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My Welcome to East Sac blog has moved. The new blog now has the feature to easily subscribe by Email or RSS Feed.

I hope to see you over there.


Nathan

New Website Coming Soon!

I am in the process of doing a huge update to my website and blog!

My blog still contain all sorts of great information of news and events in and around East Sac as well as updates on the real estate market. The format will be a bit more dynamic and located as a page within my full real estate website  You can still reach it by going to www.WelcomeToEastSacramento.com or by going through the primary website at http://WelcomeToEastSac.com/blog/.

I've also made great changes to my real estate website and now have it located at www.WelcomeToEastSac.com. The website has greatly improved search features including an improved Map Search, a detailed Advanced Search, the ability to search by Address, MLS number and even preset searches for some of my favorite neighborhoods like East Sac, Land Park, Sierra & Arden Oaks, Curtis Park, River Park, Elmhurst and Midtown / Downtown.

I've also been able to upload many of my past client thank you notes and referral letters in a Testimonial section. Turns out that I had over 50 great letters, notes, comment cards and Yelp reviews to post to the new website!

The new website even has a great way of sharing my Referral Network great companies that I have worked with and would recommend to my friends.

With the launch of my new website will come a new email address. While Nathan@East-Sac.com will still get to me, I'm switching over to Nathan@WelcomeToEastSac.com to have a cohesive brand (and so I don't have to explain the "dash" between East and Sac every time I give out my email over the phone).

I'm really excited about the new site and blog. I hope that you like it too!

Urban Renaissance Home Tour

As fun as it can be to watch home improvement and remodeling shows on TV, it's even better when you can see the results of such hard work in person. Next Sunday, September 28, from 10am-4pm, the Urban Renaissance Home Tour offers just that opportunity, by showcasing some of the finest new and remodeled homes in East Sac.

Five of them, to be exact. They are described as a "Hampton Cottage in Black & White," a "Stately City Home; A Downsizer's Dream," an "Arts and Crafts Revival with Modern Touches," a home exemplifying "European Country Living," and a "Tudor Updated for Three Generations." 

So if you're looking for inspiration for your own remodel, or just want a fun day out to ooh and ahh, this is the perfect event for you. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the tour, with proceeds going to benefit the McKinley Park Renewal Fund. For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.sacurbanhometour.com.

Edible Gardens Tour

This Saturday, September 13, get ready to salivate over some of the most delicious edible gardens in East Sac at the 4th Annual Edible Gardens Tour. This year, from 10am-4pm, host Soroptomist International of Sacramento will open the gates to six unique edible gardens. In addition to getting ideas for your own garden, you will enjoy music by Sacramento Symphonic Winds, get to chat with Master Gardeners and have the chance to win great door prizes. 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event, with proceeds going to support two local charities: the Sierra Forever Families Camp Wonder program, and St. John's Shelter Program for Real Change Employment Readiness Program (Plates Cafe). For more information and to buy advance tickets, go to the Soroptomist website at www.soroptimistsacramento.com. 

Sac Open Studios

Over the course of two weekends, more than 100 Sacramento area artists will open their studios to the public during the Sac Open Studios tour. It will be a great way for the community to become more familiar with the kinds of art and artists that the area produces—and be able to buy some of that art, too. 

Each weekend will feature artists from different regions in Sacramento. The first weekend (September 13-14) will have studios open in Downtown, Midtown, Land Park and West Sac. Then the following weekend (September 20-21), studios in East Sac, Arden, Tahoe Park, Carmichael and Fair Oaks will be open. 

To get a taste of what you can expect with the event, there will be a free preview exhibition at Verge Center for the Arts from 6-9pm on Thursday, September 11. Otherwise, for more information, including a downloadable guide of all the participating artists, go to sacopenstudios.com. 

Sweatin' for McKinley

If you're feeling a little guilty after eating so much the night before at Food Truck Mania--or you just wanna get out and have fun learning to be fit and healthy--then come on by the 3rd annual Sweatin' For McKinley health fair and fitness camp this Saturday morning, September 13. The event runs from 8:30am-12pm and will feature classes like Zumba, boxing, flag football, soccer, yoga, Pilates, kids camps and adult boot camps. Not to mention the many vendors, displays, raffles and prizes that will be available at the fair. 

While general admission to the fair is free, a $15 Fitness Pass will get you into as many of the fitness classes as you want. All proceeds from the event will go to support the McKinley Park Renewal Fund, which helps maintain the Clunie Community Center and the McKinley Rose Garden. For more information, and to buy Fitness Passes in advance, go to www.sweatingformckinley.com.

Fire Station Open House

The Sacramento Fire Department's oldest functioning fire station, Fire Station 4, will hold an open house for the public this coming Saturday, September 6, from 2-4pm. Originally built in midtown in 1902, the fire station moved to East Sac in 1933. As such, it is celebrating its 81^st year at its current location at 3145 Granada Way (near Alhambra). 

People are encouraged to come on by to meet the staff, tour the facilities and get information on fire safety. For more information, call (916) 808-1011 or go to sacfire.org.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

The next free Sacramento Tree Foundation tour of McKinley Park's numerous trees will take place this Tuesday, August 12, from 6:30-8pm. Attendees will meet up at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot. From there, a certified arborist will lead the tour through the park.

Anyone attending is encouraged to come ready with comfortable shoes, water if the weather's hot and, for the technologically inclined, a smartphone or tablet to learn how to use the tree mapping app GreenprintMaps. For more information and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

Food Truck Mania August 8th

Yay, it's here again! This Friday, August 8, stop by McKinley Park from 5-8pm to enjoy the latest round of amazing food trucks. This month's lineup will offer dinner and dessert that purists, adventurers, carnivores, herbivores, kids and adults will all enjoy. 

Live music will be played throughout the evening by The Pressure Lounge. For adults, there will be a beer garden and wine garden. And for the kids, there is a bounce house, face painting and balloons. For more information, go to sactomofo.com.

I hope to see you there!

National Night Out

More than 30 years ago, the National Night Out was devised in an effort to heighten awareness about crime and drug prevention, encourage support of and participation in neighborhood anti-crime programs and generally enhance community spirit. The 31st Annual National Night Out continues this tradition, and takes place tonight Tuesday, August 5, from 6-10pm.

Neighborhoods can participate by holding block parties, barbeques, ice cream socials, etc. East Sacramento Preservation will be holding its own event at 926 43rd St. from 6-8pm. In addition to free ice cream, local elected officials and reps from area fire departments and police are expected to be on hand to chat with East Sac residents and answer questions. For more information, contact jbonner@pd.cityofsacramento.org or call (916) 808-6467.

My wife and I have organized our own block party BBQ and Neighborhood Watch kickoff meeting tonight as well. We've invited every neighbor on our block as well as the neighboring block that our street ends into. We are providing the hotdogs, bottled water and lots of safety information. It's time to stop the wave of crime that has swept through our neighborhood!

Mulch Madness

It's been a long, hot summer so far, and there's plenty more to come. Mulch Madness, organized by the Sacramento Tree Foundation, will help protect the trees in McKinley Park from the dry conditions. The mulch rings applied around the bases of new and established trees throughout the park will help keep the soil cool, retain moisture and prevent weeds.

This Monday, August 4, from 6:30 to 8pm, volunteers of all ages are encouraged to help out--with or without their own gloves, wheelbarrows and rakes. For more information and to fill out the Volunteer Release form, go to www.sactree.com.

East Sac Community Meeting About Crime

A little while ago my wife contacted Councilmember Steve Cohn’s office to coordinate an East Sac Community Meeting to discuss all of the crime that our neighborhood has recently seen. 

Steve's office just confirmed the details of this meeting. It will be held on Wednesday, August 27^th from 6:30-8pm at the Clunie Community Center.  Councilmember Steve Cohn and his staff have put together a wonderful structure. The Sacramento Police Department will give us an update on the crime in the area as well as discuss crime prevention strategies.  Jena Swafford, Sacramento’s Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, will discuss how to set up a Neighborhood Watch and how using NextDoor.Com is a great way to connect with neighbors for a variety of ways including crime prevention.  A Park Ranger will also speak about Park Safety and what volunteers can do to stay safe. Lastly Steve Cohn will also speak at this meeting. 

This is such an important meeting for the East Sac community to attend.  Will you help us get the word out for this meeting?  Please forward the flyer that is attached by email and/or hand delivering it to your members/neighbors.  The more East Sac residents in attendance, the more we can make a difference in our neighborhood!!!

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Fab '40s 5K Run/Walk

It is no exaggeration to say that Alzheimer's disease affects millions of Americans. Odds are that, even if you don't have anyone in your family with Alzheimer's, you know someone who has. In order to support the families and caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, the East Lawn Memorial Park will hold its 6th Annual 5K walk/run through the scenic Fab 40's neighborhood this Saturday, July 26. 

More than 1200 people are expected to participate in this popular event. The course starts and ends in East Lawn Memorial Park. The main part of the course is back and forth along M Street, with a loop around next to East Portal Park. With the tree-lined streets and the exquisite architecture of Fab '40s homes, this is truly a gorgeous way to support a great cause. 

Registration is $35 for adults, and $16 for the kids' fun runs. For more information and to register online, go to fab40s5k.org or call (916) 492-8966.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

Sure, you might appreciate the beauty of the trees in McKinley Park, but how much do you know about them, really? To learn more, stop by the parking lot near the Shepard Garden and Arts Center to take a tour of the park from 6:30-8pm on July 22nd, led by a certified arborist.

The only requirements are comfortable shoes and water if the weather is warm. Optional, but encouraged, is to bring along your smartphone or tablet to learn how to identify and map trees using the GreenprintMaps app. For more information, and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

38th Street Annual Blood Drive

For the 6th year, Alice McAuliffe and her husband Pat will host a blood drive outside their home at 1141 38th Street, complete with refreshments and East Sac neighborhood camaraderie. On Thursday, July 17, from 3 to 7pm, two bloodmobiles from BloodSource will be taking donations. This year, the goal is to collect 45 pints of blood to help patients and hospitals during the busy summer months. 

A set appointment during the hours of the event is required to donate. To do so, go to bloodsource.org/drives and enter location code M597. For more information, you can also call Alice directly at (916) 451-5507 (she is a wonderful lady to talk with, so you might want to call instead of going online)

I regularly give blood at the downtown BloodSource location at 16th and Q and this will be my first year of joining my neighbors in the local blood drive. I've already set up my appointment to go and give blood and I hope to see a lot of you there!

July Food Truck Mania in McKinley Park

Food Truck Mania returns to McKinley Park this Friday, July 11, courtesy of Councilmember Steve Cohn and, especially, all the awesome food trucks presented by SactoMoFo (Sacramento Mobile Food Events). The event runs from 5-8pm; come as early as you can to enjoy all your favorite food, the beer garden and live music by the acoustic duo of Kally Pile and Phillip Lovejoy, otherwise known as Two Barrels Shy. 

For more info, go to sactomofo.com.

4th of July Parade in East Sac's Fab 40's

This year will be another great 4th of July parade in East Sac's Fab 40's!

We will start on 41st Street between J and M and sometime around 11:00 we will roll out in a large, neighborly mob up the block to J Street, down 42nd Street to Folsom and then back up 41st Street.

I'm not sure what makes this event so magical, but it is. There is no marching band, baton twirling troupes, fancy cars, groups of Kiwanis/Rotary Club/Fraternal Order of anything. It will be neighbors on foot, bike, wagon, motorized beer cooler or other crazy contraptions. Some people will dress up in red, white and blue, some people will dress up like Uncle Sam. Aside from a firetruck and some great front yard parties, there is very little organization that the casual observer can see. 

The vast majority of people that go to this 4th of July Parade aren't going to watch the parade roll past them, they are there to walk side by side with hundreds of fellow neighbors the whole route. I guess that is what makes this parade so special. We aren't going there to watch it, we are going there to be a part of it.

I do love my neighborhood!

Tree Tour of McKinley Park

If you missed the McKinley Park tree tour in June, do not despair. Another tour is being held this coming Tuesday evening, July 1. Attendees will congregate in the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot at 6:30pm. Then for the next hour and-a-half, a certified arborist will lead a tour through the park.

Apart from comfortable shoes--and water if it's hot out--nothing else is required to attend. However, you are encouraged to bring a tablet or smartphone if you'd like to learn how to map trees electronicaly using the GreenprintMaps app. For more information, and to register for the tour, go to the events page at www.sactree.com.

 

Pops in the Park June 28, 2014

This Saturday, June 28, the final Pops in the Park concert will be held at McKinley Park. And what a finale it will be! Starting at 6pm, Garratt Wilkin & The Parrotheads will be performing a celebration of the music of Jimmy Buffett. Margaritas, beaches and boats. There's no way that won't be fun. The emcee for the night is KCRA and KFBK Financial Advisor Kelly Brothers. 

The place is sure to be packed, so get there early for the best view of the stage. Bring your own blankets, lawn chairs and picnic. Or you can get dinner and dessert from Burr's Fountain, Clark's Corner and the East Sac-Midtown Kiwanis Club. (Portions of the proceeds will go toward funding nighborhood improvements and next year's concert series.) For more info, go to eastsacpopsinthepark.com.

Since McKinley Park is just two blocks from my home and I plan on getting there early and staking out an area for my neighbors to have a block party! We did this last year and it was a blast. 

3522 D Street in East Sac Just Sold

When I first moved back to California many years ago, my wife and I rented a great little house in East Sac at 3522 D Street. It is on the friendliest block that I have ever lived on and I know more neighbors there than at all the others homes that I had lived in up to that point.

To me, this block of D Street exemplifies what a great neighborhood looks and acts like. It has all the qualities that make East Sac one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the area.

We do regular block parties and summer outdoor movie nights, we meet up at the local events like this weekends Pops in the Park in McKinley Park and we help each other out in so many ways.

I am so happy that I got to help a great person buy the house that Cheryl and I lived in for several years. I'm even happier that I get to introduce a wonderful new neighbor to this great block and know that I have just helped her move onto one of the friendliest streets in the neighborhood.

I love my job!