Lady Bird's Sacramento (home, theater, train)

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Beg to differ, her neighborhood is River Park (not Tahoe Park), the tracks are the UP tracks that separate River Park from East Sac (not the Gold Line of the Light Rail). Agreed, The park where they frolic is likely McKinley Park (the rose garden) or it could have been shot in the Rose Garden in Capitol Park.

The coffee shop where she works is definitely New Helvetia, but I think it was actually shot at the coffee shop near City College, or some other coffee cafe/shop as New Helvetia doesn't exist any more as a coffee shop, rather it is currently one of the best restaurants in Sacramento (B.L. Mulvaney) which is a restored Brick Firehouse(very cool) on 21st Street (between L and Capitol).

New Helvetia was one of the first cafe/coffee shops where you could hang out and have lattes and muffins, desserts, pastries, etc. before any Starbucks ever existed in Sacramento. It was in a non-suburban setting which made it cool. It was a "little piece of SF" or "Seattle" in Sacramento. Midtown at that time was rarely called midtown; it was more often called "Lavender Heights" coined by the Gays in the 70's who started living in Midtown in large numbers before any other group. Rents were dirt cheap and it was "uncool" to live downtown, unless you were Gay or "Counterculture". Back then, many of the apartments had only window unit a/c's or non at all which was another reason why rents were dirt cheap and why you wouldn't want to live in an apartment "downtown"....too hot in the summer. Downtown/Midtown was very dark at night, less than 1/2 the street lights that exist today, and all the big trees made "kinda scary" to walk around. Many of the Victorians and other historic structures and house were not restored so they were "kinda of scary" looking too. No one raised in squeaky clean safe upper crust Suburban neighborhoods wanted to live "downtown".

This version of Sacramento is the one that is most seared into my mind, as I knew people who lived there during the early 90s and would visit them often while I was in college at Berkeley. New Helvetia was definitely one of the cool places I remember. Seeing the changes in "Midtown" with the loft projects, restaurants, and hipster shops and cafes these days makes that area feel much safer and more trendy, but to me, it still has that same atmosphere. Leafy tree-lined streets, old houses, and a patchwork of bustling intersections with restaurants at the corners. I guess the main difference today is the people. I'm very excited to check out this movie.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

I can believe that. As someone who lived many years in Los Angeles(Los Feliz neighborhood) and I went to college at LA City College/Glendale College/UCLA. I often describe Sacramento as being very similar to Glendale-Pasadena-Burbank-Toluca Lake, in feel, vibe, neighborhoods.

Very apt comparison! Another place we recently drove through after many years and which REALLY reminded us of Sacramento is Long Beach. We had been reading about some of the neighborhoods just outside of downtown becoming a bit artsy, and indeed they have. The city is undergoing a bit of a renaissance but with a little-big-city feel. You also really feel like you're a world away from LA and in your own little area. And surrounding these artsy neighborhoods are such similar old Victorians and older apartments buildings which are in party giving way to modern loft complexes too. Even the deciduous leafy trees reminded me of Sacramento. You should definitely check it out.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Very apt comparison! Another place we recently drove through after many years and which REALLY reminded us of Sacramento is Long Beach. We had been reading about some of the neighborhoods just outside of downtown becoming a bit artsy, and indeed they have. The city is undergoing a bit of a renaissance but with a little-big-city feel. You also really feel like you're a world away from LA and in your own little area. And surrounding these artsy neighborhoods are such similar old Victorians and older apartments buildings which are in party giving way to modern loft complexes too. Even the deciduous leafy trees reminded me of Sacramento. You should definitely check it out.

Yes I agee. I know Long Beach pretty well, especially the Rose Park neighborhood, but I never lived there. Rose Park is like midtown.

[notmattley]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Which interview? It's weird that it would be the light rail tracks between the Fab Forties and Elmhurst because the barrier is not only the tracks but very big and wide Highway. I pretty sure, Elmhurst and T Street was always know as good neighborhood, not sure if it fits the "other side of tracks kind of neighborhood".

This all rather unimportant and kind of silly figuring out what exactly she was thinking or where such and such a place is...but its kind of fun guessing :-).

So where did the mother work? UC Davis Med Center, Sutter General, or Sutter Memorial on F Street (closed many years ago).

Too bad she didn't include more shots of Sacramento. There are so many more bigger and better murals, the Capitol building was never shown, restored big Victorians or Craftmans never shown, there are several really beautiful Catholic churches that could have been shown, so many other bigger and nicer neon signs weren't shown....like the Shakeys sign on H Street which is just a few blocks from St. Francis H.S.

It would be interesting to know if she has a ton footage that just couldn't make into the movie.

An article in the SF Chronicle a few months ago said Greta was referring to the light rail tracks separating the Fab Forties from Tahoe Park. I don't think it matters if Tahoe Park is a bad neighborhood. The Lady Bird character just liked to say "other side of the tracks" I think.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by notmattley

An article in the SF Chronicle a few months ago said Greta was referring to the light rail tracks separating the Fab Forties from Tahoe Park. I don't think it matters if Tahoe Park is a bad neighborhood. The Lady Bird character just liked to say "other side of the tracks" I think.

Do you trust the SF Chronicle to write anything accurate about Sacramento?

I searched and couldn't find anything where Greta talks about Sacramento's Tahoe Park neighborhood. Please supply link.

[Chimérique]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4sQnbBZdKw

[Sactoslacker]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4sQnbBZdKw

Pretty cool for a white girl that went to a private school...and NO, I have not seen the movie yet, but plan to.

[CA4Now]

In the last five years, California’s capital city has re-branded itself as “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” and built a new NBA arena that jump-started downtown development.

But nothing has polished Sacramento’s image like “Lady Bird,” filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical, self-described love letter to her hometown.

The 'Lady Bird' guide to Sacramento hot spots - LA Times

[Sactoslacker]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

In the last five years, California’s capital city has re-branded itself as “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” and built a new NBA arena that jump-started downtown development.

But nothing has polished Sacramento’s image like “Lady Bird,” filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical, self-described love letter to her hometown.

The 'Lady Bird' guide to Sacramento hot spots - LA Times

Cool, so glad the LA Times can tell me where all the "Hot" spots are

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Sactoslacker

Cool, so glad the LA Times can tell me where all the "Hot" spots are

The reporter who wrote the article is a columnist for the Sacramento Bee.