Nice little district here in San Jose…read more The "village" is a mixed use area that includes, retail, food, and businesses. It is centered around a medium sized park. As it is a downtown type area, parking can be a challenge at times. The park also hosts a farmers market on the weekends. All of this within easy proximity of each other.

Such a pleasant surprise to find this back-to-the-future style square in San Jose! We were in the…read moreBay Area this week and wanted to take our uncle and aunt out to dinner. For something different, we chose ramen. Yelpers led us to try Seiki Ramen, which sits in Evergreen Square. From brownstone-emulating residences, to a central fountain and park area, this neighborhood enclave seems charming. A mix of architecture abounds in the square, giving a timeless look to a newer space. From what I read later, the intent was to create a gathering space where families can live, shop, dine, and find entertainment all within walking distance. Love the concept!

One of the nicest experiences in North San Jose, lately! I was planning some 'Lets check all these…read moreparks in Santa Clara' activity for these Christmas days of forced vacation when I found out about James Lick Mansion. In fact, I thought it was just the house of someone and for some reason appeared on my Google Maps search (not easy to find from the street as you actually need to enter though an apartment complex to find it). I learned about James Lick, an entrepreneur that moved to Santa Clara in the 1800 and started several business, and died at the end of that century being considered the richest man in California. This mansion is registered at the National Register of Historic Places. This type of Victorian mansion style is called Italianate and it seems was popular during those times. The house (24 rooms) was built between 1858 and 1860 next to his flour mill, out of native redwood trees. Not only you will find this pretty house but also the rebuilt granary and mill that was used to create paper that was used on the fruit packaging when the Valley was in full production splendor. It is a pleasant experience to just be there imagining another era, observing the elegant palm trees and having a calm time with yourself. I could not enter inside the house, but took a peek at how the interior is and for around ten minutes I went daydreaming.

This community center is really cool. I recently went here to see the Lunar New Year event. I'm…read moreglad there's a lot of indoor space because it was raining a lot. When it comes to large cultural events like these, parking is limited - so come early if you want to see the shows going on!

The New Year event on Jan 25 2025 was an unpleasant experience. It was my first time and will be my…read morelast time here since the staff was so rude. There was a Latino lady ordered me and others to stand away from the red tape on the floor when we were enjoying the lion dance. I even saw her pushing others with her hands, really want to scold her but didn't want to ruin my mood. I think this is so rude and unprofessional (not sure why Milpitas city hires her as staff) when she didn't even know how to use the word "please" when asking someone to do sth

I'm so sad! I just moved out after having lived at Twohy for the past 2 1/2 years. I wouldn't live…read moreanywhere else in San Jose, and here's why: It was built in 1917: this place oozes character and charm. Most of the apartments I found in San Jose are newer (which is fine!), but I wanted something with a more loft-y, artsy vibe to it. Twohy doesn't disappoint. The walls are super thick, too; I never heard my neighbors...only sounds from the street outside. Also, bonus: it's a small community, and management is very attentive and responsive. Everyone I ever met there was friendly and helpful. The location is fantastic. So much to walk to. Safeway's right there for groceries, plus tons of bars and food in all price ranges (from cheap mexican to expensive steakhouses) it's all right there! You also have a movie theater right next door and MUJI across the street, not to mention VTA literally right outside your front door. Amenity-wise, included in rent was a parking spot in the Safeway parking lot (not a guaranteed spot, but I never had to park on the street even during the busy Christmas season), a gym membership at the gym across the street, and water/sewage/garbage. There are no laundry hookups in-unit, but there is a laundry room in the basement which is nice. The units have a small but lovely kitchen with decent appliances and nice fixtures in the bathroom, wood floors (YAY), tall ceilings, and huge windows which means lots of light. It's not a huge space, but then again I didn't need much space, and preferred to live in a great area of town vs having a ton of room. Overall I adored living there. If my job hadn't taken me up to the north end of the bay, I wouldn't have left! I highly recommend Twohy to those looking for a unique space in downtown San Jose.

Twohy Lofts are a CIM owned property right next to the Camera 12 cinema with the entrance on the…read more1st street side across from the light rail station. The building is pretty old and has nice charm. All the units are studios of various sizes and include a real kitchen (with fridge, sink, dishwasher, stove, oven microwave)... something not all studios offer. Not to mention AC which is great. Overall the places are nicely remodeled with hardwood, high ceilings and big windows. Only problem is the windows are single pained, letting in a LOT of noise, especially on the VTA side. Another drawback is the TV situation. They are not wired for cable (comcast or ATT), dish network is available but wasnt wired down passed the 4th floor... and direcTV is available but NOT in HD...good grief! The rent is not cheap, i think the cheapest (when I moved in) was around $1280 and I believe that was with some discounts for a 12 month lease. However, my rent came with a Bally's membership (right across the street) and parking at the 2nd/San Carlos garage... not bad. If it wasn't so expensive I'd give it 4 stars. Add some dual pained windows and Comcast or ATT cable lines (or direcTV HD lines) and it could be 5 stars. Overall its ok, location is great but there are some drawbacks.

"To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One…read moreclover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few." -- Emily Dickinson I've been meaning to visit this location for over a year now, as I first found it while perusing the State's Historical Landmark Website*. It's essentially a plaque that was installed at the approximate location of an old ranch that imported in the first Honeybees into CA. The plaque is located in front of the USO office at Mineta International Airport (SJC) in between Terminal A & Terminal B. The inscription on the plaque reads: "Here, on the 1,939-acre Rancho Potrero de Santa Clara, Christopher A. Shelton in early March 1853 introduced the honeybee to California. In Aspinwall, Panama, Shelton purchased 12 beehives from a New Yorker and transported them by rail, 'bongo,' pack mule, and steamship to San Francisco. Only enough bees survived to fill one hive, but these quickly propagated, laying the foundation for California's modern beekeeping industry." It's a pretty tame tribute to something that's actually a pretty historically significant event that still affects our everyday lives. So, to liven things up I dug-up a few fun/interesting facts** about our friends the HoneyBee: 1) The average worker bee produces about 1/12th teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. 2) A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, the equivalent of three orbits around the earth to collect 1 kg of honey. 3) A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen. Worker honey bees are female, live for about 6 weeks and do all the work. 4) The bee's brain is oval in shape and only about the size of a sesame seed, yet it has remarkable capacity to learn and remember things and is able to make complex calculations on distance travelled and foraging efficiency. 5) Americans consume about 285 million pounds of honey each year. On top of that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that honeybees pollinate 80 percent of the country's insect crops--meaning bees pollinate over $20 billion worth of crops each year. The plaque isn't worth going out of your way for; especially since it's at the airport and there's no free parking. But, if you're visiting the USO office, or looking for some time to kill before your flight, then head on over and pay tribute to our bestest insect friend: The Bee. *http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21387 **Facts courtesy of: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53691/13-fascinating-facts-about-bees & http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-bee-facts.html

Located in heart of Silicon Valley, Moffett Field is a catchall for a variety of business and…read moregovernment facilities. Its more notable residents are NASA Ames, Moffett Federal Airfield, The Moffett Field Historical Society, and a burgeoning Google presence. The field was founded in 1931 when residents of Santa Clara Country raised just under a half a million dollars to purchase the farmland to then sell it to the U.S. Government for the princely sum of $1 dollar in order to build what was then known as NAS Sunnyvale in 1933. The US navy wanted to use the base for Airship operations. Upon the death of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who was a huge proponent of Airship operations, the base was changed to NAS Moffett Field on 1 September 1933. To support airship operations the massive Hanger One was built. The Hanger which at the time was one of the largest freestanding building in the world covered a whopping 8 acres. After the tragic los of the Airship USS Macon, the navy turned control over the base to the US Army. Following WWII the navy regained control of the base and during the Cold War was one of the primary West Coast bases for anti submarine aircraft such as the P-2V and the P-3 Orion. In 1939 NACA the precursor to NASA opened up research facilities on the base including the ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex. Following the military drawdown during the post Cold War period the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) identified the base as unneeded and thus was decommissioned and turned over to NASA) The base now is run by NASA and they have actively rented out space to a variety of companies like Google etc. Lockheed martin Space Systems is collocated on the base as well as the 129th Air national Guard Squadron. There is also housing and other projects. In a nod to its Navy roots a Navy Commissary remains on the site and is open. Visitors are allowed on base with government issued ID if they have business there. In addition there is a museum on site that you can visit as well. Its hours are limited so check the website for more information. Also as a note traffic laws are STRICTLY enforced by the NASA police and that goes for bikes and vehicles so behave yourselves.

This review is based on the experience of my boyfriend being sworn in at Moffett Field to join The…read moreNational Air Guard/Air Force branch. Not to be sappy and cheesy but I am humbled to say that I am a very proud Air Force girlfriend :) It's crazy because you may just be passing by Moffett Field casually when you are driving the freeway. However, actually being on the Field itself is just a whole new experience. You will honestly never look at it the same during your casual drive, (in an AMAZING great way) once you experience being out on the Field. So many of the Airmen/women were very nice, respectful, and very informative with the process of joining the branch. They all definitely treat each other like family whether you are a new or old member. It's funny in a great way how many of them try to convince you to join Air Force as well haha! It truly was an honor being able to be out on the field and meet many Airmen/women who are serving our country. It makes me so happy knowing my boyfriend is following his dreams and now a part of such a strong/passionate branch. Shoutout and many thanks to them all for serving our country.

I just renewed my parking permit here, as I have every 6 months since 2020. First, city hall opens…read moreat 8 or 9 but they aren't open for payments until 10. Second, appointments on every other Friday are by appointment only. These things are not clearly posted. There is a small sign towards the back of the information desk that indicates these things, but the print is so small you have to walk up to it to read it. As I said before, I have renewed my parking permit many times here. Today I was told that I need to bring my pay stubs printed on paper in order to renew my permit. I have always shown them digitally, it has never once been a problem. I explained to the woman working the front that my job does not give us paper copies. She told me I can go online and print a copy. I told her I do not have a computer. She told me I can go to the public library to print out my pay stubs. She then proceeded to take my payment and digital pay stubs (with absolutely no problem, might I add). This was my third time coming to city hall to renew my permit in the last week alone, I absolutely was not going to come back. She finished the interaction by telling me that next time I needed to bring my paystubs printers. It seems this City hall just makes things up as they go. There is no consistency and sometimes the women who help me are super nice and other times they're cold and rude.

The City of Palo Alto has rotating exhibitions of Art in front of the City Hall, which are run by…read morethe Palo Alto Public Art Program. These installations are temporary and usually stay on display for about a year or two. I enjoyed walking by the King Plaza in front of the City Hall looking at the interactive willow tree art display called Aurora for the past two years. They say that change is a natural part of art, so after awhile, things run its course and get dismantled, replaced by new installations. The Aurora lights installation was first discovered at Burning Man, so who knows - perhaps this year's outrageous Medusa Madness, or rotating wild boar Lord Short, made of steel, can find its way to the Palo Alto City Hall? For the past year, there has been the Chime on display, a community xylophone, the pinewood structure that looked like a shed or a playhouse. Only this one was interactive, so if you touched its wall, it made the wind chime sound. Have you walked by the Rondo lately? It's a grouping of dynamic interlocking circles that feels so effortless and light, as though being weightless and ready to roll away, any minute now, to float off into the thin air. A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space. Art sculptures on City Hall's King Plaza frame and compliment the surrounding environment very well. Next one to come is The Running Wall, 2016 - a site-specific installation by Aaron Lee Benson, from Oct 2017 through Apr 2017.

On April 11, 1853 the paddle Steamboat Jenny Lind departed San Francisco for the port of Alviso. As…read moreit neared its destination it suffered a boiler exposure. Passengers had just set down for dinner. The majority of the 31 killed were women and children. The explosion was the impetus to build a railroad between San Francisco and San Jose. That rail line is the present CALTRAIN trackage. The memorial is the only reminder of this disaster forgotten to history. It is located in the western part of the parking lot of the Alviso Marina County Park. The views of the Bay looking north are fantastic however, and it located at the entry point to the trail system. As with most things like this it is better part of a larger trip than a destination untoo itself