We lived near downtown San Jose recently. It’s a weird mix of pricey new apartments, empty storefronts, and bars and restaurants servicing nearby San Jose State University. We’re back here on business. The downtown area, if anything, seems to be going a bit the wrong way. There are more vacant storefronts, a big independent movie theater shut down, and while some blocks have lots of perky students, other streets aren’t particularly safe late at night. A nearby park next to the Post Office is dangerous at night.
A downtown Walgreen’s almost always has homeless, drug dealers, and transients outside of it while two blocks away a large new apartment building features a 1,121 sq ft, 2 bdr 1 ba, corner unit for a mere $4,529 a month! A Ross Dress For Less closed and there is just one market in the area, a mini Safeway.
Also, and I got to say this, there are a number of little businesses who never seem to have customers yet stay open for years. How very curious… Those businesses, and the bars and restaurants for students are about the only stores around. And two blocks the other way is their Museum of Modern Art, The Tech Museum, and a four-star hotel.
It’s hard to tell if downtown San Jose is coming or going.
