A plan for Sacramento

Sacramento is in the southern Sacramento Valley, the northern half of the vast 450-mile (720 km) long California Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural areas. While the Central Valley is mostly rural, Sacramento and its urban area seemingly arise abruptly from the surrounding farmland, a sight that is particularly notable to those driving from the west on Interstate 80 or from the south on Interstate 5 or Highway 99. Once considered a typical Central Valley backwater with the distinction of hosting the state capitol, Sacramento's growth has skyrocketed since the late 20th century due increased investment from both local and state governments to bring related jobs to the city, which in turn has attracted think tanks and other research-related sectors such as healthcare and food science.

The city has a population of about 520,000 as of 2020 and almost 2.7 million in the metropolitan area. Besides Sacramento County, the metropolitan area also includes the counties of Yolo, Placer, El Dorado, Sutter, Yuba, and Nevada.

The pace of life is somewhat slower than in other large Californian cities, and the people are generally warm and friendly. According to Time magazine, Sacramento is the most diverse city in the USA. The city used to be an affordable place, but it suffered from the San Francisco Bay Area's dot com rise and fall, and real estate went from undervalued to overvalued. The market is correcting itself, so property values in most neighborhoods have leveled off while others are dropping to more reasonable valuations.

History

Sacramento was founded in 1839 as New Helvetia (Nueva Helvetia in Spanish) by Swiss pioneer John Sutter, having been granted permission by the Mexican government to develop a rancho settlement to bring European settlement to the Sacramento Valley area. The settlement eventually developed into Sutter's Fort, a key agricultural and trading post for settlers arriving in California after crossing the Sierra Nevada. It remained a farming community until 1848, when gold was discovered in nearby Coloma. This discovery caused Sacramento to experience explosive growth as a boomtown.

1 California State Capitol, 10th and L Streets, ☏ +1 916-324-0333. Mon–Fri 8AM–5PM, Sat Sun 9AM–5PM. The California State Capitol Museum includes the historical state capitol building and the surrounding 16 square city blocks, known as Capitol Park. Inside, tours of the capitol, its legislative chambers, and its restored historic offices are available daily. Outside, the public is free to visit the many gardens, memorials, and monuments throughout the 40-acre park's grounds. You can get a view up to the Capitol from the Tower Bridge at the southern end of Old Sacramento. Despite what the official website says, as of 2017 it is possible to enter the building carrying large bags (they must go through airport-style security though). Free. (updated Dec 2018)

2 Sutter's Fort, 2701 L St, ☏ +1 916-445-4422. Tue–Sun 10AM–5PM. Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is the oldest restored fort in the United States. Built by John Sutter in 1840s, the fort now hosts a collection of pioneer and early California artifacts. Self-guided audio tours are available. Adult $5, youth $3, child 5 & under free. (updated Dec 2018)

3 State Indian Museum, 2618 K St (next to Sutter's Fort), ☏ +1 916-324-0971. 10AM–5PM. Contains displays of Native Californian basketry, beadwork, clothing and exhibits about the ongoing traditions of various California Indian tribes. Adults $3, youth $2, children 5 & under free.

4 Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St (an easy 20-minute walk west from the Capitol building or 15-minute walk south from Old Sacramento), ☏ +1 916-808-7000, cam@crockerart.org. Wed–Sun 10AM–5PM, Thu 10AM–9PM. The oldest continuously operating museum in the West, home to a premier collection of California art. $15.

5 Cesar Chavez Park. Formerly known as Plaza Park, Cesar Chavez Park is a scenic park in the middle of downtown Sacramento that adjoins historic City Hall, the Public Library and Sacramento's Citizen Hotel. Great place to take photos of the Sacramento skyline. During the summer on Fridays, it is used as an outdoor concert venue known as Concerts in the Park. (updated Dec 2018)

6 Sacramento Zoo. A mid-size zoo located in William Land Park. A combination ticket with Fairy Tale Town makes for a fun day for families with young children.

1 Certified Farmers' Market, ☏ +1 916-688-0100. The bounty of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley can be found at various certified farmers' markets throughout the metropolitan region. Each venue is unique, with some selling dairy, meat, and seafood in addition to produce, crafts, and artisan items.

Second Saturdays Art Walk (monthly). Art galleries in midtown Sacramento open on the second Saturday of each month from 6PM to 9PM Garage parking is available for $2 on 17th Street between Capitol and L Street, and local restaurants stay open a little late for the art walk crowd.

Concerts in the Park (weekly, May through August). Each summer, a free outdoor concert is held on Friday nights from 5PM to 9PM at Cesar Chavez Park, located at 10th and J Streets.

Sacramento Capitol City Jazz Festival (late May). An annual affair over the Memorial Day weekend. Bands come from all over the world to play this gig. You can hear everything from Billie Holiday to Scott Joplin to Paco Gatsby in venues set up throughout Sacramento. Venues are concentrated in Old Sacramento and in hotels near the Convention Center.

River rafting. late May through September. In the heat of the summer, self-guided raft trips along the Lower American River are popular (this is leisurely floating, not whitewater rapids). Inflatable rafts can be rented from companies along Sunrise Boulevard and floated down to River Bend Park, a 6-mile trip that takes 3 to 4 hours depending on river flows. Shuttle service is available to return rafters to the start point. Rafts sizes vary from 4 to 12 person, and rental fees range from $50 to $150. State law prohibits alcoholic drinks on the river during the holiday weekends of Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Sacramento Pride Festival and Parade (June). First celebrated in 1984 as the Sacramento Freedom Fair, Sacramento Pride Festival and Parade has become an annual LGBT Pride Month tradition, attracting nearly 10,000 visitors from throughout Northern and Central California.

The diversity of Sacramento is not only reflected in its various neighborhoods but also in the food choices you can find here. The places in the central district tend to be more trendy and hip while food establishments in their respective neighborhoods reflect the tastes of their residents. Finding unique fare in suburban Sacramento, northeast of the city limits, can be difficult as many of the establishments are dominated by national or large regional chains.

Budget

2 Jack's Urban Eats, 1230 20th St (Midtown at 20th Street and Capitol Avenue), ☏ +1 916 444-0307. A modern-day diner with a retro feel, Jack's grills and roasts meats for sandwiches and salads and offers comfort food side dishes like mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and garlic fries. Additional locations in the greater metropolitan area. (updated May 2015)

3 Luigi's Pizza Parlor, 3800 Stockton Blvd, Oak Park, ☏ +1 916 456-0641. A long-time Sac institution, still churning out tasty pizzas. Pizzas $12-20.

4 Crepeville, 1730 L St, ☏ +1 916 444-1100. Serves a unique menu of fresh, delicious, and healthy alternatives to fast-food. Other locations in the Curtis Park neighborhood and outlying Davis.

5 Pieces Pizza by the Slice, 1309 21st St (near the corner of 21st and Capitol), ☏ +1 916 441-1949. A tiny little place with extraordinary stuffed-crust pizza. Open until 2:30AM on weekends, Pieces is a very popular spot to load up on carbs after a late-night weekend pub crawl. Several different combinations are offered, and the staff is also happy to build your pizza to order. The vegetarian pesto pizza, with sundried tomato and feta cheese, is especially good. They also offer several excellent beers on tap, including (usually) Arrogant Bastard. The decor isn't much, but the people are friendly and the food is delicious. $5-10.

6 Rick's Dessert Diner, 2401 J St, ☏ +1 916 444-0969. Tue-Thu 10AM–midnight; Fri Sat 10AM-1AM; Sun noon-11PM; Mon 10AM-11PM. Designed as a retro 1950s style diner, Rick's is a popular and award-winning Midtown destination for dessert lovers. Open late for post-dinner date sugar cravings.

7 Chando's Taqueria, 863 Arden Way, ☏ +1 916-641-8226. Quintessential Sacramento taqueria known for tacos, burritos, mulitas and more. Multiple locations in the region. An absolute must-try if looking for Mexican food in town. (updated Nov 2021)

Nightlife in Sacramento is vibrant if you know where to look. Stay in Downtown or Midtown. This is where most tourists are anyway. The upscale clubs and lounges tend to be on or near J Street.

Just around the corner is the Capitol Garage which typically has guest DJs on Saturday and a $5 cover in a laid back atmosphere.

Nearby is the Crest Theater, an independent historic movie theater that boasts art deco design. In the summer you can catch the French Film Festival here as well as the Trash Film Orgy, an all-night spectacle of old B movie flicks where locals gather in their cheesiest costumes.

On most days of the year, however, the Crest is the place to catch foreign and independent films as well as traveling stand-up comedy and music acts. On 16th and R Street. you'll find the popular bar R15. This is a trendy bar/restaurant (Cafe Bernardo is attached) that has an urban industrial feel. Despite being trendy the prices are very affordable with $2 Pabst on tap and $1 pool tables. They also boast couches and big screens where you can play Xbox for free with a couple of friends.

R Street corridor offers Shady Lady Saloon, R15 Bar, and restaurants.

Another popular club is Mix Downtown with stiff cover charges and dress code as well, but Mix attracts an older crowd than District 30 and less pretentious crowd than the Park. On 10th and S Street, you'll find the popular indie-rock venue Old Ironsides. Local and traveling indie-rock talent showcase their music here. Every Tuesday you can catch Lipstick, a popular indie-rock dance party where you'll find mostly hip Midtown locals. Every first Saturday of the month you can catch After Dark which is like Lipstick only on a Saturday so it attracts a more varied metropolitan crowd.

The Press Club on 21st and P Street is popular with the college crowd with its $5 cover charges and cheap $3 24 oz. of Pabst. It's known for playing 1980s dance music and the best nights to go are Wednesdays or Thursdays as it is a small club and, on weekends, gets unbearably overcrowded.

1 The Depot, 2001 K St (corner of K and 20th downtown.). Gay-friendly video bar, two coin-op pool tables, covered smoking area.

Sacramento is fairly easy to navigate due to the numbered and lettered streets, especially in the central district which is laid out in a grid. Numbered streets run north and south while lettered streets run east and west. South of the city center (bounded by Broadway, Front Street, and Alhambra Boulevard), the streets are named "Avenue" when the lettered streets run out.

By foot

Historic Old Sacramento, the Riverfront, and the California State Railroad Museum are all within an easy 5-minute walk of the train station. The Capitol building is a pleasant 15-minute walk from Old Sacramento. Sacramento has been called the tree city, due to the density of street trees present. This makes for a pleasant walk anyone in Central Sacramento. However, the moment that you try to get out of the central core, the distances go up, and you're just trudging through suburbs that have much less shade.

By bicycle

The wide, flat, tree-lined streets make cycling a relaxing way to get around Downtown and Midtown Sacramento. Most streets in the grid have bike lanes, and bike routes through the city are clearly marked. Traveling by bike also means avoiding expensive and hard-to-find parking. Additionally, the region is connected with the American River Bike Trail, one of the gems of outdoor recreation for the city. For more information about bike infrastructure and advocacy in Sacramento, check out the SABA website.

While many bike rental options exist in the city, the region officially supports private bike share rentals by Lime bike. Usage is as easy as downloading the app and locating the nearest bike.

By car

For nearly all other getting around, you will want a car.

Public transportation

Sacramento Regional Transit is the major provider of transit service in Sacramento with connections to other inter-urban buses and the surrounding area.

Downtown has a lot of one-way streets which can be confusing and are not always well marked so look at the direction in which cars are parked.

Sacramento is generally a safe place to visit. As with any other urban area, no matter where you are, stay safe. Be aware of your surroundings, lock your car doors, don't carry a large amount of cash, and don't wear flashy clothing or jewelry.

As with other large metropolitan areas, there are neighborhoods that deserve more caution than others at night. Be cautious while in the following areas:

South Sacramento Area—especially at night. It has been cleaned up but there are still rough patches especially around Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Fruitridge Road, Franklin Boulevard, Mack Road, and Meadowview Road.

North Highlands — Watt Avenue between Roseville Road and I-80 can be unsafe at night. The motels at Longview Drive and I-80 are among the worst in the north Sacramento area and are best avoided.

Del Paso Heights used to be of the worst crime infested areas in the Sacramento Region, but has attracted numerous galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Stay safe, but there's no reason to avoid it.