally gret places to live now also.
San Jose continues to be the punch line of many jokes mainly because the character & indenity of a city reflects it’s residents and San Jose has increasingly become populated by replanted, shallow, and insecure wannabes for the last 25 years. These people, added to the aging former orchard owners who spend what little time they have left on earth seeking free events to attend, eating samples at Costco, and avoiding any establishment that doesn’t offer a senior discount, makes for a very pathetic combination. First. the wanabe’s try to avoid admitting they even live in San Jose. Any of them living within 5 miles of Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Santa Clara are quick to proclaim that city as their home town. And since when did Almaden or Willow Glen become cities of their own. I believe addresses in those areas are still San Jose, CA. But in these areas you’ll find new purchasers of homes spending well over 1 million dollars for a home that originally was priced at $10,000 to $20,000. Sure, home prices have gone up everywhere, but 1 bathroom and a single car garage isn’t exactly living the good life. And to our aging, multi-Certificate of Deposit citizens who use the word “No” as a knee jerk reaction to baseball stadiums or anything that might increase taxes and bask in the warmth of Prop. 13 that has kept their property taxes in the 1970’s, the Royals could have said, “Let them eat cake”, but San Jose would have had a frantic rush on all the day old bakeries.