The San Jose downtown area is a place with the rich history. It is one of the oldest cities in California, and this can be traced by the numerous buildings in the city center. Although nowadays the area is full of office buildings, it still may present interest as a destination for arts and entertainment venues.
Priorities in the Cultural Sector
The city’s cultural sector is given by various museums. While it may seem that the downtown has a lot of art destinations, these museums are mainly scientific. For example, they include the Tech Museum of Innovation and the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. Thus, it appears that entertainment places outnumber the cultural ones. Regarding the art sector, it is mainly presented by theaters, such as the San Jose Repertory Theater. It appears that the city center is mostly targeted at providing educational and theatrical activities. It does not seem surprising, as the location may be called home to those industries. Firstly, the San Jose downtown area is home to the headquarters of the leading tech corporations like the Adobe Systems. Secondly, California is worldwide famous for its movie and show industry. No wonder, theaters and music events are popular among the citizens of San Jose.
Family Entertainment
While the entertainment sector is quite developed, the San Jose downtown area cannot be called entirely family friendly. There are not enough playgrounds, so parents would find it hard to spend time with their children outside. There is also a very small number of green areas like the St. James Park and the Plaza de Cezar Chavez Park, where families may perform some outdoor activities. However, the area is easy for parents to move around with strollers. The roads are wide and well-maintained, and the public transportation system offers a fast way to reach all the places of interest. Regarding the entertainment for children provided by the area, there are plenty of options. These mainly include science museums mentioned above, as well as numerous restaurants and cafes. Many of the food venues are kids-friendly and allow parents to rest while their children are entertained by the personnel. These places prove to be helpful when families plan a long day in the city center.
Identifying the Main Issues
Although the arts and entertainment sector in San Jose downtown is diverse, there are not many options for young adults. The city does not seem to focus on them, for there are many places for children and just as much for adults, so the whole sector seems to be family-oriented. However, the downtown is home to the San Jose State University, one of the country’s oldest higher education institutions, so the demand for student entertainment is evident. Of course, the university provides different culture programs, but the city government should pay attention to the problem since young adults should not be secluded in their institution. Another issue lies in the lack of parking space in front of several cultural spots. While it is easy to leave a car next to a shopping mall, places like museums and galleries seem only to have an option of parking in line on the road. The city should try to solve this problem by building the underground parking spots.
Conclusion
Despite being old, the San Jose downtown area has various modern cultural places and events. The trip showed how the urban surrounding could serve the families’ entertainment and educational process, yet it has some problems of satisfying their needs. The city should pay more attention to this industry to allow all social groups to embrace the cultural life of the area.