Downtown Living « Lookiloos

Downtown Living

Naglee Park Offers A Historic Home Tour

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

sjwc San Jose Women’s Club is hosting a home tour of historic Naglee Park. This is a wonderful neighbor filled with amazing architecture. There are five homes ready for their close-up this year. On the tour you will enjoy Neoclassical, Arts and Crafts and an eclectic Shingle Style. All of the homes are walking distance from the Women’s Club and there is free street parking for the event. Architect George Espinola will speak at 1:30 pm. Refreshments will be available.

All proceeds from the tour are dedicated towards renovating the original electrical elements of the clubhouse and expanding its capacity to meet the needs of the 21st century. The group’s goal is to make the San Jose Woman’s Club a performing arts venue for the city by upgrading the stage lighting and heating system, and adding air conditioning and wiring for modern technology. You can buy tickets here or Lookiloos is happy to offer two pairs of tickets to see these spectacular homes. So, if you’d love to see these wonderful homes all you need to do is leave a comment. Tell us why you are a “Lookiloo”. The tour is Saturday, April 24th from 10 am to 4:30 pm. We will announce the winner Friday April 23rd at 5:00pm.

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Desiree Looking Left - Lookiloos

Posted in Architecture, Arts and Crafts Era, Bungalow, Craftsman, Desiree, Downtown Living, Downtown San Jose, Featured, Historic, Home and Garden, House Tours, Naglee Park, Neoclassic, Peek of the Week, San Jose, Uncategorized | 14 Comments »

Plant 51 San Jose’s Historic Loft Complex

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Before Silicon Valley was "Silicon Valley", Santa Clara Valley was known as the Valley of Hearts Delight. The Del Monte Packing plant was a vibrant part of the community at a time when fruit and fruit packing was its main industry. Santa Clara Valley was famous for its orchards and fertile farm land, rather than computer chips and processors. As the Valley "evolved", like many buildings, the Del Monte Packing plant closed.

Plant 51, a new loft and condominium community, bearing the name of the former fruit packing plant number, recently opened up in downtown San Jose. Unlike many of the condominium / loft complexes, that have sprouted in San Jose's urban core, the builder preserved the outer shell of the the plant and built homes within its original walls. Thus living at Plant 51 is like living in a piece of history – but rebuffed and shiny new. Builders worked for over 4 years to painstakingly restore the building, with the support of the Preservation Action Council.

The complex has a mix of units, from 1 and 2 bedroom flats to 1-2 bedroom lofts that span two or three floors. The layouts are spacious and open with some having patios that open up to the common space.

I was instantly in love with the 1400 square foot, 2 bedroom loft spanned on three floors. I was struck by the floor to ceiling windows on the main level. It would be the perfect viewing spot for San Jose's annual fireworks show. The kitchen and living room had many of the amenities you would expect with a new build – granite kitchen tops, stainless steel appliances and rich cabinetry. The loft I toured had original 1912 brick walls and exposed steel beams, making it feel like I was at the crossroads of new and old. The master bedroom was on the bottom floor, while the top floor housed either a guest room or office.

The indoor common areas were sleek and had a modern industrial feel, yet felt intimate. The center greenspace was lined with bamboo and other plants and featured a 15' long outdoor fire pit and a beautiful BBQ grill. I could envision myself hosting a swank cocktail party or pre-party for a San Jose Sharks game (which is about 100 steps away). The complex is built immediately adjacent to the train station, appealing to folks who want to live close to the Valley's transportation line. Expecting that many folks who live here would also be bike enthusiasts, the complex has its own "Bicycle Kitchen". Residents can store bikes indoors and have access to a host of tools to make repairs. Given that Guadalupe River Park is close by and that many people downtown bike to work, this is an ideal and smart feature not to miss!

The complex also features a state of the art gym and fitness studio called "The Boiler Room", complete with big screen tvs, so you can clearly watch the latest Hollywood gossip as you sweat!

What I appreciated the most about Plant 51 was that it felt like you lived downtown and in a neighborhood. The complex backs into Cahill Park that has a tot lot and a space for your dog to run free, yet is within walking distance to all that downtown has to offer.

I think that whether you are a baby boomer looking to downsize, a hipster who rides his bike to work or a small family you could easily call Plant 51 home.

Photos courtesy of Plant 51.

Posted in Condos, Downtown Living, Featured, Historic, Peek of the Week, San Jose, Sheila | 1 Comment »

Lookiloos Favorite Kitchens

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

This week's peek is a round-up of some of my favorite kitchens. Kitchens are the center of the home. A good kitchen functions well. A great kitchen not only functions well, but it looks fabulous doing it. So in no particular order here they are.

Dreaming of a Penthouse kitchen. This one won't disappoint. I love the sleek white cabinets. The uppers open like garage doors. And that splash of tangerine drew me in.

This next kitchen comes to us from designer Karin Washler of Danville. It is the little details that I most appreciated with kitchen. From the copper farmhouse sinks to the turned legs on the island, this kitchen feels well thought out.

The La Estancia Estate kitchen is more traditional in style. The crispness of the white tile paired with the celery colored cabinets makes me think of a bygone era.

An aqua counter and backsplash calls you to take the helm of this Los Altos kitchen. It's design is reminiscent of a ship's bow and looking over the railing you can gaze down into the indoor pool.

And lastly, this Tudor style kitchen. I love the juxtaposition of the dark and the antique white paint cabinetry. The granite counters and the Limestone on the floor bring this all together. By the way, this is another design by Karin Washler.

I hope you enjoyed visiting my top Lookiloo kitchens.

Here's the complete slideshow:

Posted in Architecture, Desiree, Downtown Living, Interior Design, Kitchen, Modern, Peek of the Week, San Jose | 2 Comments »

Downtown San Jose Bachelor Pad

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Jack Wimberly, a young hipster, would be the first to tell you that life in downtown San Jose IS all that it is cracked up to be. From his work/live loft, Jack runs a bustling communications firm and a bachelor pad fit for a king.

Located on First Street, just north of downtown San Jose between the old city hall and Trial’s Pub, Wimberly’s loft houses a ground floor 330 sq. ft. office (enough for 4 work stations), spacious living space on the second floor and a third floor bedroom / loft overlooking the main floor and patio. The unit has exposed duct work and concrete floors, but Wimberly’s eclectic mix of grandma’s 8 foot hand me down sofa and Asian touches create a warm environment that instantly makes you feel relaxed and ready for a martini. He balances his low Japanese and Korean furnishings with bistro height tables and chairs, filling the cavernous space with a modern style that you could not find at a mass produced furniture store.

Having grown up in the upscale suburb Los Gatos, Jack was surprised to find that downtown San Jose had so many housing options for bargain hunters who want to live close to downtown amenities. His home is often a gathering spot before he and his friends hit downtown’s nightlife, whether it be dinner out or a show at the Rep. Often skateboarding is his transportation of choice to travel through downtown.

He commented that “Living downtown has a nice pulse. People make eye contact and know each other. There are all sorts of creative types here – an opera voice coach lives upstairs and a painter lives next door. It’s like Melrose Place in San Jose without the pool.”

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Posted in Condos, Decorating, Downtown Living, Lofts, Peek of the Week, Sheila | No Comments »

The 88: Downtown SJ’s Penthouse Living

Monday, August 11th, 2008

This week’s Peek of the Week takes you behind the security door and up the elevator to the 21st floor of The 88 in downtown San Jose. Often one equates high rise living with Manhattan or Chicago, but this condominium brings a taste of that swankiness to Silicon Valley – complete with a concierge named Sarah, phenomenal views from the observation terrace and a state of the art gym. The building’s art sets the tone by being modern and having clean lines, yet provocative. For example, the lobby chandelier is made up of dozens of clear glass spheres; simple and elegant. The "party room" features a cast iron wall sculpture series which seem to dance along the wall, emphasizing sophisticated playfulness.

The penthouse suite featured floor to ceiling windows, making this 2 bedroom and 2 bath home feel much larger than it was. We Californians spend a lot of time outside with our great weather and this unit did not disappoint. The patio on this particular unit has enough space to entertain at least 100 people, a small quartet and set up a bar. One could probably have all that and have a bocce ball court. Overlooking the city, it provided a bird’s eye view of many of downtown San Jose’s landmarks – St. Joseph’s Cathedral, the Fairmont and the Paseo de San Jose. It is easy to imagine what the view is like at sunset or on a quiet night. Simply Spectacular.

As one would expect, there was an expansive closet. Interestingly enough, each buyer in the building works with a closet planner who helps determine what features are needed – shoe racks, pull out drawers, tie racks and split bars. Then it is built to suit your needs. One’s inner Carrie Bradshaw could build the ultimate show closet to match the ultimate penthouse in San Jose.

The building also has an outdoor lounge and entertainment area on the 12th floors complete with gourmet kitchen, outdoor BBQ, cushy lounge chairs and stunning view. It is not hard to imagine yourself hosting a Super Bowl party with 50 of your closest friends with the gigantic big screen TV and leather couches or spending your day pool side.

Overall The 88 lived up to its self description of being "urban, vibrant and rich with amenities". It felt chic, yet comfortable, like a cozy cashmere sweater. From beautiful kitchen cabinets to the stone chosen for bathrooms, the building emphasized high quality detailing over quick and cheap. Units range from $400,000 to over $2M. Within walking distance to fine restaurants and cultural centers like the San Jose Repertory Theater, one could have dinner catch a show or see live music and be in bed before most folks leave the parking lot. How is that for having it all?