20SomethingSac comment-74407 2012-10-09T15:33:50Z 2012-10-09T15:33:50Z I agree with Marc... seems a little premature to re-brand the street with just street signs. I think increasing the power washing schedule to remove that stale, summer urine smell in half the doorways would do more to attract visitors than these signs, or perhaps updating the old purple banners around the lot at 8th & "Kay" to match the new branding effort. What about coordinating with JMA Ventures on the branding of Downtown Plaza to ensure the brands compliment eachother? One final suggestion- Why not subsidize a magazine/flower/candy stand somewhere on the street to reinforce the historic, urban feel of the district? Hell, it might not even have to be subsidized... This may be a bit off-topic, but last week I witnessed a poor homeless man passed out & throwing up on himself on a park bench (with paramedics attending to him) at 8th & K street. In my head, I can't help but think of all the ironic post cards one could make with the phrase "Greetings from the Kay!" 20SomethingSac 2012-10-09T15:33:50Z 20SomethingSac comment-73114 2012-08-31T15:08:42Z 2012-08-31T15:08:42Z There's a lot of things I worry about in my future: The Sacramento Kings possibly relocating, California's budget crisis, random Midtown shootings... I'm just glad I don't have to worry about where to find my next local brew around these parts! 20SomethingSac 2012-08-31T15:08:42Z 20SomethingSac comment-72173 2012-08-10T16:16:45Z 2012-08-10T16:16:45Z I'm calling it right now... This place is going to be Azucar with new finishes. It's called a Restaurant + Lounge, but it's actually a coffee bar? I'm confused. Sounds like the "All you can eat sushi" restaurant at Azucar, which nobody actually ate at, but needed to be there to keep their liquor license, which eventually got suspended for selling to minors. In it's place, a hell themed club... All the best to Purgatory, until it eventually gets shut down for being all things miserable... 20SomethingSac 2012-08-10T16:16:45Z 20SomethingSac comment-69102 2012-06-06T22:52:23Z 2012-06-06T22:52:23Z This is awesome on so many levels. Good work! 20SomethingSac 2012-06-06T22:52:23Z 20SomethingSac comment-67940 2012-05-16T16:43:42Z 2012-05-16T16:43:42Z While checking out the new KBAR last friday night around 8 pm with my fiance, I looked out the window and saw two guys walking strollers down K Street. The strollers actually had small children in them, and not miscellaneous plastic bags filled with their belongings overflowing from the sides, as is generally the case on K Street. I'd say things are finally looking up, given these small types of indicators... Another thing I noticed. If Pyramid extended their patio around the corner to the front on K Street, it would seem a lot more inviting. Tell somebody to look into that. 20SomethingSac 2012-05-16T16:43:42Z 20SomethingSac comment-67282 2012-05-02T16:05:40Z 2012-05-02T16:05:40Z This is awesome... After spending last weekend in Portland, OR, I made a vow upon my return to eat more brunch. Looks like my hometown has risen to meet me in this quest! 20SomethingSac 2012-05-02T16:05:40Z 20SomethingSac comment-66484 2012-04-14T00:30:40Z 2012-04-14T00:30:40Z I was convinced... con-VINCED, that the NBA was going to side with the City today and ask the Maloofs to put up or shut up. As a downtown resident, a young professional, and a Kings fan, I'm pretty bummed (angry) over today's outcome, and a little jaded. I really hope their empire crashes and burns, because they're doing everything in their power to make that happen. 20SomethingSac 2012-04-14T00:30:40Z 20SomethingSac comment-66483 2012-04-14T00:22:37Z 2012-04-14T00:22:37Z Does this mean the arena naysayers and the Maloofs are on the same team? 20SomethingSac 2012-04-14T00:22:37Z 20SomethingSac comment-66038 2012-04-05T00:38:50Z 2012-04-05T00:38:50Z You're right. It's about the money, which is why the NBA is going to try and get the Maloofs to pay up or get them to sell the team, since they're broke. The Kings moving to Anaheim is bad financially for AEG and the NBA... Sacramento is a great NBA market, which is why the NBA just kicked us $200,000 to get the ball rolling. Though it may not be a "rally" for them, Sacramento is a market worth investing millions of dollars in. Support is support, whether its financial or emotional... 20SomethingSac 2012-04-05T00:38:50Z 20SomethingSac comment-66019 2012-04-04T18:38:21Z 2012-04-04T18:38:21Z With the NBA fronting $200K on behalf of the Maloofs to get the ball rolling, it shows they are invested in the city and the process. Council Member Fong asked questions to Mr. Danberg during the meeting ensuring that this pre-development cost language in the term sheet was agreed to previously, which it was by the NBA on behalf of the Maloofs. Here's what's going to happen in the NBA Board of Governors meeting: 1. The Maloofs are going to try and weasel out of the $3.25 Mil 2. David Stern and the NBA are going to remind them that it was already agreed to, and that they're looking like cheapskate clowns, peeing in the punchbowl of their own party. 3. The Maloofs are going to ask the NBA to pay it, since the NBA did most of the initial negotiating. 4. The NBA and all the other board members will tell them to pay up or gtfo of the big kid playground. 5. The Maloofs will either pay up, or the NBA will pay and make things really awkward for the current owners. Personally, I feel like the community and the fans have rallied for the new Arena, the City has rallied, the NBA has rallied, Sen. Steinberg and the State are rallying, AEG has rallied, and the Maloofs haven't. Can we please get a real owner in this city asap? 20SomethingSac 2012-04-04T18:38:21Z 20SomethingSac comment-65795 2012-03-30T16:21:31Z 2012-03-30T16:21:31Z I'm also really excited about this place opening, since it's going to be awesome inside. I'm curious why they chose the name "Blackbird" for a seafood-focused restaurant in Downtown Sacramento... there's got to be a story behind that. 20SomethingSac 2012-03-30T16:21:31Z 20SomethingSac comment-64281 2012-02-29T00:35:37Z 2012-02-29T00:35:37Z Selling adjacent City owned land to private operators will put it on the property tax roll, an additional tax stream that wasn't available without an arena. There's an example of additional tax revenue BECAUSE of the arena. I would be willing to bet that a few additional privately operated hotels will soon be in the works downtown, considering that's the new limiting factor for hosting large conventions. If you're building large hotels downtown, you might as well get a few chain restaurants downtown for all the visiting families from Yuba City, Folsom & Rocklin leaving the burbs to check out the Big City's entertainment district. If you're a smaller retail business, you might think about signing a new lease in one of the many vacancies downtown near these potential large business, since foot, transit, and car traffic is about to pick up in a few years around there. People keep bringing up the $9 MIL gap that's only partially going to be filled from ticket surcharges (which is a user fee, and not a tax), but fail to think about the possibilities for additional municipal revenue sources aside from residential real estate & State bureaucracy... Gotta grow the pot, and this seems wiser than issuing more stucco home permits in a flood zone, or hoping for more State hiring. 20SomethingSac 2012-02-29T00:35:37Z 20SomethingSac comment-59917 2011-11-10T17:57:20Z 2011-11-10T17:57:20Z If the City can't complete real projects, at least we can keep busy with theoretical ones... 20SomethingSac 2011-11-10T17:57:20Z 20SomethingSac comment-59705 2011-11-04T19:39:04Z 2011-11-04T19:39:04Z Hopefully, the alley names will improve morale for the vagrant population that subsists in them, leading to less public urination... was that the intent? 20SomethingSac 2011-11-04T19:39:04Z 20SomethingSac comment-59390 2011-11-01T16:20:14Z 2011-11-01T16:20:14Z I hope they let you compress your bowl of ingredients with another bowl, thus getting more room for more mongowrian! (A little trick of the trade for everybody out there in Mongo land) 20SomethingSac 2011-11-01T16:20:14Z 20SomethingSac comment-59075 2011-10-24T16:27:20Z 2011-10-24T16:27:20Z People are definitely going to come for the drinks first, and food second... hence the flat screens are warranted in my opinion. I'd say this is going to be a HUGE improvement over CPK (& their cardboard crust), I don't see how anybody could complain about that! Game on! I can't wait to bro out with my bros here! (Disclaimer: I live 3 blocks away, and not in (b)Roseville, like you probably all concluded...) 20SomethingSac 2011-10-24T16:27:20Z 20SomethingSac comment-58752 2011-10-17T18:12:40Z 2011-10-17T18:12:40Z I do think bringing cars back to K Street will help, mainly by making people feel a little safer. Cars will provide additional eyes on the street, which will hopefully make pedestrians feel a bit less isolated from the rest of the city. The number of intersections, the 2-way traffic, and the hopeful availability of valet parking in front of the restaurants/clubs will hopefully make getting onto the street a little easier. But Mr. Burg is right. Cars won't revitalize it entirely, because businesses close, and the street empties out. A focus needs to put more residents in the area, who regard the area as their neighborhood, and not just a place of employment or a place to get hammered and fist pump. Has the city ever looked into helping a news stand or flower stand or produce stand get established in that area? Though it may have trouble staying in business, they add another person on the street looking out and provide a welcoming service to people passing by. 20SomethingSac 2011-10-17T18:12:40Z 20SomethingSac comment-58285 2011-10-06T16:17:12Z 2011-10-06T16:17:12Z Awesome idea. I wish Vibe the best! My only concern is the droves of alcoholics and panhandlers that loiter around the entrance to CVS, the Comstock Building and the other afordable housing complex across the street regularly. If I was a parent, there's no way I'd drop my 15 year old daughter off in front of that place to hang out with friends without some sort of security at the entrance. Midtown is a great place for teens to get involved in the neighborhood's creative culture, but this location makes me nervous. 20SomethingSac 2011-10-06T16:17:12Z 20SomethingSac comment-56676 2011-09-06T17:53:47Z 2011-09-06T17:53:47Z I don't believe Barwest is trying to be anything it's not. I've been nothing but impressed with the food each time I've gone, although I have noticed the service falls off as the place gets really busy, which, any bar or restaurant would have trouble keeping up with how busy they get. It's a West Coast theme, which doesn't mean tiki, sports, dive, country, lounge, etc... California is somewhat all of the above, and the mixed feel appeals to a lot of different people. If you want authentic Sacramento Bar, then maybe someone should open up a Gold Rush or Sutters Fort-themed bar... something tells me they might not be huge hits. I think asking every new bar in Midtown to be "more Midtown" would create a hand full of the same thing around here. They are doing something different, and it's obviously working, despite the somewhat uncultured clientele. My only gripe is that they let the bar get too packed, trying to avoid a line from forming outside the bar. It makes ordering drinks, or even moving from one side of the bar to the next near impossible. But, knowing the NIMBYs and the noise issues with the block, it's better to have them in the bar than outside, I suppose. One thing the bar does well is open up nicely to the neighborhood with the garage door entry and patio. When the place isn't overly packed, it does make for a nice, casual place to stop in and kill some time with your 'bros.' 20SomethingSac 2011-09-06T17:53:47Z 20SomethingSac comment-55829 2011-08-24T20:09:24Z 2011-08-24T20:09:24Z Harlow's has a front patio, Centros has a front patio, Red Lotus leaves their outdoor patio music on overnight, Momo's has a back patio, Blue Cue has an upstairs back patio... yet Barwest's patio is a problematic and has in ick factor?? Sounds somewhat prejudice. Both Cafe Bernardos have a great vibe and awesome patio brunches, is that also typical of Paragary Establishments? I'd say the best part about the place is that the restaurant opens up to the patio and the sidewalk, something more places in Sacramento should have, given our climate half the year. It brings personality to the street during the summertime. Generally when I'm with my friends drinking on patios, I'm not trying to use inside voices... Then again, I live on 16th Street, and enjoy the action of Midtown, so I'm probably not the norm. 20SomethingSac 2011-08-24T20:09:24Z 20SomethingSac comment-55438 2011-08-19T16:02:51Z 2011-08-19T16:02:51Z Darn skateboarders always skating up concrete areas! They should stick to the...other concrete areas! 20SomethingSac 2011-08-19T16:02:51Z 20SomethingSac comment-54344 2011-08-02T16:11:44Z 2011-08-02T16:11:44Z Well put Larry. It's a shame to see, I live 2 blocks away, and frequented the place. I even brewed my own Double IPA a few times. But you make a good point about the service. It always felt, apart from the brewing experience, that I was in a chain restaurant, like a BJs or Gordon Biersch each time I ate there. I hope to see Mike get involved in something again soon. Brew It Up had a unique concept that will leave a void in Downtown nightlife for sure. 20SomethingSac 2011-08-02T16:11:44Z 20SomethingSac comment-53218 2011-07-12T16:53:41Z 2011-07-12T16:53:41Z Besides MVPs, which is all the way at 21st & L and way small, there's no true sport bar and grills in the Downtown Area. This place is going to be packed for sure. CPK was kind of a downer on that block. Also, I'll pick local businesses started with private capital over city funded ventures with out-of-towners any day. 20SomethingSac 2011-07-12T16:53:41Z 20SomethingSac comment-53215 2011-07-12T16:34:57Z 2011-07-12T16:34:57Z Hopefully the cars will discourage many people from urinating on K street in the middle of the night. This is pretty much completely unrelated to the story, but I walked past the 700 block of K Street yesterday at 4:00 pm, where D&S is planning their development, and every doorway smelled like urine. Can't the city make them power wash their sidewalks a few times a month while the planning is underway? I think that alone will help “promote a safe environment and stimulate additional economic activity.” This should just be assumed and built into the carrying costs of owning the development, much like graffiti removal. I'd rather look at graffiti than smell urine, personally. The city spends millions streetscaping and paving the block, and then lets everybody pee on it. Mind you, this is across the street from the installed community waterpark/fountain that can't be turned on because having no bathroom nearby is a health hazard. ...what about the urine covered doorways? geez... While I'm on the subject, some of the actual doors facing K street have begun to rot in the lower corners because of the urine. 20SomethingSac 2011-07-12T16:34:57Z 20SomethingSac comment-52989 2011-07-07T19:10:05Z 2011-07-07T19:10:05Z Projects like these change the dynamic of people's thinking. For example, people are car-centric and are used to driving to Natomas, so they feel that's the preferred model. Building it in the Railyard changes how people will use downtown, and I definitely feel it will be for the better. The economic analysis was for sure a rosy one, but even a middle of the road assumption for the impact of a new arena is a lot better than the alternative, which is for the Kings, and every other event held in Sac to disappear, and allow PBP to crumble... No more high school state basketball championships in Sacramento, no more Sac State graduations there, and not even the slightest opportunity for any national or state convention, sporting event (NCAA, all star weekend, etc.), concert, performance, and anything cool that ever happens in this country to even consider coming to Sacramento. I moved back to Sac after attending a UC, and a big part was because there IS sometimes awesome stuff happening in Sac that makes it feel like a big city. If we allowed the city to become anymore lackluster, small minded, and boring, I can guarantee this city will become a landing spot for a lot less young, educated residents and employees. 20SomethingSac 2011-07-07T19:10:05Z 20SomethingSac comment-50779 2011-05-18T18:51:44Z 2011-05-18T18:51:44Z You're right... it's not a fact that we need a new arena. Similarly, we don't "need" to replant fallen trees in the city, or keep the American River bike trail open. We do those things because they're amenities that make the citizens enjoy living here. What is a fact is the camaraderie that exists among Kings fans in this area, the the positive impact that has on our City and our region. The recent rallies, Twitter campaigns, and overall support for the team have proven that a lot of people do value both the economic and non-market benefits the Kings bring to Sacramento. Building a new sports and entertainment complex would improve this city, as well as the comraderie, nightlife options, and civic pride for a lot of area residents. That is a fact, and not an opinion. 20SomethingSac 2011-05-18T18:51:44Z 20SomethingSac comment-50292 2011-05-07T20:35:46Z 2011-05-07T20:35:46Z Way stoked about news like this. Businesses opening by locals without millions from the city to subsidize them. The Block has been hit real hard by the revitalization of K Street, so I'm glad to see some more new blood down there. The neighborhood is in need of another good ol' bar and grill type place, something that's not a dive, not a pub, and doesn't need a dress code. 15 TVs to watch our Kings on next year!! 20SomethingSac 2011-05-07T20:35:46Z 20SomethingSac comment-49523 2011-04-21T18:18:42Z 2011-04-21T18:18:42Z There's something to be said about the entire (well, apparently not the entire) city rallying around a common cause. We understand that basketball does not outweigh gang violence, or the death of a family member, but there's definitely a reason to preserve something that THOUSANDS of Sacramento area residents enjoy 9 months out of the year... The time is now, and unfortunately the Mayor is having to work overtime on this subject since it was not handled by past city councils... how much of the arena damage control can he be truly responsible for? 20SomethingSac 2011-04-21T18:18:42Z 20SomethingSac comment-49114 2011-04-13T16:44:49Z 2011-04-13T16:44:49Z Why I ever thought Sacramento could be more exciting than it already is, I don't have a clue... If you think a county courthouse is going to be a "catalyst" for anything besides more suits for 40 hours a week, they are sorely mistaken. It's a story like this that makes me realize Downtown Sacramento will never be more than a Lego Land for the State's will. 20SomethingSac 2011-04-13T16:44:49Z 20SomethingSac comment-47304 2011-03-11T17:02:45Z 2011-03-11T17:02:45Z "like" 20SomethingSac 2011-03-11T17:02:45Z 20SomethingSac comment-46927 2011-03-04T18:59:51Z 2011-03-04T18:59:51Z The day for Sacramento to pull our resources together should have been sometime in the past 11 years... there's nothing prideful about being late before never in this situation, in my opinion. It is the single largest failure in this whole arena process. The city is now looking at building an arena without a primary tenant (which previously would have been on the books for $300 Mil), while reeling from the dejection of being considered a substandard metropolitan area. The convention and tourism industry has always been the primary reason this arena needed to be built, but many people have been so busy turning their altruistic noses up towards the Kings and the Maloofs that they never saw that. It has never been solely about the Kings, but even if it somewhat was, it only adds to the need for an arena for the benefit of Sacramento Area fans and visitors. It's alright for a city to have a professional sports team AND try to improve other aspects at the same time, however most naysayers act like they are in opposition. I don't feel that once the Kings leave, all other problems in the city will suddenly improve as a result of the removed "frivolous" diversion, I think it's a pretty naive thought to think so. Our schools will still be failing, and people will still be unemployed... If that were the case, there would be overwhelming cause in EVERY other large city in the US to abolish their professional sports teams, yet there isn't. Sacramento will continue to grow and become a larger city, so thinking that losing the Kings, or not building a new arena will cause the city to be a better small city is also something naive to really expect. 20SomethingSac 2011-03-04T18:59:51Z 20SomethingSac comment-45806 2011-02-16T17:59:38Z 2011-02-16T17:59:38Z When I went to UC Santa Cruz, my roommates and I had 6 chickens in our yard. We came home one day, and the coop was totally clawed and feathers EVERYWHERE in the yard... but no chickens. Something tells me there will be some happy raccoons in Sac once this gets going, and no ability for animal control to handle them. 20SomethingSac 2011-02-16T17:59:38Z 20SomethingSac comment-45377 2011-02-09T18:08:54Z 2011-02-09T18:08:54Z Obviously, it makes sense to go with the world's biggest arena developer and downtown Sacramento's most successful developer. When trying to build an arena downtown, wouldn't that be an ideal team? It really isn't a competition, but in a good way, no matter how they came together. Previously, the Maloofs were planning to contribute a total of $300 Million in rent... is that to control the profits of all events in a new arena, or just events related to the Kings' use? With ICON stating a new arena would cost roughly $300 (optimistically), that rent covers a huge chunk right there. I know people aren't jazzed on public funds, but what about a public loan for the Arena? Granted, the City already has an outstanding loan to the Maloofs (which they are still paying off). My assumption is that rather than just using a rental car tax or free land for the arena, the city would get something back later down the road. Better than nothing, right? I know the whole "buy your seat permanently" idea got floated around, like many college stadiums have done, but what about putting money up front to get discounted kings season tickets later on down the road? For example, a pair of lower level season tickets normally costs, say, $ 6,000. You could pay $5,000 up front, and have the option to buy those season tickets for only $4,000 for 5 years. You save $5,000 over five years, the organization gets money up front to help fund the arena, and people are invested for years. There are a lot of long-time season ticket holders, and would probably be a lot more if guaranteed a) there will be a new arena and b) the kings aren't going anywhere anytime soon. You get 200 season ticket holders to do that, and bam, $1 Mil up front. You get 400 upper-level fans to do it, and bam, $2 Mil. For a new arena that may seat 19,000 people, I think there could be more than 600 people to do this. I would probably do it for cheaper seats, since I'm broke, but it would be pretty awesome for fans to know they "built this house" and then reap benefits of their investment over the years. Just throwing out ideas. The more the better, since there's no right answer yet. 20SomethingSac 2011-02-09T18:08:54Z 20SomethingSac comment-44837 2011-02-01T17:28:45Z 2011-02-01T17:28:45Z The Sonics leaving Seattle is not comparable to the Kings leaving Sacramento, as Seattle still has a professional baseball team, professional football team, and a professional soccer team. They only made up a portion of the city's professional sports scene, so of course the effects aren't as apparent. Although the expense of building a new arena may cost a few dollars, the long term negative effects of NOT building one, given how long we've taken to (not yet) accomplish this, will be much more severe to the region. One good player left Cleveland, and the whole city was upset and angry... The Kings leaving Sacramento would be a LeBron-Cleveland scenario on steroids. There are a lot of people that are not into sports and could care less if the team stays. I, myself, am not into theaters and plays, and don't see myself ever spending my money on tickets. But I understand what the arts mean for a city, and how happy they make others. Knowing that, I do not decry the actions of the city, giving MY tax dollars to support a new theater on H Street. 20SomethingSac 2011-02-01T17:28:45Z 20SomethingSac comment-44328 2011-01-25T18:30:09Z 2011-01-25T18:30:09Z When Arco I & II were built, it made sense to build them in the outskirts; money, residents, and jobs had all left the central city, and the community's focus was getting out of the central city and creating infrastructure for cars to make life quicker. Yet almost 30 years later, there's been a shift in people's mindsets on how a functional city should operate, and continuing to create these islands of economic activity only accessible by cars isn't the smartest long-term land use strategy. Yes, lightrail is headed that direction eventually, but the residents of Natomas don't even encourage its expansion. Arco did help spur growth for Natomas, in the form of single-family homes, condos, shopping centers, and chain restaurants, only accessible by car, built on speculation to feed increasing demand for "good real estate investments." Unfortunately, the whole community sprouted up in a flood plain for a river held back by unstable levies, where we now see, a few too many homes & shopping centers were built. A new arena is something that will last for probably another 30 years, and I will most likely be around for all 30 of those years, until another new arena needs to get build. I can guarantee that the trend to increase urban development and density, and improve life in the central city will be the focus for the foreseeable future. As somebody who's going to take part in enjoying a future arena and the City for a long time, I don't want it to be constructed using an auto-centric model from the previous generation. I want it to be built with the modern ideals of what we now know regarding the importance of connectivity, agglomeration and need for sustainability of large economic centers. This is off-topic, but I also see, and have researched, the positive externalities that modern and significant cultural and economic centers have on cities, such as parks, theaters, art museums, universities, yes, even a modern entertainment arenas. Given these positive effects, both economically and socially, I endorse the reasoning for public funding, if absolutely needed. It's about more than basketball, and the "Magoofs," as people might argue, and about less than becoming "world class." It's about providing the residents the things that ultimately make them happy to live in Sacramento. 20SomethingSac 2011-01-25T18:30:09Z 20SomethingSac comment-44034 2011-01-20T17:51:12Z 2011-01-20T17:51:12Z This guy has spend a decade "mitigating" a toxic dump in an infill location. These trees have been fenced in on private property until now, and they're giving him trouble on even removing small trees or trees deemed unhealthy, when he's already mandated to plant the same or even more trees to replace these toxic ones. Though the size of the trees are "diminutive," they aren't filled with toxic heavy metals, and the thing about trees is that they start growing when you plant them. I'll tell you what is really bland... A toxic fenced-in weed pit of a former railyard in the heart of the city. This is almost as ridiculous as the largest butternut tree in the country, that turned out to be a butternut/walnut mutant of two different trees wrapped together when they actually looked at the thing. 20SomethingSac 2011-01-20T17:51:12Z 20SomethingSac comment-43498 2011-01-12T17:40:10Z 2011-01-12T17:40:10Z After graduating college from a UC in 2007, I literally thought there'd be no chance of getting a decent entry-level job back in Sacramento. I lucked out, but lots of my peers who also moved back after college have been met with a big dose of "settling," or nothing. I know most of it has to do with the economy, but there are a lot of college grads out there who would love to return back to Sacramento to start their careers, but have little opportunity to. From first hand experience, Sacramento is not inviting to entry level college grads looking for work. People send our kids to great schools all across the state: USC, UCLA, Cal, UCSB, Cal Poly, Stanford, UCSC, UCSD, but do very little to entice them back to Sacramento lifestyle-wise or career-wise, save for a few downtown bar openings a year. This demographic DOES want a vibrant (and SAFE) downtown, a professional sports venue, and a city that works to improve itself and grow. What they're met with is heavy opposition from established Sacramentans, who are more apt to say No than How. After working post-college on 16th Street for three years, there is a very present generational divide in terms of outlook on the city that exists. This type of mentality, the "if you don't like it, then leave," SacBee-commenter mentality, is working for a lot of younger educated people, and yet those people feel this train of thought is the best thing for Sacramento. I just don't get it... Thoughts? 20SomethingSac 2011-01-12T17:40:10Z 20SomethingSac comment-40218 2010-11-08T18:14:26Z 2010-11-08T18:14:26Z I agree. Not enough value is placed on the immeasurable goodwill a sports team brings to a city and its residents. I understand that the citizens of Sacramento do not want to pay for a new arena in the form of taxes and public funds, but everyone benefits from a happy population, the national notoriety, and the camaraderie of a winning team in ways that can't be measured with dollars... San Francisco and the Giants is the perfect example of this. The entire fever of the playoff run and the world series was infectious, and had complete strangers high-fiving one another, and over a million people cheering and gathering for something really fun. Sacramento is a great basketball area, and I think a lot of residents have forgotten that since both the team and the local economy have been in the dumps together. How we can get a new arena built really depends on the enthusiasm of the public, and not just the City and developers. I, along with many other fans, remain enthusiastic. "Oh thank heavens for Tyreke Evans!" 20SomethingSac 2010-11-08T18:14:26Z 20SomethingSac comment-38846 2010-10-14T16:50:59Z 2010-10-14T16:50:59Z I think we're going to be surprised on the effects Karpaty's trio of venues will have on K Street. People are so starved for new entertainment additions to midtown & downtown (like the 30-1 hr lines outside Devere's and Mix on weekends), they will do great, even though they seem pretty odd conceptually. That takes care of evenings and happy hour, but if there was a place downtown that showed NFL games and college football games Cars... yeah sure, but not for the parking. Cars because people like to drive by places before they go into them. It gives people a sense of destination and lets them scope it out, making it more comfortable going from the parking garage to the businesses. If they're not comfortable with parking a block away and walking, it would give them the valet option, which at $5+tip in Sac is a steal. I got no solution for the thugs between 7th and 9th Streets. No businesses are going to open with them out front, cars or no cars. That super ghetto shoe store doesn't help the cause much either. 20SomethingSac 2010-10-14T16:50:59Z 20SomethingSac comment-32508 2010-07-09T16:58:50Z 2010-07-09T16:58:50Z Let's get Nugget, Raley's or Whole Foods in on this and integrate the Boqueria with a larger concept, of an actual grocery store in the downtown area. The boqueria is great and all, but are all these new residents of downtown going to live off of produce, wine and cheese alone? And another thing... in regards to the rendering. I think I've seen about thirty different architectural renderings in the past 12-18 months, none of which have even begun to look like actual buildings, save for the mermaid bar, geriatric rhythm, and pizza rock. Enough with all the "render-smut" and build something! Stop getting my hopes up! 20SomethingSac 2010-07-09T16:58:50Z 20SomethingSac comment-31183 2010-06-24T16:31:08Z 2010-06-24T16:31:08Z I'm a big fan of alley projects in other cities, but what about our sidewalks that we already have? There are so many vacancies and opportunities for retail and new businesses and patio seating on the streets we already walk/drive past every day in midtown & downtown, we should try and take advantage of those before creating new areas to support. Once Sacramento reaches its critical mass where outward storefronts thrive, it'd be worth revisiting our alleys. We didn't grow all those big trees along the sidewalks for nothing, right? 20SomethingSac 2010-06-24T16:31:08Z 20SomethingSac comment-28509 2010-05-28T15:29:08Z 2010-05-28T15:29:08Z Ray stated that 6 prominent businessmen in the area confronted Ray and quid pro quo-ed that if he didn't hand over the rights to raytretheway.com, they were not going to support his reelection ... A web-domain Amber Alert press conference is scheduled for later today. 20SomethingSac 2010-05-28T15:29:08Z 20SomethingSac comment-26787 2010-05-12T15:59:38Z 2010-05-12T15:59:38Z The rendering shows cement tables that belong outside a fast food restaurant, undefined parking (note the red car about to hit the pedestrians), scattered patterns of concrete in different colors, and a parking garage w/ no street level retail or interaction facing a plain gray warehouse... This doesn't say "thriving mixed-use market & plaza" as much as it says "poorly envisioned state worker lunch area." I won't be present for the community workshop tomorrow, but will be unimpressed if this is the best use and design they come up with... 20SomethingSac 2010-05-12T15:59:38Z 20SomethingSac comment-26328 2010-05-05T16:07:52Z 2010-05-05T16:07:52Z I'm hoping this place isn't the next Whiskey Wild to breeze through town, turn trashy real fast, and then close out of nowhere... I'm rooting for it! 20SomethingSac 2010-05-05T16:07:52Z 20SomethingSac comment-26005 2010-04-30T18:50:22Z 2010-04-30T18:50:22Z 2014-2015 Season... Kings will be back in the Playoffs, Kobe will be an old man and retired, Tyreke will be up there with Durant & Lebron as one of the elite, and I will be storming out of the arena with all the fans, spending too much money at the mermaid bar downtown, waking up the next morning and going "wait, those were real people swimming in there? I just thought I was hammered" ...I can see it all now 20SomethingSac 2010-04-30T18:50:22Z 20SomethingSac comment-23432 2010-03-17T19:41:23Z 2010-03-17T19:41:23Z The portion of land next to Arco was designed for a baseball field. In fact, the stadium was stopped in 1989 due to lack of funding... When it came time to build Raley Field, why didn't they just decide to build out the stadium out in Natomas? It would've been cheaper, & they could've used the existing infrastructure. I'm assumming they decided not to because the location sucked, compared to the spot on the river in the soon to be developed Bridge District. Now look at Raley Field... It's epic! By far the best attraction for sports fans in the Sacramento Area, with shuttles and 100s of people who walk/ride bikes across the bridge from downtown to the stadium. Granted, the costs associated with the Arena are way greater, but so are the profits. Seems like a very similar arguement with this arena, only Sacramento has 10X more red tape and 10X more naysayers than West Sacramento. I guess what I wanted to say is that the model that the City & Kamilos are attempting has worked, & the people of Sacramento love it... 20SomethingSac 2010-03-17T19:41:23Z 20SomethingSac comment-20316 2010-01-08T17:22:31Z 2010-01-08T17:22:31Z In addition to the suprising development of our young team, the energy at Arco is back too! Even though we have a record under .500, it's a great season to (still) be a Kings fan. 20SomethingSac 2010-01-08T17:22:31Z 20SomethingSac comment-19824 2009-12-24T17:03:41Z 2009-12-24T17:03:41Z The Kings outplayed themselves for all 48 minutes, it was impressive. It was incredible watching the young guys play the Cavs with confidence, poise, and really never falling behind the whole game (not including the overtime). Tyreke balled out of control, something that I was curious about going into the game with all the press hype. If you were to tell me that a group of second, third year players & rookies were going to take the Cavs into overtime when LeBron has a triple-double, I'd call your bluff everytime. I'm not one for "moral victories," but I'll take an OT loss to King James as a bigger statement than beating the Nets or Knicks a few times over. That overtime stretch... shouldn't have even occurred. The inbound pass at the end of the game to Varejao for the 3-pointer was an illegal pass- it bounced out of bounds before coming into play. Even still, the YEARS of playoff and NBA finals experience was definitely the determining factor in Cleveland's ability to close out that game in OT... Something the young Kings will hopefully acquire very soon. 20SomethingSac 2009-12-24T17:03:41Z 20SomethingSac comment-19561 2009-12-18T23:40:29Z 2009-12-18T23:40:29Z I think the Cal Expo idea was like trading rotten apples for over-ripe oranges... its different and newer and catches your eye, but still just as lousy. With the Railyards, If designed with the arena in mind, it wouldn't be putting it in an intensely used area- it would BE the intended intense use for which the area is planned. Furthermore, spending time in the downtown area on nights and weekends, when games/concerts/events would occur, it makes you realize the need for a lot more intensive uses, as its a ghost town save for a few nightclubs in the JKL corridor. Its crucial to plan carefully to avoid bottlenecks on every surrounding freeway offramp & side street, but Downtown Sacramento has been hoping to establish a sense of "destination" to help bolster economic activity, what better way than to bring in15,000-19,000 people into the area on train, lightrail, bicycles, foot, cars and taxis 200 nights a year? With AT&T park referenced in the article, taking BART from the East Bay & Muni to the game is a lot of fun. I think with putting an arena downtown, people will learn to use (and finally have the option to use) other methods of getting there. 20SomethingSac 2009-12-18T23:40:29Z 20SomethingSac comment-19521 2009-12-18T18:18:04Z 2009-12-18T18:18:04Z I'm going to have to disagree. Though it currently makes economic (cheaper) sense to expand in Natomas using existing infrastructure, its a short-term solution for developing a long-term civic asset. Seems like building (sprawling) on the outskirts of central business districts is something I thought American cities realized wasn't the way to get the most bang for your buck, unless you're only thinking short-term returns. As a city looking to strengthen its identity for the future, do we really want to keep our big events on the outskirts, where future sprawl & driving will be inevitable, and In-n-Out & Malabar are your best & most convenient culinary options for a big night out? ...to which we reply, "Well, at least we don't have TRAFFIC." Being 20- Something, I've been going to Arco Arena since I was a kid. Kings games, concerts, monster trucks, Disney on Ice, graduations... I even played basketball there in High School for playoffs. I get way nostalgic about the place. Its a shed, but a nice shed which we've all enjoyed. I even had my first tailgating beer in that parking lot (Ahh...Section H12). But even still, I'd be pretty disappointed, and a lot of Sacramentans would be as well, if we settled on solving the situation by placing another newer shed next to, or on top of ol' Arco, just because the concrete arches and pavement are already there. I think we'd all like to be part of something big for the progress of our city. Downtown Sacramento, the Railyard, Concerts, Pro Sports, and people wanting to have a good night out will be around a lot longer than this recession or those stucco Natomas retail "sheds," and I think we should plan accordingly. 20SomethingSac 2009-12-18T18:18:04Z