You can’t miss the mint green + burgundy sign of Original Joe’s in downtown. | Photo via @signmonger
San Jose is almost always experiencing rapid development. While all of that is new and exciting, we want to shed light on local establishments that have served the San Jose community for 65+ years — quite impressive with our changing scene, no?
(Psst... We’d love to make this a living list, so if you know of a business to add, send us a tip.)
Normandin’s is one of the oldest businesses still operating on the east side.
Normandin | Est. 1875
This dealership’s roots date back to the days of the horse-and-buggy. Founder Amable Normandin was a blacksmith + sleigh-maker and opened the shop to construct buggies — an original, built in 1882, is still on site. The business has now seen five generations of Normandins.
The GrandView Restaurant | Est. 1884
The GrandView originally opened as a hotel + tavern for the Mt. Hamilton Stage Coach, which took trips from SJ to James Lick Observatory. Over the years, technical advances + natural disasters closed it down, but it rose as a restaurant, honoring the same name, in 1957.
Cirque du Soleil: “ECHO” | Thursday, April 17-Sunday, May 11 | Times vary | Under the Big Top | $76 | This production explores the connection between humans and the animal kingdom through the story of Future and her best friend Ewai.
Friday, April 18
Plant Party | 5-9 p.m. | Garden at the Flea | Free | Peruse a wide selection of rare and exotic plants alongside food trucks and live music while supporting Berryessa Night Market.
Saturday, April 19
RnB Brunch & Day Party | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Mama Kin | The vibe is always right at this brunch featuring Cajun Creole dishes and good music.
23rd Annual Bunnies and Bonnets Easter Parade | 12 p.m. | E. Campbell Ave. and N. First St., Campbell | Free | This annual holiday tradition features marching bands, dancers, and community groups; the route starts at downtown Campbell’s east end and runs along Campbell Avenue to Third Street.
Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 7:30 p.m. | PayPal Park | $22 | It’s Country Night — expect a musical performance by Clayton along with a mechanical bull, an arts + crafts station for the kids, and a Hobby Horse competition at halftime.
Opera San José presents “Zorro” | Saturday, April 19 + Sunday, April 20 | Times vary | California Theatre | $58+ | Opera San José will conclude its 41st season with this tale of romance + sword-fighting set in the early 1800s.
Monday, April 21
SJSU Music: Spring Choral Concert | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Music Building, 176 | $9+ | Five, six, seven, eight: This evening of choral music features SJSU’s treble choir, glee club, and acapella groups The Spartan Stella and Spartones.
Tuesday, April 22
Tully Night Market | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Tully Community Ballfields | Free | This spring market is back with gourmet food trucks, local vendors, and live entertainment.
“SIX: The Musical” | Tuesday, April 22-Sunday, April 27 | 7:30 p.m. | San Jose Center for the Performing Arts | $44+ | This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they take the mic to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of girl power.
Wednesday, April 23
Andre Kim | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv | $32 | This comic from Queens has been the opening act for big names like Louis CK, Dave Attell, and Artie Lange.
The District 3 City Council race is headed to a runoff on Tuesday, June 24. Frontrunner Gabby Chavez-Lopez led the votes in the most recent election, followed by Anthony Tordillos, who surpassed Matthew Quevedo by one vote. Find a voting center near you. (The Mercury News)
Outdoors
San Jose City Council unanimously approved a plan to redevelop Columbus Park and remove the camp that has been used by people who are houseless for several years. Plans for the park include new facilities for soccer, pickleball, futsal, and basketball. Construction is expected to start in 2026. (The Mercury News)
Community
San Jose broke ground on the city’s first safe sleeping site, a campground set aside for people experiencing homelessness. The lot at 1157 E. Taylor St. will provide showers, laundry facilities, and three daily meals, and be equipped with security + case managers to help connect people to temporary housing. (San José Spotlight)
Coming Soon
Chicken, but make it fancy. Café Vivant, a restaurant specializing in locally raised heritage chicken, will open in Menlo Park alongside Somm Cellars, a fine wine shop. Executive Chef Jered Wentworth has collected a total 17 Michelin stars over his 30-year career, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for reservations. (The Mercury News)
Sports
The Valkyries will have some new faces on the court next season. In addition to No. 5 pick Justė Jocytė, the WNBA team drafted Shyanne Sellers (No. 17) and Kaitlyn Chen (No. 30). Preseason games begin next month — get tickets. (FOX KTVU)
Number
$75.2 million. That’s how much social network giant LinkedIn paid for an office building in Sunnyvale. In total, the two-story building spans nearly 12,000 sqft on a seven-acre lot. (The Mercury News)
Business
The CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association Alex Stettinski has left his role after three years to “pursue his next professional chapter.” The association represents more than 2,000 local businesses, nonprofits, and property owners. (San Jose Spotlight)
Calling all small business owners. Features in our 2025 Parents Gift Guide are now 20% off. Secure a spot for your business’s product or service by using code PGG2025 at checkout.
Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around.
Test your local knowledge with these interesting facts.
San Jose laws limit owners to five licensed animals total — and no more than three dogs. Yes, two dogs and three cats is okay, five cats are fine, but don’t dare break the law with two dogs and four cats.
Meet Mineta International Airport’s largest VIP: Tai the elephant — who shut down the airport for three days. She and actor Bill Murray filmed a scene inside Terminal C for the 1996 film, “Larger Than Life.”
Things invented in San Jose: floppy disks, Eggo waffles, hard disk drives, The Wave. San Jose is one of the metro areas with the highest number of patents per capita.
Your turn. Think you can get one over on us? Let us knowyour favorite local trivia tidbit and you just might make it into the newsletter.
Really cute waterdrop earrings, with one pair of gold and one pair of silver for $12.99. The minimalist earrings hug ears + look heavy while feeling surprisingly lightweight.
There were a couple of other interesting little facts about San Jose that I came across while researching for the City Guide up there that I will now share.
San Jose is at the same latitude as Seoul, South Korea and Sicily, Italy.
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