Among the comments related to our 20th-most walkable city post, commenter wburg included a handy link to a really, really long list of Sacramento neighborhood associations. It’s so handy, in fact, that it seemed worth giving a public hat-tip to wburg and giving y’all the link right up-front: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/ns/nadb/alpha.cfm.

I’ll admit I’m torn over neighborhood associations in general: nightmares of NIMBY-ism run rampant balanced against local residents coming together to beautify a park, etc.  Anyone with comments on the relative strengths or weaknesses of a particular association is invited to comment.  Are these local orgs effective? Off-putting?  Did you even know you had one in your area?

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No, this is not some late-night Cinemax B-movie take-off of The Great Gatsby.

While zipping along K Street the other day, I noticed a slight but almost cataclysmic change: the True Love Coffeehouse had moved! The sign was still there, but there was another sign on that old white building: Sanad’s Mediterranean Deli. I was, of course, intrigued, since I’ve had to visit the wilds of the Crest Café in order to get my Med on. I added it to my agenda.

Last week, I got the chance to visit. I rolled by 2315 K Street on a Tuesday, exactly one week after they had opened. The inside is clean and spare, although the owner claims that they will be hosting some Second Saturday events and that there will be more artwork on the walls. There is a little bowl of kalamata olives and pickles for appetizers, which was a new one for me. The deli case is full of side orders for you to drool over while you wait for your main plate to be prepared, so watch out.

I struck up a conversation with the chef, who turned out to be the owner, Sanad, a recent arrival from Jordan. The recipes are his, and he prepares most of the food himself. The opening weekend had coincided with Second Saturday in July: “We served 222 people. And we ran out of food on Sunday!”

After eating there, I am not surprised…

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Sacramento comes in at #20 on a newly released list of America’s most walkable cities, according to website WalkScore.com.  Perhaps unsuprisingly, San Francisco comes in at #1 with New York running a close second.  Boston, Chicago, and Philly round out the top 5.  Fresno is, shockingly, #19.  Sure, why not.

The site also breaks down Sactown by neighborhood, with Downtown and Midtown coming in . . . second and third?  After an area called “Richmond Grove.”  Okay, I’ll bite.  I’ve only been here for about 7 years, off and on. On the map, it seems to be an area saddling 15th/16th, South of Q.  It’s only a point ahead of the tied-for-second Downtown and Midtown, but I wouldn’t think that most Sacramentans would peg that particular portion of the grid as their go-to walking destination. Computer algorithms are tricky things, y’all.

Any Fresno transplants available to comment on the relative walking strengths of the city that, by all reports, we’d be if you took away our Capital City status?

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Move over Big Spoon, there’s a new yogurt craze in town.  It’s Yogurtagogo.  If you can get past the name, you’ll find some tasty treats that fit right into the Midtown landscape.  Seemingly based on the Big Spoon business model - Y-agogo adds a certain amount of “hip” that fits it’s 18th and L location to basic structure: enter, grab the one-size-fits-all-appetites container, fill and mix flavors from 6 flavor options, hit the topping bar, and pay by weight.  (At 43 cents/ounce, it’s more than a normal Big Spoon, but less than Big Spoon Raley Field.)  The store itself is still minimalistic, like Big Spoon, decor wise, but with a mod, Ikea design flair.  Where Y-agogo might win some fans, however, is with its fresh-fruit topping options and its “tart” yogurt flavors that much more closely match what actual, non-frozen yogurt tastes like. If you don’t like regular yogurt, you may not like the tart flavors.  Regular fro-yo tastes just like ice cream, for the most part. This does not. Prepare your mouth accordingly.  I happen to love yogurt, so I’m down with the tart flavors. I’ve heard of some non-fans already though.  They DO, however, have more traditional, ice-cream like fro-yo flavors, if that’s more to your liking - and plenty of the traditional chocolate, candy, junk foody toppings as well.  They also get bonus points for frequent buyer cards and accepting credit/debit cards. (Does Big Spoon? I didn’t think they did, could be wrong.) 

Y-agogo should do gangbusters in Midtown. I love that its closer a stroll than Big Spoon. And, for dessert options, it kicks the pants off the consistently, heartbreakingly disappointing Rick’s.

And, for any SoCal transplants or Disneyland lovers, I give you this tip: you ever have one of those Dole Pineapple Whips from the Tiki Room snack bar? (You know what I’m talking about.)  Y-agogo has a non-dairy pineapple flavor substance that’s JUST like a whip. And it is my crack. I love it. Never take it away. High-five, Yogurtagogo.

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This morning my family happened to be on I-5 heading north through the city to the I-80 Westbound. I looked over my shoulder into the left lane, and there was a classic-style fire engine, ornate and gleaming, leading a convoy that stretched at least half a mile down the highway. All the vehicles in the convoy were different sizes of firefighting trucks and vehicles. My daughter called out Arizona plates on one of the vehicles. They appeared to be traveling north—to either the Butte or the Shasta-Trinity county fires.

I couldn’t help but feel some sort of relief in seeing these folks. Based on the air quality and the fire-marathons we’ve been observing, their help is much needed. I hope this convoy and the international groups coming in can make some headway. It has been a long, smoggy summer so far.

I’m crossing my fingers for containment.

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The Sacramento French Film Festival will arrive this Friday night in a bluster of wine and baguettes at the Crest theater. While Opening Night is on the 18th, you can attend a number of les films as the fest will run for deux weekends (deux means two). A single ticket is $10, but the party and all-you-can-watch passes are a bit more.

If you don’t speak the language of love (no not, “charge it!” but French!), no worries. All films have subtitles in English. Et c’est merveilleux!

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While web-trolling, looking for info on a kid-friendly 5K, I clicked across the website of a local new magazine called Incite. This self-identified “Sacramento’s Multi-Sport Magazine” sparked immediate interest. The latest issue has an array of articles that may be useful to you. Hydration tips, training for a triathlon, general fitness info, features about local athletes…AND an events calendar with local fitness-focused activities…are all in the June/July issue.

Nope, my name is not on the by-line. Nor do I know any of the authors. And actually, I have not picked up a hard copy yet at one of the local retailers listed on the site. It just looks like a good idea. I’m ready to get off the couch, now that the smoked heat is lessening. Reading about restaurants and the latest local food frenzy in established magazines gets tiresome. Perhaps reading this new mag will help incite some exercise enthusiasm, all over town.

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The breakdown of campaign spending and votes in the recent mayoral primary may be telling.  Challenger Kevin Johnson raised nearly $600k and loaned himself $500k for his campaign.  He spent all of that money and received 32,160 votes. The Bee calculates that more precisely as $34.72 spent per vote.  Mayor Fargo, on the other hand, raised about $380k and earned 27,472 votes. She spent about $13.24 per vote.  She didn’t loan herself any money.

Should we take anything from this? Fargo couldn’t raise more? Personal loans shouldn’t be allowed? Money doesn’t guarantee electoral success? (See: Checchi, Al; Harman, Jane; Angelides, Phil) Or does the notion of calculating per vote cost rub your inner die-hard democracy lover the wrong way? (It shouldn’t, it’s a basic political science data point, but I kinda know what you mean.)  In 2000, Fargo beat a challenger who outspent her by about $500k.  So is she that good? Is comparing 2000 with 2008 and apples/oranges situation?  And if we adjust for the powerful incumbency factor that gives all officeholders a boost, is she left with any advantage at all? 

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If you’ve read the paper or watched the news lately, you’ve probably heard about various crime waves sweeping the area.  Natomas is getting robbed blind. In Roseville, thieves don’t even stop when on camera.  One of the units in my midtown complex was robbed recently as well - so that does great things for my peace of mind.  But it isn’t the mayor’s fault. Or the police department’s.  It’s the economy, stupid:

A particularly sensitive economic indicator for tracking crime rates is consumer confidence, which is measured in monthly surveys that ask people about their financial circumstances and the general state of the economy. Consumer confidence has plummeted in recent months amid concerns about the mortgage crisis, rising prices and stagnant incomes.

My own research has shown that crime rates tend to rise when consumers become pessimistic. Why? Economic theory predicts that people weigh the costs and benefits of law-abiding versus criminal behavior. Like it or not, a failing economy increases the temptations of crime.

This is from an LA Times article (linked above), but the lessons may be useful here in Sacramento as well - especially in the mayoral race context.  Beefing up patrols and shoveling money into SacPD’s budget isn’t a bad idea, per se, when crime is on the rise. Unless, of course, those increases come at the cost of other city programs for health, educations, and other critical services.  Consumer confidence won’t rise because more cops are visible. It may rise if Sacramentans are confident that even through the tough times, we can rely on basic services and our collective survival.

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The Bee has noticed that Google now offers street views on many Sacramento streets. Checking the comments after the article, however, it seems to me that few people understand what street view is anyway.  One commenter asked, testily, for a link.  Readers here probably know already that you need only enter an address into Google and you’ll get a map as the first hit returned (normally).  We used street view during our house search at times - it’s a nice addtion to the satellite view that gives you a bird’s eye of the neighborhood.

 Another commenter freaked about the privacy aspects, seemingly understanding nothing about Google tech, saying that now anyone with your name or phone number can swoop in on your house. Huh?  For a long time, yes, most listed phone numbers, if googled, give you the address. I suppose you could map that now, but a Thomas Bros. book or basic grid/street knowledge has allowed you to do that since . . . . forever?

Lisa Heyamoto, who wrote the article, seems surprised that no people are visible in most street view shots.  There ARE people in many of the photos taken around midtown. There AREN’T people in many of the photos taken in residential neighborhoods. Let’s guess at the reasons, shall we?  Could it be that the residents are at work . . . in midtown or downtown? Where they are in the photos?  It’s hard to take good quality pictures in the evening, when you might catch people returning to their residential streets.  And, frankly, street view is useful for familiarizing yourself with something you’re going to visit or something you’re trying to find.  It’s not for catching people hanging out. Though sometimes you can do that.

When street view debuted in San Francisco, by the way, it raised many more privacy concerns than seem to be raised by the reporter or by commenters here.  Those cameras can catch all sorts of things: your lovers car parked in front of your house while your spouse is at work; you changing by your front window without checking for car-mounted cameras; you picking your nose.  Google will, however, take down offending photos. If you know they are there and ask them to do so, that is.

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 Or is it Bistro Tuli? Eh, whatever. It’s tasty. Maybe not as fall-all-over-yourselves-in-a-rush-to-get-there tasty, but tasty.  Full disclosure - it’s taken me a month - er, okay, nearly two months - to get the photos uploaded and get around to writing this. In the restaurant business, that’s like 15 dog years or something. I am walking/driving/cycling by it regularly, though, and still see people there, so this is probably still good information. If not, feel free to advise me in the comments section.

More after the jump.

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If I drive my car to work, I’m putting unnecessary ozone into the air and shortening my life.
If I ride my bike to work, I’m sucking excess PM2.5 into my lungs and shortening my life.

If I turn on the A/C, I’m using extra power from the grid and contributing to global warming.
If I use the  whole-house fan, I’m  bringing cancer-causing microparticles into the house and killing my family while we sleep.

If I eat lunch at my desk, I’m feeling those calories sink into my body and contribute to heart disease.
If I go for a run at lunch, I’m feeling those carcinogens sink into my body and contribute to lung disease.

What is an environmentally-conscious exercise-prone Sacramentan to do?

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The news is out. The I-5 honeymoon is over. This morning, the commute was back to normal (ie packed) on I-5 Northbound into the city.

This evening, the wonderful respite from bumper-to-bumper Southbound is alas, also gone. I particularly enjoyed last week’s cruise after entering the freeway on W Street and being able to drive the speed limit all the way to the 43rd Street offramp.

Unfortunately, C.C. Myers rained on my vehicle-free I-5 parade. Open on time? Open early? Are you kidding?

They’ve done too good a job at keeping us all in the loop. I imagine the buses are back to empty and the light rail has minimized from sardine to regular standing room only commutes.

At least I have something to look forward to after Independence Day. I-5 shall close again, and there will be at least 2 or 3 people celebrating the fact. (You, me, and that CHP officer sitting for endless hours in the vehicle blocking the ramp–when does he get to use the restroom?)

I’m so happy about it, I may ride the Light Rail, or perhaps I’ll take the bus in to work. Maybe I’ll even get back on my bike. In any case, I’m looking forward to the second honeymoon…I-5, we shall dance again.

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…sailor make hay? Sailor go play? I don’t know the next line in that one, but I do know we’re seeing the strange red sky of smoke-congested air. It smells like a firepit, looks like an ash pit, and sits solid in your nose like nobody’s business.

Even the HVAC-circulated air in my office reeked of cinders.

After all this, I’m asking you, dear reader, to pray for rain. Or chant. Or sing. Or do whatever it is you do. I’m hoping for rain, ASAP.

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Seen driving down 29th Street last week.  Ducks. Kickin’ it outside a doctor’s office.  Personally, if I were a duck, I’d stay in McKinley Park.  Maybe the ducks just needed some time on the other side of Alhambra.  Don’t we all?

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