The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for K Street
The Kay Comes to Life
After Friday Night Concerts in the Park or weekend festivals at Cesar Chavez Plaza, people begin meandering over to K Street for drinks, dinner or late night clubbing. On any given evening, people converge on K Street to see an independent film at the historic Crest Theatre, a larger-than-life movie at IMAX or a live show debuting at The Assembly. They might be sampling wine and cheese at Downtown & Vine, listening to live music at Marilyn’s or just wandering up from Downtown Plaza to find something a little more dazzling to do.
Recently, Sacramento’s K Street district has been re-named ‘The Kay’. Like it, love it or stick your tongue out at it, it’s an ode to an earlier time in the city’s history when K Street was often spelled “Kay Street” and was “a lively part of the downtown core.” Hanging out there myself on an early spring Saturday evening, it definitely seemed that The Kay was the place to be.
Restaurants along K Street and connecting cross streets include: Pizza Rock, Crest Cafe, Ambrosia Cafe, Mayahuel, Esquire Grill, Ella Dining Room & Bar, The Broiler Steakhouse, Blackbird Kitchen & Bar, and Grange Restaurant & Bar.
Clubs and bars include: Dive Bar, District 30, K Bar, Gallagher’s Irish Pub, and Marilyn’s on K.
I probably missed some (sorry)… But hey, that’s what makes the next time around so much fun: Still discovering something new!
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Pizza Rock’in it 80s-Style
Today is Wednesday and tonight is 80s Night at Pizza Rock on K Street. All things 80s – movies, music and trivia after 8PM. If you like ambiance, someplace cool and different, a slight Vegas feel and mighty large draft beers, check out Pizza Rock in Downtown Sacramento. Go early for their great Happy Hour specials!
1020 K St, (916) 737-5777, pizzarocksacramento.com
Freaky Friday: Feeling Our Way Around Shenanigans & Dive Bar
Some friends and I wanted to check out the new ‘Dive Bar’ on K Street, as where else around these parts are we going to find mermaids dipping and diving in a gigantic tank? It’s easy to let the name fool you, since the concept of a “dive bar” tends to elicit pretty strong images of dark, dusty, sometimes dingy places. Yet while dark indeed, this particular Dive Bar creates a class all its own, with huge glowing chandeliers, large elegant mirrors, and lounge-style seating perfect for classy cocktails and conversation.
Next, we hit Shenanigans on J Street. I’d seen photos of it and was expecting a posh, club-y hangout, but Shenanigans deserves the general term “dive bar” tenfold next to the literal Dive Bar. Still, appearances can be misleading, and what kind of joint appeals to each of us depends a great deal on our individual priorities. While the bartender was refreshingly engaging, Shenanigans in the light of day was a bit too rough around the edges (ok, truthfully, grimy around the toilets) for me. There was, however, a certain energy about the place that made my male compatriots want to return the next weekend. And I can imagine that once the sun goes down and the cocktails and music start flowing, that hazy glaze could soften up the edges and cast a more magical glow. So with live music and comedy shows upstairs, thumping DJ and lounge downstairs, the entertainment options might be just what the janitor ordered.
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which it was built, the rivers that flow through, the bounty around it and the people who make the Sacramento area their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing post-rain spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town with friends or family.
There’s truly something here for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and night-time adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
