You’re going where?
Sacramento steals the spotlight with help from Oscar-nominated Lady Bird
California’s capital city has long lived in the shadows of its flashier neighbours. Sandwiched between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, “Sac,” as the locals call it, is often underestimated and overlooked as a small and sleepy cow town — a rest stop on the way to greener and glitzier pastures. But thanks to the downtown revitalization and the rousing success of
Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated homage to her hometown — Sacramento has been suddenly, and rightfully, thrust into the spotlight.
Following in the footsteps of the FortyNiners, I came to Sacramento with the aim of striking it rich. My mission: to mine the city’s treasures while home for the holidays in December. Technically, I was born in Sacramento, but I grew up about 20 minutes away in Davis. And while my teenage self would make regular pilgrimages to the city’s thrift stores and shopping centres, I didn’t fully appreciate what the City of Trees had to offer.
Yes, it housed the California State Capitol. And yes, it had far less traffic — and Botox — than our star-studded neighbours down south. But what made the landlocked capital special?
As it turns out, a lot. With burgeoning culinary, arts and cultural scenes, Sacramento had blossomed and matured, much like I had since leaving the West Coast for college in 2008. And while I wasn’t paying attention, the mid-size city had become bigger and better, worthy of the red-carpet treatment.
Go
Fairytale Town, fairytaletown.org: The cheese does not stand alone at Fairytale Town. The holey, bright yellow play structure joins 35 other storybookthemed attractions that populate this beloved non-profit children’s park. Squealing tots can scramble up Jack’s Beanstalk, grab the reins of Cinderella’s Pumpkin Coach, slide down the Old Woman’s shoe and even take a power nap in Mother Goose’s lap. Built in 1959, to encourage imagination and literacy among the city’s kids, the 1.4-hectare fantasy park is a favourite among families with children 10 and younger.
Crocker Art Museum, crockerart.org: The Crocker Art Museum is a work of art itself, combining the elegance and charm of the Crocker family’s original 1871 Italianate mansion with a sleek, modern building. Founded in 1885, the first public art museum in the Western United States boasts an impressive collection of international ceramics, American and European paintings and works by new and established California artists. Lap up the frothy desserts painted by Wayne Thiebaud and applaud Stephen Kaltenbach for his ethereal portrait of his father, a labour of love that took him seven years to complete. In the lobby, get the lowdown on free lectures, concerts and daily tours.
Guidebook musts
California State Railroad Museum, california railroad. museum: Toy collectors, train enthusiasts and history buffs unite at the California State Railroad Museum. Storyboards and interactive exhibits detail more than 150 years of railroad history, including the country’s first transcontinental railroad line and today’s modern high-speed ones. Grab your conductor’s hat and climb aboard one of the museum’s 21 beautifully restored antique locomotives and train cars.
Is fantasy not cutting it? Catch a ride on the museum’s real railway, which leads 9.6-kilometre train excursions along the Sacramento River on Tuesdays through April 24 and Saturdays and Sundays from April 7 through Sept. 23.
Sac Running Tours, sacrunningtours.com: It’s hard to miss the hundreds of public art pieces that electrify downtown’s drab exteriors. The city is a hotbed of California artists, which means Instagram gold for camera-toting travellers. Admire more than 20 of the most notable additions by foot with Sac Running Tours, which leads a Wide Open Walls murals tour.
Guides, such as founder Jenn Kistler-McCoy, provide a wealth of information about the artworks, artists and Wide Open Walls mural festival that draws locally, nationally and internationally recognized talent to the region every August. Don’t miss Raphael Delgado’s indomitable grizzly at 1413 21st St. and the latest Lady Bird mural at 16th and I Sts. Eat
Gunther’s Ice Cream, gunthersicecream.com: Even in late December there’s a line out the door at Gunther’s Ice Cream. Haters will say “only in California,” but Sacramentans know better. A neighbourhood mainstay since 1940, the soda fountain’s premium handmade and small-batch sweets are popular year-round.
The 800-sq.-ft. shop serves 40 flavours of ice cream alongside sherbets, sorbets and freshfruit freezes. Significantly higher in butterfat than its commercial competitors (6 per cent, to be exact), the uber-creamy and oh-so-refreshing treat hit the spot. Recognize the store’s mascot, Jugglin’ Joe, out front? The animated neon sign, which depicts Joe slinging ice cream, makes a cameo in Lady Bird.
Shady Lady Saloon, shadyladybar.com: I halfexpected a 1920s flapper to greet me with a tray of French 75s when I walked into the Shady Lady Saloon. The dimly lit, speakeasy-style watering hole, with its dark U-shaped wooden bar, lush decor and pressed-tin ceiling, evokes the glamour and ambience of preProhibition America, when quality concoctions and conversation, not plasma TVs, reigned supreme. Jazz, blues and country artists perform five nights a week. All the while, knowledgeable bartenders, often wearing suspenders, create old-timey cocktails with housemade tonics, bitters and syrup. Try one of the signature Southern-inspired dishes paired with a light and refreshing White Linen cocktail of gin, St. Germain, lemon, sugar and muddled cucumber.
Tower Cafe, towercafe.com: The eclectic artwork and colourful tapestries plastering the walls of Tower Cafe reflect not only the international menu but also the ethnic patchwork of residents: Mexicans, East Africans, East Asians, Caribs and Europeans among them. Housed in the birthplace of the now-defunct Tower Records, the hippie haven serves gigantic portions of comfort food, with vegan and vegetarian options. Request a seat in the lush out- door garden area outfitted with hanging lights, a burbling fountain and a shady canopy of Japanese maples, ferns and palms. The restaurant is often packed on Sundays with young families and college students dining alfresco, drinking Tower Bloody Marys and eating the signature French toast.
Dive Bar, divebarsacramento.com: No, it’s not the tequila talking. Dive Bar’s 12metre-long aquarium, located above the main bar, holds 28,400 litres of saltwater, 60some tropical fish and, on occasion, mermaids and mermen. The mythical sea stars, who don glittery, waterproof makeup and 16-kilogram silicone tails, perform several times a day, waving, smiling and blowing kisses at the smartphonewielding barflies below. Slip on your shell bikini or surfer trunks and get there early for cheap Happy Hour offerings (including $4 draft beers and rail drinks) and a front-row seat to the Not So Little Mermaid show.
Kitchen, thekitchenrestaurant.com: Usually, it’s dinner then a show, but not at the Kitchen. The chefs take centre stage as the evening’s emcees, preparing and explaining the inventive dishes at a table in the centre of the room. Helmed by chef-owner Randall Selland, the sophisticated eatery, which helped put Sacramento’s farmto-fork restaurant scene on the national map, was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award in 2012 and AAA Diamond Awards for six consecutive years. The prix fixe, fivecourse dinner is a four-hour dining experience that feels like an exclusive dinner party. The dinner will set you back $135 (U.S.) per person, not including wine pairings. Reservations book up months in advance. Shop
Rire Boutique, rireboutique.com: You won’t find anything over $75 at Rire Boutique, and that’s intentional. Owner Josie Lee has firsthand experience being a frugal fashionista. Lee makes it a priority to carry high-quality and budgetfriendly items that stay on trend beyond one season. The 31-year-old fashion blogger turned entrepreneur worked her way through Sacramento State University, started her own women’s clothing boutique at 25 and now manages storefront locations in the Midtown and Oak Park neighbourhoods. Expect to find delicate necklaces and vibrant totes displayed near off-the-shoulder tops, summery shorts and breezy, casual dresses.
WAL Public Market, walpublicmarket.com: Lovers of all things vintage flock to WAL Public Market for rare and high-quality vinyl records, funky furniture and one-of-akind clothing. Set in the heart of Sacramento’s newly revitalized R Street corridor, the 9,000-sq.ft. complex is a treasure trove for thrift store thrill-seekers.
The stores are on the ground floor of the Warehouse Artist Lofts, a 116-unit complex that offers subsidized housing for local artists. Peep at the vintage cowboy boots and turquoise jewelry at Old Gold, the $4 bargain bin at Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage and the industrial workstation at Benjamin’s Shoes, where owner Benjamin Schwartz can often be found cobbling custom orders.
Display: California, displaycalifornia.com: Forget the lastminute See’s Candies run and opt for an original, Californiamade product from Display: California. From the Anson Design planters shaped like Pokémon’s Jigglypuff to burlap, Sacramento-stamped Apolis totes, there’s something for everyone. Run by husband-and-wife creative team Roshaun and Maritza Davis, who met as students at Sacramento State University, the store showcases wares from more than 65 California merchants and designers. “People have a deep love for California,” Maritza says. “And we love that they love it.” The store’s inventory runs the gamut, including mini sage bundles, “West Coast Best Coast” wall prints and coffee mugs with cheeky messages such as “Reading is sexy.”
Evangeline’s Costume Mansion, evangelines.com: It’s Halloween 365 days a year at Evangeline’s Costume Mansion. A human-size, flying chicken costume points the way to a vintage glass elevator, which transports fantasy-seekers to a land where trends never die. Browse the mansion’s eight rooms, which tout themes including “Gothic Chamber” and “Storybook Land” and are lined with hundreds of costumes as well as makeup and accessories.
“If you don’t leave with a costume, you’ll at least leave with some fun inspiration,” store manager Rachel Immel says. On the third floor, try on candycoloured wigs that would make Katy Perry envious or face the mask wall for a fright. Fun fact: The store is in the Lady Adams Building, which since 1852, has been home to a brothel, a disco and a bank-themed restaurant. Stay
Inn and Spa at Parkside, innatparkside.com: Throw on a comfy robe and feel your stress melt away at one of the Inn & Spa at Parkside’s respite-minded themed rooms, such as “dream,” “balance,” “tranquility” and “happiness.” In the guest rooms, the Pan-Asian accoutrements wink at the roots of the former owner, an affluent Chinese diplomat, who previously lived in the 1930s Spanish Revival building. Overlooking Southside Park, the 11-room bed-and-breakfast is far enough away from the briefcase-toting politicos but within walking distance of the heart of downtown and the recently minted Golden 1 Center, an indoor arena and new home of the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings. Amenities include cooked-to-order gourmet breakfasts, free Wi-Fi, flat-panel TVs and a nightly social hour with complimentary drinks and snacks.
Citizen Hotel, thecitizenhotel.com: Around the corner from the California State Capitol, the Citizen Hotel, part of the Auto graph Collection of luxury properties, celebrates Sacramento’s political pulse with a cosmopolitan flair. Legislators and lawyers will feel right at home in the 14-storey hotel’s stately lobby, which features vintage political cartoons alongside hundreds of leatherbound law books. Rooms include high ceilings, large window treatments and boldstriped wallpaper, plus the requisite Keurig coffee maker and fancy toiletries. After an afternoon of exploring the city, grab farm-to-fork fare at the attached Grange restaurant and retire to your room, where room numbers depict two shaking hands and “Closed Door Session” hangers replace “Do Not Disturb” signs. And Fido is invited to join the fun: Four-legged friends of any size stay free. Explore
Midtown, exploremidtown.org: A once-sleepy area, Midtown is now flush with young professionals, growing families and, yes, hipsters. Just east of the Capitol-dominated downtown, the “Grid” offers an ever-growing concentration of white-linen restaurants, funky art galleries and craft coffee houses, as well as bars, breweries, bistros and boutiques. Highlights include Art of Toys, an art gallery and vintage toy store; Federalist Public House, a shipping-container bar with a rooftop garden; the Flamingo House Social Club, a millennialpink house bar; the Rind, a cheese-focused eatery that serves blue-cheese cheesecake; Magpie Cafe, a farm-fresh spot that punctuates meals with a decadent chocolate avocado mousse; and Cantina Alley, a wildly popular open-air, artfilled restaurant. Streets lined with lofty trees make the area feel like a cosy suburb — walka- ble, accessible and, at times, quaint, especially during summer recess. Don’t miss the yearround Midtown Farmers Market on Saturdays and the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk.
Old Sacramento, oldsacramento.com: No use ordering an Uber in Old Sacramento. Carriages have the only horsepower that can navigate the raised and uneven cobblestone streets. The 28-acre riverfront collection of 19th-century buildings was once the launching point for the Gold Rush and the state’s commercial hub, which served as the terminus for the transcontinental railroad line, the transcontinental telegraph system and the Pony Express. The area fell on hard times in the 1900s, and became a slum before city planners meticulously restored the area in the 1960s. Now a National Historic Landmark, the quarter is the opposite of a ghost town, swarming with tourists on any given day of the week. More than 65 businesses operate inside the six-block zone. Avoid the kitschy trappings and opt for patio dining at Rio City Cafe.