Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sacramento

Movie theaters in Sacramento?

Justinian — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:24:36 -0800

What's the best theater around Sacramento in which to see Avatar? Visiting family in Sacramento over the holidays and want to see Avatar. But I'm used to really nice theaters like the Arclight in Los Angeles. So what's the best theater in or around Sacramento to see a movie like Avatar? 3D true IMAX would be best. There are several IMAX theaters listed in the area but the reviews for most of them are mixed at best.

Looking for Mary Poppins

robhuddles — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:17:28 -0800

My wife and I are finally over in-home daycare and all the associated crap, so we're in the market for a nanny. But we need some advice. First off, let me say that yes, I did search, and came up with a completely overwhelming number of results, most of which are from years ago. So I apologize in advance if this has been asked recently.

Anyway: the vitals first. We have a 7 year old daughter and a 3 year old son, and we live in a suburb north of Sacramento. We need someone to watch both all day through the rest of the summer, and then our son in the morning and both in the afternoon when school starts. The school is less than a block from our house, so we'd like someone who can take our daughter and pick her up, but they'd be walking.

So where does one find a nanny? A friend in SF found his through Craig's List, but a search today found that there aren't many in Sac. Where else should we look? Is it possible to search for reputable nannies without paying an upfront fee to something like 4nannies.com?

Once we've tracked down a few, what are some things we need to look for in an interview?

And finally, what should we be budgeting for this?

Thanks.

Where to start buying a specific house?

fleacircus — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:55:25 -0800

We found a house we want to buy, how to get the ball rolling? So there's this house in Sacramento, CA that we found via intensive website skimming. Our finances are in order, we can meet the asking price, we've read the advice and helper books. We want to launch fighters.

Sill we're having trouble finding where to start putting things into motion. Do we need our own real estate agent who then interfaces with the selling agent? Where do we find such people, how do you really "interview" them? Should we ever personally deal with the guy on the sign in the yard? When can we see the inside of it? The books and other help threads don't really seem to be damn clear.

This is our first house, it seems like we might have skipped a step and need to go back, but we're not sure to where. We're first-time buyers and don't really have any experienced friends or relatives around to give us guidance.

So AskMe, please help a couple beyond the help of a For Dummies book.

shine on your crazy tourmaline (or whatever)

luriete — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:09:47 -0800

When I was a kid living in La Mesa, California, my mother got to poke around in the tailings at local tourmaline and mica mines as part of weekend classes we took at the natural history museum. Are there any kinds of similar gemstone mines anywhere near where I live now - Sacramento, California - that offer similar opportunities?

Where to find cheap nuts/fruits in Sacramento, CA

Sultan of Succulence — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:58:04 -0800

Where is the best place in the Sacramento, CA area to buy quality nuts and dried fruits on the cheap? They just seem too expensive and/or "fingered" at the grocery stores.

Books on tape in Sacto?

Ambrosia Voyeur — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:36:35 -0800

Where can I buy books on _tape_ in Sacramento?

Help us enjoy a summer in Sacramento!

mahoganyslide — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:36:24 -0800

Help us enjoy a summer in Sacramento! Although I've been a resident of the Sacramento area for the past couple of years, the demands of college- and work-life have kept me busy and away from all of the potentially great things to be found here. Now that my girlfriend is coming to spend the summer with me, I'm at a loss of how we can spend our time beyond the wonderful personal moments to be had in a cozy couch, a welcoming cafe, a scrumptious restaurant, the frisky bed, etc. What are some of the relatively unknown, off-the-beaten-path, odd, and/or exciting activities/places we can enjoy together?

Even Google is at a loss of how to help me on this one, and so I now turn to you almighty hive mind!

Cell Phone for Emergency Use in Bay Area/Sacramento?

chengjih — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:47:24 -0800

What cell service should I get for my in-laws in the Sacramento/Bay Area, for use in emergencies? I got a call from my in-laws the other day. They had a flat tire near Davis, and were fortunately near a gas station so this was an inconvenience, not a disaster. They don't have a cell phone, and started to think it was a good idea to get one.

This phone will only be used for emergencies, so per-minute charges won't be that much of an issue. My in-laws are also not technically inclined, so complicated phones may be counterproductive.

I'm looking at pre-paid plans from the major carriers. T-Mobile is the least expensive, with $10 refills every 90 days to keep existing minutes from expiring. Verizon is the most expensive, with $30 refills every 60 days. AT&T is in the middle with $25/90 days.

The problem is that I'm not sure about coverage. Verizon appears to have the most extensive coverage, T-Mobile the least, AT&T in the middle, as expected. My in-laws will typically be traveling by highway from Sacramento to, say, the Bay Area and the coast near Santa Cruz.

How is T-Mobile coverage on the highways in those areas? Also, even if the coverage maps are relatively minimal in those areas, will the phone still be able to reach emergency services?

Note that I'm on a T-Mobile standard plan, so I suppose I can always add a line for them, but that'll be more expensive than the prepaid plan and it won't solve the coverage issue.

Thanks.

What should we see and do from 4/24 to 5/2 between Sacramento and Los Angeles?

Mr. Gunn — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:59:28 -0800

What should we see and do from 4/24 to 5/2 between Sacramento and Los Angeles? We'll be in Sacramento on the 24th, and we don't have to be in LA until May 2nd. What should we spend our time doing? I've seen this thread and this one, and would like to solicit recommendations for seasonal events occurring during our time frame. We particularly like food related attractions, and we are already going to be visiting the wine country around Sacramento, but please feel free to suggest anything at all.

Driving from D.C. to Sacramento

mikoroshi — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:49:03 -0800

Suggested routes from D.C. to Sacramento, C.A.? All of my previous cross country driving has been back and forth to Seattle, but this summer I'll be driving to Sacramento twice (the second time to stay) and I'm really unfamiliar with the middle states. With a 5 to 6 day driving budget what shouldn't be, and very much should be, missed on the way?

I’m an F.O.B. in LA.

micketymoc — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:29:46 -0800

What's a n00b to do in LA and Sacramento? Spending less than two weeks on the West Coast and I want to make it count. I’m flying for the first time to the US, will be attending to some company business in LA and Sacramento. I have a few questions:

What’s a newbie to see in LA, if pressed for time? Better yet, if pressed for time and without a car? I’m interested in books, mainly. I also want to buy this for my wife, whose birthday I will be missing because of this trip.

Once I’m in Sacramento, I expect the schedule to relax a bit. I’d like to see friends in Daly City and San Francisco. How can I get around? What are my travel options?

What cheap-but-cool stuff can I buy in LA or Sacramento, as presents for my friends back home?

WANTING TO MOVE

husker — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:38:37 -0800

Living in Omaha, NE - looking to move to Sacramento area. Does anyone know where a good place to start looking for a job? I work in insurance(claims). $60,000

SF to Sac & Back - best way to travel?

treepour — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:10:05 -0800

I need to make a day trip to Sacramento from San Francisco. I don't own a car. What's the best way to get there & back? It seems I could rent a car for about $40, or I could take the amtrak capital corridor train for about the same amount. I've never driven to Sacramento before, nor have I ever taken the capital corridor train (anywhere).

Travel time isn't as important as comfort/reduced stress. Driving in heavy traffic gives me the heebie-jeebies, but so does overcrowded public transportation. I'd be traveling during commute hours (though my journey will be a reverse commute, I believe).

Also, once in Sacramento, I'll need to visit the Secretary of State's office in order to file some papers, which I've been told will take about 3-4 hours. This should give me enough time to catch an afternoon/evening train back to SF. It looks like the office is within walking distance of the train depot, but I've never been to Sacramento, so I don't know quite what to expect in terms of pedestrian friendliness.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

What happened in Sacramento?

i8ny3x — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:40:22 -0800

My co-workers and I are interested in forming a group that explores the cultural history of Sacramento, but we're not sure where to start. The idea is to visit the places in Sacramento referenced in books and movies, and also actual places where recent historical events took place.

Here is from a friend's recent e-mail:

I like this list of exploration suggestions that Gail has proposed:

- Spot near Capitol where Squeaky Fromme tried to shoot Gerald Ford
- Apartment near Paragary's where Patty Hearst was held hostage briefly
- Dorothy Puente's apartment building
- Del Paso Country Club that Joan Didion dissed (this needs confirmation)
- Fields out near Marysville where Juan Corona buried his victims (apparently grave sites became a residential subdivision)
- I would also be interested in checking out things that involve the area's railroad history (my trip to the Railroad Museum with my parents piqued my interest there), the gold rush history, and finding where the Reagans lived in East Sac.

(Another co-worker) is compiling a list of books to read about Sac, though so far this list seems pretty short and limited to what could be pretty crappy mystery novels.

Is our focus too broad? Is there that much that went on in Sacramento? What else is there to explore? Other books/movies that took place/filmed in Sacramento? Thanks for your help. I'm excited about starting!

Sane vet in Sacramento?

clarahamster — Wed, 10 May 2006 20:00:31 -0800

Does anyone know of a reasonable vet in Sacramento, CA? My mother is trying to find a reasonable vet for a fox terrier in the Sacramento area, preferably somewhere between downtown and Greenhaven. The vets that she's been trying so far have all been pushing expensive and unnecessary treatments. Do any of you guys know of a sane vet in that area who will take good care of my mom's dog without trying to sell her things the dog doesn't need (and then trying to make her feel like a Very Bad Pet Owner when she says no)?

Some examples of problems my mom has had with vets:

The dog is somewhat allergic to grass and occasionally gets a rash on her stomach; the vet pressures my mom to spend $1200 (to start!) on allergy shots even though a bath and ointment takes care of it.

The dog had an ear infection last week and the vet insisted on sending a culture to the lab (which costs a couple hundred dollars) and waiting for the results before giving the dog antibiotics (which is going to require a second paid visit to the vet). My *doctor* doesn't do this, and the dog's vet didn't used to.

When they boarded the dog at the vet for a few days once, my mom got a phone call a few hours into the trip because the vet wanted to do some sort of "wellness and age assessment" on the dog and come up with a list of procedures the dog needed.

Help me shop til I drop in Sacramento!

clh — Mon, 01 May 2006 11:35:47 -0800

How should I shop my way from Calistoga to Sacramento? I am flying in to Sacramento this weekend to visit a friend near Calistoga. I will have a rental car. I am planning on leaving Calistoga Monday morning and taking my time driving back to Sacramento for my 6:45 p.m. flight home. How should I spend my day? What cool areas/shops are there between Calistoga and Sacramento? (IN Sacramento is cool too.)

I am 35, female, single, in the midst of losing weight so no clothes buying for me, not rich, into books, funky jewelry, cool tchokes.

help me get clean

luriete — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 13:23:20 -0800

I need a housecleaner / housekeeper recommendation in Sacramento, CA for a rush cleanup job before thanksgiving.