Are You That Woman

Visit Stockton California from Up on the Roof

Here begins an innovative blogdom in the annals of Visit Stockton! People and places throughout the city and region. Some new, some not so new, but a fresh perspective for locals and visitors alike. On a recent exploration, song and movie titles kept popping into the blogtent. Yes, we’re going to take as much creative license as we can on this blog and invite you to do the same – discovering and creating Stockton superlatives.

Cruising along in the automobile, the back roads and urban streets of Stockton – it’s 106 plus or worse. Yes, another hot, very hot, and steamy day in Stockton! Sweltering comes to mind. Although, it’s summertime and the living is easy everyone is ducking for cover and the A/C.  On this day, Delta breezes – usually Nature’s air conditioning – are dry and unforgiving.  We’re heading for French 25 and evening festivities up on the roof of the Hotel Stockton. The jazz styling of Wendi Maxwell & Trés Hot Shot Jazz, libations and good eats are in store.  Did anyone check the Farmer’s Almanac before planning this soiree?

Don’t sweat the small stuff here in Stockton. Right on schedule, the Delta delivered a cooling breeze, clouds and a breathtaking sunset. The rooftop gathering – hopefully the first of many such events – was in full swing by 6:30pm and a change in the weather had everyone smiling. Beer and wine and big plates of New Orleans-style fare – ribs, hush puppies, gumbo, fried chicken po' boy – and music. There are greener options too including a variety of salads. While it’s not the Big Easy, French 25 has raised the festivity bar in downtown Stockton.

It was a good crowd for a Monday night. Wendi and the Trés Hot Shot Jazz delivered an ideal entrée for the work week ahead. The evening sky and restored architecture of the Mission Revival-style hotel was the perfect backdrop for Wendi’s vocals and the five-piece band – sax, drums, guitar, stand-up bass, and  a vibraphone – one of very few in the region. Home of the Brubeck Institute, Stockton’s pool of world-class musicians is enviable.

From atop historic Hotel Stockton, the views are like no other.  The waterfront aglow and, thanks to those Delta breezes and clear skies, even the shadow of Mt. Diablo was visible to the west. Rooftop guests took more than one camera-phone picture of the blazing sunset.  This first-time event was clearly a big hit for all in attendance. Here’s looking at you French 25 and hoping praying to be up on the roof again and again.  But in meanwhile, we can enjoy the well-dressed décor of French 25 at ground level – enjoy happy hour Monday-Friday, 4pm to 6pm and everything else in between.

 

 

Zipcar takes you from A to Z and beyond in Midtown Sacramento and California. The kewl way to get around!

Courtesy of Zipcar

 

For those traveling sans auto but Zipster-friendly, Midtown Sacramento is trending. Locavores flock to the escalating dining and libation epicenter of America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. The neighbourhood embraces loca-everything. From sidewalk art and local theatre to gastronomic delights à la carnivore, veghead and vegan. Rake through Midtown’s burgeoning recycled and secondhand retail, from high fashion and grunge to reclaimed bicycles, vinyl records, and gently used furniture. It’s urban, but there’s plenty of open space for hiking and biking along park paths and tree-lined boulevards. Pedestrian- friendly, alternative transit lovers arrive via Amtrak and Megabus and easily transition to Zipcar.

If you can count and know your ABCs, Midtown is an easily navigated grid.

An invitation-only collective of more than 20 Midtown dealers, Scout Living showcases high-end used furniture, haute couture, home accessories, art and decorative pieces. Voted “Best Home Furnishings” in a local readers’ poll, it displays exceptional collections and styles from antique to shabby chic, with Danish modern, mid-century modern and locally produced crafts predominating. Your turntable will love the cool collection of old vinyl.

Across the way, down Liestal Row alley, Edible Pedal advocates a peaceful style of bicycling. Commuter-friendly touring bikes are rebuilt and rentable. This very one-of-a-kind bike repair, food delivery, recycled eclectic bags, vintage cycling gear, and bicycles-for-sale shop is the totally cool place to hang out. Talk bikes, buy bikes, or have food delivered by bikes. And the bike bags and clothes are absolutely fashion-forward. Food can be pedaled right to your door or your picnic spot, wherever that might be.


Take an urban hike across Midtown’s metro border! In the heart of downtown, the California State Capitol Museum and Park is 40 lush acres of pathways and gardens. Numerous landmarks include the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Firefighters Memorial, and Native Plant Garden. Lose yourself among 650 rose bushes at the International World Peace Rose Garden. There are benches on every path; cuddle-up and enjoy! Bike, picnic or tour the Capitol, Sacramento’s crown jewel. Resident red-tailed hawks and other wildlife call Capitol Park home.

Upcycling is hipcycling with Rossi Sculptural Design. At last count, 21 über-cool sculptural bike racks create a functional sidewalk art exhibit throughout Midtown; interesting conversational pieces where you can hitch your faithful two-wheel ride. Welding queen Gina Rossi brings new life to salvaged and found scrap metal. Golf clubs, fused glass, rebar and horseshoes live again as an over-sized corkscrew or whimsical dragon. An ideal selfie, Tweet or Instagram moment, these traffic-stopping racks are enjoyed by non-cyclists, too. At Rossi Sculptural Design, individual and group classes teach the fine arc of welding and fused glass design. Learn the basics of mig welding and take home the ultimate souvenir.

Vegan or whatever? Here’s your holy grail! Leave health conscious concerns behind atPushkin’s Bakery. Dairy free, gluten free, and wheat free never looked or tasted so delicious. Sweets and carbo addicts will find plenty to devour. From Bahn Mi and spicy grilled cheese sandwiches to strawberry scones and double chocolate walnut cookies, taste buds and tummies say, “OMG!” New menus are posted daily.

Embrace your coffee- and tea-geekdom at local fave Temple Coffee. Laze away in the cool, dark interior or on sundrenched patios while practiced baristas press, drip, steep and craft fair trade farm-to-cup coffees and single-sourced teas into selected beverages. The espresso and French press are Yelp worthy. Free Wi-Fi? Mais oui! The laptop crowd is well represented.

Modern Italy meets urban California at Hot Italian! When it comes to pizza with attitude, HT is hot in more ways than one. Hand-tossed brick-oven pies, seasonal salads and creative cocktails draw a packed house. The signature Fiori pizza—prosciutto, arugula, mushrooms, mozzarella and Bariani truffle oil—is a Sacramento farm-to-fork vs. Italian classic. The sleek décor spills over into a retail space where custom cycling apparel is for sale. A sidewalk window view of gelato piled high is molto Italiano.

A damn sexy whiskey bar, Butcher Block Bar features more than 200 curated whiskeys. Based on farm-to-fork inspirations, full-time mixologists focus on handcrafted cocktails with seasonal ingredients. It’s recommended you bring your DD along. Where’s the beef at this bar? Check the butcher and block under glass, and the chalkboard for house-cured meats and gourmet “Sammy of the week”. Food is what’s fresh and featured! The Zipcar-sponsored Midtown Farmers Market is literally outside Butcher’s front door every Saturday, 8am to 1pm.

After a day of dining, wining and freewheeling, settle into an evening of award-winning theater. At California Stage/R25 Art Complex, a reclaimed industrial warehouse, local artists and theater companies are creating art not reproducing entertainment one-act plays, Latino theater, and literary, social and political points of view. The complex houses three diminutive stages – small, smaller, and smallest – you could almost be off-off Broadway. You’ll be up-close and personal with the cast and other patrons. California Stage was urban and cool well before its time.