Take a walk on San Jose’s urban side, discover culture
There’s really no better way to get to know the city where you live than exploring it on foot. And this weekend, San Jose residents and visitors will be doing just that on a number of Jane’s Walks, a series of strolling tours named after the late journalist and urban activist Jane Jacobs.
Right now, there are seven daytime walking tours in downtown San Jose scheduled for Friday through Sunday. Mark Haney, who blogs about all things urban at http:// thinkbiggersanjose. com, will be leading one that looks at downtown buildings and how they impact how downtowners live, work and play. SPUR San Jose has organized a scavenger hunt through the hidden gems in the city’s core for Saturday morning, and regular tour group San Jose Walks & Talks has three lunchtime tours set for Friday around the San Pedro Square Area.
Jane’s Walks are a global movement that started in Toronto, and the San Jose tours have been organized by California Walks, an advocacy group aiming to create more walkable and healthy communities. Check out the registered walks at http:// janeswalk. org/ unitedstates/ san- jose- ca.
ARTISTIC EXPLORATION: Silicon Valley Open Studios kicks off this weekend, the first of three weekends in May when artists welcome the public to a behind- thescenes look at their studios. The weekends are divided up geographically, with this Saturday and Sunday mostly devoted to artists in the North Peninsula — including Burlingame, San Carlos Redwood City and San Mateo. Studios in Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale will be the focus on May 9 and 10, and the event wraps up May 16 and 17 with most of Santa Clara County, including San Jose, Campbell, Los Gatos and Morgan Hill, plus the coastal areas such as Half Moon Bay, Montara and Moss Beach.
It’s a great opportunity to get to know artists in your community up close or to see what another has to offer. Many more details, including a full directory, is available at www. svos. org.
INSPIRATIONAL EVENING: Unity Care Group notched another successful Youth Live fundraiser on Saturday night at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, and it’s amazing to see how quickly the event has grown in four years. Nearly 400 people attended the dinner, which featured a student art auction and a student fashion show to support the nonprofit’s 22- year mission to help foster youth and other at- risk kids.
Leigh Anne Tuohy, whose story inspired the bestselling book and hit movie “The Blind Side,” provided an inspirational keynote speech. Tuohy makes speeches all over the country but said she does her research on groups she speaks to and was drawn to Unity Care in part because of the past involvement of former 49er Patrick Willis, who knows her son, Michael Oher. “I only really go where I know people are making a difference,” she said.