By Josue Alvarez-Mapp

Special to tjthesportsgeek.com

I can’t remember the first time I came to Sacramento, CA. The first time was sometime in my early childhood before I knew what cities really were. Life was just some continuous, varying levels of civilization to me. My first memory of Sacramento was coming to McClellan Air Force Base as an Army brat, tagging along with my family on all the various adventures. But there was a large chunk of time I didn’t come to Sacramento. My next visit to Sacramento was in my early teen years. Since that time, I fell in love with a town I’d never seen all of. But at the time I didn’t know I loved Sacramento. It was just a town I thought was cool.

Just the other day, I was enjoying what now seems like a rare day of sunshine in a very prototypical winter that California never sees. I was hanging with some friends. And in our conversation, one person, who has moved here and there said, “I can’t wait to move. I’m so over Sacramento.” That sent non-existent daggers to my heart. Some of my friends from Sacramento, and people I’ve met on my adventures at California State University, Sacramento introduced me to people who say they dislike/hate Sacramento. Every time, I get hurt and/or upset. It’s hard for me to fathom that someone saying that though.

But really, it isn’t. As a native of Stockton, I did say those words of Stockton, for a while. I stopped when I got into college and learned more of a town I thought I knew but knew very little of. But people like and dislike things for different reasons. Some people say that nothing ever happens in Sacramento; that it is a boring town. I disagree, but I digress. Some people dislike Sacramento because it is a city (as in, very populous). Some people don’t like the aesthetics here. Plus more, and more, and more.

I get it. Not everyone will like everything. But as an outsider on the inside, let me tell you why I love this town (and why you should too). This town has things going on for everyone. It has a major basketball team, as well as a fantastic minor league baseball team, and a minor league soccer team that has every business already being a major league soccer team. This town has every food imaginable, and it’s all good and relatively inexpensive versus a town like San Francisco that offers similar amenities. It has amazing places to catch musical performers from the biggest to the smallest. From the Golden 1 Center to Harlow’s, plus more you can catch it all. Plus Sacramento boasts a growing local music scene that has a ton of talent and growing. We even host various music festivals. The art scene is equally as great here, and Sacramento has a few museums to boot.

Sacramento is a big town. It is the sixth largest town in California, and 35th largest in the United States. But with all that size, it still feels, at times, and acts like a small town. It rides that cusp fairly well. But no mater the size of the town, the feeling and the sights is next to none. Some people may not like it here. Some may even hate it. But as outsider on the inside, one could say I am Sacramento Proud.