Plus, why San Jose homeowners are so unhappy.
 
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57º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. | Sunset: 5:06 p.m.
 

🏘️ Measure A paving the way in San Jose

Three new housing developments approved for San Jose
Rendering of a six story residential building, with white and grey siding, and brown balconies and trim, along an empty street. There are trees along the street.
The six affordable housing projects will be mostly funded through the Measure A Affordable Housing Bond. | Photo courtesy Santa Clara County
Affordable housing is still one of the biggest challenges in the Bay Area. The average rent in San Jose is ~$3,021 — over twice the national average of $1,372 — and many San Joseans struggle with rents that eat up over a third of their monthly income.

To combat this, Santa Clara County + the city of San Jose have paved the way for many new projects that could change the affordability landscape over the next several years.

The Santa Clara County Board of supervisors approved ~700 new affordable homes in the South Bay last week, which includes three housing sites in San Jose.

Let’s take a look at each project.
  • 5885 Santa Teresa Blvd. | Sakamoto | 49 units | A three-story development will be constructed in the Plaza del Rey shopping center, where a Round Table currently sits.
  • 525 N. Capitol Ave. | Mayglen-Little Rock | 160 units | This five-story development will overtake a vacant lot to accommodate supportive housing, with a focus on veterans who are unhoused.
  • 1371 Kooser Rd. | Calderwood-Dellwood | 191 units | The six-story development will be constructed at the site of a former Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, with 30 units set aside for permanent supportive housing.
All of the Santa Clara County projects will total $47.4 million, with Measure A funding $36.1 million of that cost. The timelines on all of these projects are still unclear.
 
Events
Monday, Dec. 11
  • Winterfest | Through Sunday, Dec. 31 | 4-10 p.m. | California’s Great America, 4701 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara | $19.99-$54.99 | Enjoy the immersive holiday event featuring Santa’s workshop, Bay Area’s tallest Christmas tree, and holiday food + drink specials.
  • Fantasy of Lights | Through Saturday, Dec. 30 | 6-10 p.m. | Vasona Lake County Park, 333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos | $30-$ | Drive through over a mile of large, animated displays while listening to your favorite holiday tunes.
  • You-Sing-It “Messiah” | Monday, Dec. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose | $20-$25 | Show off your pipes in your favorite holiday attire and sing along to Christmas classics.
Tuesday, Dec. 12
  • Karaoke Night | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 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. Winnipeg Jets | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 7:30 p.m. | SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose | $21-$422 | See the Sharks continue their comeback streak against the central division’s third-ranked team.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Shop

Add to cart is the best part 🎁
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Graphic by 6AM City
Jingle bells might be ringing, but the clock is also ticking to snag one (or all) of our best-selling items from our online shop Six & Main.

So, what products are flying off of our virtual shelves? Take a look for yourself…
  1. The Savvy Oak Dough Bowl Candle is unique and smells amazing.
  2. Holiday parties just got better with the savory Appalachian Trail Mix.
  3. Glassware featuring our city’s skyline is a festive way to toast to the holidays.
  4. Celebrate the city and state we all love with artwork great for any home or office.
  5. Perfectly curated gift sets are excellent go-to presents for the holidays.
Don’t leave these items in your cart for too long — order by noon on Friday, Dec. 15, for delivery by Monday, Dec. 25.
Get the good stuff
News Notes
Development
  • The development firm that is proposing a hotel across the street from Santana Row is asking City Council to waive height restrictions. Plans for the 176-room hotel at the corner of South Winchester Boulevard + Olin Avenue currently exceed the city’s height restrictions by 20 ft. The project is pending approval. (Silicon Valley Business Journal)
Transit
  • Caltrain unveiled its new plan for electrified service between San Jose + San Francisco, including on-board WiFi and electrical outlets. The upgrade includes an express train which will travel between SJ and SF in less than an hour. The electrification project will be completed in fall 2024.
Legacy
  • Frank Fiscalini — a San Jose leader known as the “Godfather of East Side politics” — died on Friday. Among other accomplishments, Fiscalini helped open new schools on the East Side + restore the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, and sat on the Opera San José board as a founding member. (San José Spotlight)
Trending
  • A San Jose bride-to-be donated her $15,000 reception to Parents Helping Parents, after calling off her wedding last minute. The event was already paid for and no refund possible, so the generous local gifted the entire party — including dinner, dessert, DJ, photo booth + a fireworks display — to the organization. (NBC Bay Area)
Ranked
  • San Jose is the second worst when it comes to homeowners’ happiness, behind San Francisco. The report asked residents to rate their satisfaction with their home + neighborhood, and compared that to the average value of homes. What are most San Josean homeowners dissatisfied with? Noise, crowding, and “weird people.” (San José Spotlight)
Eat
  • Berkeley-based Boichik Bagels opened its first location in the South Bay last week, at the corner of US-101 + Montague Expressway in Santa Clara. The shop has received national recognition for replicating New York-style bagels. We recommend the “Eggything” bagel with chive cream cheese and lox. (The Mercury News)
Plan Ahead
  • If you want to take a break from holiday shows for the lighthearted fun of ABBA… My, my, how can I resist you? The smash-hit jukebox musical “Mamma Mia!” is coming to Broadway San Jose this week, with performances through Saturday, Dec. 17.
Feel Good
  • While walking through Willow Glen’s incredible display of holiday decorations, it’s hard to miss the four enormous reindeer displays. Creator John Montgomery was highlighted on NBC Bay Area last week, and said the idea came from seeing a similar display in Los Gatos + wanting to replicate that with his neighbors. (NBC Bay Area)
 
Seasonal

🎨 Holly, jolly paintings in the park

San Jose muralists add local color to Christmas in the Park
A colorful mural on a green and white backdrop, saying "Maligayang Pasko" surrounded by parol, which are Philippine ornamental lanterns, along with star imagery to celebrate the holiday season.
“Maligayang Pasko” is Tagalog for “Merry Christmas” | Photo courtesy Alyssa Wigant
Muralists are making Christmas in the Park more colorful than ever this year.

Where you’d normally see wooden panels bordering the north side of Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the space has been re-imagined by the non-profit Local Color, who enlisted San Jose artists to create new pieces.

Each new mural offers an intimate look into each artist’s relationship with the holiday season — from the joy of opening a mountain of gifts to a celebration of the artist’s cultural heritage.

The four new murals you can see:
This year marks the first collaboration between the non-profit and Christmas in the Park.

The artwork will be on display through Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

Check out our coverage of other beautiful murals around San Jose.
The Buy

The Buy 12.11.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A stocking stuffer from this unique collection. Think: sleep mist, beard combs, satin scrunchies, and specialty seasoning packs.
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Gregg
From the editor
How late is too late to enjoy a concert? A friend of mine bounced before seeing the headliner at The Ritz on Friday, after the venue announced the band would not take the stage until well past 11 p.m. Would you have stuck it out, or gone home?
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