Morning walks are alleged to be invigorating. However a current stroll I took round downtown San Jose this week was somewhat miserable. Sauntering over to the previous Lawrence Lodge on San Fernando Road, I paid my respects on a grim anniversary — 4 years since a devastating hearth hollowed out the historic constructing on Jan. 7, 2021.
A colorfully painted, lined pedestrian walkway was put in final yr, changing an unsightly chain-link fence that blocked the sidewalk in entrance of the 1893 constructing for 3 years. Now, at the least, folks can stroll between Second and Third streets with out being pressured into the bike line.
Little else appears to have been completed. All that’s left of Cinebar is the signal, a deteriorating tombstone memorializing San Jose’s most well-known dive bar, a joint that anchored that stretch for almost a century. Social Woman, a wine and cocktail lounge geared toward a feminine viewers, was solely open for 2 years earlier than the fireplace; its signal has been hanging up over an empty area for twice as lengthy.
The Ionic columns of the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist constructing in San Jose, Calif., are as soon as once more seen, Tuesday, August 29, 2023, as Arturo Alvarez and Andres Ramirez of BrandSafway Scaffolding take away the protecting overlaying that has obscured the historic 1905-era constructing for almost 5 years. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group) (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
And this is only one of many blighted buildings downtown which have turn into eyesores. You’ve received the previous Bo City restaurant on South Second Road, which was torched twice final yr, the leftover particles of two twice-burned homes on North Fourth Road, and the charred stays of one other unoccupied constructing on North thirteenth Road. (As a property proprietor, town of San Jose isn’t innocent both, with burned buildings on West St. John Road that have to be handled.)
That’s not even stepping into the buildings which can be simply boarded up, in some circumstances — like the previous Emile’s restaurant or the First Church of Christ, Scientist — for a decade or extra.
Now, we all know lots of these websites are deliberate for improvement and that improvement is ready on financing or attempting to hurdle different obstacles. Homeowners are being incentivized by fines and different strategies to get one thing completed, I’m instructed. However the clock is ticking: Downtown San Jose is hoping to attract lots of out-of-town guests in 2026 with the Tremendous Bowl and World Cup video games at Levi’s Stadium.
Wouldn’t or not it’s nice in the event that they didn’t should navigate round burned-out buildings?
IT’S A WONDERFUL SCHEDULE: Alright, it seems to be like one in every of my humorous predictions for 2025 is already dashed. Seems, the Stanford Theatre isn’t switching to an all Instagram video program subsequent month however is as a substitute beginning a Frank Capra pageant this weekend that’ll run by way of mid-February.
The tribute to the flicks’ maestro of Americana opens with a double characteristic of 1937’s “Lost Horizon” and 1932’s “The Bitter Tea of General Yen” on Jan. 10-12 and can proceed with classics together with “It Happened One Night” (Jan. 25-26), “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (Feb. 1-2) and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Feb. 13-16). As a particular deal with, the nice Dennis James can be on the Stanford’s Mighty Wurlitzer for a pair of silent movies from 1928, “That Certain Thing” on Jan. 18, and “Power of the Press” on Jan. 19.
Get the total schedule at www.stanfordtheatre.org.
ALL THAT JAZZ: The climate’s a bit heat for January, however San Jose Jazz’s Winter Collection arrives this weekend to make downtown San Jose just a little extra cool. Musically, at the least. Guitarist Mason Razavi, a Leigh Weimers Rising Artists Award recipient in 2022, will begin it off performing tunes from his upcoming album, “Even Keel,” with an organ quartet Friday night time on the SJZ Break Room at South First and San Carlos streets.
Skylar Tang, an 18-year-old trumpet participant and composer, will maintain the great vibes on the Break Room occurring Saturday night time. Take a look at the collection lineup and get tickets at www.sanjosejazz.org/occasions.
