SAN JOSE’S INNOVATIVE & CREATIVE CULTURE
CONTENT Issue 4.2 VACATION Summer 2012
“Penguin Popsicle”
by Mike Borja
V A C AT I O N This Issue:
featuring: Sal Pizarro/Lara Price/Summer Picks
MIchael Borja San Jose Artist FEATURE
SAL PIZarro FEATURE
DISTRICTS 6 Districts 7 & 8 DESIGN 10 Project:San Jose 12 Guadalupe Gondolas 15 SJ Hotels PROFILE 16 Mike Borja 20 Donna Orme
LIz Price FEATURE
ELEMENTS 24 Summer Musts 26 Summer Picks 30 Parking Spotted 32 The Studio
FEATURE 34 Good Joe 36 Lara Price 40 Sal Pizarro 46 H. M. Naglee FASHION 50 BOLO 56 Day Tripping 62 Contributors 63 Cultivator’s Notes
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CONTENT
Issue 4.2 “Vacation“ Summer 2012 The Makers:
Sarah Garcia Marketeer
Gillian Claus Contributing Writer
Sarah Hale Sustainer
Mark Haney Contributing Writer
Stacy Ernst Shaper/Blogger
Ed Matlack Media Advisor
Mary Matlack Editorial Manager & Writer
Jeff Gardner Designer
Steveyann Jensen Contributing Writer
Daniel Millan Designer
Shannon Amidon Contributing Writer
Britt Clyde Proof Reader
Victoria Felicity Contributing Photographer
Aleksandra Bulatskaya Contributing Writer
Daniel Garcia Cultivator
To participate in Content Magazine: editor@content-magazine.com Subscription & Advertising information available at sarahg@content-magazine.com
IN THIS ISSUE
Sal Pizarro/Liz Price/Mike Burjo
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SAN JOSE
BY THE NUMBERS ALVISO
237
MILPITAS 680 237
880
101
SUNNYVALE
ALUM ROCK
SANTA CLARA SAN JOSE CUPERTINO
EVERGREEN
280
85
WILLOW GLEN 87
CAMPBELL
SEVEN TREES
SILVER CREEK
CAMBRIAN PARK
SARATOGA 17
LOS GATOS
ALMADEN
SANTA TERESA
In 1990, San Jose became a city without a single ethnic majority. The Hispanic population in San Jose claimed the majority, hovering above 50% for many years. You could call San Jose a melting pot - certainly we have lots of examples of melding traditions, multiethnic citizens and blended families - but it would be misleading to suggest that all of the various, rich ethnicities in San Jose have melted into one. Our suburban sprawl and sheer size has allowed the space for cultural groups to congregate for social and religious purposes or build neighborhoods specific to a cultural community or ethnic identity.
From Little Saigon and its many pho and banh mi shops to the awe-inspiring Sikh house of worship set on a 40-acre hillside, ethnicities have not melted in San Jose. And while we may not have Michelin starred restaurants on every corner, we do have plenty of strip mall mom-and-pop shops dishing out traditional foods to our neighbors. Whether it’s festivals, food, religion, dress, art or education, many cultures are well represented in San Jose and getting out to see it, experiencing San Jose culture is essential to understanding our city. Come along with us while we explore more of San Jose, by the numbers. Written by Mary Matlack
district aka Little Saigon Business District, Eastside District 7 is smack dab in the center of San Jose. It is the only district to be completely surrounded by San Jose on all sides. Retail strip malls and dense residential neighborhoods dominate the landscape, but Kelley Park, Oak Hill Memorial Park, The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and Communications Hill break up the flat lands of East San Jose.
Councilmember Madison Nguyen Serving since 2005 Prior to Politics Nguyen served as the President of the Franklin-McKinley Board of Education. Claim to Fame Nguyen was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. As Vice Mayor, Nguyen may be one of the highest ranking Vietnamese-American politicians in the United States. www.sanjoseca.gov/district7/
The Big Fuss in District 7 Councilmember Nguyen is no stranger to controversy. Her opposition to the naming of a business district in her district caused outrage in the Vietnamese community, a hunger strike and a recall vote. Little Saigon vs. Saigon Business District might seem like a nuance to outsiders, but, to some in the Vietnamese Community, Nguyen’s choice of Saigon Business District was tantamount to treason. She weathered the storm. Nguyen not only survived the recall, she was elected for a second term in 2010 and recently had her first child. Meanwhile, the city refused to name the business district. Private businesses have ultimately taken matters into their own hands, naming the area Little Saigon.
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MORGAN HILL
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150 Acres of Fun for All Ages Over 150 acres along the banks of Coyote Creek once belonged to Mrs. Louise Kelley, daughter of Judge Lawrence Archer, the former mayor of San Jose (1856 and 1878). One of San Jose’s most diverse parks, a visit to Kelley Park could include kiddie rides and jaguars at the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo followed by quiet contemplation at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Round out the day with the interactive Museum of the Boat People and Republic of Vietnam or the Stevens Ranch Fruit Barn at History San José. Events abound in the summertime with a summer BBQ and Music series (July 8-August 12), a Teddy Bear Picnic (July 14) and a Bridge Party (June 21) on the 600 foot bridge that connects the parking lot on Story Road to the tree-shrouded Happy Hollow Park and Zoo and the park beyond. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of one of Happy Hollow’s oldest attractions and newest electric vehicles, Danny the Dragon. Happy Hollow Park and Zoo www.hhpz.org
district Explore Exotic Culture without Jetlag County Fair. This summer (August 2-5) The
Fair will return with a theme “Dive into As the controversy over the naming of the Fun!” and promises an experience like no largely Vietnamese section of Story Road in other, complete with a new mascot, skydiving East San Jose raged in 2007 and 2008, Grand cows. Here’s to hoping the spirit of innovaCentury Mall was already humming along. tion that we know so well in San Jose is alive A palace of polished floors and shiny jewelry and well at the fair. stores, a stroll through Grand Century will The Fair: Santa Clara County transport you to Southeast Asia - with all of August 2-5, 2012 its sights, smells and culinary delights. The food court alone is a reason to visit. You www.thefair.org could eat for a week here and never eat the same thing. From steaming bowls of pho It’s Like a Pizza, but it’s not a Pizza to plates of fresh spring rolls, this is a food Taquerias belly up to bahn mi shops with mall like no other. But, if you like to cook, Italian delicatessens sprinkled in for luck. On the real draw is M.V. Trading Company, a housewares and restaurant supply store. The an unlikely stretch of Monterey Highway, you’ll find a great mash-up of specialty place is massive and the selection, dizzyeateries and entertainment: Fiesta San Jose, ing. Whether you are looking for matching Japanese soup bowls, a cute thermos for your El Rancho Steakhouse and Tony Di Magkid’s lunchbox or a 50 cup rice cooker, M.V. gio’s. Sure you can dance all night with several thousand amigos at Fiesta and you Trading will not disappoint. can devour your share of charbroiled beef at Grand Century Mall El Rancho, but DiMaggio’s is the home of 1001 Story Road San Jose Stromboli. For 35 years, Tony Di M.V. Trading Maggio’s has been dishing up stromboli in www.mvtradingonline.com the same Seven Trees location. The walls are lined with the photos and ephemera that tell the story of a lifetime of Stromboli baking Vietnam Town and plenty of happy customers. The modern Although the doors opened in June of 2011, dining area allows for the elbow room needed Vietnam Town on Story Road is empty. to devour your personal Stromboli - like a Sandwiched between Grand Century Mall pizza sandwich with the sauce on top. Make and Walmart, the sparkling facility is inviting sure to go hungry! and manicured, but devoid of life. VietTony Di Maggio’s Pizza namese real estate tycoon Lap Tang came 3852 Monterey Road to America with his wife, daughter and the clothes on their backs. He started as a school San Jose 95111 janitor and went on to build Grand Century www.tonystromboli.com Mall and Vietnam Town (despite repeated financial debacles) and he is now moving Shopping Mall Carnival on to a new project in Milpitas. Although In the 1950s, General Electric Company Vietnam Town is empty now, San Jose boasts moved some 200 employees and their famithe largest Vietnamese population of any city lies from “the plant” in Schenectady, New in the United States. Chances are thereYork to a new plant in San Jose. For many fore quite slim that this dragon will sleep years, GE Nuclear’s headquarters were lofor much longer. cated on a 55 acre site on the corner of MonVietnam Town terey Highway and Curtner Avenue. Today, www.vietnamtownonline.com that original plant is now an amusement park of retail delights: from Target and Home Depot to Jamba Juice and Subway. For the large Fair Only Comes Around Once a Year GE Nuclear community still living in the For the best in Off Track Betting (OTB), RV area, the suburban maxi-mall known as The Shows and indoor motorcycle racing, the Plant doesn’t look familiar at all. Indeed, the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds is the place only defining feature is its distinctive name. to be in San Jose. With 20 acres of lawn and Go for fish tacos at Rubios; crustaceans of pavement, 40 acres of parking and 167,000 all varieties at The Boiling Crab; hot, fresh square feet under one roof, the Fairgrounds doughnuts at Krispy Kreme and endless fries is the 4,000 pound gorilla next door. In from Five Guys Burger and Fries. addition to special events, every Wednesday from 3-9 p.m. the Fairground’s Lot A opens The Plant up for an outdoor farmers market. But if you 2189 Monterey Highway San Jose, CA 95125 are looking for the County Fair, you know, www.theplantsanjose.com the one you’ve been going to since you were a kid, you’ll do a double take. In 2011, The Fair, its actual name, reinvented itself as a The Bricks that Built the Bay Area children’s fair and made an attempt to adopt A Kentucky native who settled in San Jose a theme that would “preserve our agricultural by way of the California gold mines, James strength and rural values.” More animals, Ashworth bought 250 acres of land on more involvement from 4H, kiddie rides, the eastside of San Jose along the banks horse shows and good old-fashioned family of Coyote Creek. For 27 years, Ashworth fun replaced the traditional Santa Clara
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farmed the land, alongside other prominent families of the era - Tully, Kelley and Archer. In 1891, three French-Canadian brothers, Peter, Edward and Hilaire Remillard, bought the old Ashworth farm house and the accompanying 160 acres. The Remillard brothers were already well known brick makers in the east bay and they bought the farmstead with an eye on the clay deposits that were well known, having been mined along Coyote Creek since the early 19th century by Mexican and Spanish settlers. Remillard Brick Company had customers in the south bay and bricks were heavy and expensive to transport. The Coyote Creek deposit provided enough clay to press bricks until the San Jose brickyard closed its doors in 1968. After her father Peter died, Lillian Remillard and her mother ran the brickyards. Lillian married an Italian count and became Countess Dandini and while the brick yard fortune allowed her buy the 65,000 square foot Carolands Chateau in Hillsborough in 1950, the old farm house remained as a summer cottage and thankfully it is still standing today, adjacent to Walmart. Restoration is underway and donations are gratefully accepted while a dedicated group of volunteers work on the preservation of this true San Jose original. Ashworth-Remillard Historical House 1700 Alum Rock Avenue 755 Story Road San Jose 95122
www.ashworth-remillard.moonfruit.com
The House that Atari and Pong Built Chuck E. Cheese turns 35 this year and with 400 locations nationwide, you might wonder what the significance is for San Jose? Although it was not in District 7, the first Chuck E Cheese Pizza Time Theatre opened in 1977, in San Jose. Founder Nolan Bushnell, of Atari and Pong fame, created the mouse-flavored pizza chain and, with this pet project, created a place where families could get together to play more... video games. It was an institution then and it hasn’t lost much steam in 35 years. The Tully and King location is something of a landmark, visible from Highways 101 and 280. Today the place is as popular as ever and the San Jose location retains some original charm. Generations have grown up here and, the fun never stops. So, go for the kids. After all, according to Chuck E, it’s the place where “A kid can be a kid.” Chuck E. Cheese’s 2445 Fontaine Road San Jose, CA 95121 www.chuckecheese.com
district aka Evergreen, Silver Creek, The Villages From the heart of San Jose’s dense East Side to the furthest edges of the Diablo range, District 8 is long and skinny and filled with over 97,000 inhabitants. The Evergreen and Silver Creek neighborhoods define the area and the Sikh community is strong in District 8. While the northwest corner of the district is densly populated, the surrounding area is hillsides, cattle and mega-mansions lined up for a perfect view as the sun goes down and the lights come up on San Jose.
Councilmember Rose Herrera serving since 2008 Prior to Politics Herrera served in the United States Air Force. Claim to Fame A graduate of Overfelt High School, Herrera received her bachelors and masters degrees from Santa Clara University. In 2011, Herrera was awarded Veteran of the Year for 2011 by the Veteran’s Center of San Jose. www.sanjoseca.gov/district8/
Challenges The third largest district in San Jose, District 8’s biggest challenge is a lack of local jobs. Most of the population is concentrated along Highway 101, close to jobs in other districts. Most of the land is foothills and grasslands stretching into the northern edge of Morgan Hill. There’s ranchland out there, but not much of a ranching economy.
A Park for all Ages and All Species Lake Cunningham Regional Park was definitely dog-unfriendly for many years. Finally after complaints by park users caught the ear of dog-friendly city councilmember Herrera, Lake Cunningham is now open to dogs on leashes, accompanied by their owners. So put away your dog’s cat costume and enjoy all the park has to offer. The list is impressive: 68,000 foot skate park (largest in California), par course, boating (public boat ramp and rentals), fishing (amply stocked with fish), picnic areas (of course) and a favorite summer tradition for many, Raging Waters. ALake Cunningham Regional Park East Capitol Expressway and Tully www.sjparks.org
Calling all Mall-Rats Circa 1971 If time travel is your thing, hop in your DeLorean, engage the flux-capacitor and beeline it to Eastridge Mall. Built in 1971, Eastridge was the largest indoor mall in the west and boasted long-lost anchor stores Liberty House, Emporium-Capwell, and Joseph Magnin. Today the mall has been through a renovation. It is more modern, but the ‘70s aesthethic is alive and well. Macy’s, Sears and JC Penney have all survived and AMC Theaters became a mall rat in 2005. Wide promenades, large stores (251,000 sf for Sears alone) and ample seating make Eastridge the prefect place to while away the day in air-conditioned, retail nirvana. Eastridge 2200 Eastridge Loop, Suite 2062 San Jose, California 95122 238-3600 www.eastridgecenter.com
A Fresh Take on a World Market Is it a sign of the times when an old Circuit City building becomes a grocery store? Technology alone can’t feed us and Fresco World Market is a testament to our hunger and diversity. The market is Circuit-City sized and modern looking with a tortilleria, on-site bakery and the most impressive fish and seafood selection in the bay area. Stocked with multiple live tanks holding more fish than an aquarium, one can choose from live oysters, massive trays of fresh squid, octopus and any other delicacy from the bottom of the sea to satisfy the most discerning pesceterian. If seafood isn’t your dish, there are Mexican and Asian specialties available as well as an impressive food court. Yelp’ers are crazy for it and folks who moved away from the east side are reconsidering their choice. Fresco World Market 2217 Quimby Road San Jose 95122 www.frescoworld.com
To Prune or not to Prune When Louis Pellier sent his little brother Pierre home to France in 1856 to gather seeds and clippings for plants and fruits that would grow in the Santa Clara Valley, little did he know that Pierre’s treasure would become the French prune that gave San Jose the honor of being the “Prune Capital of the World.” By 1929 there were roughly 52,000 acres of prunes in Santa Clara Valley. Louis continued planting and eventually bought 148 acres near Quimby road in Evergreen. When Pierre’s daughter Henrietta married
Pierre Mirassou, an experienced French viticulturist, a legendary winemaking family began and descendants carry on the business today. In 2003, Gallo, the family-owned winery that operates globally with no less than 24 premium brands under their belt, bought the Mirassou name and in 2004, Mirassou Winery celebrated 150 years as a California Winery. The old Mirassou winery on Aborn Road has had a makeover and is about to emerge as Evergreen Place, by Summerhill Homes. Mirassou Winery www.mirassou.com
Silver Creek’s New Leaf Gourmet grocery stores don’t abound in San Jose. In fact, other than Whole Foods and the Italian family markets like Zanotto’s and Lunardi’s, there’s nothing but big chain or small convenience stores in town. But recently, way out in Silver Creek --just a stone’s throw from the Silver Creek Country Club -- San Jose has turned over a New Leaf, literally. In January 2012, Santa Cruz based New Leaf Community Markets opened its first south bay outpost in District 8’s swanky Silver Creek neighborhood. New Leaf specializes in natural foods with organic and local thrown in for good measure. Their cheese section is reason enough for a shopping excursion. New Leaf Community Market 5667 Silver Creek Valley Road www.newleaf.com
A Gurdwara for North America While the space close to the freeways is densely populated, the Evergreen foothills along San Jose’s eastern edge are bucolic and spacious. They are also home to the largest Sikh place of worship in North America. The Sikh religion began in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century and ranks as the fifth largest religion in the world with over 30 million followers. Sikh Gurdwara SahibSan Jose sits on a 40 acre hillside. The site and building boast 32 million dollars worth of splendor, with gilded domes, arched doorways and lush landscaping. The Gurdwara attracted nearly 20,000 people on its opening day and in the Sikh tradition, the Gurdwara has a free community kitchen called a langar where they serve eco-friendly vegetarian food to any Gurdwara visitors. Sikh Gurdwara Sahib - San Jose 3636 Murillo Ave San Jose , CA 95148 www.sikhgurudwarasj.org
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PROJECT SAN JOSE
Concept & Drawing by Adam Mayberry
Researching boutique hotels for this issue made us realize that while we’ve got historic, swanky hotels in San Jose – where’s the hipster hotel? Oh, we’ve got the big names like Marriot, Fairmont, Hyatt but where is the San Jose ACE Hotel? Everyone knows The Standard in LA or The Mercer in Manhattan, but where does the creative class lay their head once they’ve found their way to San Jose? I know the question is: Why would the creative class come to San Jose? But the truth is, the groundswell of artists, makers and creators in San Jose is gathering speed, and this city needs accommodations for events like subZERO, ZERO1 and South First Fridays. Plenty of Mid-Century mod motel renovations have been photographed showing the new cool in vacationing, but renovations alone wouldn’t make a statement. A perfect location for our PROJECT:SAN JOSE would be the City Center Motel on East Reed and South Second. The motel has one of the best neon marquees in San Jose, with the wonderful lady diving into the figurative pool. No pool exists at the motel, but once PROJECT:SANJOSE is fully implemented, the lack-of-a-pool problem would be solved. The City Center Motel makeover will include replacing the antiquated balcony railings with something more modern and opening the suites up to the sky. More window area would help the somewhat dreary, small existing windows and with some shine, and a completed renovation of the interior units, this small motel could be the older cousin
to another new corner development I propose for the Enterprise lot on East Reed and South First. The Enterprise lot is the perfect place for a new mid-rise boutique hotel, a hostel of cool in San Jose. The site is situated ideally on South First, social ground zero for San Jose’s creative class and much of the night life already in downtown San Jose. The small point tower proposed would the perfect modern bookend to the pointed top of the historic Bank of Italy building on South First and Santa Clara Street. The small footprint of the tower would help with views across the downtown landscape, but not add bulk and block sunlight to adjacent properties and the newly sparked foot traffic on South First Street. Open floor plan suites with townhouse-type rentals at street level could be offered for those needing extended stays (PWC, Adobe, and creative agencies in the area.) Small retail spaces could front South First, a prime spot for the newest culinary experience in San Jose. The showcase of the Enterprise lot makeover would be the pool deck, where the magic happens. This could be connected directly to the low rise renovation of the City Center Motel, and be the epitome of cool in San Jose. Suites sitting atop the deck could open right out onto the pool, and give a lazy resort feel to the hotel experience. Modern pool decks are a huge draw in cities these days, and with our amazing weather, the paparazzi would finally have a place to call home in San Jose. .
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Guadalupe Gondolas Written by Mark Haney Illustration by Larry Luna
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Since the birth of civilization, humans have founded communities and cities around a direct source of water.
Be it a river, a lake, or theocean, water has been an essential part of the human existence. New York sits on the New York Harbor on the Hudson River. Chicago has grown along the shores of Lake Michigan. The Thames runs through the heart of London, as does the Seine in Paris, and Venice sits amidst its famous canals. Yet technology and engineering have allowed cities to develop away from these large sources of water and the need for close proximity to water has dwindled. Even today, humans still desire to live near water, satisfying more aesthetic elements of life like recreation, relaxation and a sense of sanctuary. San Jose’s founding has had a similar history. Starting in the late 1700s, Spanish settlers created a farming community, El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, near the banks of the Guadalupe River. It was because of this water that the fruits of the valley were possible, building a foundation for today’s modern city. But just as the city has evolved, so must the river that twists through its center.
perfect area for gondolas is a 0.3 mile section of the river between Santa Clara and Julian Streets. Here, the river is wider, which would allow ample space for boarding stations and room for the gondolas to turn around and pass each other. Because the gondola is a flat-bottomed boat, it is perfect for the Guadalupe River, which is usually full during the raining winter months. The river is very shallow during the dry summer months, and boats with standard hulls would be unsuitable. Adding Italian cafes, restaurants, decks and shops along the river would naturally enhance the experience and since the city park surrounds this section of river, two ideas come to mind:
• Little Italy could work with the city to put in a river walk in the designated park area.
interesting Sharks facts, or poems from a local artists, or facts about the computer and technology industry. Not only would the gondolas be fun to ride, but they would also be promoting San Jose in an entertaining new way. The Guadalupe River will never hold the status of the Venetian canals, but it could be a springboard for a unique experience within the core of San Jose. The opportunity is available to add a culturally enriching experience while still paying homage to the Italian heritage of the area. Being able to ride inside a Shark-themed gondola before a home game, or learning historic facts about the agricultural history of the valley while lazily floating down the river will give people another reason to come, visit, and enjoy the city that has become so dear to us.
• Private investors could buy the land on the
corner of St. John and North Autumn Streets. This land currently holds warehouses and a parking lot. If it was purchased, it could easily be demolished and converted into a riverfront walk with shops and cafes unifying the gondolas with the Little Italy area. But what would make this a true San Jose experience would be a creative twist on the traditional gondola, which could come in two ways:
The Guadalupe River has become the centerpiece of city planning, calling for walking trails, parks and gardens. One opportunity that has materialized over the years includes trying to add Little Italy into the river park. Little Italy is an emerging district nestled on the west side of 87, between the freeway and the Guadalupe River. Though it only recently became a district, the area served as a neighborhood to many Italian immigrants starting in the 1870s. Some great projects are in the works for this area, though curiously, one idea that hasn’t been mentioned, is to make the Guadalupe River an interactive experience by offering gondola rides, as they do in Venice. If Little Italy could pull this off, it would give people a fantastic opportunity to participate in something truly unique to San Jose.
• Each gondola could be painted to represent a
Gondolas in San Jose could become a reality. A
about each individually themed boat. Maybe
different aspect of San Jose, from historic moments to attractions. One could be painted in teal, black, and white representing the beloved Sharks whose home would be within view as passengers ride down the river. Another could portray the Winchester Mystery House or be a collage of pieces from local artists showing off the thriving local art scene. Other gondolas could be painted to look like a circuit board, a reminder that San Jose is the capitol of the Silicon Valley, or fruit trees representing the Valley of the Heart’s Delight, or with the animals and rides found at Happy Hollow. Still others could be a representation of the ethnic diversity found in San Jose.
• Add an informative audio element giving facts
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Old World Revival Leads to New World Luxury in
San Jose’s Boutique Hotels Written by Aleksandra Bulatskaya Photography by Victoria Felicity Four Points by Sheraton 211 S. First Street San Jose, CA 95113 408-282-8800 Rooms from $99/night www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints
Hotel Valencia 355 Santana Row San Jose, CA 95128 408-551-0010 Rooms from $200/night www.hotelvalencia-santanarow.com
The Sainte Claire 302 S. Market Street San Jose, CA 95113 408-295-2000 Rooms from $220/night www.thesaintclaire.com
Hotel De Anza 33 W. Santa Clara Street San Jose, California 95113 408-286-1000 Rooms from $129/night www.hoteldeanza.com
Boutique hotels are hard to define. Their sizes and particular amenities vary worldwide, but the basic concept is comparable to a clothing boutique versus a large department store. Boutique hotels are usually more intimate in scale and feature stylized decor. Impeccable service and first class amenities are also hallmarks of anything with a boutique label – “may I offer you a cocktail while you shop?” Fortunately for San Jose, these special hotels have thrived, with many applying their colorful histories to add an element of charm. From the storied glitz of the roaring ‘20s to Mediterranean chic, San Jose’s boutique hotels: The Saint Claire, Hotel De Anza, Four Points by Sheraton and Hotel Valencia each offer a different perspective on the city’s evolution from fertile orchards to highpowered tech capital. First stop is the Four Points by Sheraton. Though hardly a boutique chain, this downtown San Jose hotel is an exception. It is the city’s oldest boutique hotel. Still known as “The Montgomery” by most locals, it was built in 1911 by T.S. Montgomery, local railroad and real estate tycoon, who envisioned The Montgomery as the finest luxury hotel in San Jose. During its long history, the building fell into disrepair along with the rest of downtown San Jose and was saved by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency when the building was literally picked up and moved 187 feet to make way for an expansion of the Fairmont Hotel. Today, the Four Points is a charming blend of Art Deco and Victorian-inspired design. The lobby features plush, candy-red furniture, flat screen TVs and iPod docks which contrast with the Victorian crown moldings. Muted peach walls and comfortable beds with padded espresso headboards greet guests in the rooms. Visitors can mingle
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with local young professionals in Mosaic, the hotel’s Asian fusion restaurant. It could be argued that T.S. Montgomery accomplished his original goal of building the grandest hotel in downtown San Jose in 1926 when he built our second destination, the Saint Claire Hotel, on San Carlos Street. The grand lobby conveys restored Spanish Renaissance revival with an ornate ceiling that may look like woodwork but is actually leather. The Sainte Claire has hosted the likes of JFK and Eleanor Roosevelt and, according to some, the Sainte Claire is home to the ghost of a young woman who was jilted at the altar in 1930. Staff and guests report hearing footsteps sounding like someone walking across a wooden floor – except that The Sainte Claire is completely carpeted. In the rooms, hand-painted frescoes decorate bathroom ceilings, with a different scene in each room. The walls of the sitting room boast intricately-carved woodwork and an original fireplace. The Saint Claire hosts the decidedly non-boutique Il Fornaio restaurant, part of a chain. The hotel’s proximity to the San Jose Convention Center and its luxurious accommodations make it one of the most elegant and convenient stays in town. The Prohibition era was in full swing when Montgomery’s bitter rival, Alexander Hart, built our third selection, the Hotel De Anza in 1931. Hart saw the De Anza as the key to developing the northern part of the city. In a tragic twist of fate, Hart’s son Brooke was kidnapped and murdered on the night of the hotel’s naming ceremony. (The accused men were hanged in the last recorded lynching in Northern California history.) The De Anza remains a landmark in downtown San Jose, thanks in part to the 25-foot “diving lady” painted on the side of the building. The muralist used swimming
legend Esther Williams as inspiration. At one point, the painting was complemented by a neon statue of a similar female diver that was mounted at the top of the hotel. The statue has since moved down the street to welcome customers at a neighboring bar, aptly named The Dive Bar. As a nod to its Jazz Age roots, the De Anza hosts weekly live Jazz performances at The Hedley Club. Beyond the moodily-lit club is a sunny Mediterranean-style courtyard and on some evenings, when the music goes late, the De Anza opens a complimentary midnight pantry with sandwiches and other late night snacks. Our final stop is perfect for travelers who enjoy the finer things in life combined with an active social scene. The Hotel Valencia, built in 2002 as part of San Jose’s euro-style Santana Row development, offers all-suite accommodations, as well as two bars, two restaurants, a spa and a neighborhood that is constantly buzzing with activity. Rumor has it that Britney Spears stayed at the Valencia on her Circus tour stop and a well-known rapper played a friendly game of midnight tag with his entourage in the lobby. The prime Santana Row location affords guests infinite shopping possibilities from the latest Furla purse to clothing by local fashion designer Angelina Haole of San Francisco Shirt Company. Dawdling over a world-class meal inside Citrus, the hotel’s sophisticated restaurant, is as habitforming as a visit to any of the other trendy restaurants on “The Row.” The Valencia’s roomy luxury suites overlook a hacienda-style courtyard and offer panoramic views of Silicon Valley and the surrounding mountains. Plush couches and hidden nooks in the common areas make it an ideal stay for work and play, and the crisp Mediterranean architecture connects the hotel with the city›s historical roots.
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“The Prohibition era was in full swing when Montgomery’s bitter rival, Alexander Hart, built our third selection, the Hotel De Anza in 1931.” Whether storied or modern, elegant or artsy, San Jose’s choice of boutique hotels offer something special for any traveler or seasoned local. Combined, these hotels tell a history of a city that has grown rapidly into a global business destination and is now blossoming again as a destination with a bright future.
Mike BORJA
san jose artist
Written by Shannon Amidon
What do you do? Right now, this very moment, I am watching a lot of Dexter and Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. The T.V. shows are connecting for some odd reason because there’s a girl named Kathryn, on The Next Great Artist who creates art that looks like blood-splattered organs laying on top of white sheets of plastic. Dexter is a serial killer who kills serial killers and has a creative process doing it. Work of Art is interesting to watch because each artist has a very different art background and style, for example: graffiti, video, pop, installation, performance, and serial killers. Just kidding. I actually get this nostalgic feeling watching the Work of Art, because it reminds me of school and being creative and experimental in a classroom with a bunch of crazy brilliant artists. I just love being creative no matter what and where the situation is. But my goal right now is to try and push my creativity into new levels. Where can we find your work? You can find my work at the Kaleid Gallery. I’m also currently painting on an electric box on 7th & Santa Clara by City Restaurant. Look out for a Dog House & Aquarium if you’re around the area. What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough? What inspires me the most is other artists. I love seeing other people’s creativity whether it be art, music, performance, and poetry; and it inspires me to be creative. The best reference for creativity is in life and nature.
“ I wait for an AHA! EUREKA! moment from deep in the collective subconscious.”
What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/ process? I think they all go hand in hand, but I do enjoy technique and process. Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you? Right now I’m extremely inspired by Little Dragon, Case In Theory(SJ), BadBadNotGood, my girlfriend Cha, David Icke, Michael Tsarion, Klaus Dona, J-Squared(SJ), Mars-1, cleanwhiteshirt.com, music, the flea market, mom, dad, astronomicalkid, and those are some of the things off the top of my noggin. Oh, also Jiddu Krishnamurti who is a super far-out thinker. I believe the character, Yoda from Star Wars is somewhat based on Krishnamurti. If you listen to his audio lectures they sound very alike. Also, I found out recently that George Lucas created a little documentary on Krishnamurti and put his actual character in the Young Indiana Jones series.
If you could be any fictional character who would you be? Spiderman. When do you get your best ideas? I wait for an “aha, eureka” moment from deep in the collective subconscious. What materials/tools do you use most to create your work? Right now I’ve been collecting a bunch of tools, but I’ve been spending more time on the computer! Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work? I was self-taught as a kid. I used to go to libraries and grab all the how-to-draw books and have drawing sessions with my cousins. Mario Paint was the best! And then I went to school at AAU San Francisco and did New Media for a couple years and then decided to get into Fine Arts. What would your creative work taste like? More like what it would smell like…Mr.
sketch markers, sharpies, scratch and sniff stickers. When you are not creating what do you like to do? Eat! There is eating in creating haha. How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience? I always loved visually expressing myself be it through the body, on paper, through music, and video. My mom always loved my stuff, which gave me confidence to put it out there. What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? If you have a creative thought or an idea, start creating it right away or else that excitement will make you feel like you already did it and you’ll end up not doing it. If you have had thoughts (like I once did) that say, it’s too hard, you can’t do it, I’m not good enough, there are others way better than me… don’t listen to them and just watch them pass on by. Those are creative inhibitor thoughts that
like to keep you busy and distracted in your mind. Just start creating something with any tools in front of you and keep doing what you’re doing! You can use your imagination to be creative in the craziest ways. Also, do you research on other artist to inspire you. Create and represent your vision! Forget thinking about what you’re going and have to be in the future. I mean there’s nothing wrong with having a little thought of the future, but now is the time of all possibilities which creates your past and your future at the same time. facebook.com/theartsocket Michaelborja.com sanjosecreatives.blogspot.com
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Written by Shannon Amidon sanjosecreatives.blogspot.com
What do you do? Printmaking, Mixed Media Artist Where can we find your work? Los Gatos Museums Gallery, 24 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030 Gallery Hours: Tue-Fri, 10am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm. Additional shows posted on my website. What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough? I consider myself an experimental artist and enjoy trying new techniques. I am inspired by my surroundings and am motivated by the task at hand and my involvement with the environment. I am always motivated. What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process? Technique/process. Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you? Joe Price—my teacher at the College of San Mateo; Alan May, my teacher at the Pacific Art League; the great masters—Paul Klee, Wassily Kandisky, Joan Miró and current artists at galleries who produce abstract works. If you could be any fictional character who would you be? I would be Mildred Pierce, the character played by Kate Winslet in the HBO production of the Mildred Pierce movie. I identify with a mother figure having raised one daughter and two sons. When do you get your best ideas? My surroundings are an inspiration to creativity whether it be something in the studio, an idea sparked from a meeting of my fellow artists or the solitude of a walk in the neighborhood. What materials/tools do you use most to create your work? I use acrylic paint, printmaking oil-based inks, BFK Rives paper, Asian papers for collage and a variety of scraping tools. Morphous 2
Whirl
How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience? My first experience with showing my talent to the public was producing and selling Better Homes and Gardens craft kits to customers via a home party-plan venue. I learned to talk in front of a large group and how to promote and sell a product.
Are you self-taught or formally educated, how do you think that has influenced or affected your work? Although I attended the local community college and local art venues, I continue to learn by experimentation and personal desire to try new things. What would your creative work taste like? Cherrios—I do a lot of work that has the shape of a circle.
What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? Social networking is important. Try joining a local organization and get involved.
When you are not creating what do you like to do? I crochet afghans and garments. I like to swim, take walks and enjoy the company of my husband.
www.donnaorme.com
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Layers Texture
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Written by Mary Matlack Photography by Daniel Garcia
Ahhh, the humble hamburger. Nothing says America quite like the simple burger. Popularized in the late 1800s in the port of New York, the hamburger steak was a minced meat concoction that suited the German sailors and immigrants who frequented the port as employees and patrons of the Hamburg America Line (today HAPAG-Lloyd AG). The shipping line shuttled goods and immigrants from Hamburg, Germany to New York for nearly a century. Although there is general disagreement on when the hamburger, as we know it, first appeared on a restaurant menu, there is no doubt that the German specialty prevailed. Today hamburgers are as popular as ever with world-class chefs like Thomas Keller getting in on the act and In-N-Out Burger’s secret menu achieving near cult status. Summertime in California is ideal for grilling and hamburgers almost always make a showing. Sometimes though, burgers come with baggage. For some, the baggage is light and manageable, for others, the beef baggage is overweight. We worry about the nutritional value of our burger. We worry about the environmental impact of eating meat and we worry about the safety or origin of the ground beef we buy at the grocery store. It’s enough to give you indigestion even before the briquettes start to smoke. Here in San Jose, we are fortunate in so many ways. Our weather is enviable, our farms are bountiful, the beaches are clean and the mountains accessible. And thanks to Joe Morris, a cattle rancher in San Juan Bautista, we also have access to 100% grassfed beef. That’s right – no feedlot, no unnecessary antibiotics or hormones, just grass and water: the things that cows are built to eat. It does seem simple, giving cows what they like to eat, but raising grassfed beef and selling it to people who don’t live on the ranch is not simple and it’s not common. It’s also not just a fad. When Joe consults with ranchers who are curious about his holistic range management practices, he tells them, “We’re not going back. No one has ever done what we are doing. We’ve combined the best of our historical practices with new knowledge from people like Alan Savory, Andre Voisin and the nutritional things we’ve learned about. We’ve tried to look at the whole spectrum of the ranching experience over history... We’re not going back at all. You guys have never done what I’d like to see you do.” And what is it exactly that Joe is doing? “We thought...if we keep the animals on the land, the animals can do really good stuff. Our cattle fill their ecological niche every day. They fertilize and turn the soil, encouraging the growth of
deep-rooted native, perennial grasses that store sunlight, capture water, and slow the runoff that causes soil erosion. They graze on open pastures, with plenty of access to clean water and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. By building up the soil, we are creating a carbon sink that sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil.” Boom! Environmental degradation carry-on left on the curb! 20 years ago, along with his wife Julie and their two kids, Joe began a journey to produce only grassfed beef, with a focus on proper rangeland management. “We discovered over time that there was research being done on the nutritional aspects of grassfed beef and how it actually differed from grainfed beef. We had no idea. So not only did you have ecological problems when you moved the animals off the land, you had nutritional problems from changing the diet of the cattle.” According to studies by the University of California and Chico State, there is mounting evidence that grassfed beef is better for humans than grainfed beef. (www.csuchico.edu/grassfedbeef/) Nutritional baggage: kicked out the cargo door. If you’re still lugging around the “Where did my beef come from?” rolly bag, here’s more good news. Joe works directly with the processors for his beef. He has personal working relationships with the FDA approved facilities and when you buy beef from Morris grass-fed, you buy it directly from Joe. He greets you with a smile and a cowboy handshake. His partner, Everett Sparling, works the truck and Joe’s kids help you carry the boxes to your car. There’s no middleman, no additives, no funny business. You are buying directly from the rancher; your own Vaquero driving a rented freezer truck and unloading thousands of pounds of grassfed beef in a Willow Glen neighborhood each summer. Drop that “Where did it come from?” baggage right there. Grass-fed beef is starting to pop-up in grocery stores and restaurants across the nation and even here in San Jose, but the supply is limited and the price can be staggering. Joe’s meat is all the same price - from your modest burger to your ritzy filet mignon. So, get yourself a chest-freezer and order up your own supply, directly from Joe. Not only does the beef tastes great, but the feel-good factor is high when you buy your beef from a guy who says, without hesitation, “My interest is in connecting people to the land and connecting the understanding of grassfed beef to these massive issues: clean water, clean air, abundant water and fertile soil, biodiversity. That’s why I sell grass-fed beef.” www.morrisgrassfed.com
In the early afternoon of a sweltering summer day, the sound of the ice cream truck is music to everyone’s ears – kids and adults alike. Scrounging for cash, dashing out the door, wondering if you’ll catch the truck and the delicious treat that follows are a right of passage for kids in America today. For many parents, the charm of the tradition prevails over the fact that dinner is always just moments away. For some, the sounds of the trucks and the omnipresent ice cream carts at the park evoke anxiety and dread. Saying no to a child is never easy, but the lure of the ice cream cart with its brightly colored display , themed to please with shockingly colored pops depicting SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Spiderman and Powerpuff Girls, invokes a particularly sharp pain in some parents. On the one hand, having ice cream at the park is a summertime tradition, but the ingredients in those pops are enough to make you run screaming in the direction of the nearest green salad. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has this to say about artificial coloring: “Most artificial colorings are synthetic chemicals that do not occur in nature. Because colorings are used almost solely in foods of low nutritional value (candy, soda pop, gelatin desserts, etc.), you should simply avoid all artificially colored foods.” Oxford trained nutritional anthropologist, writer, founder of Full Circle Farm and mom Liz Snyder is no stranger to this parental conundrum. “I’m not a hard-core sugar freak at home or anything, but the stuff in those carts just horrifies me,” recalls Liz. So when she and her daughter Helen were out at the park one sunny day and the ice cream cart rolled around, “that’s a situation when I would say no – absolutely no, you can’t have that. She really got mad at me, pure anger.” Little did Liz know, that Helen’s anger, her genuine, raw rant would turn into Liz’s next big food adventure. At home Liz and Helen were making summer smoothies and throwing leftovers into popsicle molds. Helen loved those pops and when the ice cream cart fit reached its peak, Helen demanded, “you need to bring those popsicles and sell them at the park because then moms and kids can be happy and I can have a treat at the park.” And for the next six months, that became the joke of their household. “When things got tough, I’d think maybe I should just start selling popsicles at the park, that would be a lot more fun,” Liz confessed with a laugh.
And so it began, that buzzing in her ear got louder and louder until finally Liz found herself scouring the Internet for popsicle companies. “I found that a bunch existed in other parts of the country. So I was like well, there are some models out there, there are people doing it. But one thing they weren’t was all local. Could we really challenge ourselves to source everything from a 150 mile radius?” Never one to shy away from a food related challenge, Liz began to test recipes, source fruits and honey from as far south as Fresno and as far north as Lake County. She was able to raise $16,000 in her Kickstarter project and so Little Bee Pops was born. Having secured a kitchen with a blast-chiller that allows the kitchen team to freeze the pops in 20 minutes, Liz is also the proud owner of a dry-ice powered pushcart that she uses to sell outside the Mountain View Farmer’s Market and at catering events. She’s taking it step by step with big hopes, but manageable goals. Her pops are expensive, at $3 each , but Liz hopes that with transparent communication and honest ingredients, the price will make sense. As noted author and food activist Michael Pollan says, “Pay more, eat less.” “We make handmade, honey-sweetened pops from all-local ingredients. Our pops have seasonal fruit, healthy fats, and are certified crap-free. No corn syrup, preservatives, flavor chemicals, or food dyes,” reads the Kickstarter promo page and the pops that are in the freezer this inaugural season read like a team of comic book heroes on a mission to delight children and make parents jump for joy! www.littlebeepops.com
Green-Eyed Monster
Strawberry Avenger
Eternal Sunshine
Avocado Mandarin Oranges Edamame Honey
Strawberries Honey Lemon Juice Flax Seeds
Dried Apricots Brown Rice Milk Carrots Honey Lemon Ginger
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Written by: Stacy Ernst
In San Jose, we have no excuse, really, for not getting outside and working up a sweat. With over 300 days of sunshine, consistently mild tempertatures and no particular season for natural disasters (it’s always earthquake season), we really must ‘just do it!’ Here are some ideas to spice up your outdoor regimen.
Alviso Slough - Kayaking Alviso Marina Park Mill Street, Alviso (the park has no physical address) (408) 262-6980 www.sccgov.org Rent a kayak and head out to the Alviso Slough. Only 10 miles north of Downtown San Jose, the Alviso Marina is easily accessible and hassle-free. In the past, day-trippers would have to hike through the marsh during low tide in order to launch their kayaks. Last summer the Marina debuted a new set of boat ramps, providing access to the San Francisco Bay for the first time in 20 years. The new boat launch, as well as the tall trees that protect the slough, allow beginning to advanced kayakers to easily float atop the water, enjoying the sites around them. As you prepare for your kayak trip, here are a few recommendations: >Bring sunscreen. Spending a day on the slough, with the reflection on the water, can expose you to some harsh rays and lead to an uncomfortable evening >Pack a lunch. There are no merchants
on the water or along the shore, so come prepared. Packing an easy ‘dry-bag’ lunch will give you the energy to paddle back to the parking lot, and that’s a good thing. >Bring a camera. Seeing the slough from the water provides an unrivalled perspective of this unique ecosystem Where to put the ice pack: Bring the ibuprofen for back, arms and sore core. Santa Cruz Beaches A classic summer outing is to wind over Highway 17 to the beautiful Santa Cruz coastline. Our beaches are some of the best in the world with loads of fun for all levels of adventure. Whether you’re looking to run your dog, have a bonfire with friends, spend the afternoon riding roller coasters or simply take time to bathe in the sun, there is a patch of sand waiting for you. As you head over the hill, here are some things to keep in mind… >If it’s a hot day in San Jose, head over early. If you leave mid-morning you are likely to get caught in some heavy traffic. >Leaving early doesn’t mean you have to go straight to the beach. Plan on having breakfast at Café Brazil on Mission Avenue.
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Patrons are drawn in by the colorful building, but they return for the delicious food. Get your name on the wait list and order an Acai bowl right away. It is a bowl of blended, frozen Acai served with bananas and granola. Fighting over who gets the next spoonful is a sure fire way to pass the time. >Make sure to bring a generously-sized beach towel, a big hydrating bottle of water and a hat with a brim for ear protection (scalp and ear burns hurt). >Bring a high enough SPF sunscreen to protect your skin and don’t forget those funky areas like the tops of your feet! Remember that it won’t keep you from burning if you leave it in the bottle! >A good book is essential, but make sure it’s not one that requires full-on concentration. Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” is a great summer read; it’s easy to pick up and won’t make you feel guilty when you stop mid-page to play some volleyball. >MUSIC! Nowadays technology makes it easy to access great music from all over. Bring a smartphone and get a great app that will access all the beach tunes necessary. >If live music is what you’re looking
for, head over to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Every Friday evening, the Boardwalk hosts free concerts for the public. Arrive early to scope out a good seat. >Camera...don’t forget to catch all the fantastic summer moments on camera (just be careful of the sand). Those shots of summer beach days are essential pick-me-ups for the doldrums of winter. >Once you’ve had all the sun your skin can take in, head to the Surfing Museum near West Cliff Drive. There are gorgeous homes, beautiful pedestrian walkways and benches all along the coastline. Find a comfortable spot to stop and watch the surfers as they bob next to each other in the Pacific. After all, according to some in the surfingf world, Santa Cruz is the birthplace of surfing in North America. Where to put the ice pack: calf muscles from beach running and scalp for sunburn (told you to wear a hat) Keep the aloe vera handy.
Castle Rock - Hiking www.parks.ca.gov The park is located on Highway 35, just 2 1/2 miles southeast of the junction with Highway 9. (408) 867-2952 There is great hiking all around San Jose, from the mines of Quicksilver in Almaden Valley to the rolling hills of Joseph Grant County Park. But Castle Rock State Park is a true gem. Set high on the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains lies 32 miles of lush hiking and horseback trails leading to picturesque views. The enormous rock formations host climbers of all skill levels and in the late 1990›s, Castle became a world class bouldering site. The park is open year-round, and on a clear day, hikers can see the glistening Pacific in the distance. As you head out to tackle the trail, make certain you include the following in your pack: >Mother Nature›s elixir for hikers - water and plenty of it. Dehydration is a pain during and after your hike. Pack several bottles if a large one seems too big. >Sustenance. The dazzling scenery
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beckons to you, so stop and have a snack. Break out the energy bar, the homemade trail mix with a good balance of protein and carbs or go for a European style picnic with a good hard cheese, dried fruit and a variety of salami. After all, you are hiking! >A buddy (ok, they won’t be able to fit in your pack, but you should still bring one.) Yes, exploring the beauty of the Santa Cruz Mountains can be serene, but it is much safer with two. >Use your phone to capture the moment, tweet it when you get back to civilization. >A whistle is easy to hang around your neck. if you are a climber or have a spirit that yearns for exploration, it doesn’t hurt just to be on the safe side. Where to put the ice pack: Pamper your legs after hiking and soothe those callused free-climbing fingers.
Author: Sarah Garcia
I will gladly endure a boiling summer day in the hope that it brings an evening that is mild and lovely - where you never need to transition from a sleeveless sundress to a sweater. I love the kind of evening where you can feel your skin moist from a day of humidity, but the sun sets into an idyllic 75 degree evening. The perfect temperature of those summer nights transports me to the way I feel on vacations in tropical Hawaii or the warm desert of Arizona; neither hot nor cold, just perfect. In the Bay Area, such evenings don’t happen often enough. When they do, I try to soak it in and enjoy. In honor of those perfect summer evenings, here’s a list of some of the best patio seating in San Jose so that even in the middle of a scorcher, you can start planning your cool evening.
Dia de Pesca http://www.pescasifood.com/ 55 N Bascom Ave
The first time I drove by Dia de Pesca, I knew I had to try it. Maybe it was the marquee sign pointing in, or the almost garish look of the place, but to me it screamed, “this is where you get an authentic fish taco.” I knew the indoor seating was limited, so I saved my visit for a day when the sun was shining, hoping sitting on the patio would transport me to my Mexican honeymoon years ago. Between the authentic breaded fish taco and the tiled stone tables, I was right. Ordering from a rustic shack and waiting for the fish to fry in a classic taco truck, we ate chips and a surprisingly good cup of clam chowder. But the star really is the delicious breaded halibut taco. Casual, authentic and inexpensive—the makings of a perfect taco stop. Unlikely Celebrity Sighting: Feelin lucky? You might even catch Joe Pesci al fresco with one of the guys from Phish.
Pizza Antica http://www.pizzaantica.com/ 334 Santana Row Santana Row undoubtedly has a lot of outdoor dining to choose from, but Pizza Antica on a warm summer night manages to make me feel like I am living the “good life.” I love sitting among the pretty people walking down “The Row,” munching heirloompotato pizza with truffle oil. Relaxing on the sidewalk patio is a good end to any day of shopping, or a nice change of pace from my everyday less glamorous life. The salads and sides are a great compliment to the pizza, and the wine and beer list is extensive. All this combines to make Pizza Antica more than just a pizza place.
Unlikely Celebrity Sighting: No Italian Stallions to be found here so forget about Stallone, but you could spot Burlesconi looking for a new gig.
Naglee Park Garage http://www.nagleeparkgarage.com/ 505 E San Carlos St
Gourmet-casual Naglee Park Garage, is a tiny restaurant housed, quite literally, in a garage. The former auto repair shop is wedged into the beautiful Downtown San Jose neighborhood of Naglee Park. “The Garage,” as regulars call it, serves up delicious New American food. Open for dinner and Sunday brunch, the menu offers unique and tasty combinations of perfectly seasoned meats and delicious roasted vegetables. The homemade ketchup practically begs you to order the fries, but don’t stuff yourself too full, because the vanilla bread pudding is divine. Sitting in the patio at the large picnic tables, you’ll feel hip and part of the tight “downtown family.” Be prepared to wait, as the patio seating is limited, but on a beautiful night with a beer in hand, you won’t mind at all. Unlikely Celebrity Sighting: No Andretti or Schumacher to be seen, but they never have killer brussel sprouts on their pit crew.
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Written by Gillian Claus
School’s out for the summer! The soft-top is down and the bass is booming. You have deftly rocked the coastline on Highway 1, sporting board shorts and a big smile. Now you gently ease it back over 17, pulling your ride into the driveway just in time to spritz off the manscaping and comb out your windswept do. But Content, I hear you cry, where do I go to keep this groove in my heart through the long nights of the solstice? Alas, we cannot promise you summer lovin’ or even Olivia Newton John’s vinyl wardrobe secrets, but follow these tips to get the funk out and hear some live music.
1. Live at the Pagoda http://www.liveatthepagoda.com/
2. Hedley Club http://www.hoteldeanza.com
Slip into something a little less comfortable but a lot more stylish and get on over to the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown San Jose. Formerly the Pagoda Restaurant, this stylish lounge packed with Chinese treasures, has lotus blossomed into an innovative live music venue. Featuring an eclectic sampling of international artists, the music series at the Pagoda is breaking new ground with live soul and new electronica all cut with their special blend of global groove. Sprinkled into the mix are DJ sets and film screenings. Enjoy a smooth night out and bring some cutting edge artistic appreciation back to the water cooler with you on Monday.
Steps away from the club crowds, you can settle on your stool, martini in hand, and revel in the best live jazz at the Hedley Club. The crowd is as well-mixed as the cocktails and the happy hour goes all night long. Is that a tenor sax in your pocket? Why not join in on the local all-ages Jazz Jam on first and third Wednesday nights, brainchild of the San Jose Jazz Festival who also provide the groove on Thursdays. Open up your palate to so many tasty flavors from straight-ahead classic jazz and R&B to Latin. With no cover charge, the swank definitely starts here.
Where is it?
170 South Market Street (entrance outside the main hotel) When and how much?
Weekends only - $10-$30 for live music and $5-$10 for DJ nights. Accessories required?
Stuff a pair of chopsticks into your updo.
Where is it? Hotel De Anza, When and how much? Wednesday 7:30, Thursday 8-11, Saturday 8:30 12:30, no cover Accessories required? Spontaneous dancing has been know to occur from the infectious vibes, so wear some flats - just in case. 3. Naglee Park Garage http://www.nagleeparkgarage.com/
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So you aren’t down with late and loud? Try the patio at the Garage. Open to all ages, this space is family-friendly (which means you get to enjoy a cold one while the little ones munch mac and cheese and run in and out of the shrubbery.) It’s summertime and the music is easy. Jazz, Zydeco, even a touch of Americana – about the only sounds you can’t catch here are unhappy ones. Snag a picnic table and some delicious side dishes and stay a while. Where is it? 505 East San Carlos Street (corner of 11th & San Carlos, near the House of Bagels) When and how much? For Eats: Tuesday - Saturday 5-9:30 (open til 10 on Friday & Saturday) Breakfast on Sunday 9-1 For Music: Wednesdays (weather permitting - on the patio) from May through October 6pm to 9pm, no cover Accessories required? Beady eyes for reading the parking rules along the side streets. Don’t forget a box of crayons to keep the young ones occupied while you unwind.
Pedicab for Dummies: Compiled by Terra Wood-Taylor
Where and when:
Eco City Cycles Pedicabs can be found Thursday-Saturday 9pm-2am, regularly making rounds around downtown, from San Pedro Square to the SOFA. The cab drivers are friendly, just flag one down. There are ten pedicabs, with colors ranging from yellow, red, turquoise and cream.
How Much:
Drivers negotiate fares with their passengers. Most drivers ask for five dollars a person plus tip for rides from the San Pedro Square area to the HP Pavillion. Cash is happily accepted, but Visa and MasterCard are accepted with a valid ID and a one dollar processing fee. For busy events like Sharks games and HP events, ten dollars a ride is typically the minimum charge. A twenty will really make your driver happy, and more makes them pedal even faster. Drivers appreciate being paid before the ride, so have your money ready. Remember time is money for a pedicab!
To Tip or not to Tip?
of coffee, a cold bottle of water, a tasty burrito or a thick milkshake can help!
How Many is too Many?
Two adults comfortably and sometimes three. Children are allowed to sit on laps, with seatbelts for safety. Drivers are happy to coordinate other drivers for a group ride. There is no weight limit, but remember that another human is physically pedaling you. It’s a human engine with just a car battery to run the lights, turn signals and brakes. Safety comes first, so no limbs hanging out of the cab.
Arrange in Advance?
Do call ahead for large groups of more than five or six. Pedicab to a wedding, the opera, or a nightclub. Devise your own Great Race style scavenger hunt! Just like a taxi-cab, ask for your driver’s number and call or text them for pick up. You can be a VIP with your own pedicab.
How far is reasonable?
Talk to your driver. The downtown confines are from the HP Pavillion to San Jose State, Japantown and the freeways.
Sometimes drivers are out in the early af- Weather? ternoons and don’t lock-up until the early If it is raining or the streets are wet, pedimorning hours. They get hungry and cabs stay dry, inside where it’s safe, sorry. thirsty too, so don’t forget about offering some food or drink as a tip! A hot cup
Parking SPOTted:
There’s nothing worse than returning to your car and finding that your groovy jaunt about town ended up costing more than your meal. Content reveals some secret parking gems hidden downtown. Next to Children’s Discovery Museum:
$5 all day at lot on Woz Way, right off 87. Convenient for special events at the Convention Center and the Center for Performing Arts. Take a walk along the Guadalupe Trail to the HP from the lot.
Next to Diridon Station:
$3 all day at Stephen’s Meat Market lot: self pay machines, have exact change, display tag in window. N/A on Sharks games and other HP event nights. Look for the neon pig sign. Stop in at Paddy’s directly across from the lot or Poor House Bistro before hopping on the train or going to a game.
City park Collonade Garage:
$3 or $5 4th St off Paseo by Philz, across from SJSU
Japantown parking lot:
$2 all day corner of N. 6th and Jackson Credit cards accepted
Lot in-between 3rd and 4th off Santa Clara:
$3 day
By City Hall:
5th and Santa Clara: Petite Trianon lot $4 all day, across from Pacific Carwash
Proven Strategies for Ticket Free Parking:
>Watch street markings: make sure you don’t park outside the lines. >Park after 6pm: metered spaces are free after 6pm, but don’t take our word for it. Read and obey all posted signs.
Wouldn’t it be nice if:
>There was a parking app that showed where lots are located, the rates and availability. Imagine entering your destination and finding the cheapest parking nearby. I’d pay $.99 for that. >Parking Compliance was called Parking Concierge. “Excuse me sir, may I help you find a parking spot so that you may enjoy your time downtown?” And on your way back to your car, the concierge might even give you a chocolate truffle. Consider it parking turndown service.
San Pedro Square area:
Metered street parking is free after 6pm daily, and free on Sundays. Parking in the garage is free for two hours with validation from nearby SPS businesses, or $7 upon entrance for HP event nights.
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The Studio: Taking Fitness to New Heights Workouts in San Jose have just become a little more interesting Written by Ryan Brown Photography y Daniel Garcia
Touchstone Climbing has opened a rock-climbing gym downtown. Located at 396 South First Street, The Studio is the only gym of its kind in San Jose, and only one of two in the entire South Bay. It features forty-foot high walls and over 11,000 square feet of climbing terrain.
“It’s an awesome company. Everyone who works here climbs.” She believes the environment makes it easy for everyone to have a great experience. The last time new member Cody Kraatz climbed was 2010, and he describes himself as “no expert.” He enjoys his workouts because they remind him of the outdoors and “there’s a point to it.” Kraatz admits, “It’s not the tallest set of walls in the area, but because I live downtown it’s so convenient. I could climb on a first Friday, sauna, yoga, shower and then hit the street with my friends to check out the music and art on South First.”
The Studio takes its name from the classic movie house in which it has been constructed, the Studio Theatre. Long since converted into a nightclub, the building’s large and once brightly-lit sign remains above the front entrance. Initially attracted by the large space and high ceilings, the interesting location and classic sign make The Studio unique, and help the gym fit into its environment in downtown San Jose.
The Melvins founded their first gym in 1995, in the Mission District of San Francisco. Before the formation of their company, there were so few indoor climbing options that the new gym hosted the National Championship of the sport within a month of its opening. Touchstone now has 7 locations in Northern California, making it the largest indoor rock-climbing company in the United States.
Touchstone CEO Mark Melvin and his wife, Debra, have been avid climbers since high school and, according to Director of Marketing and Social Media Lauryn Claasen, they often dreamt of creating a home for “climbers who love to climb.” The Studio was not only built with climbers in mind, but by climbers themselves. Mark Melvin actually welded the walls, and as Claasen points out,
There hasn’t been a climbing gym in San Jose for nearly four years but The Studio isn’t the first venture downtown. In 2003, the company opened
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Touchstone Climbing and Fitness San Jose, a bouldering-only gym located across from Camera 12, and only about two blocks away from the new gym location. The smaller gym was forced to close in April of 2008 when there simply wasn’t enough room to accommodate all of the gym’s members. Bouldering differs from the more traditional roped climbing in that it is done almost entirely freecafé isn’t completed yet, as parts of the gym are still form, or without any climbing gear. Referred to under construction. Claassen hopes that the gym by climbers as “problems,” the bouldering courses will be able to remain open during construction, don’t reach the extreme heights of the typical and that hours and membership will increase once roped ones. Climbers can simply let go and fall the building is finished. to the padded floors when they reach the top. Kraatz is impressed with the new space. “Very nice Climbers can become members for $69 a month, bouldering area too, catering to all the old guard or $759 a year. Membership includes access to all that used to climb when touchstone had a place Touchstone gyms and the use of any of their facilities, on El Paseo de San Antonio.” including drop-in fitness classes, rock-climbing, and exercise machines. Though the focus is on roped climbing and bouldering, The Studio will offer other fitness The Studio also offers individual day passes, which options. Yoga classes are already open, and the run about $18. The passes allow the same all-access company is planning kickboxing, Pilates, and core use of the gym that memberships provide, and fitness classes as membership increases. Exercise newcomers can sign up for a full Intro to Climbing machines have been set up on the second floor, class for $11 more. which allows guests to watch climbers as they work out. There are also plans to establish youth There is one catch for those looking to drop in classes, summer camps, and climbing teams in San for a day of rock-climbing fun. For safety reasons, Jose as soon as there is enough interest. Claassen, climbers must pass a few tests to climb on their own. a coach of one of the company’s many youth The required skills include tying knots, attaching teams, says rock-climbing is a “great outlet for the harness, and belaying a climbing partner. This energetic kids.” First time visitor Liz Sandberg, a may sound difficult, but only takes about 3 minutes mother of three boys, agrees, saying “It’s fun. They and Kraatz says “as long as you pay attention in want to keep coming back.” the training class, it’s easy stuff.” Once the tests The Studio will also incorporate a wireless café, are completed, climbers are certified and receive a built into its climbing walls. A large cut out in the card verifying their ability to climb without staff main wall opens up almost like a balcony, giving assistance. café-goers a clear view of climbers making their way to the top. Claassen says that a quiet place Claassen says The Studio is meant to attract members became a necessity for their members, because from “all across the board,” welcoming young the gyms “become people’s homes.” The Studio’s professionals, college students, families and seniors. The Touchstone team wants to reconnect with the community, and is hoping The Studio will introduce rock-climbing to many newcomers as well. Everyone’s needs are met, whether the goal is getting in an interesting workout, sampling rock-climbing without a trip to the mountains, or just having a day of fun. touchstoneclimbing.com/the-studio
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An online marketplace and a platform for non-profits to do branding and fundraising through crowdsourced consumable goods.
GOOD JOE
Written by Britt Clyde and Mary Matlack Photography by Daniel Garcia
“The point is that it’s important to be part of a small community trying to fix things.”
Co-Founder____Nathan Pham
Online shopping is basically a “no brainer.” You pick out what you want and then, poof, a few days later without the hassle and fuss of a store, your goods land with a thud on your doorstep. But what if shopping wasn’t just about getting what you want? What if your purchase had a positive effect on others, above and beyond the retailer? What if you walked away from a retail transaction and felt like the seller was really good, as in:
Good Joe (noun): a warm-hearted, goodnatured person. While some businesses are driven by a corporate name, huge profit margins, or the latest trends, others like Goodjoe, a “community-based t-shirt company with a passion for doing good,” go above and beyond. What sets Goodjoe apart from your average t-shirt company is made clear by founder Nathan Pham, “We partner with non-profits to do a t-shirt design contest with the mission statement as a design theme. We have designers from around the world submit their designs to the contest for cash prizes.” The end result? Shoppers get new fresh designs just about everyday, winning artists get paid for their designs and partner non-profits partake in the fundraising component offered by Goodjoe. Goodjoe’s founders Nathan Pham, Jourdan Yeh and Warren Guan met in college at UC Davis and together with Creative Director Jamie Marshall, they are the brains, the engineering and the passion behind Goodjoe. Though their individual backgrounds vary, “It’s a very close-knit group of people,” says Pham. While working indirectly with One Laptop per Child, Pham was, “obsessed with how technology can affect social welfare.” Armed with a degree in computer science and engineering, Pham knew pure engineering wasn’t his calling, but using technology to improve social issues sounded like a good fit. Both Pham and Guan have third-world backgrounds, which contributes to their similar perspectives on particular issues. “When you come here [the United States], the things that are issues are not issues at all... so what drives us to execute things in a certain way is very different from a lot of people,” Pham said. “I think that’s fascinating if you know people that are more exposed. It changes your perspective.” The company’s main goal is simple and to the point, “to empower and creatively inspire individuals to contribute to our local and global communities.” Their website contains various contests
and programs - some weekly, some monthly and some based on fundraising or affiliation. Weekly contests are open to anyone, based on different themes ranging from Codes of Conduct for the Classy Gentleman to Laugh a Little. The artist can win cash, as well as store credit and a percentage of each t-shirt sold. The submissions are meant to encourage individuals to send in t-shirt designs with a positive, inspirational, or humorous message, a good message.
The monthly contests focus more on nonprofit organizations and are called Design for a Greater Good. The program creates exposure for the organization, which may lack resources, and can also raise monthly revenue. Pham explains, “The number one asset for nonprofits is their brand, their name, but there’s no way for them to monetize on that. So we want to take on that challenge and make it happen for them.” Nonprofits usually use their mission statement as a theme and then Goodjoe puts out the call to their artists for submissions. The nonprofit selects the winning t-shirt design and can then earn up to 50 percent of the proceeds from each t-shirt, hoodie or tote bag sold.
He said, “I have to do a lot of research and filter out the information to them, it depends on who I talk to... and when I can’t stand something, I will actually call them out…it’s ridiculous…how many times people walk in the door and [want] the next Facebook.” An exciting new concept in the works for Goodjoe is called Artists Give Back. “I want to try to get artists thinking the way we think,” said Nathan. “One of their [artists’] biggest assets is their creativity and their raw talent.” A lot of times it isn’t always possible to pay artists but this program is, “for them [the artists], designing something for something that resonates with them,” he said. It is a joint effort. Goodjoe subsidizes production cost and the artist gets a percentage of the sales. The rest of the proceeds go to a cause of the artist’s choosing. “What we benefit from on our end is continuing revenue,” said Pham. “We want to bring artists and their causes together. I think that is the missing piece to the puzzle that helps the causes travel far and wide.” Pham believes there is a huge paradigm shift in consumers, as well as in the way people do business. “Things can’t get worse…it can only get better,” he said. “The point is that it’s important to be part of a small community trying to fix things; learn what things need to be done.” Goodjoe is holding steady and doing good by artists, nonprofits and everyday people who like good stuff, stuff that’s good to the core. www.goodjoe.com. one.laptop.orgIndeed, we will. naschmarkt-restaurant.com Dinner Tuesday - Sunday from 5pm Lunch Tuesday - Friday 11.30am - 2pm
At times working toward the greater good by trying to open the public’s eyes to programs often too small to get the adequate attention they deserve can be a battle. “It’s struggling on the positive side,” said Nathan. “You know it’s there but you just have to get people to see it and open up to it. I think that’s more of a challenge.” The challenge is welcomed by the Goodjoe team, though. “We are getting really close, we just need more resources to make it happen-which all comes down to engineering,” Nathan said. When it comes to reeling in investors for the company, Nathan has the task of demonstrating that there is money behind the company – tricky as many are just looking for the “next big thing.” At times during meetings it is like a crapshoot.
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Girls Got the Blues Written by Gillian Claus Photography by Daniel Garcia
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The day I sat down to talk with blues singer Lara Price might have been her birthday. She’s not sure. Like so many of the things in her life, she never takes success or birthdays for granted.
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ne of 3,000 infants transported out of Vietnam in 1975, Price was a part of Operation Babylift, the mass evacuation of orphans from Vietnam to the U.S. and other countries. At least they assumed most of the babies were orphans, Price noted. “But I am pretty sure I was an orphan because when I came over to the U.S., there was a guesstimate of how old I was. Two or three weeks, three or four weeks... they weren’t sure. So right now I am going to celebrate my birthday on March 18 but it could be today. I was a very lucky survivor. They didn’t even give out birth certificates to babies who were less than 6 months old because they didn’t make it.” Because her father was in the air force, her family moved every 2 or 3 years. During the family’s time in England, she ended up taking piano lessons from Howard Jones right before he had his big hit, Like to Get to Know You Well. “We moved to the United States and he went on tour with the Eurythmics,” said Price. “I kept in touch with him somewhat over the years and when I lived in Utah, he called me at home, ‘Hello, love! This is Howard Jones. I’m playing at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake, would you like to come?’ My parents let me sell his t-shirts. I went to witness my teacher with 3,000 people singing every word and every note. I could see it from a different perspective, too, because I was a student of his as a little kid, so that was awesome.” Her vocal training continued with Dr. Lynn Berg, a professor at Boise State University, who taught her to use her whole body as an instrument. That training is evidenced by the big sound which seems impossibly contained within her small frame. Price learned to sing opera in French and German. She smiled, “You can’t fake that stuff. If you mess up, it is big-time.You have to physically be in good shape. I mean if a guitar player has a cold, they can still play. Your voice is your best friend or it’s not. You just never know, but you hope it’s your best friend that day.”
Since moving to San Jose, she has sung in each and every live music venue she could find. “Any place that’s had alcohol, I’ve been there,” Price nods. “One of the first places I started was Number One Broadway and then JJ’s.” It was while she was out there earning her name as a blues singer that she met her husband, Jay Medori, owner of Poor House Bistro. Price said, “I met him five years ago because I played his club. We didn’t hit it off at first because I didn’t think he was paying me enough. So I called him and told him we are playing the San Jose Jazz Festival and people are clamoring for our next gig, so I felt like he should pay me a little bit more. We both hung up the phone and I thought ‘I will play this place once and never again...’ so I played here and we have been talking every day since then. I never thought I would marry a club owner. You have two frustrating businesses together. But he totally gets what I do. We both have our passions. We are totally passionate about the restaurant and the music.” When I asked her about the changes in San Jose audiences, Price observed “I think that with the blues in general, the fans are getting older. So they really don’t want to stay out until 1 a.m.. I think that it is hard because these club owners want to have these gigs, support the arts, but it is hard to sustain. Part of it is the genre, the clubs that stay open late often just book cover bands. So I have a cover band too. I have been known as the wedding singer.” As an established performer with five CDs and tours of the U.S. and China under her belt, Price has proven her versatility and endurance. The Lara Price Band has shared the bill with legends like James Brown and Etta James. So why did Bruce Labadie sign Price’s new band up for the 2012 San Jose Jazz Festival before they had played a note? The San Jose Jazz Festival snapped up the new group because they are all women. Girls Got the Blues is made up of ten female musicians, all at the top of their game, but
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“ I’m not going to drag this show around to every dark hole and drinking club in San Jose. It’s going to be a big show, or no show.”
to shine, so let them be the artists. When you put a lot of shackles on people it doesn’t make them shine as much as they could.” Girls Got the Blues will shine at the San Jose Jazz Festival on August 12 at 3:30 PM. “The jazz festival is nice because it is my home town and your people get to see you on a big stage. They love that and I love it, too. My girls are excited. I like the smoky, bluesy club too. But festivals have a whole different energy on a giant stage.” Lara Price is definitely going to keep challenging people’s assumptions. At the first gig of Girls Got the Blues, a male musician walked up to her and said, “thank you for showing men that music is a dance, not a sword fight.” There is a graceful intensity to Price’s words, and her passion for getting women taken seriously is infectious. Check out these ten women at the San Jose Jazz festival because, as Price noted, she is “not going to drag this show around to every dark hole and drinking club in San Jose. It’s going to be a big show, or no show.” Girls Got the Blues is Annie Sampson (vocals), Janice Maxie Reid (vocals, keys), Pam Hawkins (vocals), Lara Price (vocals), Sue McCracklin and Maureen Smith (‹Sweet Nectar› - back up vocals), Laura Chavez (guitar), Nancy Wright (tenor sax), Ruth Davies (bass) and Robin Roth (drums). Upcoming gigs: Tony Lindsay (singer from Santana) double bill June 16 San Jose Jazz Festival August 12 The Big Easy Festival at the Arena Green in San Jose Sept 8 DVD available August 12.
laraprice.com
their biggest challenge isn’t finding time in their tour schedules to rehearse and perform. Their biggest challenge is overcoming the preconceptions that people have about girl groups. “No divas allowed,” laughs Price. “That would be the stereotype, right? I am so tired of that. There is no hair-pulling. No eye-scratching. All these women are beautiful people on the inside and beautiful talent on the outside, too. That was the rule. No divas.” When asked about the pressure of forming the new group, Price explained “Well, I thought this project would have legs, but I wanted to wait and see what cards I was dealt. You can get a lot of really talented musicians together but if there’s no chemistry...” Fortunately for South Bay blues fans, the band bonded immediately. Acknowledging that it wasn’t easy for the “planets to align” so they could play their first gig at Club Fox in Redwood City, Price outlined the line-up of the super group. “All these women play with other bigger fish, like Ruth Davies, the bass
player plays with Elvin Bishop. Laura Chavez is in Europe, she plays guitar with Candye Kane. The Sweet Nectars back up a lot of other bigger acts. They’re all total professionals touring globally all the time. I wanted to feature strong women in music and there’s a lot of talent right here. All these women are from the Bay Area. You see men do it all the time. This guy from this band and this superstar from that band. They get together and it’s awesome. Why women aren’t getting together on this level, I’m not sure.” Because the music industry is so maledominated, Price has identified a shortage of women making music. Her challenge is to find more women out there. “I just need to find them and I know they are here living in this area, too. I have heard of women who have come forward or been recommended to me by other musicians.” As for the material their band performs, Price wanted to focus on whatever brought out the best in the performers. “It had to be blues-based and whatever made them feel like they could shine doing that song, that was the rule. It›s their time
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Interview with
Sal Pizarro Written by Gillian Claus Photography by Daniel Garcia
Columnist Sal Pizarro Finds His Voice Growing up in the Bay Area, newspaper readers got to know Herb Caen and Leigh Weimers over their morning cup of coffee. That’s how it was. Regular columnists became old friends or the source of a good argument. Relative newcomer Sal Pizarro is only forty years old and just 6 years into the job, compared to Weimers’ forty year tenure. Pizarro is still finding his voice, both in print and through new forms of social media. Published six days a week, his Around Town column for the Mercury News is witty but never opinionated. When will he bring on the funny or unleash the grumpy old guy in the corner?
Written by Gillian Claus Photography by Daniel Garcia
“I have been doing the column for 6 years, but I don’t feel like I have earned the right to be that crotchety yet,” asserts Pizarro.“It is being encouraged at the paper for me to insert more of my own voice into the column. I didn’t it want it to be that suddenly you’re going from Leigh to this guy and we don’t know who he is. I feel more comfortable making comments about what I perceive going on in the city. Taking what people tell me and sort of throwing it through my head and saying – here’s the word on the street.” So how will Pizarro make the column his own? Could he become a gossip columnist? He answers, “That’s so funny. I ask people who say they wish my column had more gossip in it, what do you think is gossip? Do you want to know who’s dating who? Becsause no one really cares. It’s just not that kind of community.”
Just by talking to so many people, Pizarro knows the local community well. “People are very comfortable telling me things because they’re pretty sure I’m not going to print it. And that’s something Leigh taught me, always know more than you write. So I sometimes know things that I really can’t write.” But he still comes across as someone with a genuine desire to get positive news out there again. “My goals are to be entertaining and informative and a lot of times that translates into being the person who writes about the good things. I happen to love that idea because I’ll say, ‘If I don’t write about this, no one else is going to.’ A missing girl in Morgan Hill is going to trump a lot of things I write about. It’s going to take up three reporters that aren’t going to be able to cover the Boy Scouts character awards. So I like doing that.”
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He also likes being a stay at home dad with an 8-month-old son and a 2-and-ahalf-year-old daughter. Pizarro does diapers and daycare from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. when his wife comes home from work as Public Relations Director for Presentation High School. They chat together and do a little download of the day’s events before he sets off for his job which he will work at until late. His parents chip in and watch the children two mornings a week which frees him up for the occasional morning interview or charity luncheon. Most of his writing is done at night in his converted office in the garage. His daily deadline is noon, so he can edit and read through his column the following morning during naps. “Not mine,” he quips.
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“I have been doing the column for six years, but I don’t feel like I have earned the right to be that crotchety yet.”
The social butterfly lifestyle is not so easy when combined with caring for children all day. Pizarro explains, “Some days it’s really exhausting. I can be with the kids for basically nine hours and then I’ve got to go to an event. But, on the plus side, after nine hours with really small kids it’s nice to be able to talk to adults and have a glass of wine,” he grins. “I get to spend a lot of time with my kids, so anytime I think about complaining about my job and my hours – I just think, I get to spend all day with my kids and how many guys do I know who get to do that that aren’t collecting unemployment checks?” When Pizarro gets dolled up for a Saturday night event, his daughter Mia often asks him if he is going to a wedding. “I don’t know where she picked that up. No,” he says. “Daddy’s going to work. I feel especially guilty because before we had kids, my wife used to go to a lot of these things with me and it was great fun and now we pick our spots carefully. It’s partly her choice too because she says if we’re going to use up a babysitting chip then she doesn’t want to be going to work. Let’s go to a movie or dinner.” While he relishes the flexibility of his job, Pizarro also misses the structure of his thirteen years working as an editor at the Merc – starting work at 4:00 and clocking out by midnight. Many of those years were spent as Leigh Weimers’ direct editor. “Those years really prepared me. I’ve learned how [Leigh] took something and made it briefer. That’s the challenge of writing in this space. I have about 450 words a day. I try to fit as much as I can in. I will spend a lot of time trimming things down and sometimes an entire item will go away because it’s sort of like doing surgery, once you’ve had to cut off both legs and both arms, what do you have left?” Some of what Pizarro writes about comes directly from real people who call or email and say, “I know about this thing that happened. It’s kind of funny story. Chances are – if I’ve got room, I’ll get it in.” A big chunk of his work concerns deciding which event to attend. His record is four in one night. “I don’t recommend that. It was crazy – downtown San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View. Driving all over the place and then stopping in at an event for an hour and then moving on
to the next thing. Politicians do that all the time but it’s a little easier for them because all they have to do is shake a few hands and then they can leave.” Unfortunately, Pizarro has no entourage driving him around or sorting his mail. “If I had dreams, it would be to have an assistant of some sort. I always read about how Herb Caen had somebody going through his mail, taking his calls. Having the same general type of column, people make that assumption. Clearly you must have a staff. No, I don’t.” Driving around is not so difficult because he knows the area like the back of his hand –Pizarro grew up in San Jose. “Being downtown in San Jose in the 1970s was, well... dangerous is a kind word. One of the reasons I transferred from San Jose State to Santa Barbara was because Downtown San Jose wasn’t really there yet. The Jazz Festival, Cinequest and Music in the Park all started in the ‘90s because there was nothing to do. Now it’s changed with Sofa District getting going, cool places to eat. Eventually San Jose grew on me to the point that I did not want to leave.” But the future is uncertain for Pizarro – at least in print. Pointing at the paper, he says, “I think you will be surprised if we have that ten years from now. If you had said that to me when I started in 2005, I would have laughed and laughed and laughed but now it is where we are. We have a point where we need to figure out how to make money digitally. It’s not just online ads, it’s a whole host of possibilities which aren’t just print advertising. That’s the joke. If Fry’s or Macy’s goes out of business, we’re in a lot of trouble.” Pizarro’s tenure began during the recession and he admits,“It’s strange thinking that I’ve only really done this job during hard times. I’d be really interested to see what things are like when the economy is up because it makes people a lot happier. I can’t imagine how many times I have written ‘despite the current economic woes.’ I might as well have that saved on a copy and paste.” Many of the colleagues Pizarro began working with twenty years ago at the Merc are gone. “When I started writing this column, we had an art writer... a philanthropy writer, a dance writer. We had more education and theatre writers and
all those positions have gone away. And so everything eventually found its way to me. The reason I am saying this is because during all these bad times these agencies need more help and I am trying to get the word out. When things get good again – and I am counting on that they will – the agencies won’t need me as much. Wow, I am going to have some space to fill.” But Pizarro has a new audience and it is online. Social media allows him to express himself more freely, without space limitations. He can even crack jokes. “Twitter and Facebook are interesting,” agrees Pizarro. “This is maybe where eventually the crotchety old man will come out one day, but I still feel like its better for me to get in someone’s event or an extra few names than to make some joke that I’d have no problem making on Twitter or Facebook.” Take last Friday night, for instance. Pizarro was covering a fundraising gala. “I was one of the few guys wearing a tie because it was all venture capitalists and they are all in shirts and sport coats looking hip. That’s what I was tweeting about. ‘Man, I am the only one wearing a tie.’ Or ‘MC Hammer’s here.’ So I am tweeting all these things but none of that got into my column because that’s not about their organization, it’s just me making funny asides. I hope at some point we have someone covering their event and writing a story about what they do, and then I don’t have to carry that weight and I can say okay, here’s what was fun about that. They had the most crazy expensive scotch I’ve ever seen at an event. They made fun of Jack Dorsey for wearing jeans by pointing out that Reed Hoffman from LinkedIn didn’t.” “I don’t miss writing about gossip that much, but who knows, if I do this job for another twenty years, I may have a lot more bile,” says Pizarro. “I may just start writing about all these youngsters who are who knows doing what... I can’t imagine what this place is going to be like 20 years from now.” With any luck, he will be a little more crotchety but still bringing his positive message to a new generation of readers in San Jose and beyond. mercurynews.com/sal-pizarro twitter.com/spizarro
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Silicon
Valley Multi-Millionaire
needs a date There is a guy in my neighborhood who says he is interested in getting married. He was in some long-term relationships, but they did not work out. He has a lot of money, started three or four businesses that took off, and made some very good investments. He’s an engineer, has a couple of patents, hangs out in southern France, loves wines but works out, and stays fit. He buys art and enjoys theater. He is, you know, balanced. Written by April Halberstadt Photography by Daniel Garcia
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should mention he spent some time in the Army and may have some PTSD issues, but nothing too awful. He grew up and went to school back East but his last girlfriend did not want to move. Did I say he has a lot of money? He hangs with some high level people and the President (you know who) visited him on his last trip West. Call me if you know someone who might be interested. Okay, I lied. This person has been dead for over 100 years so he is not really interested in a date, but everything else I said is true. His name was Henry Morris Naglee and at one time he owned most of downtown San Jose. He was born and raised in Philadelphia but owned all the land from Coyote Creek to the Rose Garden, which is why the street is named Naglee Avenue. There are two more Naglee Streets in California, one in San Francisco and one near Stockton. Naglee also owned substantial property in both places Henry Morris Naglee came to San Jose in 1847, before California statehood, and was probably the first real engineer in Santa Clara Valley. Naglee got his credential from the US Military Academy at West Point, the earliest engineering school in America. His first job after graduation
“He even sent one letter with a nude sketch of himself doing pushups over his bathtub. It is still a very hot drawing.”
was in an emerging technology, railroads. He planned to marry and life seemed full of promise. Naglee developed an engineering solution that allowed the wheels of railroad cars to regulate themselves during turns and won the prestigious Scott Legacy Medal from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute. About this time, he was recruited by an old West Point friend to take charge of recruits coming to California. Known as Stevenson’s Brigade, three ships of military volunteers sailed around the Horn for California, landing in San Francisco in the spring of 1847. Naglee was certainly in the right place at the right time. Gold was discovered early in 1848. Experienced with international currencies after
working in his father’s wholesale business, he opened an exchange house in San Francisco. Historians consider this the first bank in California and he used it to make a substantial fortune. A year later the bank closed, but he continued his real estate business, lending money on mortgages. He bought two large parcels of land in downtown San Jose which he sold to investors from San Francisco. Naglee bought a 30,000 acre rancho near Stockton and raised cattle. He also bought the American Theater in San Francisco, an early venue for serious plays and readings. Sometime in late 1858, he attended a theater party and met actress Mary Schell. It was love at first sight and the two spent six passionate months together.
In June of 1859, Naglee went home to Philadelphia to visit his dying mother. He began writing to Mary, “Ma Chere Petite” and “Dearest Darlingest Sweetest Baby.” He even sent one letter with a nude sketch of himself doing pushups over his bathtub. It is still a very hot drawing. Commissioned as a Brigadier General in the Civil War, he wrote passionate notes from the field. He foolishly included comments about his commanding officers and his opinions regarding the political situation in Washington. When Naglee returned to San Francisco in 1864, he discovered that Mary had other admirers. So he wrote a brief final letter that begins, “Dear Friend.” Then he announced his engagement to Marie Antoinette Ringgold. Miss Ringgold was half his age and had impeccable social credentials; she was a descendant of President James Monroe. Mary Schell was furious. She contacted Naglee, threatened a breach of promise suit and asked for $5,000. She threatened to publish his letters. He refused to pay and so she had them printed. As a result, his reputation has been assured. His many contributions to California agriculture and commerce are forgotten; his love life, however, remains in memory. Naglee went on to marry Marie Antoinette and had two daughters, but his wife died after four years. He remained single until his death in 1886.
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Audre Van Broers BOLO Vintage Audrey Mendoza Justina Downs Intertwine Hair Design Michelle Alexandra Rebecca & Holly Sarah Swell Bolos Warren White
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Photography Mo gorjestani____Model: Antrom Kury Shirts: CJJQ Clothing facebook.com/cjjqclothing cjjqclothing.com
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Daniel Garcia & Khiem Hoang Cythnia Chaidez Jennifer Toy Chloe Lomeli & Katrina Carroll Umbrella Salon Models Melissa Chaidez, Ethan Dong & Gerika Ramirez hmm.com Clothes Amour Vert Amourvert.com
Photography Styling Make-up Hair
Amour Vert is an eco-conscious fashion house based in the San Francisco Bay Area founded on the belief that the modern woman shouldn’t have to sacrifice style or price for sustainability. Amour Vert uses organic and sustainable fabrics, low impact dyes, employ a design philosophy to minimize waste and manufacture in the USA. Thank you Andre for the use of the VW Bus. Drew Dress by Amour Vert $99 Bracelets from Urban Outfitters $18
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Mary Dress by Amour Vert $99
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Mary Dress by Amour Vert $99
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Ivy Dress by Amour Vert $184 Mosaic Print & Water Print Shoes by Carlos Santana
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Cultivator’s Notes San Jose always has plenty to offer for entraintment and activities but summer provides
Contributors April Halberstad April has been a resident of Naglee Park since 1973. She is a research historian with ten books published on topics ranging from railroad depots and vintage tractors to bungalows- her current project is a history of Naglee Park. She is married with four children and four grand-children. Pg. 46.
JENNIFER ELIAS Jennifer Elias is a writer and editor covering fashion and media from New York, Los Angeles to her hometown of San Jose. A Senior Journalism student at San Jose State University, Jennifer hopes to continue the conversation between fashion and social media while supporting the local arts scene of San Jose.
LARRY LUNA Larry Luna has been drawing as long as he can remember. Born in San Jose, he has done illustrations for underground comics, online comics, concert posters, album covers, T-shirts, business cards and fliers advertising just about everything. He lives in Campbell with his wife, a small dog and a cat when it remembers to come home. www.larryluna.com
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BRANDING 4.3 SAN JOSE 2012
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