The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Midtown
No Snow Day? Will You Settle for Some Sunshine?
Views from the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza
If you’re a downtown/central city type… Stay at the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, order some delicious and (surprisingly) reasonably-priced room service, and then enjoy the views as the sun sparkles through the Tower Bridge and settles into the Sacramento River.
Convenience is king here with immediate freeway access, but I suggest you park the car and leave it because you can hoof it to pretty much whatever your heart desires. Shopping and a brewery (River City) await you at the Downtown Plaza – just steps from your room – and Old Sacramento is not much farther the other direction, home to a handful of classy restaurants, historic sites, intriguing shops and photo ops.
Try Ten22 for dinner or drinks on the patio, Steamers for some breakfast tacos at a sunny sidewalk table, or the Delta King for river views and a more lavish (but still affordable) champagne brunch. Haven’t seen the newly-expanded and highly renovated Crocker Museum yet? It’s just another short jaunt away and will fulfill your more artistic, creative and cultured tastes.
If mom-n-pop is more your style… Stay at the comfy, cozy Amber House Bed & Breakfast in Midtown, unwind with a welcome drink on the porch, and then head out for some boutique shopping ‘afoot. Once those hunger pangs grab hold, grab some grub at Chicago Fire or Zelda’s pizzeria or try Kru or Tamaya Sushi. Independent bookstores and art galleries also abound around here.
Seriously, we’re all feeling pretty spoiled here since the New Year hit, and we’d like nothing more than to share our fine weather, amenities and attractions with you!
[Watch for more photos soon to come~]
Today: Launching of Midtown’s New Bike Share Program
Win-Win Situation
The weather’s glorious, there’s so much to see and do Downtown, and now – just in time for summer fun – the training wheels are coming off. Remember how excited you were to get your first banana-seat bike, Huffy, ten-speed, beach cruiser?! Don’t leave all the fun, fresh air and frolicking in childhood’s past – Reclaim the streets while you help save the planet one peddle at a time.
There’s a kick-off party today at 28th and J Streets in the Priority Parking Lot, 4PM, and you are invited.
The Midtown Bike Share will make it easier for both Midtown residents and visitors to get around, and is quite affordable and easy to use. It will also make Sacramento one of the few bike share programs on the West Coast. The pilot program will include two bike rental kiosks/vaults and 12 bikes, with kiosks located in the parking lots at 28th and J Streets and at 16th and I Streets. If the pilot program is a success – that’s where you and me come in -additional kiosk/vaults may be placed throughout Midtown and the Central City.
For more information about the Midtown Bike Share visit facebook.com/RideYourOwnWay or contact Heather Philpott: 916.442.1500, heather@mbasac.com. The Ride Your Own Way Midtown Bike Share program is brought to you by Midtown Business Association (MBA).
Lounging in Style
Rainy Window at Level Up Lounge
The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau held a networking mixer at Level Up Lounge on Tuesday night, February 23, 2010. The lounge is above Thai Basil Restaurant at 2341 J Street. (There’s a 3rd floor as well, but I think they try to keep that under wraps).
Level Up generously provided beverages and a variety of appetizers for guests, including chicken satay skewers, mango salsa on fried wontons and “beef jerky” on sticky rice pads. In addition, owner Suleka Sun-Lindley handed out coupons for her alluring mid-level space.
There’s something about the decor of this place that I just love. Rain or shine, it’s appealing and comfortable. With its colorful chandeliers, ever-color-changing backdrop lighting and sheer-curtain-covered windows overlooking the lights and action on J Street, Level Up has a unique look and feel all its own when it comes to Sacramento area lounges.
For the literally young, I think it can get pretty hip and hoppin’ late at night. For those of us a little older (but still young enough at heart), afternoon and evenings are always a great time to discover the place, take it over outright or duck into a low-lit corner.
The artist responsible for all the colorful, eclectic artwork currently adorning Level Up’s walls is John Titus Krempel, a well travelled and lived man with much to show for it.
Office Inspiration – A Break Away?!
The Bread Store, across from OfficeMax
So I took a walk this afternoon to sneak out of the office, suck up some fresh air and soak up some of that late winter sunshine. About halfway, I decided to duck into OfficeMax on J & 17th because I was curious to see what they had.
But because I was also in need of some career comfort, it delighted me to plop down into an office chair that felt almost heavenly in comparison to the one I’ve got. It was black – not my color of choice when it comes to office furniture – but hey, I know I’m the minority in that regard. And anyway, it was just so darn comfortable that I had visions of wanting to sit at my desk all day and write away.
Then I spotted some very attractive journals/notebooks that awakened my sense of all things pretty… and just in time, frankly, because I too was in need of some career inspiration.
And although I walked out empty-handed (to be fair, I didn’t have my wallet with me), I did not walk out with nothing. You see, shopping at office stores is not exactly titillating to me…. but on this day I learned that they can be quite comforting, and even inspiring if you let them.
Cool Surprise Awaits in Midtown
Midtown Ice Rink
It’s a beautiful sunny day and a new year full of potential. Forget the finger-pointing ‘shoulds’ of your resolutions… why not combine something that’s fun and good for you?! The Midtown Ice Rink is still open, after all (through Jan. 18), and what better way to liven up after the holidays than with a little brisk, lingering cheer!
You can grab a warm drink at Peet’s next door, a warm slice at Luigi’s next to that, or stop in afterward for a glass of bubbly at Lounge on 20. While the theme is still Christmas-based, the glittering lights and pop music add a little sparkle to an otherwise dull January. Just bring your mittens and some cash, because they don’t take American Express.
Midtown Ice Rink
20th between K & J Streets
$8/adults, $5/kids, $2/skate rental
http://www.exploremidtown.org
Toast to a Good Cause
You might think, ‘Who’s drinking beer before noon on a Saturday?’ And then you look around and see that a whole lot of people are drinking beer before noon on a Saturday. Whether it’s like this all the time or not, I don’t frankly know. What I can say is that on this particular Saturday, this particular restaurant and brewery (Rubicon in Midtown) was pouring a lot of tasty hops.
It was for a good cause, after all: The 3rd annual ‘Women in Brewing’ WEAVE fundraiser. And it was simple: No entrance fee; just nominal donations to sample the brews. Made by women, of course.
What we got out of it? Our favorite was a lovely Smoky Vanilla Porter, followed closely by a light and tangy Tangerine Wheat. We also made some friends over that vanilla porter. Yet while there wasn’t a big To-Do encircling this little neighborhood event, one thing seems certain: Sacramentans love a good cause, especially when it’s topped with the perfect amount of froth.
Sharing Sidewalk Space
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Preparing for the Lunch Rush?
Armed with camera dangling from my wrist, I head out during the lunch hour on a fine spring day, and immediately see something abstract I’d like to capture. I begin heading toward it when I notice Sacramento’s former mayor (Heather Fargo) exiting Lucca Restaurant from the direction in which I’m heading. Not wanting to be mistaken for the paparazzi and out of respect for the privacy I imagine she might desire, I shift courses and take the long way around.
It seems there’s always someone locally, regionally or even globally-famous heading into or out of Lucca on J Street (Esquire Grill on 13th, Faces on K, The Park UltraLounge on 15th, etc.). And yet, it might be of little surprise that the Midtown/Downtown vortex attracts big and plenty players since it’s so centrally located, so full of good restaurants, so near the Capitol and so loaded with charm.
To me, the 6 degrees of separation between us regular folks and those more blatantly recognizable are closing in. Blame it on the internet, reality TV, the widening of the “celebrity” umbrella… As the world gets more cramped, we’re naturally going to bump up against one another all the more.
What I like about this phenomenon happening in Sacramento is this: It makes everyone and everything seem that much more accessible. It doesn’t discriminate. And instead of feeling like we’re robots walking amongst a bunch of strangers, familiarity is a welcome feeling in a world I had feared was losing its personal touch.
As I head back to the office – my memory card (and belly) full – I coincidentally converge at the corner of 16th and J with someone very well known in my social circle, my friend and co-worker Dawn Brown. We walk back to the office together, chatting about the warm weather and how much easier it will be to get together with friends now that spring has sprung.
Is It Haunted? Or are We Just Haunted by the Thought?
For a land such as Sacramento, long inhabited by Native peoples and then suddenly discovered by prospectors and entrepreneurial settlers, there was bound to be explosive change. And as one man’s fortune is often another’s loss, so began the battles amongst groups and individuals. From lovers’ quarrels and duels to the death to shipwrecks and hangings, opportunity at times gave way to chaos in a wild and lawless land. More than just stories to some, ghosts of the past still linger close enough to touch.
Old Sacramento is loaded with ghost stories, and Sacramento’s Midtown and Downtown areas have long given rise to spirit-ed speculations, many of which are just beginning to surface. Take this Midtown mansion at H & 22nd streets… Whether you believe the rumors and tales or not, my bet is that this house will leave at least some sort of impression on you.
Old Soul(s)
Inside Looking Out -Old Soul
I headed from the office to Old Soul Cafe, where I met my friend Julia Seebach, who owns MidtownGrid.com. I forgot my walking shoes, so thankfully it was a balmy 74 degrees and sunny. I took my time soaking up the scenery along the way, even sharing the trek with some co-workers heading to lunch at nearby Zocalo.
After the hugs and kisses and ‘Oh my it’s been so longs’, Julia and I ordered from their scrumptious $4 and $5 menu, grabbed one of the two outdoor tables and waited for our bottomless spinach salad to arrive. People passed through the alley and almost all imparted friendly greetings. One of the Old Soul people came out to water the large and very vertical rosemary plant near us. I might not have noticed had she not begun talking to it in such a sweet manner. Another Old Soul soul popped ‘round to tell us about the daily 2PM coffee tastings they now offer. And then Jason, one of Old Soul’s owners, passed by with a gentle ‘hello’.
I met Julia several years ago when I interviewed her and her husband Scott Smithline about their up-and-coming new business. A year or so later I interviewed Scott again, this time about recycling and the politics of recycling.
It’s funny how I always somehow feel like I’m coming full circle, although never quite closing the gap… perhaps always just open enough to new degrees of experiences, people and perspectives.
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.
