More than just car insurance. GEICO can insure your motorcycle, ATV, and RV. And the GEICO Insurance Agency can help you fi nd homeowners, renters, boat insurance, and more! ® Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Homeowners, renters, boat and PWC coverages are written through non-affi liated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Government Employees Insurance Co. • GEICO General Insurance Co. • GEICO Indemnity Co. • GEICO Casualty Co. These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO: Washington, DC 20076. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2010. © 2010 GEICO Coast to Coast, Nation to Nation, BridgeStreet Worldwide No matter where business takes you, finding quality extended stay housing should never be an issue. That’s because there’s BridgeStreet. With thousands of fully furnished corporate apartments spanning the globe, BrideStreet provides you with everything you need, where you need it – from New York, Washington D.C., and Toronto to London, Paris, and everywhere else. Call BridgeStreet today and let us get to know what’s essential to your extended stay 1.800.B.SSTEET We’re also on the Global Distribution System (GDS) and adding cities all the time. Our GDS code is BK. Chek us out. WWW.BRIDGESTREET.COM WORLDWIDE 1.800.B.STREET (1.800.278.7338) ® UK 44.207.792.2222 FRANCE 33.142.94.1313 CANADA 1.800.667.8483 TTY/TTD (USA & CANADA) 1.888.428.0600 CORPORATE HOUSING MADE EASY ™ NEWMARKET SERVICES ublisher of 95 U.S. and 32 International Relocation Guides, NewMarket PServices, Inc., is proud to introduce our online version. Now you may easily access the same information you find in each one of our 127 Relocation Guides at www.NewMarketServices.com. In addition to the content of our 127 professional written City Relocation Guides, the NewMarket Web Site allows us to assist movers in more than 20 countries by encouraging you and your family to share your moving experiences in our NewMarket Web Site Forums. You may share numerous moving tips and information of interest to help others settle into their new location and ease the entire transition www.NewMarketServices.com process. We invite everyone to visit and add helpful information through our many available forums. Share with others your knowledge of your new location or perhaps your former location. If you ever need to research a city for any reason, from considering a move to just checking where somebody you know is staying, this is the site for you. NewMarket Services looks forward to cooperating with everyone to continually add to our base of City Specific Information along with our various moving topics to help many of the 40 million people who have the opportunity to relocate each year. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department to speak to a live representative if we can provide any assistance. Our toll free number is (866) 595-3792. Sacramento Information Guide [ 5 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE he NewMarket Services Information Guide is designed as a valuable resource Ttool for you, the newcomer to Sacramento. It is our intent in producing this publication to standardize important and helpful information on your new community in a format that is most useful to you. Stores and services are listed by category in the business directory. Important telephone numbers, Sacramento Welcomes You! packing and moving suggestions, and much, much more useful information is found throughout the Guide pages. Selected area businesses, many offering significant savingsare found in the Business Directory Section, sorted by category. The Guide can save you both time and money while providing you a continuous resource tool as you become more familiar with the metroplex. We do hope you find our Relocation Guide to be of assistance to you. If you do not find something you need, or if you have any suggestions for future issues of the Guide, please give us a call. We will be happy to assist in any way. (866) 595-3792 Toll Free From everyone at NewMarket Services Welcome to Sacramento! 6 ] Sacramento Information Guide www.newmarketservices.com Sacramento Information Guide [ Volume 11 [ Number 7 LOCAL INFORMATION The State of California 8 Area Codes, Important Phone Numbers 11 Travel Information 12 Weather 13 Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration 14 Voter Registration 11 About Sacramento 9, 15 Publisher: NewMarket Services, Inc. Historical Background 15 Where to Stay 17 President: Patrick Morgan Dining and Nightlife 18 Managing Editor: Rebecca Wallace Entertainment 19 Executive Editor: Jason Gerali Shopping 20 Recommended Tours 21 Contributing Writer: Amy Tennant Sports and Golf 24 Executive VP Sales & Marketing: Robert Fischer Media 25 Regional Sales Manager: Beth Hurley MOVING Art Department: Sprague Design Smooth Transitions 27 Graphic Designer: Dean Sprague Choosing a Moving Company 27 NewMarket On-Line: Total Web Design, Inc. Packing Tips 27 Staying Organized 28 IT and Web Development: Larry Bongiovi Settling Into Your New Home 28 Research Assistant: Stephanie Cooper, Lora Price What’s All the Talk About? 31 Circulation: Little Drummer Boy Dist., Inc. Pre-Move Checklist 32 Phoenix Office: MOVING WITH CHILDREN & PETS PO Box 30534 Reinforce the Positives 35 Phoenix, AZ 85046-0534 Choosing a School 35 Phone: (602) 923-3415 Selecting Child Care 37 Fax: (602) 923-0774 Education 38 Toll Free: (866) 595-3791 Relocating Your Pet 42 Chicago Office: FITNESS & HEALTH 902 North Ashland In the Kitchen 43 Chicago, IL 60622 Physical and Mental Well Being 44 Phone: (312) 226-6288 Volunteering 47 Fax: (312) 226-6290 Toll Free: (866) 595-3792 HOUSING Making the Right Choice 49 NewMarket currently publishes Information Guides for 95 North American and 32 Choosing the Right Home 51 International Markets. To order your Housing Options For Growing Active Adult Demographics 52 NewMarket Information Guides for $3.50 Home Inspection Checklist 54 each, please contact NewMarket Services Homecare Basics for New Homeowners 55 toll free at (866) 595-3792. Security 56 In preparing this publication, every effort Take Control of Your Energy Costs 57 has been made to assure the accuracy of Home Buyer’s Glossary 58 the information contained herein, but Who’s Who in Building 60 authenticity cannot be guaranteed. Listings are subject to omission, error or change Selecting a Builder 61 without notice. Selecting a Contractor 62 Banking & Mortgage Information 63 All material in this publication is copyright protected and can only be reprinted with permission of the publisher. BUSINESS DIRECTORY Business Directory Listings 67 Sacramento Information Guide [ 7 THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA European explorers first began contacting the region in the 16th century; the area was inhabited by a variety of Native American tribes. The coastal areas of the state were colonized by Spain beginning in 1769, but became a part of the Mexico in 1821 because of the Mexican War of Independence. It was part of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and then was ceded to the United States in the Mexican-American War, which ended in 1848. Reno The California Gold Rush of 1848-1849 brought about 90,000 Sacramento additional U.S. migrants to the state, and California became the Oakland 31st state of the Union in 1850. San Francisco Stockton NV The state’s major predominant industries include agriculture, Modesto entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also Silicon Valley the home of several significant economic regions such as Monterey Salinas Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Fresno Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine). California’s economy is the largest in the United States, and CA at $1.55 trillion, is larger than all but 7 countries. Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking it 12th in the nation. San Luis Obispo Las Vegas Bakersfield Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The climate along the coast is mild; cooler along Santa Barbara the central and northern coast. Southeastern California is arid Ventura County desert. Along the cost, the rainy season runs from October to April San Bernardino AZ in the north and from November to March or April in the south. Los Angeles Pacific Ocean Record temperaturs of a high 134 °F (56.6 °C at Death Valley on Orange County Riverside July 10, 1913 and a record low of -45° at Boca on January 20, 1937. Average yearly precipitation ranges from under 5 inches in south-east to 120+ in parts of the north-west. San Diego California levies a 9.3% maximum variable rate income tax, with Mexico 6 tax brackets and a 7.25% sales tax. he State of California covers the southern portion of the United States’ west coast. With a population of 37 million Fast Facts Tand an area of 158,402 square miles, California is the largest ESTIMATED POPULATION: 37,172,015 U.S. state in population and the third largest in area. LAND AREA: 158,302 sq mi California borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of COASTLINE: 840 miles Baja California to the south. The state has incredible geographic CAPITAL: Sacramento diversity. It has both the highest and lowest elevations in the STATE MOTTO: Eureka Continental US (within 100 miles of each other), an expansive central valley, tall mountains, arid deserts, and hundreds of miles of STATE NICKNAME: The Golden State coastline. Most major cities are at or near the Pacific coastline, LARGEST CITIES: Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Santa STATE SALES TAX: 7.5% Ana/Orange County, Riverside/Moreno Valley, San Bernardino and San Diego.