Tag: Downtown

Book Swap Sunday at Shine

Book Folk. by Orin Zebest. Flickr

Need a place to beat the apocalyptic beatdown we are getting from the weather? (I guess Father Sky’s furious anger has subsided a bit from earlier in the week when I started writing this post, but still.) One of Sacramento’s best alternative library blogs, alt+library, is putting on a book swap and meet & greet Sunday at Shine, a unique coffee house/restaurant/arts venue in Downtown that is just about to celebrate its 2nd anniversary.

If you’re the kind of person who would want to attend a book swap, it seems like a gathering of alt+library devotees and Shine patrons would be your ideal combination of people. If you don’t know all these people already, what better way to get to know them. Continue reading “Book Swap Sunday at Shine”

Parking lease proposal stinks?

Sheedy, literally asking the speaker to define "monetize"

The more I think about the current proposal to lease the City’s parking operations to fund a big upfront payment on the arena, the worse the idea sounds. I guess you could say I’m approaching Heckasac levels of frustration with the idea.

Last week Cosmo Garvin highlighted the numbers in the initial report on the parking proposal, and it’s pretty obvious that the City would be giving away half a billion dollars of future parking revenue for the prospect of getting half that up front. As Garvin points out, the high-end figure of $245 million is probably not realistic. And even that number means giving up $205 million–5 times the City’s budget deficit. Councilwoman Sheedy said as much during the Tuesday night meeting, citing Chicago, “The Big Windy Apple” as they call it, as a large city that sold some of its parking interests. Continue reading “Parking lease proposal stinks?”

Central city alleys to get street names

After a five year (!) process, the alleys in the central city are finally going to get street names (whats going on withthat URL?)

City officials are beginning to develop the grid’s alleys and hope to one day have cafes, housing and shops lining some of the corridors

But again, just naming them took 5 years, so don’t hold your breath.

The names will reference different aspects of our city’s history and character, like Jazz Alley, Solons Alley, and Dorothea Puente Alley. (That last one might not be real.) The alley between I and J will be named Improv Alley either after the city’s strong improv comedy scene, or as its status as the birthplace of Wayne Brady. (Also made up.)

Anybody got some alternative names that were not considered, but have comedic value?

Cars on K Street?

The shovels are in the ground and K Street between 8th and 12th will soon once again have cars. But there will be no parking, no curbs and gutters, and 11th will still be people only.

So business was booming in the 80s and the place is desolate now, but somehow adding cars is going to bring people back? Because they’ll be able to see from their cars what K Street from 8th to 12th Streets has to offer? But then they’ll have to park somewhere else and walk back? Color me unconvinced.

What do you think? Will cars on K Street return the block to its former glory?

Second thoughts on K Street

I know I had my fun with the Karpaty venues recently, but I was down there today at lunchtime with The Game Guy, and he helped me to see another side of the coin: at least it’s something. When you get a look at K Street from the Crest to the Community Center, you realize that there is a lot going on and a lot already there. Granted, it is almost exclusively for the nightclub set, and it will have a restaurant with a mermaid tank, but when the establishments open there will be a lot going on. Which for downtown is saying very much indeed.

I’m no planning expert, but the K Street I remember had much more for everybody, from nightclubs and nice restaurants to janky shops and the Crest (which is still looking awesome). Maybe a few good months of nightclubbing will help retail around that area, but it seems like even if lots more Four Loko is getting bought in the mini marts, there still won’t be too much to do if you’re not having some ‘za or stepping out with your 30-something lady friends. GG and I had both spent time in LA’s West side so we have Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade to compare to–and K Street probably never be that. But at least it will have something.

Free parking!

The City of Sacramento will be continuing its popular free parking program this year starting with Black Friday. Metered parking is free after 4:30 p.m. weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays from Friday, November 26, through Friday, December 24. There is also free parking at the East End Garage for the first 90 minutes and $1 per hour thereafter, up to a maximum of $5. Free parking at East End is weeknights 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and all day on weekends.

The metered parking is bounded by L and I Streets and Front St. and 29th.

Free parking map (PDF)

Hands off

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Hudson Sangree’s Bee story today about a shooting downtown in which a jazz musician shot a troublemaker includes this fantastic detail about some of the troublemaking that led to the shooting:

As they exited the building, the men touched one of several human-sized cat figurines belonging to a jazz band that was playing on the patio just outside the restaurant.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park lineup announced


This won’t stop until one of them changes his name.

Downtown Partnership announced the lineup for their summer concert series at Cesar Chavez Park today. The series is sponsored by a local beer supplier, by which I mean they supply beer to local liquor stores: Budweiser.

Lots of the usual bands, including Kepi, The Secretions, The Brodys, Mike Farrell, and Mumbo Gumbo. Also quite a few that have never played the series before. And as usual, they have done a good job booking similar bands for each night.

Downtown Partnership: Friday Night Concerts in the Park