In a world that loves to categorize things into Top 10 lists, there aren't too many who care about the 11th best or biggest in any category.
So when San Jose moved from being the country's 11th largest city and into the Top 10 last week, city leaders were pleased with the added national recognition.
The U.S. Census Bureau has announced that San Jose, with a population estimated at 904,522, has taken over Detroit's spot as the 10th- largest city in the United States. The Motor City's population comes in at 900,198. According to census figures, San Jose's population has increased by 6,713 since 2005, while Detroit's has slipped by 11,204.
Mayor Ron Gonzales called the move to the Top 10 a "proud moment" in a press release.
"Being included in the nation's top 10 cities will help showcase the wonderful features of San Jose and the excellent economic advantages in the capital of Silicon Valley to the country and the world," he said.
District 1 Councilwoman Linda LeZotte said the council has been aware of the city's growth in population, and she pointed to recent efforts to support growth, such as the commitment for more housing and office space in north San Jose.
"I think it's something we anticipated," she said. "It's being played out in our policies."
Susan J. Gable, owner of Realty World People's Choice Properties on The Alameda, said she is optimistic that the move up means better things are to come.
"I see tourism growing," Gable said. "I see more opportunity for more growth across the board. Size doesn't mean you're a leader, but it goes hand in hand."
District 10 Councilwoman Nancy Pyle said the accolades can help San Jose attract major businesses, especially in the biotechnology field and stem cell research. "We will continue to be involved as a feeder city to that," she said.
Others said that perhaps now, people will know the way to San Jose.
Doug Keller, a past president of the Almaden Business Association, recalls that in the past, he had several chats about traveling to the Golden State and San Jose often got overlooked. San Francisco and Los Angeles were the assumed destinations.
"Most people aren't aware that San Jose is larger than San Francisco," Keller said. "It raises the awareness level in our community. It's a higher profile."
District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager still has to correct people who think San Jose is located in southern California.
"The news might lead people to run to their atlases to figure out where San Jose is," he said. "I still find that sometimes when I tell people I'm from San Jose, they ask me if it's around San Diego."
Yeager said he hopes the awareness would translate to more funds available for San Jose.
"It means more recognition and more state and federal money as people in Washington understand better what our population size is and the need to receive our share of federal funds," he said.
The list has no bearing for Thom Scheid, president of the Rose Garden Neighborhood Preservation Association. He joked that the price of housing in San Jose already qualifies it for the top prize.
"The number doesn't have an effect," Scheid said. "It's the weather, the opportunities. That's what people say. It's the lifestyle."
He said he recalled when downtown San Jose had a reputation of being an unsafe location.
"The progress has been fantastic," he said. "Despite the bust of the dot-coms, it's still an accomplishment."
For Julie Scott, president of the Rosicrucian Order in the Rose Garden, the recognition of the city's preservation of certain areas should supercede its identification as simply a large city. She singled out the Municipal Rose Garden and the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens as special sanctuaries.
"For me, that's worthy of recognition, that we made a commitment to make this a good place to live," Scott said. |
