Marc Valdez Weblog: By Bicycle: Midtown/Downtown Sacramento

I need to check out the northwest part of downtown Sacramento. It's farthest from my home, so harder to reach.

On this ride, I circumnavigate downtown: north on 21st Street, west on G Street, south on 7th Street, and back home along Y Street alley.

Mural at Holy Diver Bar. I performed hip-hop here in 2015, when this was the Starlite Lounge, before the place became quite so dark.

Adjacent to a Barber Shop.

California Bear mural next to Zelda's Pizza.

Even the bank has a mural.

This used to be Sacramento's best thrift and costume shop. Why can't I remember it's old name? I visited here briefly in 2018 to check on election results.

A&P Liquor Store at 21st & K Street. This place became briefly infamous in 2015 when one the American soldiers lionized in Clint Eastwood's movie "15:17 to Paris" got stabbed here.

This building at 21st & J street is surprisingly-colorful.

Across the tracks from Bicycle Kitchen.

I knew Sacramento Theatre Company (STC) was going through some changes, but I didn't realize how thorough.

Whoa, STC!

Shoppers Market, a handsome example of the downtown Sacramento corner market.

Lots of handsome Victorian buildings on I Street, but I prefer this brick building.

6th Street overpass of the Union Pacific rail lines, looking east, just east of the Sacramento rail yards and adjacent to the Alkali Flat neighborhood.

View of downtown Sacramento from the 6th Street overpass.

Sacramento rail yards from the 6th Street overpass.

I really like this underused old-time brick building near the rail yards.

Ooh, Scientology! The ghost of L. Ron Hubbard lives!

The old bank kitty corner from the D&O Building at 7th & J Street. When First Northern Bank was here and I was DMTC Treasurer, I used to make deposits here nearly every week from 2005 to 2010.

The Pagoda Building.

This place is just two doors down from where Corina did her music video in 2011 with Ice Dance Company. Several of the dancers were also at Step One, including Krystle Morales. These days, Corina is a respiratory therapist in LA, likely deeply involved with coronavirus response.

Sacramento is the best!

Is this building's architecture inspired by railway stacked freight cars? Good God!

Approaching the Golden One Center, where the NBA Sacramento Kings play.

That little white R2D2-like robot rolling around like a Roomba on the sidewalk below the Golden One Center facade was being mocked and harassed by a sassy eight-year-old girl posing for family photos.