Alkali Flat is Sacramento’s oldest in-tact neighborhood (outside of Old Sacramento) with plenty of structures built between 1853 and 1869. At that time the most prominent of Sacramento’s elite lived here. By the 1920’s, the neighborhood was home to Irish immigrants and a growing number of Mexicans. The district was named after the white powdery substance that once coated the ground, a result of salt ocean tides that overflowed. Mansion Flats got its name from the Historic California Governors Mansion Located at 16th & H Streets.
By the 1950s both Mansion and Alkali Flats fell into disrepair. Alkali Flat and Mansion Flats was rezoned C-4 heavy commercial and many businesses moved in. The County of Sacramento also built many office buildings and parking lots. Many Latinos moved here after being displaced by redevelopment efforts in the Capitol Corridor. Revitalization started in the 1970s with a strong concentration of historic preservation. Now the neighborhood is one of Sacramento’s best urban districts with good walkability, mixed-use streets along 12, 16th, and J Streets, convenient access to dwtn, great connectivity & public transit access, quality cultural amenities and retail amenities.
Like neighboring Boulevard Park, Mansion Flats needs more density and housing. Not only would this help meet some of the high demand for inner city housing, it could also be leveraged to create desperately needed affordable housing, and elevate the district’s urbanity. The neighborhood also needs more schools, bike lanes, family households and retail amenities.
URBAN STRENGTHS:
- Great connectivity and access to public transit.
- Great access to Dwtn.
- Excellent racial and economic diversity.
- Good access to several small and medium sized parks but not convenient access to any larger parks.
- Overall a safe community.
- Quality ADA infrastructure and sidewalks.
- Good # of attractive structures esp. in the more residential portion of the district away from Dwtn.
- Modern in-fill is generally good but lots of tacky mid-century styles.
- Pretty good urban form along 16th St, J St., and 12 St.
- Good cultural amenities including a decent # of restaurants, bars, & cafes, a handful of art galleries, a couple performing arts theaters, a historic movie house, a handful of live music venues & night clubs, a couple museums, and convenient access to all the cultural amenities dwtn.
- Retail amenities are decent including a Target & Grocery Store, a handful of consignment stores, several banks, a couple dessert joints, a local post office and walkable access to Macy’s, the DOCO Shopping Mall, and lots of other Dwtn retail amenities.”
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
- Poor generational diversity largely due to limited households with children.
- Decent but not great bike lane infrastructure
- Okay walkable access to schools. A public elementary schools within Mansions and some in adjacent districts.
- For sale hsg is expensive. Only a handful of moderately priced 2 bed condos selling for around 500K. Limited 1-bed condos available. Most 2 & 3 -bed condos and homes selling for anywhere btwn 500K-1M, 4-bed 800K-1.2 M.
- Rentals are more reasonable with 1-beds leasing in the 1Ks, 2-beds around 1.5K-2.5, and 3-beds anywhere from 2.5K-5Ks.
- Density is so with about 8,500 people per sq mile.
- Missing retail amenities include a drug store, few gyms, no walkable hospitals, “
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 