Tahoe Park, Sacramento, California

Tahoe Park is a neighborhood located within the city of Sacramento, California.

The name "Tahoe Park" is generally used to refer to several official and unofficial neighborhoods that surround Tahoe Park proper, including Tahoe Park East, Tahoe Park South, Tahoe Terrace, and West Tahoe Park.

Location

The neighborhood of Tahoe Park is centrally located in Sacramento, immediately south of Highway 50 at 59th Street.

The area is less than 1 mile southwest of California State University, Sacramento, less than 1 mile east of the UC Davis Medical Center and approximately 4 miles southeast of downtown Sacramento.

Park

The area is named for the park in the heart of the neighborhood. Tahoe Park is a 19-acre recreational facility located in the Tahoe Park neighborhood of Sacramento, California. The park is largely contained between 8th Avenue to the north, 11th Avenue to the south, 59th Street to the west, and 61st Street to the east.

The park contains many popular amenities, including a swimming pool, a wading pool, playgrounds for children and toddlers, several barbecue facilities, and playing fields for softball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

The park has received many updates in the 1990s and 2000s, including street lights, a jogging trail, upgraded picnic areas, and fitness stations.

History

Early Years

In the early 1900s, the area southeast of the old California State Fairgrounds (now the UC Davis Medical Center campus) was sparsely populated farmland; most residential neighborhoods were west of Upper Stockton Road (now Stockton Boulevard).

In 1911, Sacramento made its first annexation. Tripling in size from its original grid area, the city expanded its city limits southward to Sutterville Road and 14th Avenue, and eastward to Elvas Avenue and 65th Street. This placed the area now known as Tahoe Park (proper) at the city's far southeastern corner.cite map |publisher = City of Sacramento |title=City of Sacramento: Historical Growth by Annexation |url=http://www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd/reference/maps/documents/AnnexationHistory_E.pdf |edition=September 2007 |accessdate=2008-07-17]

In 1931, to serve the needs of the residents, a four-room elementary school was built at 5932 5th Avenue; it was named "Tahoe School". Seven years later, in 1938, the school address was modified to reflect the change of the street's name to "Broadway". Records from 1939 identify new tract homes under construction near the intersection of 55th Street and 8th Avenue.cite book |title=Sacramento's Elmhurst, Tahoe Park and Colonial Heights |last=Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection Center |year=2008 |publisher=Arcadia |location=Charleston, South Carolina |isbn=0738555908 |pages=27-42]

Post-World War II Growth

With three military bases in the area (Mather Field, McClellan Field, and the Sacramento Signal Depot), Sacramento was a popular place for service men and women to live. The area experienced a housing boom during and after World War II; a large number of homes were financed by the G.I. Bill.cite web |url=https://www.allhallowssacramento.org/History.html |title=All Hallows Roman Catholic Community: History: All Hallows |accessdate=2008-06-03 |year=2008]

The area grew rapidly during this time. In 1946, the City of Sacramento purchased 19 acres of land immediately south of the Tahoe Elementary School for use as a recreational facility; the park was named "Tahoe Park" after the school. The same year, All Hallows Parish moved from a storefront on Stockton Boulevard to its current location at 55th Street and 14th Avenue.

In 1948, Sacramento annexed a large area southeast of 14th Avenue and Stockton Boulevard, including the area now known as Tahoe Park South. The same year, educational options grew in Tahoe Park to meet the needs of area families. The Tahoe Elementary School campus was expanded with new buildings, and the All Hallows Parrish Catholic School (now John Paul II Catholic School) was opened.

In 1958, the neighborhood's youngest area--Tahoe Park East--was added to Sacramento when the city annexed an area northeast of 14th Avenue and 65th Street.

1970s/1980s Decline

The area experienced economic changes from the 1960s through the 1980s. Due to several factors--including the rerouting of Highway 99 away from Stockton Boulevard in 1962, the relocation of the state fairgrounds in 1968, and the establishment of new suburbs further away from the city's core--the area entered a state of decline in the 1970s and 1980s.Cite journal |last=City of Sacramento |contribution=Oak Park Survey |title=History of Oak Park |year=n/a |url=http://www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd/planning/preservation/registers/oak-park-historic-survey/survey-report/HistoryofOakPark.pdf |pages=14-15 |accessdate=2008-06-03]

1990s to Present Resurgence

In 1991, residents created the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association (TPNA), a non-profit organization focused on community improvement. [cite web |url=http://www.tahoepark.org/pages/aboutTPNA.htm |title=Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association: About TPNA |accessdate=2008-06-03 |year=n/a]

Through community activism and civic participation, the neighborhood has experienced a resurgence. First-time home buyers and real estate professionals view Tahoe Park as a desirable alternative to pricier neighborhoods such as East Sacramento and Curtis Park. [cite web |url=http://www.tahoepark.org/pages/aboutTP.htm |title=Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association: About Tahoe Park |accessdate=2008-06-03 |year=n/a]

Areas

Tahoe Park

Tahoe Park is an officially recognized neighborhood in Area 3 of the City of Sacramento. It is bordered by Highway 50 and Broadway to the north, 14th Avenue to the south, 53rd and 57th Streets to the west, and 65th Street to the east.

The section of Tahoe Park that is north of Broadway is often informally referred to as "Tahoe Terrace".

Tahoe Park East

Tahoe Park East is an officially recognized neighborhood in Area 3 of the City of Sacramento. It is bordered by 65th Street to the west, Highway 50 and the Tahoe Tallac Little League Park to the north, Business Drive to the east, and 14th Avenue to the south.

Tahoe Park South

Tahoe Park South is an officially recognized neighborhood in Area 3 of the City of Sacramento. It is bordered by 14th Avenue to the north, 21st Avenue to the south, 58th Street to the west, and the 65th Street Expressway to the east.

Many long-time residents refer to Tahoe Park South as "Tallac Village"--most likely due to the presence of the Tallac Village Shopping Center on its northern boundary. However, Tallac Village is an officially recognized neighborhood immediately south of Tahoe Park South, between 21st Avenue and Fruitridge Road.

West Tahoe Park

West Tahoe Park is an officially recognized neighborhood in Area 3 of the City of Sacramento. It is bordered by Broadway to the north, 14th Avenue to the south, Stockton Boulevard to the west and 53rd Street to the east.

In the past, the area that comprises West Tahoe Park was officially recognized as a part of the neighborhood of Tahoe Park proper. However, the term "West Tahoe Park" was commonly used to describe the area west of 53rd Street, which is the only area of the neighborhood in Sacramento's 5th district (all other Tahoe Park neighborhoods are a part of the city's 6th district). In approximately 2005, the West Tahoe Park neighborhood was officially recognized by the city of Sacramento. By and large, this area of the Tahoe Park neighborhood is located closest to the UC Davis Medical Center.

Tahoe Terrace

Tahoe Terrace is a name used to refer to the section of Tahoe Park north of Broadway. It is bordered by Highway 50 to the north, Broadway to the south, 57th Street to the west, and 65th Street to the east.

Tahoe Terrace was a part of Sacramento's old "Area 1" that included the nearby neighborhoods of East Sacramento and Elmhurst. Tahoe Terrace can also be distinguished from the rest of Tahoe Park by its postal code, 95817; all other areas of Tahoe Park proper are located within the 95820 postal code.

Politics

Government

Tahoe Park neighborhoods are represented by the following government districts:
* Sacramento City Council: Sacramento City Districts 5 and 6 (West Tahoe Park, and the remaining areas, respectively)
* Sacramento County Board of Supervisors: Sacramento County District 1
* California State Legislature: 9th Assembly District; 6th Senate District
* United States House of Representatives: California's 5th District

Native Representatives

In the late 1980s, Tahoe Park began to produce many of Sacramento's government officials; U.S. Magistrate Judge Kim Mueller, California State Senator and President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, California State Assemblymember Dave Jones, and Sacramento City Councilmember Kevin McCarty began their political careers on the Sacramento City Council while residents of Tahoe Park.cite web |url=http://www.sacbar.org/members/saclawyer/may_june2003/mueller.html |title=New Magistrate Judge Took Unconventional Path to Federal Bench |publisher=Sacramento County Bar Association |accessdate=2008-07-08 |year=2003]

References

External links

* [http://tahoepark.org Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association]