SoFA (South of First Area) is an arts, cultural, and entertainment district of Downtown San Jose, California. Home to numerous cultural institutions, art galleries, and theatre companies, including the Institute of Contemporary Art San José, the San José Opera, and the Silicon Valley Symphony, SoFA bills itself as “Silicon Valley’s Creative District”. The commercial street had been a major retail district of San Jose in the late 1800s and early part of the 20th century, but by the 1970s had fallen into decline along with much of downtown San Jose as the city expanded and retail moved to suburban shopping centers. By the late 1970s, it had become a red-light district overrun with adult movie theaters and street prostitution. The adult businesses were zoned out in the late 1980s under an initiative spearheaded by then-downtown councilwoman Susan Hammer. Nightclubs began opening and the district became known as SoFA during that period. In 2011, Arts Place, a consortium of 11 large foundations, granted $500,000 to a SoFA Initiative proposed by the 1stAct nonprofit to turn Parque de Los Pobladores into an “urban plaza” and an “outdoor living room” for SoFA. The project removed the park’s mature trees and expanded the park’s footprint with a concrete plaza.
The commercial street had been a major retail district of San Jose in the late 1800s and early part of the 20th century, but by the 1970s had fallen into decline along with much of downtown San Jose as the city expanded and retail moved to suburban shopping centers. By the late 1970s, it had become a red-light district overrun with adult movie theaters and street prostitution. The adult businesses were zoned out in the late 1980s under an initiative spearheaded by then-downtown councilwoman Susan Hammer. Nightclubs began opening and the district became known as SoFA during that period.
In 2011, Arts Place, a consortium of 11 large foundations, granted $500,000 to a SoFA Initiative proposed by the 1stAct nonprofit to turn Parque de Los Pobladores into an “urban plaza” and an “outdoor living room” for SoFA. The project removed the park’s mature trees and expanded the park’s footprint with a concrete plaza. Bed Bug Exterminator San Jose
Restaurants and Pubs
- Original Joe’s San Jose is located at 301 S First St, San Jose, CA
- Poor House Bistro is located at 91 Autumn St, San Jose, CA
- The Brit – Sports Pub & Patio is located 173 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA
- The Fountainhead is located at 387 S 1st St, San Jose, CA
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