Above San Jose...

[KCgridlock]

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6296.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4433.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6270.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4428.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6272.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4424.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6290.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4429.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6271.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6279.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6284.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6277.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6282.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6268.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4437.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4432.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4431.jpg

[PuyoPiyo]

Nice pictures :) I like this gold glassy thingy building.

[plinko]

San Jose! Twice as dense as Phoenix! :)

Nice!
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6284.jpg

[James Bond Agent 007]

I see you found your way to San Jose.

[KevinFromTexas]

Cool stuff. I seem to remember San Jose was supposed to be getting a new tallest. Did that ever happen?

[bayboy]

the prob with a tallest in san jose is it would have to be under 300' due to current flight path restrictions for downtown. City place 1 is suposed to be jsut a few feet taller than city hall though.

[atl2phx]

i love san jose.

[sbarn]

San Jose! Twice as dense as Phoenix! :)

Nice!
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6284.jpg

:previous: This photo shows the reason for San Jose's lack of height (see the airport in background). In fact I'm suprised helicopters are allowed to fly around downtown San Jose at all... I've seen airplanes fly over the city at about the height of these photographs.

In any case, as always your photos are amazing... THANK YOU again for sharing!! :cheers:

[BTinSF]

the prob with a tallest in san jose is it would have to be under 300' due to current flight path restrictions for downtown. City place 1 is suposed to be jsut a few feet taller than city hall though.

It seems sad and wierd to me that they would restrict the growth and form of an entire city in order to satisfy the needs of its aviation passengers. Has anyone in San Jose considered relocating or reconfiguring the airport so the take-off/landing pattern wasn't right over downtown? It wouldn't be easy, I know, but if it's ever to be done, it would be easier now than later.

[urban_encounter]

Nice photo thread yet again KC.

[ColDayMan]

Great!

[fflint]

Another in KC's ongoing and excellent series of aerials. Pity San Jose is so thoroughly suburban.

[Buckeye Native 001]

But the straight nightlife there rawks, fflint.

Amazing photos as always, KC :tup:

[hauntedheadnc]

No Winchester Mystery House from the air? Curses! Otherwise, another excellent thread. You're really very good.

[Sacto]

Awesome aerials!

[dharper6]

Really handsome buildings in downtown San Jose. Of the many times I've been in the Bay Area, I've never ventured down to San Jose. I'll do it next time. What is the nice looking building with sort of a green/gray roof, with several points across the top?

[blade_bltz]

Really nice pics. Too bad I cant seem to get excited about that city. Come to think of it, I've never actually seen SJ's skyline up close. Indeed, the closest I get to downtown is the airport...

[osirisboy]

looks very clean! thats somewhere i would like to go one day

[peacefu603]

ti is very rich

[peacefu603]

Adobe Photoshop Adobe building

[hoosier]

Are you going to photograph Indianapolis sometime KCGridlock?

[yakumoto]

It seems sad and wierd to me that they would restrict the growth and form of an entire city in order to satisfy the needs of its aviation passengers. Has anyone in San Jose considered relocating or reconfiguring the airport so the take-off/landing pattern wasn't right over downtown? It wouldn't be easy, I know, but if it's ever to be done, it would be easier now than later.

You can have density without having height, so thats kind of a cop-out. San Jose doesn't need to go tall in order for downtown to grow. Wouldn't it be easier NOT building highrises with podiums rather than relocating an airport?

[phillyskyline]

Thanx for the tour!

[urbanflyer]

BT,

they could always modify the instrument approaches from the south with an offset path a la Kai Tak, but the FAA is staunchly opposed to such procedures because they unfairly restrict general aviation traffic and require all air carrier operators using the airport to have the same onboard equipment for poor weather conditions.

[mSeattle]

I love your aerials. San Jose looks real nice. Yea, too bad about the airport. Don't those corporate types want to ride a high-speed train to/from SF/OK instead?

[KCgridlock]

Why does San Jose need height, I think they should concentrate on density myself.

That aiport is a pain in the ass though, I had only a few minutes to get some shots of downtown.

You guys ready for San Francisco???

[urbanflyer]

^
you have to ask??

KC, you should be used to the trevails of charlie and bravo airspace by now ;)

[mSeattle]

You guys ready for San Francisco???

What kind of question is that? :D Are you saving it for our Christmas present?

[EastBayHardCore]

BRAVO. SJ looks way more dense from theight than it really is on street level though. Cannot friggin' wait for you're SF pics.

[demmeri]

thank you for showing me san jose's skyline....for the first time EVER! well that's interesting about the hieght restrictions....can you believe this is like one of the top 15 largest cities in the nation?

[foxmtbr]

Nice job! That Adobe building is very cool, I like the white facade with the smooth curves and the way the parking garage goes with it.

[caligrad06]

wow, i truely underestimated San Jose, i didnt realize that it was of that size, i actually thought it was quite small. No wonder why its considered bigger than Long Beach

[Derek]

nice pictures:)

[WZ1]

looks like Ottawa

[CGII]

You made San Jose look good.

[rajaxsonbayboi]

nice pics!

[Evergrey]

amazing that this place is the country's center of the "knowledge-based" economy considering it doesn't seem to be the type of place that would attract or nurture the "creative class" (as coined by Richard Florida)

[Nicodemo]

I never seen wonderful pics like them!!

It's so so dense, the buildings, the highways, everything.

Great pics!

[EastBayHardCore]

^ Surely you jest.

[Buckeye Native 001]

I gotta admit, after looking through these a second time San Jose looks a helluva lot more dense than I remember when I drove through on the 101.

Where's Yakumoto?

[kevN_wk]

cool! i love california.

[Modern Design]

That´s how i like it..Modern and clean!!!!:notacrook:

[KCgridlock]

Gotta bump before it goes away ;)

[ozone]

Great Pics. It looks to me that Downtown San Jose is kind of like an urbanized suburban office park.

[fever]

Great Pics. It looks to me that Downtown San Jose is kind of like an urbanized suburban office park.

I was there in January for a few days and that's the feeling I got. Everything is too far apart, the light rail is just for show. For a second or third downtown though, it's not that bad.

[Coriander]

The downtown almost looks like an office park. It's depressing to think this is a tech center. I think San Jose has a lot of potential, what with all the wealth, I just don't know if they have the will or if it's just too late. Perhaps they will act if/when they find more and more "creative" folks prefer to live in more lively areas.

[john_mclark]

I hate height restrictions due to flight plans

[yakumoto]

I hate height restrictions due to flight plans

Who cares about height restrictions? I don't understand why so many people on this forum think that building height correlates with density, or with pedestrian friendlyness.

If youre in the western regions of downtown, it looks like an office park because it is an office park, just like there are pedestrian inaccessable office parks in downtown LA...its sometimes the price you pay for modernizing your downtowns in the 70s-80s.

[EastBayHardCore]

SJ should be looking at cities like Washington DC as a model for density w/out height.

[mhays]

Unfortunately, relocating an airport in the San Francisco area is probably more expensive than the impacts on what's probably a small number of buildings that would otherwise go higher. The airport would be several billion just for the public cost, to say nothing of the private businesses that would serve it.

Downtown San Jose looks pretty urban and liveable in these pics. I guess that makes sense given its role halfway between its own city and an edge city.

[urban_encounter]

SJ should be looking at cities like Washington DC as a model for density w/out height.


I couldn't agree more.

Tall buildings (while nice to look at) do not make or break a city.
What matters most is the vibrancy on the street level. Which if I had to choose, I would take density and vibrancy over height any day..

Now height and vibrancy (that's another story)...


SJ has population and plenty of tech dollars. Enough so that DT SJ can become the dense and virbant place that we're thinking of.

[john_mclark]

i was just saying that i hate how a city of San Jose's size would have a better skylines if it wasn't for the flight restrictions.

[mhays]

If it was an independent city it would have a bigger downtown. It's in San Francisco's orbit.

[Frisco_Zig]

Why does San Jose need height, I think they should concentrate on density myself.

That aiport is a pain in the ass though, I had only a few minutes to get some shots of downtown.

You guys ready for San Francisco???

Most people in San Jose would be vehemently against density.

[Frisco_Zig]

thank you for showing me san jose's skyline....for the first time EVER! well that's interesting about the hieght restrictions....can you believe this is like one of the top 15 largest cities in the nation?

Ever been to PHX? That city's downtown really was small for such a large city. I might be wrong but Sacramento seems bigger

[Frisco_Zig]

I was there in January for a few days and that's the feeling I got. Everything is too far apart, the light rail is just for show. For a second or third downtown though, it's not that bad.

There isn't as much business in San Jose as it seems. I think it is the only large city in the US to lose day time population. many high profile business are Santa Clara North.

Google is in Mountain View
Apple is in Cupertino
HP Palo Alto
yahoo is in Sunnyvale

San Jose does have Cisco and Adobe


Downtown is mostly administrative and goverment and some convention centers and entertainment (Shark Tank)

I do think there is potential there but recent new urbanist projects seem to indicate that the downtown isn't where its at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santana_row

[rocketman_95046]

There isn't as much business in San Jose as it seems. I think it is the only large city in the US to lose day time population. many high profile business are Santa Clara North.

Google is in Mountain View
Apple is in Cupertino
HP Palo Alto
yahoo is in Sunnyvale

San Jose does have Cisco and Adobe


Downtown is mostly administrative and goverment and some convention centers and entertainment (Shark Tank)

I do think there is potential there but recent new urbanist projects seem to indicate that the downtown isn't where its at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santana_row

Well as long as your quoting wikipedia you might as well include...

San Jose lists 25 companies with 1,000 employees or more, including the headquarters of Adobe Systems, BEA Systems, Cisco, and eBay, as well as major facilities for Flextronics, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Hitachi and Lockheed Martin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose,_California#Economy

Unfortunately downtown only has Adobe and BEA... Ciso, eBay, Flextronics, and Lockheed are all well north of downtown, while IBM and Hitachi are down south.

[rocketman_95046]

for those who dont already know...

BEA Systems Headquarters...
http://www.sobrato.com/images/488almaden.jpg

Adobe Headquarters...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/64/Adobe_HQ.jpg/800px-Adobe_HQ.jpg


photos courtesy of wikipedia and http://www.sobrato.com

[urban_encounter]

Ever been to PHX? That city's downtown really was small for such a large city.


I can't speak for SJ because it's been a couple of years since i was last in DT SJ. But as was noted, lack of tall buildings doesn't mean that the city streets
can't be vibrant. Like KC and EastBayHardCore noted, SJ should do what they can to promote high density residential units downtown.

You might be right however, that in the South Bay density might not be what the residents or city leaders want.

[JoshuaSantos]

Hi guys, this is my first post... love this site. As a San Jose native, I can assure you that the city is vigorously pushing higher density developments, both in Downtown San Jose and along 1st Street (this area leads into an area called the Golden Triangle which is the largest high tech cluster anywhere in the world by far... Cisco's insane 10k+ employee campus, BEA's original office, Ebay's campus, etc. are all located in the triangle).

Currently there are 0 high rise residential units available for move-in anywhere in San Jose, but that is about to change fast. The first high-rise residential building will be completed by the end of this year, 4 more towers are under construction in various parts of downtown, and 9 more will break ground by mid 2008. It will take some time, but people will eventually appreciate all of the benefits that the higher density will bring to the city.

If you know where to go, downtown is a great place to hang out. There are almost 150 restaurants of any variety you can think of within a few square miles (almost complete list: http://www.sjdowntown.com/bus.html). You have a few good museums like the Tech, SJ Museum of Art, Children's Discovery, etc. And there is an awesome 3 story movie theater called Camera 12 that still has a small town charm to it (on premier nights they hire actors to entertain the lines of people outside, you can imagine how much fun the Borat premier was). There are 2 main comedy clubs: The Improv for grade A comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Comedy Sports which features real Improv. There are also dozens of bars, nightclubs, and live music lounges scattered throughout downtown... so definitely worth a visit if you're in the South Bay.

[Top Of The Park]

Nice shots...reminds me a little of the Denver Tech Center

[Austinlee]

San Jose, Alpha City!!!!!

[mhays]

San Jose is fine in the context of a suburb. When people claim it's a "central city" then it has to live up to city standards, and that's where it fails.

Bellevue is another good parallel.

[peanut gallery]

Cool set. I don't remember seeing these a year ago. I hope KC doesn't mind me adding my Above SJ photo from a week ago. Of course, it's nothing close to his amazing work (plus, I was at about 20,000 feet and shooting through your basic airline window). But it fits the topic.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/4127/img0333bf6.jpg

[krudmonk]

Bellevue is another good parallel.
Hardly.

[mhays]

Bellevue's downtown will be on a similar scale when its underway projects are complete. San Jose's downtown will still feel more "complete" due to its admirable lack of suburban-format lots, which Bellevue still has too many of. Also SJ is a better place to walk due to narrower streets. But Bellevue's new development has been urban-format for 25 years, and it's getting a good mix of housing and community amenities to offset its historic office and retail focus.

[krudmonk]

It's nice to know that my commentary on the hatred oozing from this thread can be deleted but the ignorant and bigoted remarks remain.

[urbanlife]

Great shots as usual. It is always a unique way of seeing a city. While not the best for experiencing it, it is a better way to take in the full scale.

I agree with everyone that has mention that density doesn't need to equal height. Europe has proven that one time and time again. I do however complain about the lack of good modern architecture in the city. With such a smaller scale of building size to work with, it is important to not make them look like crap, it is easier to admire a supertall crappy building because of its engineering feets, but smaller buildings, they are just crappy.

Granted, I make that comment fully understanding the city was mostly built in the 80s and 90s when that kind of mindset for architecture was the norm. On a plus side, the crappy office building architecture really makes the very rare historical architecture stand out, like the church that I noticed in a few of the shots.

[rsbear]

It's really sad that people can't just appreciate a place for the way it is without comparing it to another city or smacking it down because it does not fit with their ideal of how a city should be (usually colored by their biased preference for their own city). My comment is not directed at you, urbanlife, just the overall tone of some the postings in this thread.

[Max the Urban]

San Jose reminds me of Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Crystal City is a huge office development across the interstate from the Pentagon. It suffers from the same scenario where Reagan National Airport next door limits the height of the office buildings in the immediate area. Yet despite the buildings being pretty low, the "urban mass" of the density of the buildings that exist create a definite urban vibe. While SJ's CBD might not be nearly as breathtaking as say San Fran the city can definitely make itself unique in the same way D.C. and its surrounding outlying suburban CBD's have.

[urbanlife]

It's really sad that people can't just appreciate a place for the way it is without comparing it to another city or smacking it down because it does not fit with their ideal of how a city should be (usually colored by their biased preference for their own city). My comment is not directed at you, urbanlife, just the overall tone of some the postings in this thread.

No worries, actually I know nothing about San Jose other than these hand full of pictures that I saw, so thanks to the powers of wikipedia, I looked up the city while in class today "learning." While I am not a fan of the very bland corporate office tower that is present throughout the city, that is not directed to the city itself, but more at that style of architecture in general in any city. As an architecture student, I feel that it is wrong for architecture to take that route, but that is another topic.

In the case of San Jose, I must say I am overall impressed. I grew up in a city much like San Jose, Virginia Beach, VA. a couple parts of it were established in the 1800, but the city itself did not incorporate till 1962-ish and the bulk of the city build up did not happen till the 80's. I grew up in a very young city. SJ is on this same scale and from what I saw in maps and overall layout of the city it looks good. While it is still searching for its own real identity in the bay area, it is trying. There is clearly a defined city center, from the sounds of it, there is a growing number of places to eat and shop. I do love Adobe, that's a plus.

I think as a whole, SJ is doing okay for being such a young city. I think it is impossible to hold a young city to the same standards of a much older city when they are from a different era of how cities were built.

Actually this curiosity helped figure out why Oakland seemed to of lagged in development compared to San Fran, because in relation to the region, Oakland seems like the more desired spot to live, but if all the jobs migrated out after WWII, then there is little growth that would take place.


Overall, that region is quite impressive and any negative thing I could say about SJ is nothing compared to my severe hatred for LA and its surrounding.

[urbanlife]

actually a few specific comments on the photos.

Knight Ridder?? Seriously? What city in the world can say they have the "Knight Rider" building?
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6290.jpg

I love the Adobe complex, besides the design of it, if you look at it in satellite, you will see that it is designed to give the park that sits on the northwest of the site as much light as possible. That is a huge pet peeve of mine when a designer has no regard for their surroundings. Plus the performing arts center is quite intriguing.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4429.jpg

Whoever designed the airport should of been kicked in the balls, seriously. Even if SJ was a blip on the radar at the time, this makes no sense.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_6284.jpg

I have no idea what the tower in the back is, but in street view on google, I am really impressed with its design as well as the complex as a whole.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/sanjose/large/sanjose_4432.jpg

One should never looked at a city one sided and make a judgment off of that. Even these comments are purely from faint observation. I cannot make a true assessment of the city without actually standing in the city and seeing it first hand. But one thing I do like about SJ is its strict height limit, it forces the city to think "small" when it comes to designing, therefore there is a stronger attempt at creating architecture that is more at human scale and much more intimate. I think once you see more architects and developers pursuing that idea, then you will begin to see a rise in very striking and thought provoking architecture.


Oh and I like the fact that the park in the center of the city is named after Cesar Chavez. It annoys me to no end when cities name a random crappy industrial road after him like they tried to do up here in Portland.

So there you go, a positive way at looking at San Jose.

[Connect]

Another reason for the lack of height in San Jose's downtown is a relative lack of demand. Many of the high-tech tenants that fill most of the office space in this metro here have traditionally avoided downtown in favor of suburban (N. 1st St., Sunnyvale, Santa Clara...) locations. They like the office park campus concept....easier for expansion.

[rsbear]

:previous: And you were doing so well until that bit about LA. ;)

But I won't start in on how LA isn't so... ok, ok, ok, I said I wouldn't. And I won't. In this thread. :)

[peanut gallery]

I love the Adobe complex, besides the design of it, if you look at it in satellite, you will see that it is designed to give the park that sits on the northwest of the site as much light as possible. That is a huge pet peeve of mine when a designer has no regard for their surroundings. Plus the performing arts center is quite intriguing.

The buildings are also very nice inside, with top notch amenities and the company cafeteria is one of the best I have ever dined in. Excellent food, nice presentation, super cheap.

I have no idea what the tower in the back is, but in street view on google, I am really impressed with its design as well as the complex as a whole.

That is San Jose's new city hall by Richard Meier.

Knight Ridder?? Seriously? What city in the world can say they have the "Knight Rider" building?

I'm not sure if you're really asking, but until a few years ago Knight Ridder was a publishing company that owned dozens of newspapers including the San Jose Mercury News. That was their headquarters.

[urbanlife]

:previous: And you were doing so well until that bit about LA. ;)

But I won't start in on how LA isn't so... ok, ok, ok, I said I wouldn't. And I won't. In this thread. :)

Sorry, that is an opinion of mine I will never change, but hey, someone's got to like it or it wouldn't be so big.:haha:


Cheap good food is good no matter where it comes from.

And I love Meier's work, probably why I enjoy that building.....to think, if Meier would of designed the Portland Building in Portland instead of Graves. We wouldn't of been shafted with a big steamy pile of crap. So I tip my hat (I dont wear hats) to San Jose for that.

I kind of was asking about Knight Ridder, I think it is funny to have that in a city. It is like the Batman building in Memphis(?)...might be wrong on location, but you get the idea. The Knight Ridder building needs a giant sculpture of David Hasslehoff at its entrance.

That makes sense about the low demand, I don't mind high tech companies but it annoys me that they work in a introvert kind of way that tends to isolate themselves from their surroundings.

[krudmonk]

Oh and I like the fact that the park in the center of the city is named after Cesar Chavez. It annoys me to no end when cities name a random crappy industrial road after him like they tried to do up here in Portland.
The man used to live here. This place has heavy Mexican and agricultural history. It makes a little more sense than Portland (no offense to that city).

[urbanlife]

The man used to live here. This place has heavy Mexican and agricultural history. It makes a little more sense than Portland (no offense to that city).

none taken, to me that makes so much more sense. Up hear they wanted to honor him by renaming an industrial street that gets heavy semi traffic on it....I really didnt see the connection. I would of been happier if the city targeted a heavy hispanic neighborhood or something and renamed a park or a street there.

Personally I am not much of a fan for renaming a street simply because that street usually already has a history at that point. In Chicago, they simple gave secondary names to random streets though out the city. That way, no one would have to change their address.

But cool, something else I just learned about San Jose.

[krudmonk]

Personally I am not much of a fan for renaming a street simply because that street usually already has a history at that point. In Chicago, they simple gave secondary names to random streets though out the city. That way, no one would have to change their address.
There was a movement to rename King Road down here after MLK, which is along the lines of what Portland was suggesting. I don't recall who this other King person was, but people were pretty adamant about keeping it as is. The change could not have been for pandering, as SJ has no significant black population or predominantly black neighborhoods. Our main library is already named after the man, so it's not like he goes unrecognized.

[staff]

Ah, the urbanity!

;)

Great shots as usual, KC!