Last week, I had occasion to go to my birth town, San Jose. It is about a two hour drive from where I live. I had to go get a copy of my birth certificate so I would have it because during the ongoing saga of trying to prove to the Department of Homeland Security that I am indeed who I say I am, they have my birth certificate and I do not!
After getting the document in less than ten minutes, including the time it took to wait in line, we had some time to kill. My daughter had driven me to San Jose and she wanted to drive down town to the Fairmont. The Fairmont is next door to the San Jose Museum of Art which, when I was a child, was the San Jose Public Library. This is the library where I got my first library card and where I took my first library field trip to during first grade. It is a beautiful building. I am so glad that they did not tear it down when they revitalized the downtown area. Many beautiful and stately buildings were indeed destroyed. This one was saved.
We didn't get the opportunity to visit the museum but I snapped a picture of it with my digital camera. I thought I'd share this beautiful building with you.
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Comments: 22
If you go, the old Civic Auditorium is across the plaza from the museum. I have written about that auditorium previously. When I was little, we would walk the parade route every time there was any kind of parade and they all ended at the plaza. The Christmas parade ended there and a Christmas program began inside the auditorium. My father took me to a wrestling match in the auditorium, too. I must have been about 7 or 8. It was the only time I spent time alone with my father.
I like taking my kids around my old neighborhood. They have an opportunity to see and hear about my childhood. I hope you have a wonderful New Year Corina!
Happy New Year Comments - DazzleJunction.com
You know in all the years I lived in SJ, I never went to the Winchester Mystery House. We used to drive by it and park across from it and look when I was little but we never went. It wasn't until 2004, when we were moving back up here after living in L.A. for almost 25 years that my son took me. I loved it. I want to go back and do another tour. It's one of the most amazing places I've been too. I want to take the camera and take some photos!
Happy New Year to you this fine day!
I have to disagree about the loss of historical buildings. I'll grant that several have been lost, but not all are worth saving. Quite a few of them are still around, including the Sainte Claire, Montgomery, and Metropole Hotels (the latter is now an office building, though). The DeAnza Hotel and its twin down the street, the former San Jose medical building, are still in use today, as is the original location where Bank of America first opened.
I have lived in this city most of my life and downtown was a blight and embarrassment back in the 70s. Although it will probably never recover its retail base, it is being replaced by offices and condos. It has become an attractive area again. You can't beat the climate here.