100% OF THE FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENTS. SMALL BUSINESSES, FOUR YEARS AFTER THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN HYBRID WORK IS A CHALLENGE FOR THE CITY. DIVING INTO LOW THE BAY AREA'S CITIES ARE BOUNCING BACK. HE IS HERE IN THE STUDIO. YOU HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE BAY AREA CHECKING THINGS OUT. NOW IT IS AN JOSE. >> SAN JOSE'S TURN. EACH ONE HAS A STRATEGY AND ROADBLOCKS THEY HAVE TO GO OVER. WHEN DESCRIBING THE VIBE AT NIGHT, BUSINESS OWNERS TOLD ME A WORD YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT TO HEAR. [ BELL RINGING ] >> Reporter: WITH THIS TRAIN ROLLING INTO THE SAN JOSE STATION, ALLISON IS ON HER FEET FOR THE FINAL LEG OF HER COMMUTE TO HER DOWNTOWN OFFICE. >> IT IS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME I GO INTO THE OFFICE. I ALWAYS TAKE THE TRAIN. >> Reporter: SHE HAS COMMUTED FROM PLEASANTON TO SAN JOSE FOR A YEAR NOW AND HYBRID WORK WORKS FOR HER. >> GOOD FOR THE FLEXIBILITY THAN COMING IN EVERY DAY. >> Reporter: HOWEVER, IT POSED MANY CHALLENGES FOR DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE'S POST PANDEMIC RECOVERY SINCE FEWER PEOPLE ARE HERE DURING THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WORKING HOURS OF 8:00 A.M. THROUGH 6:00 P.M. >> IT IS QUIET. >> Reporter: THE PROBLEM HERE IS LESS PRONOUNCED THAN IT IS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND IN OAKLAND. THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCHOOL OF CITIES TRACKED DOWN RECOVERIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. TO MEASURE ACTIVITY LEVELS AND SOME OF THE AREAS, IT SHOWS DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE FURTHER TIME FOR RECOVERY T. IS STILL NOT BACK TO PANDEMIC LEVELS DURING THE DAY IT IS ALMOST THERE AT 85%. THEY SAY THEY ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. >> SAN JOSE IS AN EASIER ONE, ACTUALLY. IT IS, IT HAS NOT BEEN AS VOLATILE. IT HAS BEEN -- IT CAME BACK STEADILY. >> Reporter: DO NOT BE FOOLED. IT IS STILL QUIETER THAN THE BUSINESSES ARE USED TO. >> WE HAVE A GROUP OF 40 COMING IN. >> Reporter: RANDY IS LEANING INTO HOSTING MORE EVENTS AT HIS RESTAURANT, SHUSHY CONFIDENTIAL, BECAUSE HE IS STILL MISSING OUT ON THE LUNCH RUSH. >> YOU CAN NOT JUST OPEN UP YOUR DOORS ANY MORE AND HOPE PEOPLE COME IN. YOU HAVE TO BE CREATIVE. >> HOWEVER, ON WEEKNIGHTS IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE, IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY. >> DINNERTIME AND THEN THE BAR AND NIGHTCLUB INDUSTRIES ARE THRIVING DOWN HERE.. >> Reporter: THRIVING, NOT A WORD YOU WOULD EXPECT TO HEAR. BUT IT ADDS UP FOR THE SCHOOL OF CITY CELL PHONE DATA SHOWING DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE WEEKNIGHT RECOVERY RATE IS AT 116%. HE SAYS THEIR WEEKNIGHT SALES PEAK BETWEEN 7:30 AND 9:00 P.M. >> A LOT OF TIME, MONEY, ENERGY PUT INTO THE DOWNTOWN CORE. >> Reporter: HOWEVER. >> THE COST OF EVERYTHING IS GOING UP. EVEN THOUGH NOW OUR SALES ARE AT PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS IT DOES NOT MEAN PROFITABILITY IS THERE YET. WE ARE STRIVING FOR THAT. >> Reporter: THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION, MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. >> PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING IS HAVING MORE PEOPLE WORKING DOWN HERE. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A BIG PUSH WITH DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE TRYING TO BECOME THE AI HUB OF NOT ONLY THE SILICONE VALLEY BUT OF THE WORLD. >> Reporter: HE THINKS ACTIVITY LEVELS COULD CONTINUE TO RISE IF THE CITY CONTINUES TO TACKLE THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS. >> AND ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE, THERE USED TO BE A HUGE HOMELESS CAMP. AND, THEY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE AND STARTED. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR SAFETY. >> ON THE DAYS SHE IS THERE. SHE ENJOYS BEING IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. >> THIS AREA IT FEELS, IT IS GREAT. >> EVEN THOUGH SHE DOES NOT LIVE THERE AND IT IS NOT HER DOWNTOWN. SHE IS INVESTED IN THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE AND ITS PLACE IN AN ALWAYS EVOLVING BAY. >> I LIKE THESE GLASS HALF FULL STORIES WE ARE DOING. NOW I WANT SPICY TUNA SUSHI WITH AVOCADO, PLEASE. AT SUSHI CONFIDENTIAL. >> GOOD SPOT. >> VERY. >> NOW, YOU TOURED AROUND. LOOKING AT ALL OF THE CITIES. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO, OAKLAND AND SAN JOSE? >> A DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGES GOING THROUGH RECOVERY. SAN JOSE AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THAT PROFESSOR IN CHARGE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM AND THE STUDY THERE, IT IS A DIFFERENT PLACE IN THE ENTIRETY OF THE CITY. NOT AS BIG OF A DOWNTOWN AREA AS YOU WOULD SEE IN SAN FRANCISCO OR OAKLAND. LESS CENTRALIZED. STILL A BIG PART OF THE PICTURE. I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE RATES OVERALL. THIS IS THE CELL PHONE DATA. SAN FRANCISCO, 67%, OAKLAND AT 74% AND SAN JOSE, REALLY, FAR AHEAD, ALMOST BACK AT 100% ACTIVITY. >> IT IS NICE TO SEE. ANY SOLUTIONS, THOUGH, TO REVITALIZING THE DOWNTOWNS? >> THAT IS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTIONS. >> OKAY, HERE IS THE MILLION. >> OKAY. WE SEE THE CITY LEADERS TRYING THINGS DURING THE DAY TIME AND THE NIGHTTIME. SAN FRANCISCO WE HAVE SEEN NEW KIND OF INITIATIVES AT NIGHT TO GET PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. >> RIGHT. >> BUT THERE ARE STILL SO MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO HOPEFULLY FIND A WAY TO HELP THE BU
