Sacramento is the capital of sunny California in the western United States. It was founded thanks to the gold deposits found here and quickly became the most developed city in the state. Sacramento is a quiet, multifaceted place, with its unique history, which is very carefully preserved. The capital is famous for its culinary institutions, museums, galleries and incredibly developed agriculture.
Sacramento is divided into 108 neighborhoods. The most notable of these are:
- Lavender Heights. A neighborhood favored by the LGBT community. Almost all stores, restaurants and bars are owned by minorities. After sundown, the nightlife booms.
- Arden Park. One of the best places to shop in Sacramento. This is where the Cal Expo area is located, where major events are held each year, including the California State Fair.
- Downtown. Historic downtown, home to several iconic landmarks, including the Crocker Art Museum and Golden 1 Center Stadium (home arena of the Sacramento Kings). Downtown retains the original street naming system, with east-west streets in alphabetical order and north-south streets in numerical order. This is very convenient for orientation in the city. For example, the address 900 J Street is at the intersection of 9th and J Streets.
- Midtown. A trendy, beautiful neighborhood with an incredible amount of restaurants and nightclubs. You’ll want to walk around the neighborhood, occasionally stopping by atmospheric establishments to enjoy Mexican, Thai, Japanese and American cuisine.
- East Sacramento. Sacramento’s upscale neighborhood and gastronomic center. McKinley Park regularly hosts street food festivals, concerts and movie nights. East Sacramento is easy to find simple burger joints, craft breweries, authentic coffee shops and auteur restaurants serving locally sourced food.
- Land Park. A cozy place with amusement parks and a city zoo. And within the Land Park itself, you can play golf, fish in the pond, go jogging, or barbecue. Like many other neighborhoods, there are decent pubs, bars, burger joints, eateries and restaurants.
- Old Sacramento. An old neighborhood and historic park on the banks of the Sacramento River that preserves gold rush-era buildings and stone sidewalks that are used by go-carts. It is home to the Sacramento History Museum and the California State Railroad Museum, which offers tours on the original train.
- Oak Park. One of the city’s largest neighborhoods that is also famous for its food. Here you can try incredible tacos, vegetarian dishes, street food, and shopping (buy vintage books, hand-made souvenirs, and clothing).
Sacramento Population
Sacramento has a population of about 500,000 people. The city’s agglomeration is the fourth largest in California after Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. It has more than 2.5 million residents. The largest percentage of the population is of the Caucasian race (47%), followed by Asians (19%) and African Americans (13%). The remaining races make up 21%, which include Native American, Hawaiian, Islander, and Mestizo. 10% of Sacramento’s population identifies as members of the LGBT community.
The ratio of males to females is about the same, 49% to 51%. The median age of the population is 34 years old. 42% of Sacramento residents have a college degree.
Best time to visit Sacramento
Sacramento has a subtropical climate with short rainy winters and dry hot summers. In winter, the average temperature is +8…+9 ºC. In the summer months the air warms up to +35 ºC. From May to October, the Oak Park neighborhood hosts the Gather: Oak Park street food festival. In addition to tastings, you can watch culinary workshops and listen to musicians perform. In July, the California State Fair is held. This is a major event celebrating the region’s agriculture. It features a food festival, sporting events, horse races and concerts.
In October, Sacramento explodes with the sounds of the massive Aftershock rock festival, which usually lasts three days. Its headliners over the years have included such well-known bands as Metallica, Slipknot, Sum 41, Blink-182 and Marilyn Manson.