Oct 28, 2024
Curtis Popp is a residential interior architectural designer. Over two decades, he established a reputation as a talented, creative and sought-after home design consultant.
Along the way, he found a side project, his family’s unconventional tri-level Land Park residence.
Popp grew up in Land Park. He and wife Sue, a nurse, were raising their two children there in a small, traditional house on Perkins Way.
But the interior designer couldn’t stop thinking about the nearby tri-level.
“One day, in the middle of the Great Recession, I saw a For Sale sign spring up on it,” Popp says. “The timing wasn’t good. And it took several visits to get Sue interested because the house at that time looked nothing like it does today.”
Oct 28, 2024
A green, leafy dot on the Oak Park map is destined for the compost pile. The Plant Foundry Nursery & Store at 3500 Broadway lost its lease. The parcel will be developed into a three-story infill of retail and housing.
Nursery owner Angela Pratt was heartbroken when the lease was not renewed, a turn of events that thrust her into a spin cycle of “what to do?” Ideally, she would prefer to buy a property and reopen the nursery nearby.
Sep 28, 2024
Monica Hernandez is proud of her hometown. She went to McClatchy High School, City College and Sacramento State. It’s no coincidence she and husband Kevin Flanagan ended up homeowners in Curtis Park.
Flanagan grew up near Monterey, attended Sac State and returned home after graduation. He met Hernandez a few years later. They were together for eight years before getting married in 2015.
“Our first house was much smaller and located in the Med Center neighborhood of Oak Park,” Hernandez says. “The house was built in 1914, and we took on many ‘old home’ projects as do-it-yourselfers in the 11 years we lived there.”
But the couple had grander plans.
Sep 28, 2024
The Big Leafy too often transitions from blistering hot to chilly and wet, allowing minimal days of local autumn color. Our magnificent trees should not be denied the opportunity for extended applause and encore performances.
Eventually, the heat concedes, and Sacramento is blessed with orange and crimson leaves, but for how long?
Gardeners have an elevated appreciation of the city’s leaf canopy. Shade, beauty and finally wonderful composting material are welcome perks.
Aug 28, 2024
When Jennifer Tornatore and Eric Knutson married in 2003, seven years after joining households, they lived in a ranch-style home in Point Richmond. “Eric came as a package with two young sons, so we had a family-friendly home in a good school district,” Tornatore says. “But the home was uninspiring.”
Tornatore, an account executive with Uber, comes from the Sacramento suburbs. Knutson, an architect, grew up in the Bay Area. His design specialty is high-end residential, smaller commercials and multifamily homes.
Aug 28, 2024
A little one whispered in my ear, “Gampa-gampa, can we pull carrots?” In the Sacramento summer, there were no carrots to yank, but the request warmed my heart.
Children and gardening are a precious pair. My granddaughters always want to explore the garden.
They pinch off blueberries and grapes, sift through soil to discover potatoes, pluck lemons and oranges, pull carrots, and are fascinated when I turn the compost pile and insects scurry for cover.
A garden is a living classroom. Children absorb science, discover creatures, and learn ecological concepts and lessons about food and nutrition. The garden inspires curiosity and wonder. It offers a healthy diversion from TV, Minecraft, Roblox, Zelda and the idleness of screen time.
