Help Improve Fremont Park

Eric Fredericks • Friday May 30, 2008

Have you ever thought that Fremont Park in Downtown Sacramento is underutilized? Ever thought it could be improved? Now is your chance to make a difference. LivinginUrbanSac has been doing a lot of legwork in putting together a public meeting on Fremont Park improvements. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11th, 6pm at William Land Elementary School, 2120 12th Street [Map, Event Flyer].

The park has a great children’s playground and several good establishments within a stone’s throw of the park (Mochii Yogurt, Naked Lounge, Nishiki, R15 / Cafe Bernardo, Starbucks, Uncle Vitos, Pronto, etc.). Those of you that are familiar with the park know that it is underutilized, but has great potential. I lived a block from the park when I first moved to Sacramento and now live about 3 blocks away. I mostly use it as a cut through when going to/from Cafe Bernardo. The only other times I’ve gone to the park to actually do something there was for the Chalk It Up Fesitval (which I absolutely love) and the Farmer’s Market. Otherwise, there’s just not been much appeal, probably because nearby Capitol Park and McKinley Park are just fantastic. I do agree with LivinginUrbanSac that the park has amazing potential and I’m excited to see what will happen at this meeting. Councilmember Fong, representatives from CADA and the City, business owners, and neighborhood residents will be attending the meeting. I hope to see you at the meeting and please invite others as well. You can visit LivinginUrbanSac for more info about the meeting or you can continue reading after the jump for more info as well… >>Continue Reading This Article>>

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: Sacramento •• Comments

Saturday: A Sneak Peek at LJ Urban's Revolutionary Good Project

Eric Fredericks • Thursday May 22, 2008

LJ Urban, the revolutionary eco-urban development company based here in Sacramento, is opening their Good Project this Saturday (5/24) for a sneak peek. The project is open from 10-2 at 4th and B Streets in West Sacramento.

I think it’s fair to call what they’re doing revolutionary because it’s unlike any project undertaken before. Sure, eco-friendly and green building is the new vogue. And yes, this isn’t the first urban project to go up in the redeveloping waterfront of West Sacramento. But, it’s probably the first project in the country that with each house sold trains a new Burkina Faso mason to build houses for families that need them. They are also cutting edge in the sustainable development world as one of the first LEED-ND certified projects completed in the country. And, they are not going to do the traditional billboard and media advertising like most companies do, nor will they have an on-site salesperson. They are going to host educational dinners, community movie nights, blogging, and the other events they’ve already been doing, rather successfully in my opinion.

I really hope this works for them and they have continued success. There’s probably no company that deserves it more.

This is also a big event because of the recent passing of Jason Presley, their marketing guru and friend of mine. I’ve been in contact with LJ Urban owner Levi Benkert and he’s told me it’s been a really emotional time for him because everywhere he looks, Jason is there. This is not the only traumatic event that Levi’s been through recently. I don’t want to spoil it, so you can read Levi’s heart-wrenching stories here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. The stories are definitely worth your time to read. There are some shocking things to read in this, even if you’ve never met Levi before.

You can get more information on the sneak peak and the Good Project by watching the video above, visiting LJ Urban’s website, or continuing to read this article (after the jump). Did I mention that there’s food and live music involved?
>>Continue Reading This Article>>

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: Sacramento •• Comments

My Animal Rescue Story (And Another Reason to Hate Leaf Blowers!)

Eric Fredericks • Wednesday March 5, 2008

As I was walking to work Monday morning, I noticed a few people gathered around what appeared to be a leaf on the sidewalk. I figured that it must be somewhat interesting, so I walked up for a closer look once the people moved on. As it turns out, it was a tiny green hummingbird that was sitting on the ground, breathing very heavy. I could see that it was not able to fly. I felt really terrible for it and compelled to do something to help it out, but I wasn’t sure what I could do. So, I kept on walking. But, after just a few steps, I decided to go back and at least save the poor animal from being squished on the sidewalk.

I had never picked up a bird before, let alone a hummingbird, so I was very concerned. The hummingbird easily fit into my palm with room to spare. To be honest, I think it was somewhat happy that I picked it up, because I think it knew that it really needed help. I happened to be right by a little garden next to the Department of Education building, and thought that it would be safe to leave it there while I tried to find someone that could help it. I did consider taking it across the street to Capitol Park, but figured that there were too many predators there. Little did I know that it possibly would have been a better move.

When I got to the office, I did some Google searches hoping to find an agency to contact—but no luck. Most I found to be focused on cats and dogs. I e-mailed a few local friends and asked them if they knew of anyone. No luck.

I took a morning break and went to check on the bird. It was in the exact same place I left it—under a small tree mixed in with some leaves and grass up against a fence. A seemingly safe spot.

I had an errand to run at lunch, but checked on the bird on my way. Still fine.

When I was about to eat my lunch, I received a call from a friend that I had e-mailed earlier in the day. He said that he sent my e-mail plea around to his co-workers and received about 20 responses. From those responses, he picked out the best-sounding agency and graciously offered to call them for me. I said fantastic. I was feeling so optimistic at this point. >>Continue Reading This Article>>

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: Sacramento •• Comments [1]

Condos, Lofts, and New Homes in Downtown and Midtown Sacramento

Eric Fredericks • Monday February 11, 2008

A local real estate agent contacted me for my recommendations on new condo, loft, and homes for sale in the urban core of Sacramento for a client. I compiled a list with a few comments and links to websites and sent my response back… then I found this fantastic thread that covers all of the projects going on in the Sacramento urban core. This thread is definitely worth checking out, even if you’re not from Sacramento. There are hundreds of photos and many of the projects are ready for construction.

Nonetheless, the information I gathered for the agent could be useful for those looking to buy because most other sites include apartments and commercial projects. Of course, the real estate market in Sacramento has crashed and burned. The urban core has held it’s own so far, but that’s a topic for another day. Here’s the list I compiled:

Midtown
L Street Lofts (L near 19th) – Perhaps the best current option for urban chicness. They are a bit pricey and not quite yet finished. Located in the best neighborhood in Sacramento in my opinion—my own neighborhood!

Whiskey Hill Lofts – Not passed by these much, but they look pretty nice… perhaps a little awkward. The neighborhood is rapidly becoming more lively.

Alchemy (R & 26) – They are quite ugly in my opinion, but are more affordable for Midtown—around $330,000 to start I believe. Also in between two light rail stops, definitely qualifying as a TOD in my book.

Metro Square – This is the established crown jewel of smart growth in Midtown, and has gained notoriety around the country. For us locals, it just blends in well with this quiet, beautiful part of Midtown.

A few others are just finishing construction on their first units or are about to do so:

Tapestri Square – Interesting neighborhood in Midtown, away from most of the action. A style that hasn’t been seen in Sacramento before.

Washington Park Village – Nice homes constructed in a transitioning part of Midtown.

1600 H Street Lofts – Coming on the market soon. Looks to be fairly hip, but located on car-friendly 16th Street.

Downtown
500 N Street – Perhaps the tallest for sale units structure in all of Sacramento. Old and outdated outside, but remodeled inside. Very near the Downtown Mall.

9 on F – Just opened and I’ve only passed by. Looked really cool from what I’ve seen and they’re the only LEED-H certified townhomes. Definitely a neighborhood in transition.

SoCap Lofts – Has some very nice units. While I’m not the biggest fan of the neighborhood—several state buildings and small industrial sites—I’m hoping these come down in price because they have my interest right now.

Some other homes and condos worth mentioning include:

12-13-P-Q quadrant – Very nice single family homes, but high density. Way out of most people’s price range, but this is my favorite residential development in Sacramento.

Condos on P around 15th and 16th Streets – Run around $320,000 and I think built in 1981. Quaint but poor interior layout. My former neighborhood, which was also fantastic.

There are also some condos at the top of the new Residence Inn at L & 15 that I know nothing about.

Analysis
We really don’t have that many multi-unit condo projects in Downtown-Midtown, at least that are newer. The newer projects are mostly rental right now. The ones that have entitlements are on hold because they don’t have financial backing in this market downturn.

If anyone wants to add more—I’m sure I missed many—please let me know and I’ll add them. Hopefully this gives some homebuyers a place to start in the Sacramento core.

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: Sacramento •• Comments [1]

Day 17: Gaslamp Quarter - San Diego, CA

Eric Fredericks • Wednesday July 18, 2007

We’re back in California today to one of America’s favorite cities, San Diego. I took this photo in one of my favorite entertainment spots in the country—The Gaslamp Quarter. This photo is looking down E Street toward Horton Plaza, the gigantic downtown outdoor shopping center.

The Gaslamp has one of the highest concentrations of restaurants and bars in the country—many of them with outdoor seating. Outdoor seating is a good thing to have in a city with such beautiful weather. There are dozens of ethnic restaurants and a wide assortment of bars and clubs for any type of nightlife lover. The downside of the Gaslamp is its elitist feel. It seems to be geared toward tourists and is very expensive. Don’t be fooled by some people calling it a tourist trap, however, as many locals also hang out here. I had such a blast and the people were incredibly friendly, though I’ve heard the opposite from locals.

Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that San Diego is a walkable paradise. There are many walkable neighborhoods in the San Diego region. The trolley system is pretty good. The new high rise condo and apartment towers exploding all over downtown is astounding. But, this region still has an addiction to the automobile, and in particular, freeways.

There is a freeway everywhere you look in the region, and where there is not a freeway, there’s a pedestrian-hostile arterial waiting for you. Many of the TODs you hear about are TADs in reality (transit-oriented development versus transit-adjacent development). There is just a lot of concrete everywhere.

I really do like San Diego, but I place it behind San Francisco, Sacramento, and maybe a few others for my favorite California cities. San Diego can easily become one of the most walkable cities in the world, and it’s on its way in some regards. The focus really needs to turn from the car to the pedestrian. It will (hopefully) always have the great walking and biking weather.

This article is a part of the Exploring the Walkability of America in 30 Days photo series.

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: San Diego •• comments [1]

Leaving "The House" For the Neighborhood: A Seattle Story

Eric Fredericks • Thursday March 8, 2007

I love feel good stories involving someone ditching uber-suburbia for the life of an urban walkable neighborhood. The Zillow Blog has a great article on such a story—moving from a huge house in Texas sprawl to a condo high-rise in Downtown Seattle. Article author Sabra Davis writes about her experiences in Seattle that are (not surprisingly) similar to my experiences here in Downtown Sacramento.

“Instead of feeling anonymous in the big city, we’ve grown to feel welcomed and wanted, and we’ve become friendlier, too. We’ve discovered that most people, whatever their walk of life, are pretty darn nice,” wrote Ms. Davis. I can definitely relate. Except she mentions that she and her husband eat out 85% of the time. I probably eat in 85% of the time, despite the great restaurants here. If I didn’t, I’d gain too much weight. See my comments about her article on the blog post. Photo courtesy of Zillow Blog.

 

Category: Urban Living •• Region: Seattle •• comments [2]

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