{"id":371636,"date":"2026-06-23T16:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/371636\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:36:10","slug":"downtown-sunnyvales-transformation-from-parking-lot-to-vibrant-hub-the-mercury-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/371636\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Sunnyvale\u2019s transformation from parking lot to vibrant hub \u2013 The Mercury News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saturday morning on Sunnyvale\u2019s historic Murphy Avenue starts early and doesn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

Crimson tomatoes, perfectly-ripe strawberries and freshly baked pastries call out to the city\u2019s early risers, who peruse the weekly Farmer\u2019s Market<\/a> with a steaming cup of coffee in hand before heading to a yoga class at YogaSix or brunch at Keke\u2019s Breakfast Cafe<\/a>, where the regulars swear the food is worth the sometimes-very-long wait.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Step back in time with Los Gatos\/ vintage downtown<\/a><\/p>\n

Those who prefer a slower start to their weekend can be spotted catching a midday cup of coffee or bubble tea from one of the many cafes ensconced in the downtown district, or grabbing a bite at one of several al fresco dining spots on the pedestrian-only avenue, which was permanently closed to vehicles in February of 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n

But downtown Sunnyvale really comes alive once the sun begins to set, with a vast array of bars, nightclubs and late-night dining peppered throughout the city\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n

On Murphy Avenue, regulars crowd the charming Irish pub Fibbar MaGees<\/a> for pints and traditional Irish food or grab a strong cocktail and a game of pool next door at Paul & Harvey \u2014 a dive-bar fixture in the area since 1937.<\/p>\n

Also hopping are Fuego, a sports bar that transforms into a nightclub in the evening with live music, and Pure, which often gets a line stretching from one end of Murphy Avenue to the other for its line-up of famous DJs and performers.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Karina<\/p>\n

Karina Nolan, of Mountain View, seen through a window, enjoys an evening with family members at Fibbar Magees Irish pub along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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A bartender pours a glass of Guinness at Fibbar Magees Irish pub along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A menu displays daily specials at Fibbar Magees Irish pub along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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Karina Nolan, of Mountain View, seen through a window, enjoys an evening with family members at Fibbar Magees Irish pub along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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Once the bars serve their last drink and the shows end, the late-night crowd stumbles out, limbs heavy and heels often in hand, to the smell of steaming onions, peppers and grilled meat at taco stands and hot-dog carts before wandering back to the many new apartment buildings towering over the downtown streets.<\/p>\n

This explosion of life in what just 10 years ago was a fairly quiet community<\/a> nestled amid big tech and aerospace companies is largely because of Cityline Sunnyvale, a dynamic mixed-use development project in downtown Sunnyvale that has transformed the downtown streets with modern apartments, offices, restaurants and retail.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years and years, it was just a parking lot,\u201d said Heather Howard, who has worked for Fibbar MaGees since it opened in 1994, of Sunnyvale\u2019s downtown. She now works as the controller for Fibbar\u2019s and its sister bar Molly MaGees in Mountain View. \u201cIt kind of felt like a neglected area\u2026it wasn\u2019t really a vibrant place you go visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the late 1980s and \u201990s, the downtown area was primarily a mall called Sunnyvale Town Center, explained Josh Rupert, the director of development at Hunter Properties who led the Cityline project. Over the course of nearly two decades, several developers attempted to revamp the downtown area into a dynamic mixed-use center \u2014 the mall was torn down in 2007 and some offices and residential units were constructed. But the project was largely in a state of disarray, he said, when Cityline acquired it in 2016, nearly a decade after progress on the development had halted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very complicated, frankly, at that time to sort of restart the project some eight years later,\u201d Rupert said. \u201cIt required a lot of diligence on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cityline constructed nearly 200 residential units, over 100,000 square feet of retail space and about $25 million in site improvements within the first few years of the multi-stage project, Rupert said. Then came more residential units, the AMC movie theater and the Whole Foods grocery store \u2014 right when the pandemic shut down all business in 2020.<\/p>\n

But within a couple of years, construction was finished on additional office and retail space, as well as nearly 500 apartment units in the Martin, a luxury apartment complex that opened in 2024. Shake Shack, the popular fast food joint, opened up underneath the Martin earlier this month, with lines stretching down the street, Rupert said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to redevelop a downtown in any location is unique,\u201d Rupert said. \u201cWe wanted a mixed-use environment that was dynamic at all hours of the day. We wanted to have offices that support retail and we wanted to have retail that supports the residential.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BannersEvelyn Lin, of San Jose, front, and her husband, Nicholas Yin, play pool at Lucky Shot Billiards along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

While other downtown areas in the Bay Area have experienced a slow recovery from the pandemic, downtown Sunnyvale seems to have fast-tracked its growth.<\/p>\n

Other recent additions include the Palo Alto Pakistani-Indian restaurant Zareen\u2019s, while Databricks is expected to move into the downtown offices in late 2026, joining CrowdStrike and Nokia.<\/p>\n

Kristina Kawczynski, 39, has been a Sunnyvale resident her whole life and has lived at the Martin apartment complex since it opened in August 2024. She said Cityline has transformed the city and offered something she\u2019s never experienced \u2014 the chance to live in the heart of a bustling downtown area with nearly everything within reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ever-changing and I love that about downtown,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s always something going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kawczynski said downtown Sunnyvale is unique primarily because of its layout \u2014 instead of just a singular, long \u201cmain\u201d street, the downtown area is more of a \u201csquare\u201d of neighboring streets.<\/p>\n

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Street performer Anthony Bunales sings on historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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An arch at the entrance to historic Murphy Avenue is seen in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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Visitors stroll under string lights along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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Street performer Anthony Bunales sings on historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen you go from Murphy Avenue and you\u2019re having to go to a movie at AMC, you\u2019re passing by the brand new office buildings, the Martin, the Redwood Square,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re seeing a transition from an older downtown into a newer downtown. And just knowing that it\u2019s all combined together is really unique in comparison to quite a few other downtowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said downtown Sunnyvale\u2019s strong sense of community between residents, business owners and the city\u2019s leadership is another part of its appeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely kind of a camaraderie down here,\u201d she said. \u201cWalking around downtown, I see a lot of very familiar faces. Some of the coffee shops and businesses that I frequent not only recognize me, but (also) some of the people that I\u2019ve brought with to dinner. A lot of businesses also tend to look out for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Widely considered the birthplace of the commercial video game industry, Sunnyvale is still a hub for innovation and technology, with the headquarters for Lockheed Martin, Apple, Google, Meta and LinkedIn located throughout the city. Many of those companies\u2019 employees call downtown Sunnyvale home.<\/p>\n

\"EvelynEvelyn Lin, of San Jose, front, and her husband, Nicholas Yin, play pool at Lucky Shot Billiards along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Heather Gerloch, founder of the marketing firm MDR Consulting with Cityline, said nearly half of the city\u2019s population comes from overseas, with many foreign workers dealing with culture shock and the challenges of connecting with others while working long hours.<\/p>\n

Cityline\u2019s goal, Gerloch said, was to create an opportunity for residents to connect, discover new businesses and feel at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is really to create community,\u201d Gerloch said. \u201cWe want to create a destination where people want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerloch said that in 2025, Cityline hosted\u00a041 events downtown, including 13 festivals, with over 150,000 attendees. They included everything from car and craft shows to art and fitness classes to singles events, music series and vintage markets.<\/p>\n

Ethan Zhu, 37, leads data science and analytics for DoorDash and moved to Sunnyvale in 2023. A Bay Area resident since 2007, he said Sunnyvale has a unique downtown compared to other cities in the South Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very convenient and it has all these shops, supermarkets and movie theaters within walking distance,\u201d Zhu said.<\/p>\n

He said he loves attending the events in downtown Sunnyvale, which offer him a chance to try new food, explore downtown businesses and meet people.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just bump into people,\u201d Zhu said. \u201cI actually reconnected with some people while we were waiting in the same line at one of the food stalls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Gumba'sGumba’s Italian Restaurant pizza chef Antonio Cruz works in the kitchen as customers have dinner along historic Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on April 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

While she\u2019s happy to see Sunnyvale thrive, Howard said she also knows that many of Fibbar MaGee\u2019s longtime regulars have been priced out of the downtown area, as housing costs continue to rise. Walkability is an essential part of Sunnyvale\u2019s vibrancy, she said, but very few of those regulars live within walking distance of the downtown area now.<\/p>\n

However, she remains hopeful that downtown Sunnyvale will continue to thrive for years to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have hopes that the entire area will stay successful, but I think we\u2019re still going to see some turnover,\u201d she said. \u201cAt it\u2019s best, there\u2019s no place I\u2019d rather be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Saturday morning on Sunnyvale\u2019s historic Murphy Avenue starts early and doesn\u2019t stop. Crimson tomatoes, perfectly-ripe strawberries and freshly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[184,387,7,8,1335,383,967,3056,421,181,971,23,100,2944,412,1969,5347,88,90,89,198,94685,200,203,420],"class_list":["post-371636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-bay-area","tag-business","tag-california","tag-california-news","tag-development","tag-economy","tag-entertainment","tag-features","tag-food-and-drink","tag-latest-headlines","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-photos-and-videos","tag-restaurants","tag-retail","tag-retail-development","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-social-alert","tag-south-bay","tag-sunnyvale","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}