Sacramento Project ‘Almost a City in Itself’

By MORRIS NEWMAN, New York Times, August 11, 2009

 

SACRAMENTO — The western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad is a forlorn place these days.  All that is left of the historic railyards are seven immense brick buildings, the remnants of an era when this site was the busiest industrial center in northern California.  There is little indication yet of a $5.3 billion redevelopment plan to transform the site.  But the old railroad buildings are expected to come back to life as the retail portion of a huge project called the Sacramento Railyards.  In the next 20 years, the developer Thomas Enterprises, based in Newnan, Ga., plans to build up to 12,000 residential units, 800,000 square feet of commercial space, scattered small parks, a railroad history museum and a performing arts center.

 

wow. excellent. i'd love to see pics of these before they get redeveloped!

Right now there is not a lot to see...there are a few buildings scattered about, and some rails.  Mostly it is just vacant land.  Most of the old workshops have been torn down. There are some nice old brick structures, lots of tracks etc.  Not gritty in the New York sense at all..looks more like abandoned, or just forlorn.  The train station is there and they have recently connected the light rail, so that you can transfer from Amtrack's Capital Corridor.  Lots of potential.

 

Downtown Sacramento goes through its ups and downs like any other place, and has enjoyed  times the last few years, but with the economic downturn, things have really soured.  They have a downtown mall that struggles, having seen a huge decline in business just in the last two to three years.  Many of the huge downtown developments have evaporated due to adequate funding, or bad planning.  Four years ago there were so many projects that one could scarcely keep track...only three or four have come to fruition. 

 

Sacramento does have a thriving arts scene and the area just east of downtown, around 20th street is really hopping.  A wonderful place, and especially good on the Second Saturday of the month, when all the galleries are open late and the streets are teaming with people.

 

The most positive thing is the change in the people's outlook over the last few years. They no longer seem to feel the need to escape to San Francisco or Reno as often.  There are decent restaurants, great parks, good shopping, and some culture.  It is just incredibly hot in the summer.

Yeah, dear old Sacratomato.  20th Street used to be called Lavender Heights (nickname, its not on a hill), it was the gay ghetto.  I lived nearby, across the street from Capital Park.  The Old City was already getting hip in the 1980s, but theres's been a lot more development.  A lot of the older things (like Sams Hofbrau) have went away or been yuppified.

 

Sacto, when I live there, reminded me of a Southern city, like maybe a real big Lexington or Macon.  Now that I'm in Ohio Columbus has a sort of Sacto feel to it.

 

Sacamento's oldest neighborhood, its German Village or Oregon, is Alkalai Flat, which is right next door to this development.  When I was living in Sac Alkalai was old but stable, just poor (old Chicano neighhborhood). Gentrification action was elsewhere in the Old City.