10.30.2023

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Today’s Forecast

57º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. | Sunset: 5:06 p.m.

(Re) Introducing...

Meet your SJtoday editors

Gregg is wearing a black sweatshirt over a blue button-down flannel. He's wearing a baseball cap. Alyson is wearing a green and blue button-down flannel. They're both smiling, and standing back-to-back in front of a coffee shop with their arms folded across their chests.

Oh, hey there. | Photo by SJtoday Staff

Hey San Jose, Alyson Chuyang + Gregg Aronica here. Between the two of us, we get the privilege of sharing local news, events, and conversations with 57,000+ readers in San Jose here, and on our socials.

If you’ve been a reader for a while, you may recognize Alyson. But, you might have noticed that we’ve got a new face on the team — so after nearly two years of bringing you SJtoday, we thought we should formally introduce (or re-introduce) ourselves.

City Editor Alyson poses infront of two large "SJ" letters at 408 Day. — City Editor Alyson celebrated 408 Day this year at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
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Photo by SJtoday staff

🥑 Meet Alyson

Q: What’s something every new San Josean oughta know about?
A: Our city has growing pains, but there’s a large community who strives to keep our small town culture alive. Make the effort to go out and explore new restaurants, various pop-up fairs, nightclubs, and more around town — and then come back to me when you feel like there’s “nothing to do in San Jose.”

Gregg stands for a selfie in front of a giant, inflatable Viva Calle SJ sign in the SoFA district in San Jose. He's wearing a colorful face-mask and hat, and he's making a peace sign with his left hand. — City Editor Gregg at Viva Calle SJ
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Photo by SJtoday Staff

🌲 Meet Gregg

Q: If you could only write about one San Jose-specific topic for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: Most likely anything about the weird history of any San Jose landmark. Almost any business native to San Jose has a fascinating history — and if you spend any amount of time researching, it’ll open up new questions and give you the most bizarre answers. Start me on a Fry’s Electronics rabbit hole and you may regret it five hours later.

Between the two of us, we get the privilege of sharing the news with thousands of readers in San Jose, daily — both through our newsletter + social feeds. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just subscribed today (welcome, btw), we appreciate you + look forward to many more years in your inbox.

Learn more about your editors

Events

Monday, Oct. 30

Trivia Night | Monday, Oct. 30 | 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.
Off Nite | Monday, Oct. 30 | 8 p.m. | Tabard Theatre, 29 N. San Pedro St., Ste. 200, San Jose | Free | Put a little weekend into your Monday with hosts Mighty Mike McGee + Ato Walker, featuring a segment by City Editor Gregg.

Tuesday, Oct. 31

Trick or Treat on the Hallowmeda | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Alameda, between Rhodes Court and Magnolia Street, San Jose | Free | Trick or treat + enjoy storytime with your little goblins at businesses along the Alameda.
Tully Night Market | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Tully Community Ballfields, 800 Tully Rd., San Jose | Free | This fall market features gourmet food trucks, local vendors, and live entertainment.
Monster Bash! | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 7 p.m. | 3Below Theaters and Lounge, 288 S. Second St., San Jose | $25 | All treats, no tricks at this fiendishly fun, all-ages Halloween show.

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Reading to Furry Friends | Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 4 p.m. | San Jose Library: Almaden Branch, 6455 Camden Ave., San Jose | Free | Children are invited to practice reading with trained service dogs beside them.
What the Blank Trivia | Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 8 p.m. | Renegades Bar, 501 W. Taylor St., San Jose | Free | Enjoy this weekly night of drag performances from rotating hosts with fun prizes + good drinks.
“Ain’t Too Proud” | Through Sunday, Nov. 5 | Times vary | San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose | $39-$104 | Catch this electrifying smash-hit Broadway musical following the life + times of The Temptations.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Sports

San Jose Sharks legend Joe Thornton announced Saturday that he is officially retired from professional hockey. Jumbo’s 15-year run with San Jose ended in 2020 with a trade to Toronto. He’s 6th in NHL history for number of games played (1714), and holds the Sharks’ record for total assists (804). (NBC Bay Area)

Real Estate

Word on the street: An eagle-eyed Redditor noticed a new development near Costco on East Capitol Expressway. According to official permits submitted to the city, the site is zoned for a new Costco gas station and Raising Canes restaurant. The timeline for the project is not immediately known.

Opening

Renowned host of PBS’ “Plates & Places” chef Joanne Weir has opened her first South Bay restaurant in Willow Glen. Copita Tequileria y Comida opens at the corner of Willow Street and Lincoln Avenue this evening at 5 p.m. for rooftop views and tequila. Check out the menu. (The Mercury News)

Development

San Jose City Council gave final approval for new homes and a village center at Communications Hill. The plan includes 505 apartments, ~800 residential units, and over 30,000 sqft of commercial space — with the potential of a wine bar. No word on when they plan to break ground. (The Mercury News)

Number

$375 million. That’s how much funding the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is adding to BART’s South Bay extension into downtown San Jose. VTA will request an additional $6 billion in 2024, which will round out the total cost of $12.2 billion. The project is expected to break ground in 2025. (NBC Bay Area)

Trending

Fixer-upper. A home in Vista Park is turning heads for its unique listing on Zillow. The 2,743-sqft, two-story home is on sale for $1.5 million (just above the area’s median sale price), but is notable for having been raided by the FBI for illicit activities in March. The property is currently condemned. (NBC Bay Area)

Coming Soon:

Urban Putt, a new experimental mini-golf course, will be opening in the former Camera 12 Cinema downtown this December. The 13,000 sqft course will feature popular San Jose landmarks, such as the Lick Observatory + the Winchester Mystery House, and an ode to the San Jose Sharks. (San José Spotlight)

Finance

$300 is the new $200. This card is offering a rare $300 welcome bonus, and bonuses like that don’t come around that often. That’s why thousands are lining up for it. Learn more and apply.*

Beauty

Looking for an unbelievably close shave? Try Meridian Trimmers, engineered to empower individuals of all genders to achieve flawless grooming. Get 15% off a one-time purchase with code “6AM.”*

Biz

From burgers to apartments

Kirk’s closes Campbell location to make way for housing project

Slinging meaty burgers since 1948. | Photo via @iamdavethewave

Talk about a “flip.”

Last week, Kirk’s Steakburgers in Campbell suddenly announced it would be closing — and the last day of operation was yesterday, Oct. 29. But don’t worry, the restaurant is moving down the street, not closing for good.

A sign at the entrance confirms the new location will replace the former Grill ‘Em restaurant (2509 S. Bascom Ave.) — but a reopening timeline is still uncertain.

Kirk’s owner Julian Mollo, sold the land to a San Diego-based developer for over $1.6 million.

The new building, dubbed Dry Creek Crossing, will add 65 affordable apartments for those making between 30-70% of Santa Clara County’s median income ($126,000).

The move, according to Kirk’s manager Maurice Carrubba, was sudden — permits from the city were expedited as a part of the ongoing effort to reach San Jose’s affordable housing goals. He told us that the move to the new building is still pending, and that no changes to staffing are expected.

We’ll keep you updated as the project develops.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Gregg

From the editor

I’m not saying I don’t look forward to Halloween every year. But I’m not not saying I’m excited for November 1st, otherwise known as “buy all the discount candy and decorations from the clearance aisle” day.

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