11.13.2023

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Today’s Forecast

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

🐭 From royalty to pizza rat

The wild history of Tully Road’s Chuck E. Cheese

The infamously haunted Chuck E. Cheese at Tully + 101. | Photo by Benny Villareal

While stuck in traffic on Northbound 101 through South San Jose, it’s hard to miss Tully Road’s most infamous landmark: the three massive, multi-story windows topped with sloping, pointy skylights — and the 30-ft-tall statue of Chuck E. Cheese.

It might be hard to imagine the building as anything other than the home of quirky animatronics + hard to digest pizza, but originally, it housed the Magic Village Toy Store. Let’s dive into the decades before it housed the iconic kids’ entertainment space.

👑 The man behind the toy store

To a certain generation of San Joseans, the name “King Norman” will elicit vivid memories of Saturday mornings, bowls of cereal, and yearnings for the latest and greatest toys.

From 1954 to 1961, The King Norman Show ran on KGO-TV and featured Norman Rosenberg — the man behind the original SF-based Norman’s Kingdom of Toys + later, San Jose’s Magic Village Toy Store.

Before Chuck E. Cheese waved to passing cars, the three massive, multi-story windows of the Tully Road location housed towering toy soldiers.

Though details behind the close of business are scarce, the toy store only lived on from 1974 to the late 1970s when a man named Nolan Bushnell came along.

A Google Maps screenshot of the Tully Road Chuck E. Cheese. — Wave hello to the 30-ft Chuck E. Cheese off Highway 101.
|
Screenshot via Google Maps

🕹️ The Atari connection

Nolan Bushnell was the inventor of the video game Pong and co-founder of legendary video game company Atari. Bushnell’s original vision was to create a “family place” providing good food and entertainment for all ages. He opened the very first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater on South Winchester Boulevard in 1977 (currently the site of Santana Row).

When Bushnell purchased and converted the Magic Toy Village off Tully Road, it became one of the most well-known Chuck E. Cheese location in the Bay Area — and the 30-ft fiberglass mascot in the window became the world’s largest rat. Three stories of pizza, video games + animatronic musical theatre.

Do you have fond memories of Chuck E. Cheese?

Let us know

Asked

If you could revive any now-defunct San Jose play-place, which would it be?

A. Discovery Zone
B. Raging Waters
C. Nickel City

Vote here

Events

Monday, Nov. 13

Trivia Night | Monday, Nov. 13 | 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, Nov. 13 | 8 p.m. | Tabard Theatre, 29 N. San Pedro St., Ste. 200, San Jose | Free | Catch the last show of the season with hosts Mighty Mike McGee + Ato Walker, featuring a segment by City Editors Alyson + Gregg.
“The Barber of Seville” | Monday, Nov. 13-Wednesday, Nov. 15 | Times vary | California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose | $55-$195 | This perennial favorite tells the story of barber Figaro and his quest to ensure true love wins.

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Tully Night Market | Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Tully Community Ballfields, 800 Tully Rd., San Jose | Free | This fall market is back with gourmet food trucks, local vendors, and live entertainment.
Karaoke Night | Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 8-11:45 p.m. | Renegades Bar, 501 W. Taylor St., San Jose | Free | Enjoy local talent or step up to the mic yourself at this weekly event.
San Jose Sharks vs. Florida Panthers | Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose | $21-$422 | The Sharks are hoping to make up for their 1-3 loss against the Panthers in October.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

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News Notes

Weather

It’s beginning to look a lot like the rainy season… Starting tonight and continuing through the rest of the week, expect light to moderate rain in the forecast, with the heaviest downfalls happening Tuesday. Meteorologists are expecting rain in excess of one inch through Friday. (NBC Bay Area)

Real Estate

Modera The Alameda, an apartment complex near the SAP Center, could be converted into affordable homes, pending City Council approval. The project calls for 34 residential units to be set aside for people making 50% of the area’s median income, and 134 units restricted to 80% of the area’s median income. (The Mercury News)

Try This

Tipsy Putt celebrates its grand opening this Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 310 McKinley Ave. in Sunnyvale. The new space features a variety of lawn games including cornhole, Duffleboard, and of course, mini golf. Definitely an un-fore-gettable date night idea.

Jobs

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters hosted a two-day job fair last week. Officials are hoping to hire ~3,000 people to fill positions related to next year’s primary and general elections. All roles pay between $20-$22 per hour. You can apply online or on the phone. (NBC Bay Area)

Sports

The Sharks may have ended their nearly record-breaking losing streak, but their rebuilding plan still has a long way to go. Last week, the team acquired Calen Addison from the Minnesota Wild, and hopes he will fill the need for a versatile defenseman who can take advantage of power plays. (The Mercury News)

Open

Square Pie Guys is now a vendor at DoorDash Kitchens at The Plant. They’ll offer 30% off first-time orders of $20 or more through Thursday, Nov. 30. Not in the mood for Detroit-style? Check out other local pizzerias to grub at.

Finance

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.*

Trending

It’s here — Oprah’s Favorite Things list, just in time for the holidays. We’re seeing: luxury flaky sea salt, all-weather boots, fleece robes, and a baked brie board.*

Asked

🏇 Colt it be a carryover from SJ’s history?

#Asked: Why are these San Jose streets named after racehorses?

On the left, a Google Street View screenshot showing the intersection between Seabiscuit Dr., and Gallant Fox Ave., and on the left, an image of the original Seabiscuit racehorse with his trainer.

A mystery lies at the corner of Seabiscuit + Gallant Fox. | Photo courtesy of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation

City Editor Gregg here — while driving through the Edenvale neighborhood in south San Jose, I noticed a few streets with some unique names. Whirlaway? Phar Lap? Gallant Fox? After doing a little digging, it became apparent that they’re named after legendary racehorses.

Sure, some street names in San Jose are self-explanatory — First Street is the first designated street in San Jose, and Main Street is generally designated as the main thoroughfare through the city.

But, why are these streets named after racehorses?

Let’s lay out what we know:

Many Edenvale streets contain names pertaining to the Hayes Mansion.
There are no known historical horse tracks at the Hayes Mansion.
The Hayes family was particularly famous for the area’s production of fruit, but not for horses or horseracing.
None of the horses were from San Jose.

We’ll update the story as soon as we know more, but let us know if you’ve got any leads.

The Buy

The Buy 11.13.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

This best-selling women’s pea coat you can wear with anything. We’re liking colors camel and khaki.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Gregg

From the editor

The rainy season is coming to San Jose with a vengeance this week. Which means it’s time to dust off the ‘ol Dutch Oven and cackle like a bog creature over a simmering stew or two. Do you have a favorite homemade soup recipe? Let me know.

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