There are many places in Sacramento city and county where a long roadway travels through numerous neighborhoods: Fair Oaks Boulevard, Watt Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard, for starters. When the street name is very close to the neighborhood name – such as Del Paso Boulevard and Del Paso Heights – people unfamiliar with the area often confuse the road and the neighborhood. Sacramentans take pride in their neighborhoods and, since the reputation of one neighborhood is not always carried on the roadway to the next, that confusion can get on a resident’s nerves pretty fast. For example, a commenter on a recent Sacramento Press article about road improvements along Del Paso Boulevard had this t

The Del Paso Boulevard corridor between Globe and Baxter avenues will be getting a makeover this summer in a $1.5 million dollar streetscape project set to begin in May. The project will include safety improvements at intersections and new on-street parking to the 1000-block of Del Paso Boulevard, according to city Department of Transportation Assistant Engineer Matthew Johns. The city received federal community development grant funds in 2009 to construct streetscape improvements between Arden Way and State Route 160. Before construction could begin, the project had to go through various stages of planning, design and environmental review. The project got the final go-ahead from the Ci

David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Wonder of the World,” directed by Big Idea Theater company member Jessica Berkey, sparks the audience through unexpected laughter-filled twists and turns, as the seven-crew cast brings the quirky characters to life. Energetic and vibrant Shannon Mahoney, Big Idea Theater managing director, plays the main character, Cass Harris, who after ditching her husband to fulfill a bucket list after a mysterious discovery in his sweater drawer, finds herself in a bus on the way to Niagara Falls. Sitting in the bus next to her, is alcoholic, suicidal Lois Coleman, who is played by Beth Edwards, also a company member. Edwards has been an active actress locally for over 10 ye

A great evening was had by all who attended Launch 2011 at the Greens Hotel. Dozens of artists, vendors, musicians, architects, designers, photographers and fashionistas contributed to this grand event. Launch 2011 began at 5 o’clock on Saturday, July 23 and continued well into the early morning.  As guests entered the hotel, the pool area was used as the main entrance. DJs Mike Diamond, My Cousin Vinny and Jon Droll provided some great sounds for pool party guests. Architectural and furniture designers showcased their products and many of the hotel rooms exhibited their work. Other rooms were occupied by fashion, photography, art, music and Launch guests. Other DJs played on stage i

 Join The Sacramento Press Saturday evening for Launch 2011, a design, music and fashion festival. The third annual Launch is a spectacular festival of sight and sound that provides the opportunity for creative people from Sacramento’s art, music and fashion communities to come together to showcase their talents and celebrate local and national works of art, music and design and share the experience with the community as a whole. Launch will include live music by Little Foxes, Exquisite Corps, ReSA, The Dreaded Diamond and many others. Artists on-site Saturday include Brady Tuazon, Chelsea Greene Lewyta, Jeff Dojillo, and too many more to mention. Fashion designers Miss Chief of Califor

The Sacramento Planning Commission gave the green light to plans to re-zone parts of North Sacramento to attract future development. The commission made a recommendation, Thursday night, to the City Council to vote on plans that will allow for more commercial development near a Regional Transit line. City staff formally refer to the plans as the Northeast Line Implementation Plan. Areas near a light rail line that has stations at Globe Avenue and Del Paso Blvd, and at Arden Way and Del Paso Blvd, are the focus of the proposals. The city’s plans also cite areas around Royal Oaks Drive and Arden Way. The City Council is expected to vote on the plans next month. The commissioners approved

If you are looking for a healthy alternative, try The Green Boheme, a raw cafe located on Del Paso Boulevard. Just look for the lime green umbrella located on the streetside patio. Chef and owner Brooke Preston took over Richard Hensley’s restaurant after he moved on to new things, and changed it to The Green Boheme five months ago. The raw cafe offers organic, artisan vegan cuisine that has zero gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and pesticides. It is the only completely raw restaurant in the area. The menu changes often, sometimes daily and sometimes weekly. Some components take up to three days to make, and since each dish takes several days to prepare, once it runs out it comes off the me

Let the countdown begin for the second annual LAUNCH, Sacramento’s indie design and music festival. The one-night showcase features runway fashion, architecture, live music, furniture design and an array of other art forms all in one location: the Artisan multipurpose art venue on Del Paso Blvd. Planning of the festival started more than two years ago with a group of friends passionate about two things: art and Sacramento. “There’s a different side of Sacramento than most people think,” said Michael Hargis, the event’s coordinator. “A lot of creative people want to go other places.” Hargis and his team set out to represent the local art scene while also bringing in talent from other par

A 5 Alarm Fire destroyed a Sacramento Landmark early Sunday morning. At 3:30 A.M. in the morning, the Sacramento Fire Department responded to a report of a vehicle fire endangering a building on Del Paso Blvd. Sacramento Firefighters arrived in about 3 ½ minutes and found heavy fire to the rear of the Iceland Ice Rink at 1430 Del Paso Blvd. Firefighters initially went inside the building and attempted an Offensive Attack, but quickly backed out when they determined the large volume of fire already burning overhead and the truss roof overhead which is a danger for collapse. The fire attack went to a Defensive one. The two adjacent buildings were spared due to the quick thinking and hard w

Three years ago, when I moved to Sacramento, I wouldn't have considered, or had the desire to photograph Del Paso Blvd. Today, with camera in tow, I walked and shot the Blvd between Rio Linda Ave and El Camino Ave. Here's what I saw:                                         Photos | Kati Garner