September 11, 2023

Today’s Forecast

80º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:03 a.m. | Sunset: 6:49 p.m.

📟 Feeling nostalgic about the ‘90s

An aerial view of downtown San Jose on a postcard.

Does downtown’s skyline look any different today? | Photo via History San José

At the end of the second millenium, grunge + hip-hop took over the radio stations, “Titanic” became the first billion dollar box office hit, and the internet was in its infant days — but what was going on in the great 408 at the time?

We’re back with another decade of San Jose’s history, and this time, we’re traveling back to the 1990s.

📈 Population: 782,225
🗳️ Mayors: Tom McEnery (1983-1991), Susan Hammer (1991-1999)

An early sketch design of the most recent Terminal A construction. — An early drawing of San Jose Mineta Airport’s Terminal A.
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Photo via History San José

1990 — San Jose Mineta Airport’s new Terminal A opened.

1991 — The San Jose Sharks began play at the Cow Palace. Moffett Field hosted the Navy Air Show, attracting one million people. Construction began on the San Jose Arena (now-SAP Center).

1992 — Mark’s Hot Dogs became a San Jose Historical Landmark. The Chinmaya Mission San Jose was founded.

1993 — The now-SAP Center opened. San Jose Mercury News hosted its 16th Annual 10K Race & 5K Walk. Plaza Park was renamed Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The historic Fallon House opened to the public.

A San Jose postcard from the 1990s showing the SAP Center + Diridon Station. — This image of Diridon Station was on a 1990s-era postcard.
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Photo via History San Jose

1994 — The Southern Pacific Depot was restored + renamed Diridon Station. The Plumed Serpent was installed at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Steve Harwell (RIP) + drummer Kevin Coleman founded Smash Mouth.

1995 — The Guadalupe River flooded Highway 87 Santa Clara Street underpass, submerging landmarks like the SAP Center, De Anza Hotel, and Henry’s Hi-Life in about ~4 ft of water.

1996 — The San Jose Clash played its inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) season.

1997 — The Portuguese Historical Museum opened. Disney’s “Flubber,” which starred Robin Williams and included scenes of San Jose State + the Rose Garden neighborhood, was released.

1998 — The Tech Interactive opened. History San José was incorporated as an independent nonprofit.

1999 — MLS renamed Clash as the San Jose Earthquakes. Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, Barry Manilow, and the Backstreet Boys held concerts at the then-San Jose Arena.

Asked

What was the best-selling single of the 1990s?

A. “Believe” by Cher
B. “Candle in the Wind/Something About The Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John
C. “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans
D. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

Test your knowledge

Events

Monday, Sept. 11

Trivia Night | Monday, Sept. 11 | 6:30 p.m. | Park Station Hashery, 1701 Park Ave., San Jose | Free | Grab a team of up to six at this weekly event hosted by local comedians.
Sculpt and Vinyasa Flow | Monday, Sept. 11 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Jiaren Cafe, 1171 Homestead Rd., Ste. 140A, Santa Clara | $20-$160 | Learn basic breathing techniques, poses, and mindfulness at this all-levels yoga class.

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Savour: A Discovery of Livermore Valley Premier Wines | Tuesday, Sept. 12 | 4-6 p.m. | Blanco Urban Venue, 12 N. San Pedro St., San Jose | $50 | Learn and sip wines from one of California’s oldest wine regions.
Pentatonix: The World Tour | Tuesday, Sept. 12 | 7 p.m. | Shoreline Amphitheatre, 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View | $29.50-$447 | Get ready to hear all the pop hits from this a capella group, featuring special guest Lauren Alaina.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Fairgrounds Live | Wednesday, Sept. 13 | 1 p.m. | Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose | Free | Enjoy food trucks, a beer garden, yard games, and music from The Hit Men.
San Jose Showcase | Wednesday, Sept. 13 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $5 | Step right up to the open mic and show us what you’ve got.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Development

A proposed office tower dubbed Icon may become a housing highrise instead. The plan for 650 multifamily units would sprout up at 147 E. Santa Clara St., next to a previously approved Urban Catalyst apartment tower. City officials have yet to review the change. (The Mercury News)

Health

Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department will get more than $11 million from the Centers for Disease and Prevention to fund opioid data collection, substance abuse treatment, and overdose prevention. A long-term goal is to distribute naxalone kits — to reverse overdoses — to VTA centers. (San José Spotlight)

Community

Following Sunday’s Viva CalleSJ event, San Jose City Council may cut back on the program + the Viva Parks initiative to re-balance the city’s budget following the city workers strike last month. The council would cut one of three events + take away 25% of the Viva Parks outdoor activations. (The Mercury News)

Civic

San Jose City Council is looking to secure a final piece of land for the 2.17-mile Five Wounds Trail — a pathway that will allow residents to access the BART extension in Little Portugal. The project will be voted on tomorrow, and if approved, could be completed by 2031. (The Mercury News)

Plan Ahead

Luna Park’s Chalk Art Festival is returning this Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Backesto Park. Browse 250+ chalk art pieces and enjoy live music, dance performances, food trucks, and vendor booths. Get a sneak peek of what to expect this year.

Transit

BART will begin cutting its 30-minute wait times on nights + weekends starting today, with the expectation of boosting evening service by 50%. The transit agency will also shorten the size of lesser-packed trains and use new trains daily + legacy cars for special events.

Drink

Ready, set, sip. Whiskies of the World, the largest whiskey-tasting tour in the country, is coming to town (Hayes Mansion, 200 Edenvale Ave.) on Sunday, Sept. 24. This showcase features 100+ expressions of the most prized scotches, craft bourbons, newly-recognized American single malts, and unique whiskies from around the globe. Snag tickets.*

Food

🌮 Now this is something to taco ‘bout

It’s always taco time. | Photo via @tostadas.sj

According to a recent ranking from Real Estate Witch, San Jose is the No. 2 top city for tacos — trailing behind Austin, Texas. Woah.

The ranking was based on several factors:

Taco spots per 100,000 residents
Average Yelp star rating
Average cost of taco supplies
Average number of taco spots per square mile

California had three other cities in the top 15: San Diego (No. 5), Los Angeles (No. 6), and Sacramento (No. 13).

Now, for our biggest question — what do you think of the ranking?

While you’re pondering that, we suggest clicking the button below for an itinerary to get a well-rounded look at our taco town — then get back to us.

In queso you need a refresher

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Alyson

From the editor

I’m a ‘90s baby — can you guess what year I was born? Michael + Emily were the most popular names that year, and I was almost an Emily. I’m glad I wasn’t... I love having a name no one can spell and is never found on keychains.

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