Superbowl coming to Santa Clara in 2016

The San Jose Mercury News is reporting the San Francisco 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara has been selected to host Super Bowl 50!  That's really exciting news!  Full Story

We are located approx 11 miles from the stadium.  Google Map

Calabazas Library Opening Announced

Yesterday I noticed a banner on the library announcing a grand opening celebration on June 8, 2013 at 11 am.  Great news we can finally expect our neighborhood library to be open in June.  I've been here for 3 years and we've been without a local branch the whole time so I'll be so nice to finally have it open.

San Jose Public Library in October

 San José Public Library has a treat for you ...

Plenty of fun and spooky events await you this month at a library near you. Check the list below for a quick preview of a few of the events you can expect this month.  

All events and exhibits are open to the public and FREE of charge. Enjoy!

Fri, Oct. 26 - Halloween Parade - Join us for our annual Halloween Parade. We will parade throughout the library up to the fourth floor. Come in costume and be prepared to get some nice Halloween treats. This is a fun program for the whole family. 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (Children's Room)

Sat, Oct. 27 - 6th Annual Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique - You won't want to miss this "Spooktacular Family Fun" event! There will be costume parades throughout the day, a haunted hallway, pumpkin patch, story times, bake sale, carnival games, holiday gift shopping and a spooky in Transylvania Town.  11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Almaden Branch Library and Community Center

Sat, Oct. 29 - Spooky Halloween Science - Get ready for Spooky Halloween Science Fun! In this workshop, you will handle slimy worms and learn about their role in decomposition, turn your lab partner into a "mummy", make a witch's potion, concoct Ogre boogers, create a skull mask, and observe a real sheep's brain.   For children ages 5-12.  4 p.m. - Evergreen Branch Library

Tues, Oct. 30 - Halloween Parade - Children wear your Halloween costumes and join us for a fun treat-filled parade through the library. We'll have a balloon artist here to make you a cool balloon animal too! 4 p.m. - Cambrian Branch Library

Wed, Oct. 31 - Halloween Party - Join us for some freaky and exciting carnival games, spooky fun in the Haunted House, a Costume Contest, and a Halloween Sock Puppet craft. Plus, Balloon Artist Marc Gemellos, will be creating fun ballon designs kids can take home. Don't miss out! 4:00 p.m. - Tully Community Branch

For a more extensive list of events visit sjpl.org/calendar and type in keyword "Halloween"

Did you know? San Jose is among the top 5 best cities in the country for trick or treating- According to Zillow, a real estate marketplace website.

New Hotel coming to Cupertino, Summer 2013

Starwood Hotels & Resorts 
Worldwide announced its new 
destination sensation brand, 
Aloft® Hotels, will open a new 
property in Cupertino, 
California in early 2013. Aloft Cupertino will be the third Aloft to 
open in California and its second in Silicon Valley, following the 
opening of Aloft San Francisco Airport in 2012. Owned by a 
venture between Shashi Corporation and Somera Capital 
Management, Aloft Cupertino will deliver style at a steal with 123 
spacious, loft-like rooms, forward-thinking technology and a 
vibrant, social atmosphere.

“The Aloft brand is perfectly suited for Cupertino, one of the most dynamic cities in Silicon Valley,” said 
Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North American Development for Starwood. “Aloft is now 55 plus hotels 
and, fueled by the brand’s popularity among savvy travelers, we continue to aggressively grow the brand 
across North America and around the world.”

Islands Restaurant Update

Islands Restaurant tweeted a photo of the progress building their new restaurant in Cupertino.  I asked them when they expected to open the store and they responded "mid-December."  I can't wait either!!

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@IslandsBurgers:  @bluehillssj The #Cupertino store will be opening in mid-December. We can't wait! #Stoked
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Library and Park almost ready

Great news!  It looks like our neighborhood library (the Calabazas Branch) may be finally opening in July.  Full Story.  After more than 2 years of being closed for construction/renovation, it sure will be nice to have a library here in the neighborhood again.

It also looks like they are just about finished with the playground at the Calabazas park as well, so hopefully by the holiday weekend in July we'll be able to enjoy the park and the library again!

We made the list!!

EcoSalon listed the best cities to live in America considering happiness, health and fitness, access to farmers markets, number of sunny days, etc.

Residents of San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara reported the highest well-being among metropolitan areas with a million or more inhabitants, according to the Gallup Well-Being Index. San Jose also leads America inFoursquare check-ins for physical fitness.

Other notable cities included San Francisco, CA, Raleigh, NC, and Phoenix, AZ.

San Jose poised for greatness

San Jose recently made TheStreet.com list of  "10 cities poised for greatness in 2012" [Full Story].

In the two years I've lived here, I've discovered the "South Bay" area is one of the best places in the country to live.  Not only does it have the best climate of anywhere I've ever lived (outside of the Caribbean), and a wonderfully close proximity to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Napa Valley, but it's also the most diverse place I've ever encountered (diverse people, cultures, and perspectives).  The thriving business community here is inspiring, there are so many fun things to do within a 10-15 minute drive from home, and more shopping and dining venues than you could shake a stick at.

It really is a great place to live.

New Restaurants Coming Soon

I was driving down Stevens Creek Blvd yesterday and I noticed an Islands Restaurant is being built in the shopping center across the street from Target, near Pizza Hut.  Happy Day!!  :)  

Later that evening, I read a California Pizza Kitchen is planned for Cupertino as well.  Awesome!  :)



That's great news for Cupertino/West San Jose diners...  It's also great news for our economy.  When you start seeing restaurants planned like that in your neighborhood, it's a good indicator of how confident investors are in the local economy.  As painful as the economy has been for so many over the last few years, seeing restaurants like that planned is like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.  It's something tangible you can grasp onto when hearing experts talking about a recovery few people have been able to feel yet.  It's definitely something to be pleased about.

I can't wait until they open.  I've always enjoyed eating at Islands and California Pizza Kitchen.  It'll be really nice to have them nearby.