The 88

Living High at The 88

By Elisha Maldonado, Dan Lu, and Krystyna Coria

Soaring above the flatland of downtown San Jose stands a new edifice, its 22 floors threatening to transform downtown into an urban delight.

The 88, a residential tower offering 200 units, can be found in the heart of downtown. Ironically --- or not --- The 88 sits on 88 E. San Fernando Street, surrounded by kitschy boutiques, book stores, restaurants, you name it.

The tower is scheduled for a Spring 2008 completion, according to a release by spokesman Ron Heckmann.

Standing at a little under 88 meters in height, “The 88 will be the tallest residential building between San Francisco and Los Angeles,” according to the document.

Heckmann said the concept of building The 88 was developed a couple of years ago “with an eye toward meeting the long-term, rising demand for housing in Silicon Valley and, in particular, downtown.

“The current market conditions are challenging, but people are still buying homes, and The 88 is a truly high-quality home with a new type of lock-and-go, no-hassle lifestyle – with incredible views,” Heckmann said.

The 88 offers 197 luxury homes including 18 penthouses, with prices ranging from the low $400,000s to $4 million.

Ergo, the residential tower most likely will not be attracting students from the nearby San Jose State University.

The 88, Heckmann said, is particularly a target for single and couples who maintain busy lifestyles, but also “empty nesters and people with small families.”

The 88’s development team has a planned second, south tower that will offer 204 units.

Applicants have been a majority of upper class, middle-aged folks between their 30s and 40s. In addition, none were currently attending San Jose State University but some were SJSU alumnis said sales agent Yvonne Gottwals. The majority of the applicants have been white males and females while only about 8 percent were minorities. Some applicants were looking into buying and renting out the condos to invest in the property. Gottwals enjoys giving tours and she also has a place at The 88.

Gottwals currently lives on the eighth floor of The 88 and absolutely loves living there, because its so close to everything downtown and never has to drive anywhere, she said. She did say that all residents of The 88 are happy and have nothing but positive things to say about the lofts.

What’s around The 88? (Sidebar)

Towering 22 stories high, stands a black and white building that one might call “sexy and glamorous.” The 88 high-rise residential tower is scheduled to add at least 200 new units and downtown residents to the city of almost one million people. Located on 88 E. San Fernando Street in downtown San Jose, The 88 is within walking distance of numerous arts, entertainment, restaurants, services, shopping, parks and much more. Walkscore.com rated The 88 with a walking score of 95 out of 100 thanks to its proximity to many things within its 8.8 mile radius.

Venues nearby The 88 provide endless amounts of entertainment from sporting events, concerts, conventions, to even the circus. With the recent addition of The 88, other high-rise residential towers have sprung up resulting in a steady flurry of little boutiques, trendy frozen yogurt shops, and new restaurants to serve the new crop of residents moving in. With nearby hotels, mixed-use buildings and condos, and San Jose State’s Campus Village; urban living is not new to San Jose but construction on surrounding high-rise residences is becoming more evident throughout the downtown.

For entertainment, walk south towards Interstate 280 and residents will find one of three cinemas playing independent and the latest movies. To the north of the tower off Second Street, laughter omits from San Jose’s Improv comedy club conjuring up chuckles weekly. Late night party goers have an array of nightclubs and bar offerings within walking distance saving residents from driving around and dealing with parking.

Performance theaters are a plenty with the San Jose Repertory Theater a couple hundred feet away to museums such as the San Jose Museum of Art or the Tech Museum. When it comes to food, there are more then 150 food and dining options with plenty just across the street from The 88 such as P.F. Chang’s, E&O Trading Company, and Fahrenheit Lounge.

Although there is plenty of restaurants to serve residents, downtown is missing a mainstream supermarket ever since Albertson’s shut its doors a few years ago. Two planned grocery stores are set to open in downtown sometime in 2009. One being an upscale Whole Foods market off The Alameda near the HP Pavilion and the other being the Pleasanton based Safeway which plans to open in the 23,620-square-foot space located at the bottom of The 88. The 88’s Safeway is said to be smaller in size but upscale and niche.

In addition to the current 22-story structure, developers of The 88 are planning to construct another high-rise residential tower in its second phase in the next few years. The second tower would be constructed next door where a city parking lot now sits. With local media coverage the past few months focused on The 88, there is plenty of buzz surrounding the 22-story structure across Bay Area media and beyond.

A current map of an 8.8 mile radius of The 88 and its surroundings:

(click to enlarge)


Downtown stats:
Food and dining 154
Arts and entertainment 262
Services 119

Slide show of The 88 and surrounding areas:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25265322@N03/sets/72157608294213559/show/

Video of The 88