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!

Follow SVLC on Twitter by signing up at http://twitter.com/svlofts.

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.

Restaurant Week Participants:

19Market (Prix Fixe Menu)
71 St. Peter (Prix Fixe Menu)
Agenda Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
A.P. Stumps (Prix Fixe Menu)
Arcadia Modern American Steakhouse (Prix Fixe Menu)
Bella Mia Restaurant and Bar (Prix Fixe Menu)
Billy Berk’s (Prix Fixe Menu)
The Brit (Prix Fixe Menu)
E&O Trading Company (Prix Fixe Menu)
Emile’s Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
Eulipia Restaurant & Bar (Prix Fixe Menu)
Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge & Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
The Grill on the Alley (Prix Fixe Menu)
Gumbo Jumbo Cajun Fusion (Prix Fixe Menu)
Habana Cuba Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
Hawgs Seafood Bar (Prix Fixe Menu)
Il Fornaio (Prix Fixe Menu)
La Pastaia Ristorante & Enoteca (Prix Fixe Menu)
Loft Bar & Bistro (Prix Fixe Menu)
Mezcal Bistro & Bar (Prix Fixe Menu)
Morocco’s Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
Morton’s The Steakhouse (Prix Fixe Menu)
Mosaic Restaurant & Lounge (Prix Fixe Menu)
Paolo’s Restaurant (Prix Fixe Menu)
P.F. Changs China Bistro (Prix Fixe Menu)
San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine Bar (Prix Fixe Menu)
Silicon Valley Capital Club (Prix Fixe Menu)