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I love this guy. I have been listening to this all weekend and can’t stop thinking about the “Less is more” lyric and the measuring stick we use in our society. Sorry for the video but it was the only way to get the song on the site. I just really like what he is saying. I was bummed to find out that Eddie Vedder didn’t actually write this one, but he sure can sing it well. Anyway just listen to the lyrics. It is a reoccuring theme here.
Hey so here is a very cool family-centric idea. Levi and I spent the other evening (it was raining) with all of the kids in car driving around looking for something to do. We have done the bounce houses, the art museum, old sac, all of the malls, more old sac, all of the parks and so on. We were driving around saying, “Man why aren’t there more things to do with the kids, are we just not that creative?” We ended up going to the library which turned out to be pretty cool in fact, but we still left wondering why there aren’t more things to do crafted towards kids’ interests.
I am not here to answer that question but I did just run across this place that my friend has been to in Portland. Yeah I know, Portland shmortland, darn it why are they so cool!! Anyway the Air Play Cafe is a family-centric music venue that has kids’ sing-alongs in the day and mellow music at nights that you can take the kids to. You can have a beer while the kids eat cheerios and little fishies at the bar. I haven’t been yet but I plan to go when we are up there during Christmas. I’ll let you know.
I know that you would think that music and urban space do not have all that much in common but I think somewhere deep down in the way good music pulls you in and gets you to dream in a way you weren’t sure you could, good livable urban spaces started in the same place. It’s passion spilling into the world in different ways.
I was digging through some old camera equipment we had laying around and found these awesome studio headphones, I tried them on and plugged them into my ipod with the new Radiohead album and I swear it was like listening to it for the first time, all the subtle background noises that made up the sound were not only there but made what I was hearing so much more alive. I wish there was some way to put on some city headphones and see a place in the way it was really intended to be.
Next time you go for a walk in your favorite part of town put on your city headphones and look around. Stop in one place and see if you can hear what it is that makes that place feel how it does…Look for the passion, listen for the subtle noises that make up the sound.
Last week I was frustrated with our voicemail system and decided that I was going to fix it no matter how long it took me. 3 hours later we had a new message, simpler extensions and well… some good music for those who just need to take a break from their busy day. But here is the funny thing, I did not think that anyone would actually listen to it. But you want to know something funny? I checked our stats today and people are calling in all the time and listening to the music. And sometimes its for a long time, like 20 minutes at a time. How fun is that? I guess people like my music choices
Want to hear some good music? Call 916.930.9400 and press 5.
I feel like we have been getting ready for this moment forever, honestly for a little while I thought it would never come. But its finally time, and its for real.
LJ Urban is pleased to announce the first of our homes in our LEED ND certified Good project is ready for you to come check it out (or at least it will be next Saturday) The project is one of the first in the country to be finished under the LEED ND certification pilot program.
We are going to be hosting a sneak peak on the 24th of May where we are inviting you to come take a look for your self and see what we have been working on for the last 3 years. I can’t even begin to tell you what a big moment this is for all of us. We have been putting our hearts and tears (trust me there have been many) into making this the best most sustainable, livable, and just all around wonderful place in Sacramento.
We are happy to welcome the The Live Lightly Tour, a veggie fueled RV that Matt and Sara are driving around the country to help educate everyone on ways to live a more sustainable life style, they will be set up outside the project giving tours of their RV. Also we are going to be enjoying Organic Carribean food served by Kimba from Roots and Kulchah. And as if that was not enough Dusty Brown a local Sacramento musician will be setting the mood with his groovy music.
Its a sneak peak because we are not quite ready to start selling the homes. When we do start (June 1st) we are going to be coming at it from a whole different angle that you would expect. Instead of having an agent sit there for hours and hours every day wasting energy waiting for people to show up, we are going to be hosting “eco-urban 101” dinners. The dinners are going to happen every few weeks and are going to be open to 10 people each time. At the dinners you will be able to learn just what is so different about eco-urban housing from the team here at LJ Urban and various other people who worked on making this project a reality. Its sort of a green building class, and will be open to anyone who is interested. We are not trying to sell the houses at these dinners but instead educate people on what we did to make this a sustainable neighborhood. We set out to change the world and want this project to be a beacon of sustainable building at its best. I am very excited about being able to tell the story of Good.
The sneak peak is going to be held Saturday the 24th from 10-2 at Good. Good is at the corner of 4th and B Sts in West Sacramento. We hope to see you there!
If you have not already, don’t forget to sign up on the Good project interest list so you will be kept in the loop about the next eco-urban 101 dinner. We expect them to fill up fast and are not going to do them all the time so if you are interested please don’t wait. There will be a sign up sheet in the Model on the 24th for you to sign up. Or you can email me at Levi(at)LJUrban.com
We’ve had several of you ask us “will we see you at Earth Day?” A reasonable question to ask a team of eco-urbanists trying hard to bring about a marriage between natural and urban environments.
Here’s the short answer: Regrettably, No.
Here’s why: We signed on with the Washington Music Festival before we had a date from West Sac and had materials from Earth Day. When the date finally came, it was on the same day. There aren’t enough of us to be in two places at once, so we had to stick with our commitments.
Next year will be a different story…
In the Meantime…
If you are planning to go to Earth Day, SN&R has published the “official program”
In the absence of our own attendance, here’s a few links to inspire and connect you with a few eco-activities this weekend that specifically relate to eco-urbanism.
Eco-Urban EarthDay Happenings You May Not Know About
BTW, if you’re a documentary fan, Fools Foundation is a group you’ll want to connect with. They do exclusive premiers of less-known documentaries and films and often invite “people in the know” to attend/speak.
To get on their distribution list, e-mail Robert at shiny-object dot com.
I talked with the shiny object folks this week and they are looking into doing a showing of Radiant City…if that happens, we’ll let you know.
Urban Sprawl Devours Nature
A collection of six local artists “interpreting their own feelings toward the environmental, economical, and social changes of their hometown.” Through May 10th Sol Collective
2010 Del Paso Boulevard
916-923-3612
Science Friday on NPR
You can now subscribe to a feed for both audio and video for this show. Today had several notables…
Ethanol Fuel And Health / Solar Technology / Battery Challenges
“A roundup on energy and the environment, from potential health effects of ethanol fuels, to new approaches to solar technology. Plus, building better batteries for future environmental applications.”
Of particular note, the study on ethanol showed some telling data about this questionably “sustainable” fuel alternative. Most notably, the E85 (ethanol) would not improve air quality and in many areas of the US (including California) would increase air pollution. Projections showed an actual increase in ozone-related deaths, hospitalizations and asthma due to increased use of E85.
Parks And Climate Change
“A look at how parks and protected areas will have to adjust to global climate change.”
This should be fun. We’re partnering with the city of West Sacramento and several other developers on a Music Festival, the first of many to come in the Washington neighborhood.
You can get the full scoop on the event site, but here’s a quick rundown:
Date: This Sunday, April 22nd
Time: 12 – 5:30pm
Location: Corner of 3rd and B Street
Contact for more Information: Kurt Overmeyer at 617-4535
In addition to the live music, there’ll be food by Sal’s Tacos and other vendors, family activities, as well as information on the various projects forthcoming in this neighborhood and booths with activities hosted by various city departments.
In many ways, this event is a kick-off for the forthcoming urban neighborhood that will undergo major revitalization in the next 5-10 years and the developments that will be showcased at the event will be among the first to be realized.
