The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) brings downtown San Jose another year of movies under the stars with its newly rebranded Starlight Cinemas. Join your neighbors each Wednesday evening this summer by grabbing a lawn chair and a cozy blanket to catch some free movies underneath the night skies of downtown San Jose. The list of movies for this year’s free movies include classics such as Caddyshack, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Casablanca. More recent flicks playing that will be Shaun of the Dead and the updated Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo & Juliet.
The SJDA’s production of free movies was formerly called Cinema San Pedro and Cinema St. James. The series of free films is now entitled Starlight Cinemas and the movies will be played at three rotating locations throughout downtown: San Pedro Square, Historic District, and the SoFA District. All movies begin at dusk.
Starlight Cinemas
Wednesday Evenings, June 10 - August 26, 2009
Locations and movie schedule below
Movies begin at dusk
BYOC - Bring your own chair or blanket
San Pedro Square
June 10: Blazing Saddles (1974/ Rated R/ 93 minutes) (Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder)
July 8: Caddy Shack (1980/ Rated R/ 107 minutes) (Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray)
August 12: Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975/ Rated PG/ 91 minutes)
Historic District
June 17: To Catch a Thief (1955/ NR/ 106 minutes) (Gary Grant, Grace Kelly, John Williams)
July 15: Casablanca (1942/ NR/ 102 minutes) (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman)
August 19: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951/ NR /122 minutes) (Vivien Leigh,Kim Hunter, Marlon Brando)
SoFA District
June 24: Mad Hot Ballroom (2005/ Rated PG/ 105 minutes)
July 22: Romeo & Juliet (1996/ Rated PG-13/ 120 minutes) (Leonardo DiCaprio; Claire Danes; John Leguizamo; Harrold Perrineu)
August 26: Shaun of The Dead (2004/ Rated R/ 99 minutes)(Simon Pegg; Kate Ashfield; Nick Frost; Lucy Davis; Dylan Moran)
Earth Day happens every Tuesday at City Hall Plaza with the City Hall Tuesday Market in Downtown San Jose. The Tuesday Market event is a sustainable marketplace that promotes a greener lifestyle including living, working and buying local, and eating organic foods. In addition, the green lifestyle promotes the use of renewable resources and support of green businesses. Tuesday Market features up to 25 local farmers from the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association as well as up to 20 local artisans and vendors in the “Crafts Market” section. In addition to the shopping options at Tuesday Market, you can also learn to live a more green lifestyle at the “Go Green Homeowner Corner” for sustainable home solutions or “Learn Green” which offers continuing education and other green programs from San Jose State University.
Tuesday Market is a “Zero Waste” event so please bring your own reusable shopping bags to carry home your fresh fruits and vegetables. Tuesday Market is “for a sustainable San Jose” and takes place every Tuesday on Fifth Street between San Fernando and City Hall Plaza from 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
City Hall Tuesday Market
Fifth Street between San Fernando Street and City Hall Plaza
Every Tuesday
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Twitter is all the rage and since we here at Silicon Valley Lofts & Condos pride ourselves on being as technologically savvy as possible, we are now tweeting on Twitter. Sign up and follow us at Twitter and you will get the most up to date info on downtown San Jose real estate and happenings. We will be tweeting with updates on new listings, price changes, bank owned properties (REOs), downtown real estate news, and other downtown living and lifestyle postings. Look out Ashton Kutcher and CNN, Silicon Valley Lofts & Condos is now on Twitter!
Amid a struggling real estate market and in an effort to continue pushing for a vibrant, urban downtown core, the San Jose City Council will take up a vote next week on whether to allow the developers of 360 Residences to forego the remaining $2 million owed to the Redevelopment Agency. The high rise tower located in the SoFA District of downtown San Jose has struggled to sell the luxury condo units as a result of the recession and downturn in the real estate market. The developer of 360 Residences, Mesa Development, originally agreed in 2005 to purchase the land on San Salvador and Market for $10 million to build the high rise condo tower. In 2007, the city agreed to allow Mesa to defer $2 million of the original sum until the first of the 213 condos was sold. Now, Mesa is seeking to again modify the original agreement and wipeout the $2 million still due.
360 Residences is a 213-unit luxury high rise development located at San Salvador and Market Street in the SoFA District. The high rise tower project is being developed by Chicago-based Mesa Development. 360 Residences has been marketed as the most upscale and luxurious of the recent high rise condo towers to sprout up in downtown San Jose (Axis, City Heights, The 88). One bedroom homes at 360 Residences start in the mid $500,000.
Foodies rejoice as the San Jose Downtown Association presents its first ever Restaurant Week event in downtown San Jose. Following the footsteps of many other locales, Restaurant Week in downtown San Jose highlights a number of restaurants through set 3-course, pre fixe menus with most starting at $20. Twenty-seven restaurants throughout downtown San Jose have signed up to participate in this inaugural event including restaurants such as Morton’s, E&O Trading Company, and Bella Mia. This is a fantastic way to check out new restaurants or take advantage of the special promotions and menus set up for this 11-day feeding frenzy. Restaurant Week kicks off on Wednesday, June 3, with the “City Bites” Kickoff Sampler, as a number of restaurants will be providing free or almost free (under $3) sampler plates. Discover downtown San Jose by dining in downtown San Jose!
Dine Downtown: Restaurant Week
June 3-13, 2009
Participating Restaurants
Downtown San Jose
“City Bites” Kickoff Sampler Event
June 3, 2009
Noon - 2:00 pm
For a list of participating “City Bites” restaurants, click here.
This year’s Music in the Park series is ready to kick off with a blast next Thursday evening. A blast from the past that is with a pair of 80’s rock tribute bands. Long Gon Bon (AC/DC tribute) and Evolution (Journey tribute) lead off another fantastic lineup of free concerts at Music in the Park. The weekly free concert series presented by the San Jose Downtown Association is filled a wide range of musical genres including alt rock favorites Third Eye Blind (wow!), popular reggae artists Eek-A-Mouse, to a Beatles tribute from White Album Ensemble. A couple of other big names are part of the music series this year including pop rock sensation Better Than Ezra, local favorite Pete Escovedo, and Colin Hay of Men at Work. Can you say “I come from a land down under”?
In addition, if you can carry a tune, Music in the Park wants to hear you. In the mode of “American Idol,” this year’s Music in the Park will also be presenting “San Jose’s Got Talent,” a musical competition to be held during July and August. So for all those in-the-shower or in-the-car crooners, sign up and let’s hear what you got!
The music starts at 5:30pm each Thursday evening starting June 4 through August 27 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Full schedule with artists scheduled to perform below.
Scion Music in the Park
Plaza de Cesar Chavez
5:30 pm to 9:15 pm
June 4: Evolution (Journey tribute) and Long Gon Bon (AC/DC tribute)
June 11: Sierra Leone’s Refugee Allstars (world/reggae)
June 18: Third Eye Blind (alternative rock); supported by Pilot Speed playing a full set
June 25: Pete Escovedo (Latin Jazz)
July 2: The Tubes (classic rock)
July 9: Eek-A-Mouse (reggae)
July 16 Pato Banton (reggae)
July 23: Matt Nathanson (pop/rock); supported by MiGGs
July 30: Colin Hay of Men at Work (pop)
August 6: Anthony David (R&B)
August 13: Better Than Ezra (pop/rock)
August 20: Sonny Landreth (blues/rock)
August 27: White Album Ensemble (Beatles tribute)
If you haven’t been to the San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar, this is your chance to discover a hidden gem here in downtown San Jose. The San Jose Downtown Residents Association (SJDRA) will be hosting its evening social at the San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar this Thursday evening, May 28, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar is a sophisticated urban restaurant with a truly international flavor. Mix in a wide selection of fine wines and you have a fantastic dining experience. Come out with the SJDRA and meet your neighbors, talk about events and issues affecting downtown, and discover a great new restaurant! All SJDRA attendees will receive a 20% discount off menu items on Thursday evening courtesy of San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar.
San Jose Downtown Residents Association (SJDRA) Evening Social
Thursday, May 28, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar
20 N. Almaden Ave.
Downtown San Jose
(408) 298-WINE (9463)
Keep your head up at the Downtown Farmer’s Market at San Pedro Square this Friday as a cherry pit-spitting contest will be in full effect. The pit-for-distance contest will start promptly at 12:30 pm on Friday with contestants spitting for a chance to win a gift certificate to Morocco’s Restaurant and other Downtown Farmer’s Market merchandise. There will be two categories to enter: those wearing business suits (tie or jacket) and those not-wearing business suits. If a good ol’ fashioned cherry pit spitting contest isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of shopping to be done at the weekly Downtown Farmer’s Market. It’s a long, three-day weekend so stop by the Downtown Farmer’s Market and stock up on fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, organic produce, and flowers. The Downtown Farmer’s Market takes place every Friday in San Pedro Square through December 18, 2009.
Downtown Farmer’s Market
San Pedro Square
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Every Friday through December 18, 2009
Music lovers from all genres and generations are set to descend upon downtown San Jose in the first ever Left Coast Live music festival. Left Coast Live is set to hit downtown San Jose May 11-15 and is being billed as “A Giant Live Music Event.” The week-long event will feature a speaker series, free preview concerts, an outdoor movie cinema, and culminate in a spectacular music festival including what is expected to bring over 100 local and world-renowned bands and musicians. A variety of music will be featured at Left Coast Live including alternative rock, classic rock, Jazz, indie/pop/ska, urban soul, and world music. Headlining the main stage will be Miggs, Grammy Award-winning Booker T. Jones, and best-selling artist Lyrics Born. The Friday night music festival will kick off with two main stages and then spill out to over 40 different venues throughout downtown San Jose including cafes, museums, bars, and restaurants.
The week-long live music event is the creation of a group of local musicians, venue owners, and arts supporters with a vision to grow live music in downtown San Jose and the Silicon Valley. The discussion series will include topics addressing the future of live music and the outdoor cinema will feature the film “Before the Music Dies” and also show shorts from Alice 97.3’s 3-minute Film Festival. This should be an amazing event, so be sure you don’t miss out on Left Coast Live.
Left Coast Live
May 11-15
Downtown San Jose
For schedule and description of events, click here.
For complete list of bands and musicians, click here.
To purchase tickets or for more info, go to LeftCoastLive.com. Use the code “svlofts” to get a discount when purchasing tickets.
*Silicon Valley Lofts & Condos is a sponsor of Left Coast Live.
The San Jose Downtown Residents Association (SJDRA) will be holding its Spring Quarterly meeting this Thursday night with the main issue on the agenda being emergency preparedness. Come find out how to be prepared in the event of an earthquake, fire, or other similar emergency. In addition, representatives from the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) will be on hand to discuss and answer questions regarding downtown policing issues.
Also on the agenda for this Thursday’s Spring Quarterly meeting will be the proposed changes to the SJDRA bylaws. The proposed changes can be found on the SJDRA website under the “Downloads” section. The SJDRA Spring Quarterly meeting will be held this Thursday, April 16, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at the San Jose Athletic Club.
Bonus: Everyone who attends the SJDRA meeting this Thursday evening will receive a complimentary 5-day pass to the San Jose Athletic Club. In addition, club owner Gene Campbell will be providing a tour of the facility starting at 6:30pm.
San Jose Downtown Residents Association (SJDRA) Spring Quarterly Meeting
Thursday, April 16, 2009
7:00pm - 8:30pm
San Jose Athletic Club
196 N. 3rd Street
Downtown San Jose
For additional information about the Spring Quarterly meeting or the SJDRA, visit the SJDRA website or email sjdra@yahoo.com.
The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) brings downtown San Jose another year of movies under the stars with its newly rebranded Starlight Cinemas. Join your neighbors each Wednesday evening this summer by grabbing a lawn chair and a cozy blanket to catch some free movies underneath the night skies of downtown San Jose. The list of movies for this year’s free movies include classics such as Caddyshack, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Casablanca. More recent flicks playing that will be Shaun of the Dead and the updated Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo & Juliet. 
Earth Day happens every Tuesday at City Hall Plaza with the City Hall Tuesday Market in Downtown San Jose. The 
Amid a struggling real estate market and in an effort to continue pushing for a vibrant, urban downtown core, the San Jose City Council will take up a vote next week on whether to allow the developers of 360 Residences to forego the remaining $2 million owed to the Redevelopment Agency. The high rise tower located in the SoFA District of downtown San Jose has struggled to sell the luxury condo units as a result of the recession and downturn in the real estate market. The developer of 
Foodies rejoice as the San Jose Downtown Association presents its first ever Restaurant Week event in downtown San Jose. Following the footsteps of many other locales, 
This year’s Music in the Park series is ready to kick off with a blast next Thursday evening. A blast from the past that is with a pair of 80’s rock tribute bands. Long Gon Bon (AC/DC tribute) and Evolution (Journey tribute) lead off another fantastic lineup of free concerts at