Why Does Sacramento Get a Bad Rap? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: how much, neighborhoods)

[Chimérique]

Ya know its one thing to be a critic of Sacto to others who actually work, live and play here and raise their families here. But when folks who haven't lived here for awhile, or who have never lived here or are from the Bay Area and LA repeat stupid untruths or inaccuracies about Sacramento it pisses me off.

As I answer the OP's question, and after criss-crossing the nation for the last 9 months, I forget how many nice venues there are in Sacramento. I hate the graffiti, litter, and vandalism; and the fact there is no place to take your out of town visitors for an awesome view of downtown/midtown and our "bad luck" regarding the synergy and timing of projects, but I'm still here, and still loving it.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

OP,
Go into the "Bank" - downtown Sacramento, "J" Street and 7th street. It is a repurposed 1850's bank, Neo-classical architecture that now a houses a Food Hall, eateries and one really big bar, and an underground tap house where the Vault for the bank was located. The vault used to house Gold Rush era Gold during the 1849 gold rush.

The building where "The Bank" is located was built in 1912, not the 1850s; the vault was not used to house Gold Rush era gold. The California National Bank/D.O. Mills Bank did exist during the Gold Rush, at its original location on 2nd Street; this building, designed by master architect Willis Polk (who also designed the Western Pacific depot where Old Spaghetti Factory is today, and the PG&E powerplant recently converted to MOSAC), was built half a century later, and expanded in the 1920s, so it wasn't used to house Gold Rush era Gold during the 1849 Gold Rush. The food hall was a nice concept, but they've kind of made a mess of it--some of the food-hall stalls are still vacant due to delays in the project resulting in several vendors pulling out entirely, and because they decided to put a sports bar with multiple big screens on the main floor, the hard marble surfaces of the bank building bounce sound around in a really irritating way, so instead of an elegant neoclassical atmosphere it feels more like an unnecessarily swanky sports bar. The mezzanine bar level is a bit quieter, while the basement level has fewer hard surfaces that make noises grate on the nerves, but it's kind of loud down there.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Ya know its one thing to be a critic of Sacto to others who actually work, live and play here and raise their families here. But when folks who haven't lived here for awhile, or who have never lived here or are from the Bay Area and LA repeat stupid untruths or inaccuracies about Sacramento it pisses me off.

As I answer the OP's question, and after criss-crossing the nation for the last 9 months, I forget how many nice venues there are in Sacramento. I hate the graffiti, litter, and vandalism; and the fact there is no place to take your out of town visitors for an awesome view of downtown/midtown and our "bad luck" regarding the synergy and timing of projects, but I'm still here, and still loving it.

Serious question. Are you on the Board of Directors with the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce? Be honest.

[Chimérique]

Regarding the "Bank" building on J Street.

I didn't say the building was built in the 1850's, but I could see how one would think that by the way I worded it. I meant the D.O. Mills bank existed in the 1850's

Also, I was given a tour when it first opened and they made the connection that the D.O. Mills bank originally located at 2nd st and the D.O. Mills bank located on J street vault contained gold from the gold rush and future cash reserves which originated from the gold rush at the J street building.

The repurposed building and space is beautiful and worth a visit whether you are there to drink at the main bar, the mezzanine bar, or the taproom, or grab something to eat.

The building is beautiful and historic, and a great example that Sacramento built some beautiful structures in the past. It could have been destroyed in years past but was saved and finally repurposed.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Regarding the "Bank" building on J Street.

I didn't say the building was built in the 1850's, but I could see how one would think that by the way I worded it. I meant the D.O. Mills bank existed in the 1850's

Also, I was given a tour when it first opened and they made the connection that the D.O. Mills bank originally located at 2nd st and the D.O. Mills bank located on J street vault contained gold from the gold rush and future cash reserves which originated from the gold rush at the J street building.

The repurposed building and space is beautiful and worth a visit whether you are there to drink at the main bar, the mezzanine bar, or the taproom, or grab something to eat.

The building is beautiful and historic, and a great example that Sacramento built some beautiful structures in the past. It could have been destroyed in years past but was saved and finally repurposed.

Yes, one would think that by the words you used when you said it was an 1850s bank, and the basement vault used to house Gold Rush era gold during the Gold Rush.

Originally Posted by Chimerique

It is a repurposed 1850's bank, Neo-classical architecture that now a houses a Food Hall, eateries and one really big bar, and an underground tap house where the Vault for the bank was located. The vault used to house Gold Rush era Gold during the 1849 gold rush

We both agree that it's a lovely building and we're both glad it has been repurposed, and some of the food vendors are good, even if putting the sports bar on the main floor was a dumb idea and they really need to fill the rest of the vendor spaces--and, ideally, make the actual front door of the building openable so people are less likely to think they're closed. No disagreement there at all.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

make the actual front door of the building openable so people are less likely to think they're closed.

When the "Bank" first opened I thought it was odd that the original front door was not used as a front door. But, a bartender said that they created the new front door, which is actually in the front of the building just to the side, to create a large lobby space. Also, The city supposedly suggested the creation of an alternative front door because the original front door would be a safety issue, tipsy-drunk people walking straight out onto J Street. Also, The new front door can handle larger crowds because it opens into a large lobby space.

[Chimérique]

OP,

The main front bar of the "Bank" Foodhall has a whimsical statue of a 6-7 foot tall Rabbit standing/leaning against the bar. It's an odd yet amusing feature and the statue becomes lifelike the more you drink. I was told the Rabbit was inspired from the 1950's film "Harvey" starring Jimmy Stewart who has an invisible 6 foot tall friend who is a Rabbit.

Sacramento seems to have a thing for Rabbits as there is another statue-art piece located within the landside main hall of the Sacramento Int'l Airport terminal B. It's an imposing grandiose 56 foot tall statue-art piece of a Spiderman-ish Red Rabbit that is jumping into the Rabbit Hole of a bronze Suitcase resting on the bottom of the building where baggage claim is located. The Red Rabbit scales the entire height within the center of the building.

Also, there is a bar/restaurant called the Red Rabbit in midtown.

[General I80]

Sacramento is a more Conservative/Republican metro area than LA or SF. Sacramento County votes similarly to Jackson County, Missouri, where Kansas City is located. This would certainly put it at odds with the rest of the state.

People also view the Central Valley as boring, which is understandable from a Bay Area point of view. It’s flat, and it doesn’t have a Six Flags or Great America, very much lacking in theme parks. But they have a decent amount of water parks, like Phoenix. There are no large beaches either, and you can probably figure out why.

Despite being unpopular, Sacramento is cheaper than most CA cities, and there are some great suburbs like Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Rocklin.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by General I80

Sacramento is a more Conservative/Republican metro area than LA or SF. Sacramento County votes similarly to Jackson County, Missouri, where Kansas City is located. This would certainly put it at odds with the rest of the state.

Sacramento County's 2020 Presidential vote was pretty close to California's statewide vote; around 61% Democrat, 34% Republican in Sacramento County, 64% Democrat, 31% Republican statewide. Jackson County MO voted about 60% Republican and 40% Democrat in the 2020 election, which means your statement about their voting pattern being similar to Sacramento County is completely inaccurate--in fact, they are almost exactly reversed!

Originally Posted by General I80

People also view the Central Valley as boring, which is understandable from a Bay Area point of view. It’s flat, and it doesn’t have a Six Flags or Great America, very much lacking in theme parks. But they have a decent amount of water parks, like Phoenix. There are no large beaches either, and you can probably figure out why.

Why are theme parks such a big deal? I suppose they're nice, but how many adults base their relocation decisions on the number of theme parks in a metro area? Maybe it's just me, I haven't set foot in a theme park in about 30 years (unless you count Cal Expo for the State Fair, which I assume you don't) but I don't understand why a theme park would be better for a city's economy and vitality than, say, walkable and vibrant urban neighborhoods, employment centers or active nightlife--and generally, for those who aren't children, the basis for selecting an "exciting" city is based more on everyday life and economic activity than the number of water slides.



Kind of an aside to others who posted about it earlier--the idea of a cowboy/western theme park in the Railyards is an objectively terrible idea. In addition to the fact that theme parks are a highly space-inefficient use of land, the idea that it would somehow connect to Sacramento history is very silly; a theme park based on Western movie tropes in the Railyards would have about as much to do with California history as a theme park in England based on Middle-Earth.

Originally Posted by General I80

Despite being unpopular, Sacramento is cheaper than most CA cities, and there are some great suburbs like Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Rocklin.

It's a little hard to reconcile your appreciation for these suburbs with your statements about Sacramento being boring and conservative; suburbs are generally much more boring than their regional city (people generally drive from those places to party in Sacramento unless their idea of a wild Saturday night involves sitting in front of the TV) and they're also much more conservative; Placer and El Dorado County, unlike Sacramento County, are still Republican strongholds, potentially far more out of line with the politics of folks relocating from Los Angeles or the Bay Area (unless they're conservatives trying to escape liberal strongholds), and while Folsom still technically leans Dem, eastern Sacramento County votes more conservatively than the city of Sacramento.

[Valley Boy]

It's funny to hear people describe Sacramento as conservative. The city itself is run by moron looney tunes.


Biggest problem is SAC has neither world class amenities, or awe inspiring natural beauty. So where are tourists naturally going to flock in that situation?

Where they always do when they don't know where to go in any city. Downtown. Except what greets you go to downtown Sacramento? Outside of DOCO not much. It's rather drab, dull, and depressing. No one is gonna drive 16 blocks to midtown. They will pull up in downtown, realize it sucks after 5 blocks, and turn around.

Midtown, while great, would be just another middle tier trendy neighborhood in another big city. It's not really remarkable or unique, other than it is the only real vibrant neighborhood in the entire Central Valley.

Sac just need to work with what it's got. Expand light rail, keep redeveloping and gentrifying Oak Park...**** the renters. Build more housing in downtown. Expand the zoo before they flee to Elk Grove.