It’s been more than three years since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, but cities are still struggling to lure crowds back to their downtowns.

So, the city of San Jose is considering a proposal that harkens back to the pandemic by opening public spaces for people to play.

On one block of Post Street, there are no cars at all. The narrow road in downtown was closed during the pandemic, and Froylan Rodriquez, who owns Dream Jewelers on the block, said traffic never really returned.

“I mean, everything was great,” he said. “Pretty good traffic on the street. Now, it seems like after COVID, it went really slow. It’s kind of quiet. You see, the street is, like, lonely.”

Now, the city has shut it down to cars permanently, but this time is giving it a special designation in the effort to bring life back to downtown.

“By designating Post Street as one of our first entertainment zones, we’re building on that momentum in allowing all the bars and restaurants here to take advantage of planned events in the future,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

He said there are eight downtown areas named as “entertainment zones” where, like in New Orleans, people would be allowed to take the food and drinks they buy out into the public spaces.

“You suddenly can actually leave the premises of the restaurant or bar and walk around throughout the zone,” said Mahan.  “And then, it’s easier to integrate entertainment or art or actually have this more robust experience in a larger public space.”

That may seem like a simple idea, but it took a new state law to make it possible. Senate Bill 969, passed in September, allows cities to establish areas where consumption of alcohol on public streets would be legalized during special events.

“It’s going to increase business, 100 percent,” said Cisco Mejia, a manager at the Splash Video Dance Bar on Post Street. “Just because that’s something new that we haven’t had before.”

Actually, they did have it before, during the pandemic. Post Street was closed during the lockdown for outdoor dining. But at the “Fifty Five South” bar, they didn’t just put tables out, they actually constructed a large shipwreck in the middle of the street for customers to sit inside. Co-owner Eric Nielsen said it was just the kind of zany thing that cooped-up people were looking for.

“It was insane that we did this, but we did, and it was hugely popular for over a year and a half,” said Nielsen.  “I think it was fantastic for the city.  We had families walking down the street at all times of the day and even into the evening. And before we didn’t see that, before the pandemic, we never saw that.”

Now, during special permitted events, businesses in the entertainment zones would be able to use the streets and sidewalks for outdoor events.  Last week, they got a little taste of that, actually a big taste, when the city staged a block party for tens of thousands of people featuring star DJ Steve Aoki. Nielsen said it was just the boost he was hoping for.

“We did better sales-wise, but most importantly, just walking around downtown, it felt alive. It felt like a normal downtown city again. We really missed that,” he said.  “So, yeah, anything that can help that and make people feel comfortable and give them an opportunity and an excuse to go out and see something different, do something different, and have a good time. That’s kind of the key.”

During the pandemic, outdoor entertainment was meant to keep distance between people. Now, it’s being used to bring them together again.