The Kids Are Alright

The summer belongs to the kids. Our little crew has golden hair and sun-kissed skin. They have endured bandaids, bug bites, and two visits from the Tooth Fairy. We are slightly bedraggled and full of joy. We visited Colorado for some incredible nature exploration and family time. The lush green parks of Denver were popping with summer flowers in full bloom and although we didn’t catch any fish, we enjoyed acting like fish and splashing in the rivers of Evergreen.

Back in San Jose, we officially welcomed the Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley to their new downtown home with a ribbon cutting ceremony last month. Their presence in downtown is crucial to the hard work they do running 40 clubs and serving over 5,000 youth in Santa Clara County. My family joined me and my colleagues at the ceremony alongside Mayor Matt Mahan, Councilmember Omar Torres, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, and Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley President and CEO Steve Wymer. 

Expect more student life coming to downtown with the official opening of the new Hillbrook School campus. The upper school’s founding students have been quietly working and participating in the urban bustle of downtown San Jose in and around the Adobe headquarters. Now, they will officially open the doors to their newly renovated home at the San Jose Armory this month. We also just completed a lease for Hillbrook’s new admissions offices on Devine St.

Smart educational institutions are snapping up commercial real estate deals right now. California Miramar University just opened their doors at 505 S. Market St. in San Jose. In San Francisco, a private school affiliate of Wellington College just snagged the former Airbnb headquarters. It seems that education is the path forward for commercial real estate. Malala Yousafzai said, “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world.” Usually, a building helps too.

At the recent Urban Vibrancy Institute Block Party in San Pedro Square, we enjoyed dinner with friends at District while the crowds endlessly streamed behind us. I had never seen so many people out and about in downtown. The San Jose Foos estimated 20,000 people attended the event. In their words, “0% drama – 100% vibes.” Just how a downtown event should be.

At home we were glued to the Summer Olympics. Following team USA in almost every event has been exhilarating: the World Record breaking speed of Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone, more record shattering force from Bobby Finke, and of course the GOAT Simone Biles. But the best of this year’s Olympics was the breakout category of Breaking. The B-Boys won my heart with their insane moves and playful energy. It was less of a competition and more of a big party. The B-Girls too. And who doesn’t love to be in the company of the unlikely pals Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart enjoying a meal at 3xMichelin-Star Restaurant, Le Cinq? Snoop was reported to be making $500K a day as a special correspondent. Talk about winning! Paris as a backdrop for the Olympic games was a match parfait. Next up, my home town of Los Angeles in 2028!