Downtown San Jose will be celebrating 22 years of the San Jose Jazz Festival over three days beginning this Friday. Music festivals are held all over the world and provide the unique experience of bringing musicians from across the globe to perform in one city.
The San Jose Jazz Festival is one of the best outdoor events showcasing the Downtown. People speak of the need to close streets and allow walking to be the mode of transit. Well, this festival does that by closing contested streets for the weekend and allowing people to wander from stage to stage and enjoy music.
With so much emphasis on the Internet it is a nice opportunity to actually interact with people while enjoying our public spaces. Our Downtown Guadalupe River park was the stage for a Renaissance Fair this past weekend and will be hosting the Italian Festa the last weekend of August.
There are some people that “pooh-pooh” our Downtown by detracting the area for what they feel it may be lacking, or comparing one aspect to another different and unique city. However, our Downtown “is what it is.” Downtown has progressed over 30 years with both public and private investment. I think we need to step back and enjoy what we have instead of waiting for something more or better which may never arise.
Discussions with some people about our Downtown remind me of a friend who is never quite happy. This person has the expectation of something more in life but “more” never seems to arrive, and next thing you know years have passed and this person is older and still unhappy. Having attended outdoor events in the USA and other countries I can attest that there are always a few people at these events who may not be ideal citizens. However, this does not stop the free will of the majority of people to enjoy outdoor events around the world. I walk our Downtown core at night and feel safe. Whichever city I have walked at night I am typically aware of my surroundings and act accordingly.
When you attend the Jazz Festival please patronize and enjoy one of the many Downtown restaurants. I will be at the Jazz Festival and hope you will say hello.
Follow this link to the 2011 San Jose Jazz Festival website for a lineup and schedule.
Great post Pierluigi! Will be downtown this weekend for my wife’s 20 year HS reunion (Yerba Buena HS).
In terms of downtown’s future greatness, the ballpark will be a huge shot in the arm in terms of tax revenue, ancillary development and foot traffic. Also, relocate/close our “Downtown Airport” post 2025 (after many who post here are pushing up daisy’s) and our city center will become what many yearn for it to be; just my opinion.
Wake up and listen to the economists and not the politicians. A ball park will not be an economic boom for SJ. In the meantime the push for a ballpark has the City paying millions of RDA debts despite the fiscal crisis because the City does not want the RDA to have to sell ball park land so it can pay its own debts.
See Caught Stealing: Debunking the Economic Case for DC Baseball—here’s a link and some quotes.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2479
“Our conclusion, and that of nearly all academic economists studying this issue, is that professional sports generally have little, if any, positive effect on a city’s economy. The net economic impact of professional sports in Washington, D.C., and the 36 other cities that hosted professional sports teams over nearly 30 years, was a reduction in real per capita income over the entire metropolitan area.”
“As it turns out, claims of large tangible economic benefits do not withstand scrutiny. Careful analysis of past economic experience in cities that built new stadiums and attracted new teams does not bear out those claims.”
“In stark contrast to the benefits claimed by most economic impact studies commissioned
by teams or stadium advocates, the academic
research overwhelmingly concludes that the
presence of professional sports teams has no
measurable positive impact on economic
growth as measured by the level of real income
in cities over a 35-year period. Our own
research suggests that professional sports may
actually be a drain on local economies rather
than an engine of economic growth.”
I think you’re spot on but trying to convince “The Rain Man” is futile!
Yeah, that is why the safeway and the other businesses around ATT Park are doing so well.
You got a lot of wedgies in high school, didn’t you, Poindexter?
http://fremonttribune.com/news/national/article_0a189c4f-9036-5277-8f34-bcfff3772538.html
These venues are always lauded for the revenue they generate- lies!
Another stadium study, another report that they don’t benefit the community to the level the supporters would like you to believe:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18654898
Downtown SJ has matured and it’s all fixed up. It got what most people want like a gocery store, movie theater, full service bakery and a drug store. Downtown seem to have it all. It’s lively and vibrant most of the time somewhere downtown. San Jose is lucky to have a real good downtown. I’ve been to many where it’s little shady. Make the best of it!
Downtown San Jose is a declining cesspool of dope dealers, hookers, obnoxious bars, and homelessness. Having worked downtown in the 80’s, watched it get cleaned up and start growing, and now working down there again I can tell you it is on the way down, not on the way up.
San Jose is lucky to have a nice, vibrant and clean downtown that works. What major U.S. downtown doesn’t have these problems. Haven’t you been to Downtown Portland, Seattle, SF and LA? They have it worst over there, and the same goes for Downtown San Diego. Please explain those cities’ downtown ills. If you read comments about their downtowns, it’s the same if not worst. Nice pipe, bro.
I guess you were one of those kids that cried “Yeah, but Suzie did it too” when you did something wrong and got caught right? Saying that SF and other cities downtowns are a dump makes it ok if San Jose is a dump as well? Stating that other cities have hookers, drug dealers, graffiti, public urination and intoxication, etc. means that San Jose is vibrant and clean” because we have just slightly fewer of the same? We are “mature” by comparison to Tijuana? Just because San Jose hasn’t sunk as far as it could doesn’t make it clean, vibrant, and all fixed up PLO.
“It’s lively and vibrant most of the time somewhere downtown.”
What DT are you talking about? Mon-Wed it’s dead everywhere after 6:00 p.m. It’s a ghost town Sat. & Sun. all day. The only time it’s “lively” is club hours—10:00 p.m.- 1:30 a.m. Th, Fri, Sat.
Downtown is lively on Saturday along Paseo Plaza and around Plaza De Chevas Park. From Wed-Sat it’s lively after 6 especially around Camera 12. I can go on. In other words, it’s a lively downtown, not dead.
You ain’t fooling anybody.
Go downtown……its totally modern and hip….awesome eaterys and nighlife….and its really safe and diverse….I love downtown san jose. Its hella better than santana row…..thanks P.O. you are the greatest
Our Downtown is appreciated more often by people outside of San Jose. Our friends visit from Colorado and Oregon and they only have positive things to say about Downtown.
Tony D. and Marta-
Yea the city is really pretty. It is also steadily becoming full of trash, tagging, bums, pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and blighted properties.
I would suggest taking a drive further east than city hall and further south than Cesar Chavez Park. A little further west than the discovery museum and further north than the Britannia Arms.
One cannot adequately say we have a wonderful and vibrant downtown, when you only survey 3 square city blocks.
You are so right…..towards the east is a hidden city jewel known as The Heritage Plaza at Alum Rock/King it is an awesome place to see cultural events and concerts. Also two clubs in the area Richards Lounge and Flamingos. There is also a family friendly park/skateboard park…..Plato Arroyo Park….one of the citys top 3 parks….Roosevelt park is closer to city hall and is just behind Cesar Chavez as one of the citys best…thanks PO
Someone just got stabbed to death at Roosevelt Park Saturday night… Pretty beautiful, huh?
Are you sure??? I was having lunch today at the Weinersnitzel across from there with my friend Frank…he told me it was a tragic lawndart accident….it must be an abberation???
next time why don’t your list all the norteno and sureno gangs that hang out in all the great city parks. That way we no which colors to wear in order to avoid being shot or stabbed.
I remember an ad for one of the new downtown apartment highrise saying… “enjoy a picnic with your family in nearby St James park”
can’t wait to go downtown and get mugged, charged an arm and a leg for parking, get hit up by drug dealers, smell rag weed burning ant the concert and what the heck maybe pick up a prostitute.
PO gotta love your downtown. Please stop wasting our time with your posts and get some real work done. I am sure you are wasting city time to make these posts.
Tell us more about the world through your 1950’s eyes…
You’re full of it! It’s being dishonest because almost no one gets mugged downtown.
A simple search of crime statistics will reveal that downtown usually has the highest crime statistics of anywhere in San Jose, including “muggings”.
@ Truth police- you have such a misguided view of crime in this city. I will say it flat out. You ARE a LIAR and have zero facts from any reputable source to back any of your claims. If you are going to post bold faced lies, you should really add “in my opinion” to it at the end because that is all it is. The opinion of one under educated person.
I reinterate. Downtown SJ has no more crime than other district. Usually downtown can go by 2 or 3 years without homicide and has almost zero mugging. It’s unheard of here.
You’re the real liar and a whiner.
Your absolutly right Pierlugi, downtown is absolutly the place to be! I just love the smell of the downtown air (feces and urine left by the bums),the upbeat sounds of downtown (the mentally ill screaming and yelling at the voices in their heads or the crime victim screaming for help), the lovely art displayed throughout(the graffiti tagged walls or the blood stained sidewalk left by a stabbing victim)and especially all the economic activity boosting the economy (the drug sales by the dealers or the pimps collecting from their prostitutes). I agree with REALLY, stop wasting our time with your posts!
Bugsy, are you in South Bronx?
Your description sounds like Paris, Berlin, San Francisco or New York City.
At least San Francisco has some level of culture, along with some decent restaurants. San Jose is a big city wannabee run by amateurs.
The first wave of downtown redevelopment was completed in 1990 which included the Fairmont, Museum of art, 5 million sq. of office space and 500 units of housing, renovation of DeAnza and St. Clair, Retail Pavilion, Transit Mall, McEnery Convetion Center and Children Museum. At this point, it still felt incomplete but over 75% according the 1992 plan. Frank Taylor said it was half done. They felt downtown needed one or two more office tower and the same for hotels. The arena completed this phase by 1993.
Second wave of redevelopment was completed by 1999 which included Adobe 2 office towers and 303 Almaden, 1,000 housing units(Paseo Plaza/villas and 101 San Fernando),Hilton hotel, Tech Museum, movie theater, Paseo De San Antonio Plaza Walk, The Rep. Theater and lightrail to Almaden Valley. At this point, Frank Taylor said he’s 75% done but the 1992 was 100% done. It is felt that they accomplished all the offices and almost all the hotels with the need for one more. Downtown felt on the line mission accomplished at this point.
Third Wave of Redevelopment was completed in 2006 which included the new city hall, library, 4,000 housing units, 3 office towers, a total of 8.2 million sq ft. of office space, Fairmont Annex, Marriot and the renovation of Montgomery Hotels, 3rd st. parking garage, California Theater, Improv Theater, and Guadalupe River Park. Frank Taylor felt downtown was 105% done. Downtown is more than in good shape at this point with completion of all the things city dreamed of in the last 25 years.
Fourth and the Last Wave of Redevelopment was completed in 2009 which included one office tower(River Park), 4 residential towers with one including Market by Safeway, renovation of most older buildings(there’s a Ross downtown now, San Pedro Market Pl(just completed), and the Streetscapes by the city for little wonders. Right now, downtown feels more than a complete package.
*Not everyone is going to be happy, but this downtown is better than most. It turned out well, luckilly and working just fine.
save your story, I have worked downtown since 1979 and have seen it all, seems to be going full circle under this administration
I used to love the fact P.O. would author an article and then follow up with either a quick response or banter back his points with a detractor.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the past several Monday articles from P.O. have been posted and when posts were made he has yet to follow up or respond??
P.O.- Has the blogging community broken your spirit? Have they called you enough names and rained on your ideas and livelihood so much that you have retreated to the sanctum of your thoughts and refused to engage your constituents??
At one time, I used to think, (no matter how off the wall your ideas were), that you had a huge brass set because you would respond. No matter what. What happened? Did you get a memo from Chief Figone limiting your free speech too? Or did you get neutered all together like the rest of the city workers.
P.O.- we may not always see eye to eye, but in these times, feel good propaganda and half cocked salutes to this city is not going to cut it.
What the citizenry is clamoring for is a leader. We have none in our boss. We have a weak mayor. We have a dictator who looks and acts more like napoleon every day, and we have an absent and ineffective council. Citizens are just figuring out what “less with less” means and they are pissed off. Heck, even our dispatchers were recently ordered by Chief Figone not to tell the citizenry to call city hall when they wondered what took so long.
At some point someone has to stand up and send her packing. Ask yourself. What has she done to improve the city? No, not “hypothetical” budget forecasts either. What has she done to actually make this city better? Answer. Not a damn thing.
We as a city have reached a breaking point. We can not sustain her manner of administration. I wonder, how easy would it be to deal with any union if Figone and Gurza were not in the equation? They are 2 people. You just axed a few hundred. What is two more?
P.O.- show me some chuztpah or in plain english…Grow a pair man!
Where’s the news about the shooting, which occurred downtown on Sat night?? Kid was shot a few times. Incidents like that keep me away from downtown. Where’s the news in the merc about it. No where to be found.
How about the shooting on the east side only a few hours after the above incident. Multiple victims. No news on that. What a joke! How about the 50-100+ people who called 911 on Sat and did not get a police response due to limited resources. Wheres the news on that?? No where to be found! I’ll stay out of downtown and take my $ to LG or Campbell.
Amen too that!
How about backing up your questions with some data? It will help make your point a lot better than just a pointless rant with no substance.
You are correct that I was ranting. I do not feel compelled to provide data, as I normally will not engage in “posting debates”, as they almost always are futile conversations.
But…since you asked, I’ll point you in the right direction. Public information on a public website (crimereports)will lead you to the answer. I found the following on crimereports:
Goodyear/Locust 8-7-11@1230am :Assault with a deadly weapon gang (Per public website)
Havana/Lanai 8-7-11@230am : Assault with a deadly weapon gang (Per public website)
This is a portion of my data, as I definitely did not pull it out of thin air- Cheers
I can attest to the accuracy of the post by ‘Wheres the news?’. At one point Saturday night, upwards of 50 calls were pending and the city was working two shootings and a homicide simultaneously. As I understand it, a Lieutenant was pulling officers from calls for service to which they had already arrived so that they could be sent to calls with a higher priority. I further understand that a report of a robber had to pend for several hours due to the fact that every available officer was assigned to one of the shootings or the homicide. This information is – or ought to be – available with the watch commanders logs.
Let me start by honoring Henry A. Schiro a San Jose Guy! he rescued the San Jose Jazz Society from insolvency.
My favoite story, is when the then Mayor Ronald Gonzales wanted to build a parking lot under Ceasar Chaves Park. I asked Henry where he was going to hold the next year Jazz event.
He hit the roof! He exclaimed “Right Here of course!”
Just then, I saw the mayor walking our way with his antorage.
I asked Henry , “There’s the Mayor, Henry, You really should have a conversation with him.
Henry, looked determined. And with a look of a warrior, said, “I’ve had a few beers, I think I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!” Henry may have saved Ceasar Chaves Park from the clutches of a hair brained idea,but it may have cost him any association with the Jazz Festival.
For many years , I produced the Medici Medalion for the Masked Ball. This wonderful event goes unheralded with in this community. Henry was very involved.
Henry, will out live us all, with his spirit to bring music to our fair Village.
Pete Mc Hugh Supervisor of Distric 3 Honored Henry
Schiro on Sept, 9th 2008, in his memory!
Henry, you saved our Jazz festival, and saved our Ceasar Chaves park from being distroyed.
This Jazz’s for you, Henry!!!!!!
The Village Blacksmith
Music in the Park has become very ghetto the last couple of years. Not so the Jazz Festival. Could it be that the admission fee for Jazz keeps out the riff raff, while the freebie in the park draws the riff raff in for miles around? That’s an event that needs to end this year.
I work DTSJ and spend a lot of time there. It is clearly better than it was when I first came here in 1973. But it is still missing the one thing that could make it work—lots of residents. Folks from Willow Glen or Almaden rarely come DT at night, and never on weekends. Campbell, LG, Palo Alto, and even Mt. View are far more attractive venues.
However, Axis & The 88 have still not reduced their prices to reflect market reality, which is why they are about one-third sold. They say it’s higher, but when I drive to work in the a.m. before dawn, you just have to count the lights on to see how few have been sold. 360 just gave up and went rental.
The homeless population sleeping and urinating in DT storefronts continues to grow. The drug dealers move around, in the few blocks around 1st & Santa Clara. St. James Park permanent population grows daily.
DT is slipping into darkness again. As soon as the hookers start moving north past San Salvador, it’ll be like it was in the late 70’s, but with more buildings.
Give us a break and stop being negative. Back in 1970’s again? No way since downtown at that time didn’t have the arena, city hall, California theater, Martin lurther King library, Tech museum, The Fairmont, 4 highrise housing, bunch of office towers and hotels, riverpark and on and on. Yep, the hookers and drug dealers are back, but it’s part of a vibrant and lively downtown with all the usual urban ills, abeit less than other major downtowns like LA, SF, Portland, Seattle and so on. Back in the 70’s downtown was pitch dead and filled with parking lots and abandoned lots. A parking lot was an eyesore where the Fairmont is now located. Now, you can be proud of a nearly fully developed and matured downtown that no longer requires major subsidies.
Here is a homework assignment for you. Submit a public records act request to find out where all the parking fees go from the various pay to park lots all across the downtown. The vendor who contracts with the city to run the lot gets a percentage. Guess where all the rest of the money goes? To subsidize failing businesses around those lots. That is just one example and I can’t believe you can write that with a straight face. The city routinely dumps millions of dollars into every fancy project that comes along downtown and will continue to do so believing that a “vibrant” downtown makes San Jose a real city (not).
And to say that hookers and drug dealers are part of a vibrant and lively downtown is an absolute joke. I’m guessing you must avail yourself of their services and don’t want to see them go. This is the only way I can see what you wrote as having any sense at all if it was conceived in a haze of smoke and the smell of cheap perfume and cheap sex. Most regular citizens will trade a boring downtown with a lack of whores and dope dealers for your version of “lively”.
No major susidy for projects downtown anymore. Downtown stands on its own. If you want a boring downtown, go to Stockton or Fresno or even Phoenix.
But now I know you are simply being a troll. Anybody who knows anything about Stockton knows that there are dozens of whores and crack dealers that actually ply their trade blocks from the Stockton PD. Phoenix is plagued with crime much worse than San Jose and Fresno is the arm pit of Central California. Every post you’ve made has simply been tongue in cheek designed to foment strong responses for your entertainment. Enough…
Im throwing the BS flag on this article. Pierre what are you smoking man? SJ downtown is a worthless pit in which you guys keep tossing our money…. Im tired of all these pretend comments regarding how great downtown is. Are you serious PO? There is zero entertainment value. What happened to The House of Blues? Wasnt that going to be a huge boost? Why did they pull out of this great thriving downtown? Im sure they could have made bank here PO. Can you answer? Downtown has been one failure after another. Each mayor since McEnery has been leaving their mark trying to “bring People” downtown. Theres nothing here. The Pavilion was a flow. How much of our tax dollars was wasted there? The only ones that benefit are the friends who get the shoulder tap for the contracts and our shady politicians. There needs to be a serious investigation of this city and all its back door shady deals. This mayor is in such denial along with all his puppets, such as PLO! We are not fooled PLO you are a fake! A fake just like all the fake posts above that Im sure you have authored… Get out please and let someone else pick up the pieces and attempt to salvage what is left …. You and this city administration are a giant failure. You should be ashamed of yourself.
No, it’s very successful like an arena and library and on and on. Very successful downtown.
I have to keep from vomiting when I walk down the street. The smell and visuals of urine, feces, vomit, snot and spit just makes me ill. If I did not have to work downtown, I would never see it. It is truly disgusting.
Downtown smells like flower because of Groundwerk crews doing an excellent job cleaning up downtown. To say it’s smelly is being dishonest, and you haven’t been there for a long time.
You must be smellin’ weed flower. And you have no idea how long I’ve been there. Dismissed.
You’re full of it and exaggerating since downtown has Groundwerk crews to clean up and scrub downtown thoroughly. I think you smell your own pipe. It’s the cleanest big city downtown in the country.
ROFLMAO
PLO: Downtown is still “a work in progress”, far from perfect like, uh,uh,—oh well no large city is perfect is it? We look forward to continued progress and to a city that we all (most?) will proud of.
Oh, and thanks for your quick responses to my district related e mails.
Accept downtown for what it is. It’s so much nicer than it used to be. San Jose has a very good downtown that it’s all fixed up. Otherwise, you’ll never be happy.
Downtown is a far cry from where it was in the 70’s and 80’s. However, it is rapidly heading back towards that status given the complete lack of support for good policing downtown by Reed and Figone. The citizens can only do so much by themselves. The city, public safety, and the citizens have to work together. Sadly, the same police units that used to work hard to keep drug dealing, prostitution, and other quality of life problems at bay are gone. Now the citizens are on their own to combat blight.
The Symphony’s 5 concert series, Target Summer Pops just ended and those concerts were safe, fabulous and downtown. Lots of options still out there for a good safe time in San Jose.
While the buildings and palm trees are nice, downtown afterdark is a troubling place. While I would take my family down during the day, I would never be caught there after the sun goes down. I think Mr. Oliverio should open his eyes and maybe take his mom down for a stroll on S. 2nd Street or maybe visit McDonalds after a music in the park.
Have you ever been to the theater in SF after dark? Great culture, vibrant community, but I wouldn’t want to walk with my family through the Tenderloin. SJ’s problem is that it has not caught up culturally with other major cities. It may never do so because we have so many places around us that offer the things SJ doesn’t. In fact, one could argue that there is no reason to compete with SF.
But what is clear is that downtown SF’s problems with crime, “riff-raff,” grafitti, etc. are not even close to what is experienced in most big American cities. To claim otherwise is just dishonest.
San Jose has Good Day and Bad Night Downtown
1) Good Downtown – most daytime, family, museums, daytime concerts and early evening events – are great but you need to leave downtown by 8 pm or earlier if alcohol is served, music or events attracts Oakland, Hayward, East Palo Alto, Salinas non San Jose people, drunks, gangs, angry losers or armed criminals
2) Bad downtown – after 8 pm, late night, clubs, all alcohol events, any music – hip hop etc or events that attract drunks, gangs, angry losers or armed criminals – are problems waiting to happen
Why would I subject my family and friends to downtown’s night time problems ?
We for many years went downtown at night for dinner, dancing, events and drinks but now go downtown only during day or early evening after many bad downtown nightime experiences with drunks, drugs, gangs and violence
Now anywhere but downtown at night, go to Lincoln Ave, Campbell, Palo Alto or Los Gatos for dinner, drinks etc Don’t like Santana’s Row fake downtown and attitudes
Willow Glen’s Dancing on Avenue has turned into Drunk on Avenue because WG Business Association wants to make money and many many residents don’t go anymore because of drunks, urination and problems
If he’s not doing what he needs to do to keep his district in check, how does anyone think he’d be able to run a whole city, as mayor??? People outwardly smoke weed in the park, everyday. They pass drugs and money right on the lightrail platforms. Prostitutes parading, dirty downtown, crappy properties. Shame, shame.
First off dude, it isn’t “weed,” in the we insist that you call it “MEDICINE.”
Second the more “medicated” you are, (note I did not say stoned or baked…) the more attractive a candidate for mayor Sam becomes.
Third, I think that if everyone took some medicine Sam could be elected to any office he runs for.
Don’t worry, Sam’s on a bike ride with Carl.
I do not agree with all of the naysayers who seem to take such delight in recounting downtown horror stories, but I spend very little time (and even less $$) in downtown SJ.
Why?
There are any number of alternate destinations for restaurants, movies, shows and places to hang out that will not charge me to park my freakin’ car!
Interesting points of view.
I live right at 2nd and San Fernando (and work downtown) and there is no useful retail to speak of, except for Safeway. The only significant foot traffic tends to be creeps and vagrants milling around the VTA stops and a whole lot of disgusting drunks from Thursday through Saturday nights at the Loft, Tres Gringos and San Jose Bar & Grill. I doubt that the losers who frequent those places even live downtown, but they sure are comfortable guzzling beer in the parking lots, pissing on the side of my home, barfing, getting in fights.
I am an east coast transplant going on two years. I have always lived in a large urban environment, but I find downtown San Jose to be quite shocking. Pathetic really, considering it is surrounded by wealth and innovation.
Our city leadership appears to have little or no interest in making real change – or if they do, I don’t have time to wait it out. I’ve officially given up on downtown. It’s way too dysfunctional. My plan is to move, commute in for work and get the hell out. Darn.
Some years back after a particularly nasty incident downtown where the police were criticized the PD actually responded with the arrest statistics for the event. What a shock, the vast majority of people who were arrested for being drunk, fighting, vandalism, assaults, and other crimes were not residents of San Jose. I would submit that the PD should release those statistics weekly. I would bet that many of our problem children are drawn into downtown San Jose by the lure of the clubs, readily available drugs and hookers, and the declining level of policing.
There is a large contingent of homeless who also trash up the place but they used to be kept in check by the SJPD Metro unit. Now that the Violent Crime Enforcement Team that handled the gangs was disbanded, the Metro unit has had to drop their focus on drug dealing, hookers and the homeless to deal with gangs. Downtown will continue to decline and there is nothing that will be done about it.
You’re a naysayer and wrong. Downtown is stable and doing just fine. Downtown is very resilient due to good density.
From the “Truth Police” once again. I think most people in the know can describe the down side of our downtown just fine without you feeling the need to throw soft balls…
Hey John A:
Wasn’t there a shooting just around the block from you (3rd and San Fernando) where the victim stumbled into Fahrenheit Bar and Lounge? Now there is urban living, Oakland style.
So you can confirm that there is that smell of urine and vomit? Yuk. How about the crack dealers? You didn’t mention anything about them. Good to hear from someone that lives down there. Maybe if our city leaders lived down there they would clean it up.
Since you’re from the east coast, you’re urban center is 100 times worst than Dt. San Jose. Downtown is so nice and complete with everything you need like Ross, Target, movie theater, plays, comedy, bakeries, museums/galleries and so on and so on. Be honest and stop being melodramatic. Haven’t you been to Philly’s Center City, Baltimore’s Innerharbor and Dt. Boston. Alot of those blogger like complain how dangerous and messy it is over there. San Jose luckily has a fully built and mature downtown with the right density and vibrancy.
I’ve lived and walked downtown the last three years. The Jazz festival is the premier event of the year, imo. Looking forward to a great weekend of cool music with good food and people watching.
Agreed that Music in the Park is, in fact, turning ghetto. The vibe at those shows is getting kind of angry and sullen.
The Target Pops shows at SJSU were outstanding and well run. Hope this tradition continues. The Broadway show series at the CPA are great as are the ballets.
SoFA first fridays are fun/interesting. Blues festival at St James was a success.
Have fun at the Blank Club a few times a year although a House of Blues is sorely needed.
Hedley bar is a nice chill bar with swinging jazz.
fwiw—I’ve always felt safe walking anytime—day or night—downtown. never had a problem.
Hey PLO, It’s Tuesday Night, Club Sabor will be Jumpin’! Come on down between Midnight and 3am Everyone will be very drunk! There will be lots of smoking hot and very drunk ladies looking to hook up but are actually too stuck-up.
Then there are the “dudes” mostly young, really, really really drunk and lookin for a lady, any lady! Big ones, little ones and …. even ones that are alos dudes.
The problem is they are all really drunk one thing leads to another, and ….. there will probably be lots of fights.
How do I know this, It happens like clockwork every tuesday night/wednesday morning in and around Sabor.
Come on down and see for yourself – the great DTSJ.
Any Life!
Get a Life Peahorn
I’m also curious if the mayor even lives downtown. Would it be such a crazy idea for him to buy a condo at The 88 and promote the city he governs? It’s all a big transparent lie.
” Now, you can be proud of a nearly fully developed and matured downtown that no longer requires major subsidies.”
Are you serious or just really really dumb – downtown could not exist without millions each year is direct and indirect subsidies – a quick list many more
– downtown association – whose Exce Director was a Redevelopment employee for years but city/rda did not tell public or some on Council,
– milliosn in event grants and free rents and city services and public safety costs
– San Pedro’s yearly millions
Convention Center and dozens city owned building at
$0, $1 or undermarket rents
– HP Arena
– Sports Authority
– Visitors and Convention Bureau
– Team San Jose yearly millions and bailouts
– downtown nighttime policing – $900,000 year last time disclosed
Maybe some others can add to list of $$ millions city / rda downtime subsidies
Like I said, no major subsidy required for downtown to thrive like it had to pre-1999. No more major projects being built with subsidy except for convention center. Look at Philly’s, they pony up hundred of millions on theirs.
I’m so satisfied that the city completed the redevelopment of Downtown San Jose and turned it into a respectful urban center where there’s always something going on. The city successfully completed its vision of a vibrant downtown and then some. Don’t let these naysayers and disgruntly bloggers tell you otherwise. Downtown is here to stay with a pleasant urban environment. Downtown is alot of fun with tons of things to do. It’s like paradise!
Try walking outside the 4 square city blocks that most people refer to as the “clean down town”. The true “Downtown” encompasses from Race Street on the West, to 101 on the East, to Empire on the North and Keyes on The South. When you factor in the sprawling nature of the real Downtown and core portion of the city from where is has grown out from, you can see that really, only 4 square city blocks are, cleaned by Groundwerks on a rotating basis, or for that matter any place in SJ that you would want to be caught after dark.
The point is, this city is turning into an Urban Dump and no amount of claims that the Downtown in pretty is going to change that until the city leadership stands up.
LOL!
LOL,…this guy is sooo high where do you start? Either high, a bold faced liar, or diluted beyond measure. All are comical at this point.
I thought we could have a normal, realistic conversation, but the last few comments are either incoherent, disturbing or both.
Unless somebody buys PLO, or whoever it is, a thesaurus so they can find a synonym for “vibrant”.