The busy streets of downtown Sacramento were promised new bicycle lanes by mid-summer – a promise that has yet to be fulfilled. Bicycle lanes planned for several downtown streets have not yet been painted, but officials said that cyclists can expect to see them by the end of September or early October. The $629,000 bike lane project expenditure was approved by the City Council in April 2011. The project is said to create bicycle lanes on the most frequently traveled streets in downtown to create a safer cycling environment. As city officials previously told The Sacramento Press, J, I, Fifth, Ninth and 10th Streets along with Capitol Mall are included in the project. The project was sch

The downtown Denny’s location closed about two weeks ago, and now the local owners of several Perkos Cafés are refurbishing the space. They plan to open July 2. Ryan Federico, 27, and his brother, David, 28, were contacted by the property owner when the space became available, Ryan Federico said. The family owns three others, the one off Bradshaw, one in Antelope and a third in Yuba City. Perkos Cafe sells diner-style fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including items such as steak and eggs, burgers and pork chops. The business has more than 35 locations throughout the state, according to the corporate website. “It’s a great location,” Ryan Federico said Wednesday of the space at 92

Downtown Sacramento’s busiest streets should have bike lanes by August or September, according to city officials. The work will begin in June or July and should take a month to complete, according to Ed Williams, Associate Engineer with the city’s Department of Transportation. The intent of the project is to create bicycle lanes on the most-traveled downtown streets, including J, I, Fifth, Ninth and 10th streets and Capitol Mall, city officials previously told The Sacramento Press. On some streets, the plan is to take out one lane of vehicular traffic as is common in Midtown. Cyclists interviewed Tuesday applauded the city’s upcoming road work, which they said will add safety to street

By day the sound of an angle grinder echoes through Midtown’s alleys, dust and occasional fragments of powdery stone bouncing into the lane. Neighbors walking by often stop to chat, remarking on the elaborately carved marble sculptures made by local sculptor, Vince King, admiring his progress over the last several months.  King created his garage-studio at the I Street Co-op where he moved just over 5 years ago, a then-recent graduate of UC Davis with a degree in Environmental Conservation Biology and Management. He began working for the County of Sacramento, helping to develop several conservation planning initiatives, and sculpting in his spare time.  After some planning of his own, Ki

Construction is currently under way in the Sacramento Valley Station parking lot as the city upgrades the downtown railyards area with more accessibility in advance of the intermodal transit facility and possibly a new arena. Crews are using tractors to dig between the parking lot and I Street between Fourth and Fifth streets for an eventual exit to I Street from Fourth Street that will allow drivers quick access to Interstate 5 and Old Sacramento. The move will also give pedestrians better access to and from the station. “This is a long-awaited pedestrian improvement to the area,” Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said Tuesday, adding that it is an amenity for the i

The new Harvey House restaurant opens in Old Sacramento on Saturday, and co-owner Simon Mandell said it incorporates the area’s rich history while providing affordable family dining. “My wife works for the (California State) Railroad Museum, and she said the only complaint they ever get there is that they don’t have a good family restaurant nearby,” Mandell said. “Everything is either a bar or high-end dining or a hot dog.” Mandell, 62, got his start in the restaurant business in Orange County after graduating from culinary school. He’s lived in Sacramento for the past 20 years, and most recently, his focus was on his catering business, Simon’s Catering. Located at 900 Second St., the r

Early steps are being taken in the construction of Sacramento’s intermodal transit facility with the City Council’s approval of a plan to add a traffic signal and exit route at Fourth and I streets downtown. While Fourth Street does not intersect with I Street currently, the traffic signal will allow vehicles leaving the future intermodal facility easier access to freeways and Old Sacramento, Associate Civil Engineer Zuhair Amawi said Wednesday. “Right now there is a planter area there, and we are opening that up to allow for cars, and to improve pedestrian access for people who want to cross I Street,” he said. Construction will begin the first week of April and should end in August, h

After less than a year on Sacramento’s streets, local food truck Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen is adding a brick-and-mortar establishment at 908 15th St. that blurs the line between sports bar and food truck. The Republic Featuring Drewski’s is set to open the week before the Super Bowl (Feb. 5), and Drewski’s owner Andrew “Drewski” Blaskovich said he’s excited to be part of the growth in downtown Sacramento and to offer a late-night food and entertainment spot, closing around 3-4 a.m. on the weekends. “It’s going to be a sports bar,” Blaskovich said. “We’re going to have 12-15 TVs, pool tables, video games and – we’re hoping – skee ball.” The four pool tables will complement old-school vid

The 75-year-old Tower Bridge connecting Sacramento and West Sacramento may be one of the area’s icons, but the more industrial steel-truss I Street Bridge is older – built 100 years ago. “The I Street Bridge is a very important part of our business today,” said Aaron Hunt, spokesman for the Union Pacific railroad, which owns the bridge. “We run trains across it every day of the year.” The I Street Bridge is 363 feet long and weighs about 7 million pounds, according to a fact sheet distributed by Union Pacific. When it was built, the swinging center of the bridge was the heaviest of its type in the world, and though it no longer holds that distinction, it remains the heaviest in the Unit

Authorities said 20 protesters were arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Friday when they refused to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza, the site of the Occupy Sacramento demonstration. Both police and protesters described the arrests as peaceful. “They went without any problems or issues,” said Sgt. Andrew Pettit, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “They were booked for failure to disperse after a lawful order.” Anthony Bondi, a spokesman for Occupy Sacramento, agreed. “It was completely violence-free,” he said Friday afternoon. “The protesters laid down and chose to be arrested.” Despite what some protesters said they think was an overbearing police presence, Pettit said units involved w

Despite the intermittent rain and chilly winds of the past weeks, summer is ahead, and cold beverages and fresh foods are at their best.  The Sacramento Press asked locals what favorite drink or food they turn to to cool off in the summer heat. Zuleyma Hercules is a law student who recently moved from Modesto to Rancho Cordova. Hercules said she loves ice-cold Pepsi with three cubes of ice. “I’m very specific,” she said. Hercules also enjoys cherry Icees from Chevron and Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream. Wincie Pierce, a construction worker from the Fair Oaks area, said, “I always drink water.” Pierce added that he enjoys eating fresh melons and barbecues in the summer.   “We barbecu

Downtown Sacramento is going to get more bicycle-friendly over the next year and a half, as the City Council gave the nod for the Department of Transportation to begin planning more bicycle lanes for downtown streets Tuesday night. “The intent of the project is to create bike lanes on some of the most traveled downtown streets,” said Ed Cox, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle coordinator. The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase involves painting bicycle lanes on a number of streets that are already wide enough to handle the bikeways without losing any lanes or parking spaces, Cox said Wednesday. “We’re looking at J Street, I Street, Ninth Street, Fifth Street, 10th S

Zen Sushi, located at the corner of 15th and I streets, has re-opened after weeks of construction and renovations. Days following it's grand re-launch, I ventured in and sat down to talk with my favorite sushi chefs: Michael Kwong and Lou Valente, and to meet the owner and Master Chef, Jason Von Hom. Gone was everything. All the orange and brown lacquered wood and Formica had vanished. Short, white leather chairs standing neatly at attention alongside uber-thick marble counters replaced the old, rickety, high-seated counter stools. Large flatscreens behind the new glass sushi cases made the room look bigger and drew more attention to the ceiling. Now affixed to the ceiling of each room

Downtown’s Zen Sushi restaurant recently finished a remodel to add a full bar and redecorate its interior in the style of modern sushi restaurants found in San Francisco. The restaurant was closed from early December until Feb. 11 for the remodel, according to owner Jason Hom. Hom said he is most excited about bringing in a full bar as part of the remodeled space. “Everyone is surprised at the change,” he said. “The whole style of the restaurant is a little bit more modern.” Hom said that business isn’t as good as it was before the closure, but it is picking up. He added that some people thought the business had closed permanently.   Manager Quyen Luong said she is most excited abo

Construction delays have slowed the reopening of Zen Sushi at 15th and I streets, but owner Jason Hom said remodeling work should be completed within a few weeks. “We’re 80 percent done with the interior, and we’re painting the outside today,” he said Monday. “I am hoping we can reopen in two weeks.” The restaurant closed in early December for a remodel whose main feature is a new bar and an upgrade to a full liquor license, Hom said. The 3,200-square-foot space has been in operation as Zen Sushi since 2007, and Hom said he expects the remodeled restaurant to hold about 60-70 patrons, about the same as it did before the remodel. Bar specials will be offered, but the details have yet to

A longtime Sacramento area restaurant chain is taking its first shot at a downtown location in a spot – and it’s taking a shot at a location that has seen several businesses fail recently. Strings Restaurant Group is focusing on quick, affordable meals at its new restaurant – Strings Express – at 431 I St. near the Amtrak station, which will open the first week of February, according to Al DeCaprio, president of the organization. The space has not seen its doors open for business since May, 2010. It was most recently home to the 5th and H Cafe, which was open for less than a year. After 5th and H Cafe closed, there were plans to open a Depot Bikes & Cafe, but that business never opened.

 The light rail station at 12th and I streets closed Monday for renovation work and will reopen Sept. 7. The most noticeable improvement will be the installation of an elevated ramp to replace the old wheelchair lift, making access to the train for people in wheelchairs much more efficient and quicker, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for Sacramento Regional Transit. “This is a major improvement for this station,” she said. Other improvements include repainting, new seating and redone landscaping, Masui said. Light rail users questioned Tuesday were in favor of the improvements. “It’s hard for me to climb up the steps onto the train,” said Danny Frias, who walks with a cane and rides lig

A giant star-spangled banner decorates this Midtown house at 2514 I St.   Photo by Suzanne Hurt.

Here are some photos of the effects of the storm from community members who were out witnessing the damage.   This was taken at Q and 16th streets by Michael Gelber. These two photos were taken on I Street and 30th. Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography took these as part of a live stream. More photos can be seen at sacmav.com The next photos are from Southbound I-5 near the J Street exit in the boat section. These photos were also taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography. If you have photos of the storm, we'd love to see you post them on our site. If you have any questions on how to upload your photos, contact journalism@sacramentopress.com. Stay safe and dry!