On Saturday, members of the Golden 1 Credit Union got a great perk for having an account with the credit union- a sneak peak of the beautiful new Golden 1 Center arena in downtown Sacramento!
And I have to say, it is truly amazing!
I live right by the arena, on the other side of the”I” Street Bridge, in West Sacramento. For about two years now, I’ve watched the arena’s dedicated construction crew heading over to the site at a little after 5 a.m., while I head to my morning workout.
It’s been so cool to see the old, rundown mall be bulldozed and the new arena starting to take shape.
But to go inside and see it first hand, is like nothing else.
The first thing that struck me was just how open it feels. While some arenas have a closed-in and dense feeling, this one is just the opposite.
Of course it’s thanks to the beautiful architecture. The arena is the first of its kind for the NBA. Never before has a basketball stadium been designed this way- including retractable walls on one end that allows it to become open air.
Next, although it’s huge, you don’t feel far away from the action, even in the nosebleeds. My husband and I walked to the top just to try it out, and we’d still happily sit up there to catch a concert or game.
Or to eat. Because wait until you check out all the amazing food options this place has!
Really, it’s crazy. And the abundant eateries are primarily local brands. From Selland’s to Centro to Lowbrau, you won’t be disappointed.
Golden 1 went above and beyond for their members, too. Everyone who attended got a $10 voucher to put towards trying out the many food options.
My husband and I combined our efforts and split a wonderful porchetta pork sandwich with kettle chips.
And to that point, the food prices were not crazy.
Maybe it’s because we just went to a ColdPlay concert at Levi’s Stadium, but the prices seemed pretty reasonable to us. You can find numerous meal options for under $15.
And that is the other exciting part of the arena experience. While you can always get a wonderful meal in the stadium, you will also have countless food options before you come inside.
It’s clear the various restaurants and retail that will encircle the arena (also know as the DOCO, or Downtown Commons) are starting taking shape.
As a longtime Sacramento resident, I literally had goosebumps the whole time I walked around the arena on Saturday.
My husband and I took a chance when we moved in 2003 to a older, more urban part of West Sacramento. While our neighborhood was brand new at the time, the area hadn’t seen any significant development in years.
While many friends thought we were crazy for not buying in the ‘burbs, we knew that wasn’t us. We liked living close to all of the things happening along the riverfront in West Sacramento and in the Sacramento downtown core, and we bought into the vision of a walkable community that would someday be built.
With the great recession came a little delay in our dreams taking place, but they are really starting to take shape now.
I applaud all the people that made this happen, and those that stuck by the concept and dream when others said it would never happen. For those developers that put their neck and money on the line, I say thank you.
I am thrilled to spend my money supporting these business owners and the beautiful spaces they have created for our community to enjoy.
If you are lucky, you find a place that feels like home in good times and bad. I can say I truly feel that way about the greater Sacramento area, and most definitely our little piece of that along the riverfront in West Sacramento. Although I have to admit, the good times are little more fun than the bad!!!
Always and forever #SacramentoProud !
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