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Sacramento has some pretty amazing neighborhoods that, up until recently, have been totally neglected. Two come to mind immediately: Del Paso and Oak Park.

Del Paso is really starting to become a cool place, and there are some really committed people making it happen. These guys have been doing some pretty cool things in that area. I like the fast that they moved their office onto Del Paso Boulevard, and I know they have projects planned for homes and apartments all up and down that street.

Also look at the Oak Park area and some of the things that Vrilakas architects have been working on.

And while its great that people are trying to fix up these areas and “revitalize” them, its frustrating that these areas have gotten so bad for so long and that no one cared to try and do anything.

So much of America has agreed to just abandon these types of areas all over the country in search of something new, something cleaner.

What I want to see happen is for us all to get together and make these areas into places where people want to live. I want Sacramento to be a city that is known for our success in bringing back not only our urban core but the areas around it that are so commonly overlooked. If only 10% of the energy that goes into Greenfield development went into these areas, imagine what we could accomplish.

I congratulate the people who are already doing this but at the same time realize that there is much more to be done. What is required is a shift in attitude across the board towards these areas. They need to be viewed as opportunities not problems. And that starts with people like you and me getting on board and going for it.

We are working in the Broderick area in West Sacramento to do just that but there needs to be more effort, more commitment–not just on the part of developer/architect/builder people but on the part of people who live there. And people who will choose to make that step to move in even though it’s a less than perfect place right now.

Sacramento is growing at a record pace and if we continue to ignore these central areas, then problems like traffic and air quality will only get worse. So next time you hear of someone else making the move into the core tell them, “congratulations!” We will all be happier people because of it, and Sacramento will be a better place for all of us when we can turn to these areas and see the vitality that was once there.

Levi