Tennis Anyone? Repurposed Playing Space

Life in Southside Park never ceases to surprise me. On a Friday night back in January I came upon a 10 PM cricket game in our tennis courts.

Last night it was Bicycle Polo:

They even had spectators! With chairs!

One more surprise in the 'hood.

Street-side Surprises

There are all kinds of little things to see on a walk in our neighborhood. Before I wrote this blog I overlooked them. Now they are everywhere! Here are two sweet surprises:

One Park, Two Views

I received this email today:


"I was taking a walk around Southside Park last evening and came across this incredible flowering bush near the Horseshoe Pit by the water's edge.  The incredible fragrant blossoms about knocked me off my feet."

Photo by Jay Hansen

Contrast that to what I saw on my walk around the park yesterday:

These trees were being removed in preparation for the final leg of the fence installation around the lake. Fair enough, but I'm not sure why they had to remove these street-side trees, as well.

Sadly, with nine less trees there is now less of a barrier of sound, noise and dust between the neighborhood and the freeway.

Nevertheless, the lake remains gorgeous. Guess I'll walk around it to the horseshoe pit for a whiff of spring.

Saturday, Southside Style

The neighborhood is absolutely exploding with events! This afternoon walking through the park I came across the Xipe Ceremony, an Aztec tradition celebrating the breaking through of spring to a new season. Lots of drumming, dancing and color.

Then tonight when I was leaving the Fuller building this was parked outside.

Owner Bridgette Maldonado is on to something. Park a truck with cute clothes and accessories where the crowds are out enjoying the Second Saturday Art Walk.

Heading home I passed Insight Coffee. The normally sleepy little corner was jumping!

There was art - on the walls, on the sidewalk, tables full of people making art.

And not one, but TWO bands wailing, one inside and one outside.

Southside Park rocks. Who needs Midtown?

Alley Secrets

I live on a Southside Park alley but I don't walk on other alleys nearly enough. I need do that more because nearly every time I do I find another surprise. Like this Austin Healey collection.

I wonder what the story is behind this...

Voxy Lady

A few months ago I walked past this building on 12th Street and was surprised to see a non-profit devoted to nurturing artists, Vox Sacramento.

So last month I made a point of stopping in for their Second Saturday Art Walk where they had all kinds of exciting things going on.

Exciting for me personally was seeing a Southside Park artist there -  at work in her new studio. As you can see, Tj Lev brings a lot of color and cheer to life in her art. I happily own one of her pieces. Now when I want to see more I can find her at Vox in her endearingly named Rosebrush Studio.

S Street Surprise

I started this blog because I was constantly surprised by things in my new neighborhood. I've lived here 18 months now and the surprises just keep on coming. Like this new mural in progress:

But I'm not sure which surprised me more, the mural or that the occupant on the other side of the wall, Born Free USA, is in Southside Park.

What a great place to live.

Some Cheer on a Rainy Day

As I've said time and time again, our little neighborhood is FULL of some big surprises. Like murals. You just never know in what unexpected place one will appear. Chances are not too many of you have seen this one. Any idea where it is?

This will help you find it.

Festivals and Fairies

Southside Park was full of people on Saturday during the Sacramento Press Beer & Chili Festival.

On Sunday morning it was empty. Or was it? What is that little hump in the grass on the right?

Let's look closer...

...and closer yet.

Was the park filled with fairies that built this shelter overnight?

What do you think?

Warehouses of Wonder - Part 3

This building on 10th and R Streets has several surprises.

Today we'll take a look at the door on R Street. Inside these doors is Southside Park's only live theater.

Saturday night we walked over for last minute tickets to a show we knew nothing about:

The theater is run by Bob & Ro Productions and who should be there to sell us our tickets but Bob & Ro. In person!

They run a happy operation and the theater is clean and appealing. Even the exterior is fun with comedy and tragedy masks on a bike rack.

Best of all, the performance was terrific. The Sylvia of the title is a dog (you won't believe what stage presence this dog has) and if you ever had a dog or even just visited folks who do, you'll recognize a behavior or two. Be sure to get there by April 1st to see it. And be prepared to laugh.

This warehouse was a delightful - and close - surprise.

Farewell February

You never know what you'll see walking down the street, like this Valentine's leftover.  I can't decide if a heart hanging in the trees on 5th Street is a sweet or sad surprise. I'll go with sweet.

A Southside Park Parable

I recently went to San Diego's Chicano Park to see a mural by Sacramento artist, Esteban Villa, and it inspired me to take a better look at ones with similar themes just steps from my front door.

I walk by the Callahan Memorial Amphitheater in Southside Park nearly every day and, although I enjoy the cheerful colors, I don't think I have ever really "seen" the murals. It was time to take a closer look.

I knew that the amphitheater was built it 1939 and I knew that in 1977 an artist group called the Royal Chicano Air Force painted the murals. What I didn't know what that Esteban Villa was member!

So I didn't have to go all the way to San Diego to see one his murals after all.

Artful Graffiti Abatement

Have you seen these murals on W Street near the corner of 10th?

I thought they must be for some new-age shop but the building's awning proved me wrong.

The murals are HR Sports Cards owner's beautiful solution to keep graffiti off his large expanse of walls.

Here is a closer look:

I really love how the artist used the existing box on the wall as a boom box.

 Thanks you, HR Sports Cards, for brightening the neighborhood!