Oak Park, Sacramento, California
Encyclopedia
Oak Park is a neighborhood in Sacramento, California
. The McGeorge School of Law
, Sacramento High School
, and Christian Brothers High School
are located in this neighborhood.
Oak Park is informally bounded by Broadway to the North, Stockton Blvd. to the East, CA-99 to the West and Fruitridge to the South. It is situated within the city limits and provides easy access to the ever growing/changing Downtown of Sacramento. The streets intersect with avenues and has one main street that runs through all of Oak Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., formerly known as Sacramento Blvd.
Historic Challenges: The early 1900s saw Oak Park as a culturally thriving and economically vibrant, destination neighborhood, due in part to its strong sense of community and its ties with and proximity to the Historic site of the California State Fair grounds. The 1960s Interstate freeway expansion program subdivided many historic Sacramento neighborhoods like Oak Park creating isolated areas of poverty or relative prosperity. Oak Park's sense of community started to decline in the early 1960s as a result of the freeway expansion, declining property values and families moving out to the suburb communities now made easily accessible by the freeway expansion programs. During the 1980s / 90's further deterioration of the living standards were exacerbated by frequent occurrences of petty theft, street crime, drug activities and gang related violence. Recently, the early 2000s saw a slew of real estate speculators and building contractors buying up low priced homes in some parts of Oak Park that were either abandoned or sold off as unmanageable then turning them around and reselling them as reasonably prices starter homes, often with financial govt. assistance. At the same time many new high paying jobs moved into the area connected with the expansion of the University of California Davis Medical Center located to the North of Oak Park and the revitalization of Broadway, Stockton Blvd and the expansion of the McGeorge Law School campus.
Currently: As of 2008 Oak Park faces a variety of challenges sustaining the beginnings of its comeback due in part to an increase in foreclosures and an area wide decline in property values. Its future is in the hands of activists like Kevin Johnson, community groups like the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, Community policing efforts, the demand for affordable housing close to U.C.D. Med Center and the overall impact that the real estate market will play in the future.
Living in Oak Park: Some parts of Oak Park close to the Broadway boundary are returning to a genuinely stable and self sustaining area.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. The McGeorge School of Law
McGeorge School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, ABA approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific....
, Sacramento High School
Sacramento High School
Sacramento Charter High School is an independent public charter high school located in the Alhambra Triangle, adjacent to the Oak Park neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Its charter was approved by the Sacramento City Unified School District's Board of Trustees on July 21, 2003...
, and Christian Brothers High School
Christian Brothers High School (Sacramento, California)
Christian Brothers High School High School is a private, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory high school in Sacramento, California. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.-Background:...
are located in this neighborhood.
Oak Park is informally bounded by Broadway to the North, Stockton Blvd. to the East, CA-99 to the West and Fruitridge to the South. It is situated within the city limits and provides easy access to the ever growing/changing Downtown of Sacramento. The streets intersect with avenues and has one main street that runs through all of Oak Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., formerly known as Sacramento Blvd.
Historic Challenges: The early 1900s saw Oak Park as a culturally thriving and economically vibrant, destination neighborhood, due in part to its strong sense of community and its ties with and proximity to the Historic site of the California State Fair grounds. The 1960s Interstate freeway expansion program subdivided many historic Sacramento neighborhoods like Oak Park creating isolated areas of poverty or relative prosperity. Oak Park's sense of community started to decline in the early 1960s as a result of the freeway expansion, declining property values and families moving out to the suburb communities now made easily accessible by the freeway expansion programs. During the 1980s / 90's further deterioration of the living standards were exacerbated by frequent occurrences of petty theft, street crime, drug activities and gang related violence. Recently, the early 2000s saw a slew of real estate speculators and building contractors buying up low priced homes in some parts of Oak Park that were either abandoned or sold off as unmanageable then turning them around and reselling them as reasonably prices starter homes, often with financial govt. assistance. At the same time many new high paying jobs moved into the area connected with the expansion of the University of California Davis Medical Center located to the North of Oak Park and the revitalization of Broadway, Stockton Blvd and the expansion of the McGeorge Law School campus.
Currently: As of 2008 Oak Park faces a variety of challenges sustaining the beginnings of its comeback due in part to an increase in foreclosures and an area wide decline in property values. Its future is in the hands of activists like Kevin Johnson, community groups like the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, Community policing efforts, the demand for affordable housing close to U.C.D. Med Center and the overall impact that the real estate market will play in the future.
Living in Oak Park: Some parts of Oak Park close to the Broadway boundary are returning to a genuinely stable and self sustaining area.
Famous natives
- Kevin JohnsonKevin JohnsonKevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
Sacramento Mayor, former NBA star, raised in Oak Park, currently lives in Curtis ParkCurtis Park, Sacramento, CaliforniaCurtis Park is a neighborhood located within the city of Sacramento, California. Curtis Park is defined as north of Sutterville Road, south of 2nd Avenue, east of Freeport Boulevard, and west of Highway 99.-Utility providers:... - Deborah OrtizDeborah OrtizDeborah V. Ortiz is an American politician from Sacramento, California. A Democrat, she served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. A then-member of Sacramento City Council, Ortiz was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served a single two-year term representing...
, former California State Legislator representing districts that included Oak Park. - Julian V. Smith Sacramento High School Football Player #2, Metro All-League WR, 21 catches 178 yards, College: Arizona State University (major mechanical engineering)
- James J. Garrett Sacramento High School Football Player # 33 Linebacker 2005-2007 St. Hope Student Ambassador, College: University of California at Riverside (Studies: Sociology) Notable extracurriculars include BLAACK (Brothers Leading African Americans Through Consciousness and Knowledge) involvement: president 2009-2010, website: www.jgisbonkers.blogspot.com
- Diego CorralesDiego CorralesDiego "Chico" Corrales was an American boxer.He was the WBC, WBO, & The Ring lightweight champion, and the WBO & IBF super featherweight champion....
, former boxing champion (deceased) Diego Corrales. - Derek Hooks (D Hooks), R&B/Hip Hop/Rock musician.
- Chino MorenoChino MorenoChino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
, vocalist of alternative rock group, DeftonesDeftonesDeftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
. - Big Slep Rock, Sacramento rapper.