Are you trying to find some new places in the Sacramento area to hang out or study? Well, I’d be happy to tell you about some of my favorite places in this town to hang out and do activities like picnics, studying, and rocking out!
The first place on this list is the one and only Plaza Cervantes Park located at 2115 11th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95818. I love this place so much because everyone that goes is super chill and super kind. They pick up their trash whenever they are finishing a sandwich from The Sandwich Spot across the street and in general, the park is great to visit and bring pets on weekends.
I have had some great mornings there sipping coffee. It is overall a nice place to hang with friends and even practice music. I usually bring my Acoustic guitar out with me to the park and write some tunes there. The best times to be there are most definitely in the mornings because you have the park to yourself most of the time and can sit with a still mind.
While you are there, say hello to the statue standing proudly in front of the park. Fun fact: the statue used to stand inside or near the plaza area. Where the defunct downtown plaza once was and now where DOCO exists.
Now one of the best places in all of Sacramento is Five Sips Coffee and Tea located at 2104 11th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95818. A bonus is that it’s located right next to Cervantes Park. A wonderful park next to a wonderful Coffee shop? Yes, please! Five Sips Coffee to me is the shrine of all coffee shops because everyone there is like family. Even if you haven’t visited it and you decide to check it out, you’ll leave having had a welcoming and enjoyable experience.
They have so many yummy options to choose from and the inside has unique artwork to purchase from very talented individuals. I recommend the White Chocolate Mocha, It’s delicious! I love their chocolate pastries and cinnamon rolls as well. They also offer discounts to high school students. So if any of you want a place to have some delicious coffee to go with your study sessions, I recommend Five Sips Coffee! The owner, Michael, also has so many funny stories to tell and loves to present magic tricks.
The next place I like to hang out and get work done is Sacramento City College’s campus located on 3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822. Where to hang out in this place is near the trees. I feel a sense of community, it being a community college no pun intended, but I really do like it there and most of my old friends go there so most of the time I´ll randomly run into them.
It is also a great place to skate, I don’t skate as much as I used to but there are some cool curbs to hit and some great spots to film your next edgy skate-clip video. There is also a parking garage where you can get a great view of the city from afar. I love seeing it at night when all the lights are up and you can see them all beam from the garage roof.
There is also the city cafe area in the college for when we get summer temperatures. You can hide there in the shade and take a breather from the heat. The light-rail station is also located inside the campus so you can always take the light rail afterward if need be.
This one is not a shocker, but the next location I’ll mention is our own C.K. McClatchy High School. Why? Because after hours it’s a great place to walk around, and the view of the sunset from campus is so pretty. But also the track is a nice place to get some good exercise and it is a public park and historical sight so it is nice to go on walks with friends. Sometimes though, interesting things happen there. Since it’s the spooky season I will tell a spooky story:
One night I went on a walk to Marie’s Donuts. And well I do not recall why I decided to do this, maybe because I wanted to go on a night walk. But after I got some delicious donuts, I visited McClatchy´s Campus. Everything seemed normal at first glance. Until after walking around for a bit, I saw a group of kids laughing. They looked like normal average teenage kids, no different from me. I was walking back and I heard this vibrating noise almost like an airplane in the sky. I turn around and right where you can see the D Wing and the Gym. I saw a big, blue ball of light absorbing the campus buildings. After a couple of seconds, all the power on the campus goes and it is pitch black where I was standing. I heard a scream in the distance after the lights went out. It was probably the most mysterious paranormal encounter I have ever witnessed, whenever I bring it to staff or to my teachers, no one believes me.
Finally for the last entry on my chill and cool places to visit list, well this is a rocky one, but trust me it is a favorite of mine. Cafe Colonial is located at 3520 Stockton Blvd. This place has everything from delicious vegan tacos to the heaviest bands to have ever played there.
People should go there because it exposes you to new, unique genres of music and you can support local bands while you’re at it. I have played there dozens of times and as a musician, their sound is amazing. The soundboard technicians are great at their job and are willing to make sure you can hear yourself, even if your bass player wants more monitors or your drummer is tuning a snare.
It is also a great place to support locally owned businesses and a chance to support some local artists. They have plenty of metal shows but on occasion, they will host diverse bills with Indie/rap bands. I have had some of the greatest memories at that place and have met some great personalities. Everyone there is super chill and the mosh pits can get gnarly for all the metalheads/grindcore/hardcore/straightedge readers. Some come to check it out and see for yourselves because I cannot write a paper long enough about how amazing the place is.
These are all based on my personal experiences and opinions, but I hope these were helpful for anyone wanting to connect with the community more. What are your favorite places in this city?