I like good simple design especially when its done with an eye towards sustainability. The best designs disappear into your surroundings and subtly make things easier. I recently heard about a movie that the local designer Matthew Lechowick is working on getting The Crest to show – its called Objectified and by the looks of the trailer its a really well done look at the people behind the products. The thing is, Matthew needs our help convincing the Crest to show the film. So… want to help out? All you need to do is send an email to Sid Heberger over at the Crest to let him know you want to see it. Sid’s email is Sid@thecrest.com.

I somehow missed this article when it was in the Bee last week, but when I finally did read it I was rolling on the floor laughing. Blair Robertson is the new Bee food critic and is doing a very good job. Blair actually did a write up on LJ Urban several months back so I got a chance to meet him and he is a really neat guy. He told me all about his sourdough bread recipe and how he always has a starter on his kitchen counter for his next loaf. Anyway, you have to go over and read this article he published about Mortons Steak House. It’s incredible.

In fact I am going to repost it here just in case the link goes sour on the Bee site. (As they tend to to sometimes).

Levi

Lots of beef – for a bunch of lettuce
Morton’s fare is basic and good – but too big and way overpriced

Published: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009 | Page 8
Overall: 1 1/2 stars
Service: 2 1/2 stars
Ambience: 2 stars
Food: 2 1/2 stars
Value: 1 star

Noteworthy: Of all the steaks, the Cajun ribeye is the most interesting. The wine list is massive. Morton’s still does a solid martini. I am about to show you how to have the “Morton’s experience” and save $200.

Go to the back wall of your local grocery store. Look over the steaks. Avoid the ones that appear to be an appropriate size for a healthy adult. Grab one that is excessively large – stupid large is ideal. You will pay $14. If you pay $16, you are showing off and probably getting gouged. Both of those things are also part of the Morton’s experience. Grab a bottle of Pellegrino sparkling water for $1.49. At Morton’s, the same vintage is $9. [Read more →]

Not that we have an award for something like this but this one from a few days ago would win it for sure.

William Burg on Presenting: LJ Urban’s Open Mic 8-28-08

You want to know how I sum up the difference between neighborhood activists in Citrus Heights and neighborhood activists in downtown Sacramento? The Citrus Heights variety want the city to require a citywide public vote to approve any development denser than 4 units an acre. Meanwhile, we’re pushing for mixed use and housing diversity, and get a bit weirded out at lot sizes bigger than a seventh of an acre.

People’s ideas of what constitutes good planning and good architecture varies in space as well as time. Remember that the folks on the Citrus Heights councils and boards are also residents of that city, and thus think more like the residents do in terms of what constitutes good architecture and good planning.

In a suburb, less is more: the primary appeal of suburban life is (comparatively) wide-open spaces and familiar surroundings. When density increases in a suburb, the primary selling point of the suburb gets lost. This, along with white flight, is why suburbs tend to be disposable products: once a certain density is reached, those who like suburbs the most move on to the next one.

In a city, more is more: city people want to be in a busy, engaging place, so when you add density, a city becomes more city-like, not less. This makes the city more appealing, and brings in more people who want an urban environment.

The fact is, suburban living has a strong appeal to many people. Siince the suburb has been promoted as the ideal living situation for more than a century, and it is not yet economically infeasible to build them, that appeal will take a long time to wane. And those who do find more comfort in a “less is more” housing environment will fight to protect that environment, including from city hall.

(Incidentally, have you seen the Citrus Heights city hall? It’s a mansard-roofed one-story office building stuck in between a multiplex theater and a strip mall.)

Thanks William for preaching it!

Levi

Just thinking about Park(ing) Day makes me sad that Jason is not going to be here with us this time around. But that same emotion is driving me to go after it and make a really good park in Jason’s honor.

I realized when thinking about this that I am not even sure who all came together and made it happen last hear with Jason. He was so good at things like that, that I hardly heard about how it all came to be.

If you want to get together and make it happen again this year send me an email and let me know. It’s on September 19th and I think we should start planning for it soon.

Levi

Right?   Am I wrong that there never used to be this many people at the farmers market under the freeway?

Either way its really cool to see so many people shopping local!

Levi

What is a normally perfect view of downtown from the corner unit in Good today looked like something straight out of our future if we keep using oil the way we do today.

Hmm..  Maybe we should figure out a better way.

I was excited to read in Inside the City that Sacramento is taking it’s first step toward bike stations that I see popping up worldwide – it’s called Bikes and Bites! People can rent bikes by the Sheraton for the next few months and cruise around midtown to find food and beverages.  Sounds like it is a private undertaking with some of the restaurants helping support it and it seems mainly targeted at the hotel guests.  Hopefully it will be successful and keep going – and maybe someday we can have one of my favorite things in town- a Bike Tree! With Million Mile May behind us and Velocabs cruising the streets it’s a logical progression I think.

Steve

An unfortunately low number of urban projects get the fact that they are in an urban location, its like they think they are building the same crap just a little closer to other crap… I am still unclear on exactly why this us but think it has something to do with a disorder called “Suburban Myopia” Defined as a person living in suburbia who truly believes that rows and rows of the same house make utopian existance a reality.

The rare ocassion when someone actually understands that what they are building can either add to or subtract from the surrounding community is truly a moment so celebrate.   RetroLodge in my opinion presents us with just that an opportunity to celebrate. Mike Heller seems to understand his role in the city and has decided to step up to the plate and give us something truly special.

The project pushes the boundaries of what we have known in Sacramento. It blurs the lines between commercial and residential and brings us a space with a sense of place, all while preserving and celebrating an old structure.

The Retrolodge is a remake of an old Travelodge building into live work lofts and commercial spaces.  The suites will be small and affordable effectively working as an incubator for new business concepts.

I for one and very excited that Sacramento has the opportunity to have such a innovative  space in our city.

Its the one you never heard about but should have….

Below is a section from their upcoming grand opening.

You’re Invited! 9onF and 2nd Saturday Show – Feb. 9 from 2-9pm

Sacramento’s 1st Green-certified Townhomes will be on display along with Short Center & Tangent Gallery Artists this Saturday between 2pm and 9pm.

With the green movement in full force, this could be a great way to get educated on green living… if you’re interested.

LEED-certified homes will attain “Silver” and “Gold” level

Solar Power and Geothermal for Energy Savings up to 75%

Non-Toxic Finishes throughout for a Healthy Home

“The best-designed, and most ‘green’ units in downtown Sacramento

For more information: http://www.9onf.com/

With the approval of the Railyards late last year, Sacramento is awash with opportunities to create new urban neighborhoods! I’m just wondering where it will happen first. It seems as if all the big redevelopment plans will be competing with each other for state grants and infrastructure funding and there is only so much to go around at a time. It also seems like we should concentrate the development in one area so a critical mass can be reached and really transform the neighborhood – although its tough to tell approved projects to wait! I think the downtown and midtown infill projects will continue to fill in those areas. And our Washington neighborhood projects in West Sacramento are well positioned since they already have streets and infrastructure.

So let’s see, we have Raley’s Landing, the Triangle, and Stone Locke in West Sac. There is also a ton of opportunity on West Capitol Ave. Then there are the Railyards, Township 9 and all of the Richards Blvd area, the Docks, and Setzer Project at Broadway and 3rd. With well over 30,000 residential units possible in all these it’s going to take a long time to fill it all up with urban livers(unless we can get the suburbs to stop growing…big IF only).

So here are my forecasts… but not all for 2008! And they are guesswork!

When the market comes back I think a few more large buildings will go up in Raley’s Landing since it has momentum with STRS and has the Fairfield Condo tower approved already. Hopefully the spots on West Capitol by Tower Bridge will get filled in too. Township 9 will kick off but won’t fill out too fast until it can grow with the Railyards underway. The City of Sacramento will focus on the Railyards, but it will be difficult to get much built in the next 5 years while plans continue to be refined. The Triangle needs to beat the Railyards timeline to get attention and traction. Stone Locke is a different kind of project that can probably go forward as an attraction for the whole downtown – maybe the Setzer project can build off that. It sounds like the Docks may be later on from the problems I have heard about.

Then throw an arena into Cal Expo and I bet it all changes too!

Anyone else been playing with this in your head (or on a map)?

Steve