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Friday, February 10, 2012
Jetsons Land in Sacramento
by Jonathan Mendick, published on February 10, 2009 at 11:07 PM
Storyline: News in Sacramento
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The Astro and the Elroy are quickly becoming one of Sacramento's coolest hangouts. The two newly renovated buildings, which were converted from motels, are collectively known as the RetroLodge.
Originally meant to house 50 work/live studios, RetroLodge's amenities include bathrooms, conference rooms with kitchenettes, and shared courtyards. The style is meant to evoke 1950's and 1960's Palm Springs, but the most important feature the property boasts are its 50 parking spaces for lease, a rare find in midtown.
One of the first tenants in the Jetsons-named Elroy building was Dig Music - the label of notable Sacramento musician Jackie Greene, perhaps the most successful Sacramento musical product of late. Back in August, Greene's manager and record label owner, Marty DeAnda, had to move Dig and it's three-and-a-half full time employees after outgrowing their old office.
DeAnda said of acquiring Dig's new digs, "My whole house is full of all retro furniture and stuff, so this [property] was really interesting to me. The RetroLodge is going to have a lot of hip little businesses."
"The Naked Lounge is a great hang out, and their coffee is great. They're also thinking of making an all ages music venue," says DeAnda, who volunteered to apply his audio expertise when the proposed venue is ready to set up their speakers.
DeAnda was speaking of the newly opened Naked Lounge, which is practically a midtown institution. The Naked Lounge became the first storefront business in the Elroy building when their doors opened earlier this week.
The Naked Lounge also owns a local coffee roasting plant, at 3527 Broadway, which is open to the public on Mondays where coffee is half off. As for the new location, Naked Lounge had similar reasons as Dig Records for moving, according to manager Jenn Fox.
"There's one in midtown already, but everyone knows our name, so we're always trying to expand. Why not? We're all for local independent business." Besides, "The [RetroLodge] building is going to be great."
These two businesses are perhaps the most visible in the RetroLodge, which hopes to expand by the end of the year. Sacramento Press spoke to RetroLodge's Project Manager Andy Ekstrom about his hopes for the office space.
"I would say it's a little more difficult [to lease] than usual, but we have been able to sign 17 office leases, and the Naked Lounge for retail. Obviously we're not 100% full, but we expect to be by the end of the year."
The RetroLodge's 50-year-old building recently underwent a "green" renovation. The motel underwent structural changes, but for the most part the old structure was reused to build new amenities like showers, bathrooms, and conference rooms.
Ekstrom added, "I think the beauty of RetroLodge is diversity. Right now we have web developers, music management, the Naked Lounge, and pretty soon there will be a sandwich shop. Are there other spaces with offices [for rent]? Certainly. But none of them have a Palm Springs type of environment in downtown."
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And I'm very glad that dirty motel is out of my neighborhood. Thanks RetroLodge!
Downtown, or the central business district, is pretty much between H and R Streets between the river and 15th Street, except where it sticks out farther like the new PERS building or the East End office complex. I suppose one could kinda say "downtown" is anything west of 16th but hanging out at, say, 6th and T near Southside Park doesn't feel too downtown.
According to the city, "Midtown" is the neighborhood between J and R and 16th and 30th.
So basically if you're in the central city, hanging out at a cafe in a 120 year old Victorian building and surrounded by people with tattoos and there are six fixed-gear bikes parked out front, you're in Midtown, mentally if not physically. Whereas if you're in the central city, hanging out at a cafe in a 50 year old pseudo-Googie converted hotel and surrounded by people in edgy-looking business attire and and there are six Smarts and Priuses parked out front, you're probably downtown.