San Jose Flea Market

Last updated
San Jose Flea Market
San Jose Flea Market logo (2010).png
Berryessa - San Jose Flea Market (2003 Aerial).jpg
Aerial photograph of Berryessa Flea Market (2003). Berryessa Road runs diagonally, from upper right to lower left, dividing the site into north and south parcels. Bayshore Freeway runs horizontally in the lower part of the photograph.
San Jose Flea Market
Coordinates 37°22′09″N121°52′44″W / 37.36922°N 121.8789°W / 37.36922; -121.8789
Address1590 Berryessa Rd
San Jose, CA 95133
Opening dateMarch 1960 (1960-03)
Total retail floor area 120 acres (49 ha)
Parkingonsite
Public transit access VTA: 61, 70, 77, 500, 523
BART: Berryessa
Website sjfm.com

The San Jose Flea Market, located in Berryessa district of San Jose, California, was founded by George Bumb Sr. in March 1960. He had the idea to open a flea market while working in the solid waste and landfill business. He witnessed abundant items thrown away every day and realized he could make a profit from these discarded items. [1] After visiting swap meets in Los Angeles and Paris’ Thieves Market for inspiration, George Bumb Sr. established the San Jose Flea Market at 1590 Berryessa Road in San Jose, California. He bought 120 acres (49 ha) of an old meat-processing plant and remodeled it to create a market with an initial 20 vendors and only 100 customers per day.

Contents

Operations

Vendors at the San Jose Flea Market San Jose Flea Market 02.jpg
Vendors at the San Jose Flea Market

Management

The San Jose Flea Market has been owned and operated by the Bumb family since its inception. Brian Bumb Sr., son of George Bumb Sr., supervised and was part owner of the San Jose Flea Market along his other brothers, George Bumb Jr., and Timothy Bumb. [2] Other members of the Bumb family own vendor stalls, work at food carts, and have managerial positions within the Flea Market. [3] Joe Bumb, cousin of Brian Bumb, owns American Precious Metals, an open-air store within the flea market that sells mostly jewelry.

Attractions

A Mariachi band performing at San Jose Flea Market San Jose Flea Market 01.jpg
A Mariachi band performing at San Jose Flea Market

The eight miles (13 km) worth of aisles allows for over 2000 vendors to sell an array of goods. In 1987, the Flea Market claimed to have 2,400 vendors and more than 4 million visitors per year. [4] With a population and land mass larger than some small towns, the Flea Market is a major contributor to the income of many local families. Some of the items found at the Flea Market include jewelry, furniture, clothing, fruit, vegetables, shoes, collectibles, toys, books, cars, car stereo equipment, artwork, tools, toiletries, cosmetics, and cookware, among other things.

Along with the material items sold at the Flea Market, there are also many restaurants that are owned and operated by The Flea Market, Inc. and sell both American and Mexican food. Additionally, the Flea Market features traveling food carts that sell beer, soda, and churros. The largest section of the Flea Market is its Farmers Market, which stretches a quarter of a mile through the market and contains fruit and vegetables from California’s farmers.

The Flea Market features a variety of entertainment options every weekend. There are two stages on the Flea Market grounds, one of which consistently reserved for a Mexican Mariachi band. A vintage carousel, an arcade, three playgrounds, and carnival rides are among the attractions developed at the Flea Market for children.

Site

The entire 120.3-acre (48.7 ha) site is divided into a northern area (north of Berryessa) and a southern area (south of Berryessa). The northern area is 57.05 acres (23.09 ha) and the southern area is 63.25 acres (25.60 ha). [5] :21 The northern area was used for Flea Market parking prior to redevelopment into a transit-oriented residences after 2007; the southern area retains the Flea Market and a smaller parking lot. [5] :57–58

In June of 2020, the Berryessa/North San José station opened, allowing for access to the site via BART which serves as a connector rail service for much of the San Francisco Bay Area region. [6] [7]

History

The San Jose Flea Market was originally known as the Berryessa Flea Market, located at 12000 Berryessa Road (near the intersection with Lundy, slightly east of the current location). [8]

Fire

On Wednesday, November 29, 2006, a fire burned down 24 stands of Produce Row at the San Jose Flea Market. [9] At 6:02 p.m, a 911 call was made and dozens of fire crews and a helicopter arrived to put out the flames. Although the fire was contained at 7:15 p.m, $200,000 worth of merchandise was destroyed. Burnt nuts, fruit, plants, and plastic were strewn all over the ground. Theresa Bumb, daughter of Brian Bumb Sr., stated that they would do their best to help those who were affected by the fire by offering free or reduced rent. [10]

Future developments

On August 14, 2007, the San Jose City Council approved the proposal to rezone the property on Berryessa Road to allow for a 2,800-house development. [11] The Council took suggestions from the public and concluded in an approval of the motion by a 10 to 1 vote. [12] [13] The lone disapproving vote was cast because the Council member felt the requirements the city gave the Bumb family were excessive. The motion approved the Bumb Family’s plan to potentially develop the land on which the San Jose Flea Market is located [ citation needed ]. At the time the proposal was approved, Bumb family expressed no immediate plans or timeline to develop the Flea Market grounds. [ needs update ]

In January 2019, the San Jose City Council held a community meeting presenting proposed plans for a mix of housing, retail, parks and a future medical building on the land north of Berryessa Road. A significant part of this area was previously used as parking for the flea market. A large retail center including a Safeway and CVS Pharmacy have since been developed and opened on the northwest corner of Berryessa and Sierra Rd. The large triangular section of land south of Berryessa Rd on which the flea market shops and stands are currently located is proposed for commercial buildings.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose, California</span> City in California, United States

San Jose, officially the City of San José, is the largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 population of 1,013,240, it is the most populous city in both the Bay Area and the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland Combined Statistical Area, which has a 2015 population of 7.7 million and 9.7 million people respectively, the third-most populous city in California after Los Angeles and San Diego, and the 12th-most populous in the United States. Located in the center of the Santa Clara Valley on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, San Jose covers an area of 179.97 sq mi (466.1 km2). San Jose is the county seat of Santa Clara County and the main component of the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area, with an estimated population of around two million residents in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority</span> Public transit operator in Santa Clara County, California

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, more commonly known simply as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), is a special district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California. It serves San Jose, California, and the surrounding Silicon Valley. It is one of the governing parties for the Caltrain commuter rail line that serves the county. In 2022, the VTA's public transportation services had a combined ridership of 21,381,600, or about 85,800 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.

<i>Metro Silicon Valley</i> Free weekly newspaper

Metro is a free weekly newspaper published by the San Jose, California, based Metro Newspapers. Also known as Metro Silicon Valley, as well as Metroactive online, the paper serves the greater Silicon Valley area. In addition to print form, Metro can be downloaded in PDF format for free from the publisher's website. Metro also keeps tabs on local politics and the "chattering" class of San Jose through its weekly column, The Fly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berryessa, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

Berryessa is a district of San Jose, California, located in North San Jose. The district is named after the Berryessa family, a prominent Californio family of the Bay Area which historically owned most of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose Diridon station</span> Transit hub in San Jose, California, U.S.

San Jose Diridon station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a major intermodal transit center for Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley. The station is named after former Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon Sr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Reed</span> US politician, mayor of San Jose

Charles Rufus Reed is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 64th Mayor of San Jose, California from 2007 to 2014.

Bay 101 is a cardroom in San Jose, California. Like other California cardrooms, Bay 101 offers poker cash games and tournaments as well as special "California" style table games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose City Hall</span> Seat of the municipal government of San Jose, California

San José City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of San Jose, California. Located in Downtown San Jose, it was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier in a Postmodern style. It consists of an 18-story tower, an iconic glass rotunda, and a city council chamber wing, laid out within a two-block-long public square known as San José Civic Plaza. The tower rises 285 feet (87 m) above the plaza, making it the fourth tallest building in San Jose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose Convention Center</span> Convention center in Downtown San Jose, California, United States

The San Jose McEnery Convention Center is a convention center in Downtown San Jose, California. The 550,000-square-foot (51,000 m2) facility is the largest convention center in Silicon Valley. It is known for hosting high-profile technology conferences and events like the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference and Facebook F8, as well as non-tech events like FanimeCon and Silicon Valley Comic Con.

Throughout the history of Bay Area Rapid Transit, there have been plans to extend service to other areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milpitas station</span> Transit center served by BART trains, VTA light rail and buses

Milpitas station, also known as Milpitas Transit Center, is an intermodal transit station located near the intersection of East Capitol Avenue and Montague Expressway in Milpitas, California. The station is served by the Orange Line and Green Line Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) lines, the Orange Line Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail line, VTA buses, and AC Transit buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berryessa/North San José station</span> BART station in San Jose, California, United States

Berryessa/North San José station is an intermodal transit center located in the Berryessa district of San Jose, California. The station is served by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses. The transit center opened for bus service on December 28, 2019, and subsequently for BART service on June 13, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28th Street/Little Portugal station</span>

28th Street/Little Portugal station is a proposed underground Bay Area Rapid Transit station in the Little Portugal neighborhood of San Jose, California. It would be located north of East Santa Clara Street between North 28th Street and U.S. Route 101, behind Five Wounds Portuguese National Church. Preceded by Berryessa/North San José station, it would be the first station of the Phase II portion of the Silicon Valley BART extension. The station would have direct service to Santa Clara, Richmond, and San Francisco/Daly City. In planning, the station was referred to as Alum Rock/28th Street, after the Alum Rock neighborhood to the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown San José station</span>

Downtown San José station is a proposed underground Bay Area Rapid Transit station underneath Santa Clara Street in Downtown San Jose, planned as part of Silicon Valley BART extension Phase II. The station would be co-located with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's existing Santa Clara light rail station, and be located between the proposed 28th Street/Little Portugal station and a transfer station at San Jose Diridon Station. The station eventually connects to the proposed Santa Clara BART station. Revenue service is envisioned to start in 2029–2030.

The Silicon Valley BART extension is an ongoing effort to expand service by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) into Santa Clara County via the East Bay from its former terminus at the Fremont station in Alameda County. Planned since at least 1981, the project has seven stations in three sequential phases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Portugal, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

Little Portugal is a historic neighborhood of San Jose, California, and historically the center of the local Portuguese-American community. Little Portugal is home to numerous Portuguese businesses, including Adega, numerous Portuguese social clubs, and the Five Wounds Portuguese National Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rincon de los Esteros, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

Rincon de los Esteros, also known as Innovation Triangle, the Golden Triangle, the Innovation District, or simply as Rincon, is a vast district of San Jose, California, making up a significant portion of North San Jose. The district has one of the largest concentrations of high tech company headquarters and campuses in Silicon Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Affordable housing in Silicon Valley</span>

Silicon Valley, a region located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, is one of the most expensive regions to live in the United States, and many residents lack access to affordable housing. In 2018, the median home price across the area was $1.18 million, the highest of the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. The growth of the technology industry in the area, including major companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple, is frequently cited as a major cause of the issue. There have been local efforts to address affordable housing, as well as state measures in response to housing issues across California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in San Jose, California</span>

San Jose, California has various cycling routes on roads and trails used by both commuters and recreational riders. The city has plans to expand the current 285 miles (459 km) of bike lanes to 400 miles (640 km), and the current 60 miles (97 km) of trails to 100 miles (160 km). San Jose was ranked as a bronze-level bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Line (VTA)</span> Light rail line in Santa Clara County, California

The Orange Line is a light rail line in Santa Clara County, California, and part of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail system. It serves 26 stations in the cities of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, and San Jose, traveling between Downtown Mountain View and Alum Rock stations, stopping at Ames Research Center, Great America, and Levi's Stadium along the way. The line connects to Caltrain at Mountain View and to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system at Milpitas station. The line runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays, with headways of 15 minutes for most of the day. On weekends, the train runs at 20-minute headways for most of the day. After around 8 pm on weekdays and weekends trains run at 30-minute headways.

References

  1. Vazquez, Daniel. "George Bumb Sr., Began Fleamarket". "San Jose Mercury News". 2000-8-21.
  2. Hendrickson, Steve. "Memorandum: Bay 101 Conditional Approval of Stock Transfer". 2007-9-13 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2008-02-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Internet Threatens Old-Fashioned Sales Venues" Washington Post. 2005-8-2.
  4. Brooks, Nancy Rivera (December 21, 1987). "SWAP MEETS: Business Booms as Bargain Hunters Search for Novelties in Bazaar Settings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  5. 1 2 Draft Environmental Impact Report: San Jose Flea Market General Plan Amendment & Planned Development Rezoning (Report). Vol. I. City of San Jose. December 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. "General Info".
  7. "Berryessa Transit Center & Berryessa/North San José BART Station".
  8. "Bring your items you no longer need and sell or swap them at the Berryessa Flea Market". Santa Cruz Sentinel. September 4, 1960. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  9. McPherson, Kimra (November 30, 2006). "Merchants get look at damage to flea market". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  10. Gonzales, Sandra. "Fire Damages Flea Market". San Jose Mercury News. 2006-11-29.
  11. Sherbert, Erin. "The Waiting Game." The Metro Silicon Valley. 2007-9-12.
  12. Gomez, Mark (August 12, 2007). "San Jose flea-market future at issue". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  13. Witt, Barry (August 15, 2007). "San Jose council approves plan to rezone flea market site". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  14. Pizarro, Sal (October 16, 2009). "Pizarro: San Jose Flea Market prepares for the big 5-0". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 March 2019.