Editing Downtown San Jose

{{For|the [[Historic districts in the United States|U.S. Historic District]]|Downtown Historic District (San Jose, California)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available-->
<!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info ---------------->
|name=Downtown San Jose
|settlement_type=[[Central business district]]
|total_type=<!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
|motto=
<!-- images and maps ----------->
| image_skyline                   = {{Photomontage
| photo1a                 = SJPan.jpg
| photo2a                 = Adobe World Headquarters 1 2015-01-03.JPG
| photo2b                 = San Jose City Hall - panoramio.jpg
| photo4a                 = SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA BAYAREA01 (cropped).jpg
| photo3a                 = Downtown San Jose (30001966530).jpg 
| spacing                 = 2
| position                = center
| color_border            = white
| color                   = white
| size                    = 266
| foot_montage            = Clockwise from top: Downtown skyline from the West; [[San Jose City Hall|San José City Hall]], [[Hotel De Anza]] & Almaden Boulevard, Downtown skyline from the North, [[Adobe World Headquarters]]}}
|flag_size=
|image_sea=
|seal_size=
|image_shield=
|shield_size=
|image_blank_emblem=
|blank_emblem_type=
|blank_emblem_size=
|image_map=
|mapsize=
|map_caption=
|pushpin_map=United States San Jose
|pushpin_label_position=bottom
|pushpin_map_caption=Location within San Jose
|pushpin_mapsize=
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1      = State
|subdivision_name1      = [[California]]
|subdivision_type3      = City
|subdivision_name3      = [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]
|subdivision_type4      = 
|subdivision_name4      =
<!-- Smaller parts (e.g. boroughs of a city) and seat of government -->
|seat_type=
|seat=
|parts_type=
|parts_style=<!--=list (for list), coll (for collapsed list), para (for paragraph format)
 Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5-->
|parts=<!-- parts text, or header for parts list -->
|p1=
|p2=<!-- etc. up to p50: for separate parts to be listed--> 
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes=
|government_type=
|leader_title=
|leader_name=
|leader_title1=
|leader_name1=
|leader_title2=
|leader_name2=
|leader_title3=
|leader_name3=
|established_date=
<!-- Area --------------------->
|area_magnitude=
|unit_pref=
|area_footnotes=
|area_total_sq_mi=
|area_land_sq_mi=
|area_water_sq_mi=
|area_water_percent=
<!-- Elevation -------------------------->
|elevation_footnotes=<!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m=
|elevation_ft=
|elevation_max_m=
|elevation_max_ft=
|elevation_min_m=
|elevation_min_ft=
<!-- Population ----------------------->
|population_as_of=
|population_footnotes=
|population_note=
|population_total=
|population_density_sq_mi=
<!-- General information --------------->
|timezone=
|utc_offset=
|timezone_DST=
|utc_offset_DST=
|coordinates            = {{coord|37.332|-121.89|display=inline}}
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type= [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code= 95110, 95112, 95113
|area_code=
|website=[https://sjdowntown.com/ https://sjdowntown.com/]
|footnotes= 
}}
'''Downtown San Jose''' is the [[central business district]] of [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], [[California]], United States. Downtown is one of the largest tech [[Business cluster|clusters]] in [[Silicon Valley]], as well as the cultural and political center of San Jose.

==History==
[[File:Multi-Unit (3029294372) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Art Deco]] Medico-Dental Building was built in 1928.]]
The town was first settled in 1777. The area that now makes up downtown was first settled twenty years later, when the town of San Jose moved somewhat inland from its original location on the banks of the Guadalupe River. In 1850, San Jose incorporated to become California's first city and the location of California's first state capitol.
 
Despite widespread destruction caused by the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]], a number of neighborhoods around Downtown San Jose still retain their original, pre-1906 housing stock. These neighborhoods include the South University, [[Naglee Park]], Hensley Historic District, Reed Historic District and Vendome neighborhoods.

===Contemporary era===
[[File:Firehouse_No._1,_San_Pedro_Square,_San_Jose_(44518230154)_(cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[San Pedro Square]] is a popular dining destination and one of Downtown's oldest neighborhoods.]]
The downtown area was typical of a small, agriculture-based city of under 100,000 residents until city manager [[A. P. Hamann]] spearheaded aggressive expansion during the 1950s and '60s. As the city rapidly expanded into outlying areas, the downtown area entered a period of decline. In the 1980s, mayor [[Tom McEnery]], whose family owned several buildings in downtown, initiated significant [[gentrification]] in the area.

The [[San Jose Redevelopment Agency]], the largest such group in the state, would eventually become a key player in revitalizing the downtown area and, to a lesser extent, surrounding neighborhoods. In some cases, historic downtown buildings were bulldozed in order to make room for new hotels, office space, condominiums, museums, theaters and parks; to widen or re-align streets, and to build parking lots and garages.

As part of its apparent effort to stimulate economic growth and increase tax revenue within the downtown community, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency began encouraging builders to construct high-rise residential towers, and the agency offered subsidies and lifted the requirement to provide affordable units that were characteristic of other redevelopment projects throughout the city.<ref name="Flannery, Colleen 2008">Flannery, Colleen. January 14, 2008. "High Hopes for San Jose Residential Towers". ''California Real Estate Journal''.</ref> The agency's master plan has incorporated high-rise condominiums since 1980.<ref>Prodis Sulek, Julia. June 15, 2008. "Condo buyers' 'sexy views'". ''San Jose Mercury News'', p. 1A, p. 17A.</ref> In 2008, the city's first high-rise project began selling units.<ref name="Flannery, Colleen 2008"/> Construction or planning has begun on at least seven additional high-rise projects.<ref name="Flannery, Colleen 2008"/> The agency states the high-rises will contribute to the creation of a more vibrant and well-to-do downtown culture.<ref name="Flannery, Colleen 2008"/>

==Culture==
[[File:The_Tech_Museum_of_Innovation_in_Downtown_San_Jose.jpg|thumb|left|[[The Tech Interactive]] is dedicated to introducing the innovation spirit of [[Silicon Valley]] to the public.]]
Many of the 19th century buildings in central downtown appear on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], in particular the area surrounding St. James Park, such as [[Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (San Jose, California)|Trinity Episcopal Cathedral]].

Downtown San Jose's early 20th century housing is diverse and includes many smaller [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] homes along with a few fairly large gingerbread or Italianate-style Victorians, [[American Craftsman|Craftsman]], [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission]] and [[California Bungalow]] architecture in the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown core.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Districts and Conservation Areas |url=https://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6120 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194945/https://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6120 |archive-date=Mar 4, 2016 |website=City of San José}}</ref>

Downtown is home to many of the city's landmarks, including the [[San Jose Museum of Art]], the [[Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose]], [[The Tech Interactive]], the [[San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles]], the [[San Jose Repertory Theatre]], the San Jose Stage Company, the historic [[De Anza Hotel]], the [[Fairmont Hotels and Resorts|Fairmont Hotel]], the [[Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San José)|Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph]], the campus of [[San Jose State University]] and the [[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library]].  The [[SAP Center]], just west of Guadalupe Parkway, is also normally considered to be part of the downtown community.

==Economy==
[[File:KQED Building - 50 West San Fernando Street - San Jose - California (50530886698) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|View of the [[KQED Inc.|KQED]] Building]]
Downtown San Jose is a major [[business cluster|tech cluster]] of [[Silicon Valley]]. It is home to [[Adobe World Headquarters]], [[Zoom Video Communications|Zoom]] HQ, [[BEA Systems]] HQ, and numerous facilities and offices of major tech companies, including [[Amazon Lab126]] and [[Google]]. The [[San Francisco Bay Area]]'s largest news organization, ''[[The Mercury News]]'', is headquartered on St. James Park. Downtown San Jose has a large concentration of hotels and hospitality services in San Jose, including [[The Westin San Jose]], the [[Hilton Hotels & Resorts|Hilton]] San Jose, [[Marriott Hotels|Marriott]] San Jose, [[Sheraton Hotels|Sheraton]] San Jose, largely concentrated near the [[San Jose Convention Center]].

In February 2018, San Jose's city council approved a stage of a sale of downtown property to Google for $67 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/greedy-google-community-activists-slam-tech-giant-over-planned-san-jose-mega-campus |title='Greedy' Google: Community activists slam tech giant over planned San Jose mega-campus |author=Christopher Carbone |date=October 5, 2018 |publisher=[[Fox News]] |access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref> However, in April 2023, it was reported that Google paused on its West San Jose construction projects due to an economic slowdown.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/21/googles-80-acre-san-jose-mega-campus-on-hold-amid-economic-slowdown-.html |title=Google's 80-acre San Jose mega-campus is on hold as company reckons with economic slowdown |author=Jennifer Elias |date=April 21, 2023 |publisher=[[CNBC]] |access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref>

Downtown also is home to several important [[network service provider]]s and [[Internet service providers]], many of them located in [[Market Post Tower]]. Although the cost of office and technical space is relatively high downtown, this is offset by the low cost of [[peering]] and [[internetworking]], an effect of proximity to other networking companies.

Many of the public areas of downtown San Jose are covered by a public, free, [[Wi-Fi]] network, including the areas surrounding [[Plaza de César Chávez]] and [[San Pedro Square]]. Downtown is also the hub of the [[VTA light rail]] system, and the home of the main campus of [[San Jose State University]].

{{wide image|border=no|Panoramic_Downtown_San_Jose.jpg|1000px|A panoramic view of Downtown. [[Plaza de César Chávez]] is in the center.|align-cap=center}}

==Education==
[[File:Tower Hall - Morris Dailey Auditorium - San Jose State University.jpg|left|thumb|[[Tower Hall (San Jose State University)|Tower Hall]] at [[San Jose State University]], the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]'s oldest [[public university]].]]
Downtown San Jose is home to the campus of [[San Jose State University|San José State University]]. SJSU is the founding campus of the [[California State University]] system and the oldest public university on the west coast of the United States. SJSU enrolls approximately 33,000 students.

The [[Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library]], shared by the city of San Jose and San Jose State University, is located on the campus of San Jose State University in downtown San Jose. The King Library represents the first collaboration of its kind between a university and a major U.S. city, and has won numerous awards including the [[Library Journal|Library Journal's]] prestigious 2004 Library of the Year award, the publication's highest honor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Library Journal Library of the Year 2004: San Jose Public Library and San Jose State University Library|url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/2004-gale-lj-library-of-the-year-san-jose-public-library-san-jose-state-university-library-the-san-jose-model | publisher = Library Journal | author= John N. Berry lll | date= June 15, 2004 | access-date=January 11, 2010}}</ref> The library first opened its doors in 2003.
{{-}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{commonscat|Downtown San Jose, California}}
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
*[http://www.sjdowntown.com/ San Jose Downtown Association]
*[https://www.sjeconomy.com/locate-here/business-districts/downtown San Jose Downtown]
*[[Downtown Historic District (San Jose, California)|San Jose Downtown Historic District]]
*[https://www.nps.gov/places/san-jose-s-downtown-historic-district.htm National Park Service page about the San Jose Downtown Historic District]
*[https://www.sanjose.org/conventioncenter San Jose McEnery Convention Center]
{{Coord|37.332|-121.890|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Neighborhoods of San Jose}}

[[Category:Downtown San Jose| ]]
[[Category:Economy of San Jose, California]]