Goin Chico 2014

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C hi c o N e w s & R e v i e w

Which road to choose?

Take a tour through Chico’s ‘hoods

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GOIN’ CHICO 2014 4

CHICO STATE

Get the lay of the land on the university campus.

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—by KATHERINE GREEN

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SOUTH CAMPUS

Social life is always buzzing in this popular student neighborhood.

—by KATHERINE GREEN

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DOWNTOWN

Go straight to the center of the action.

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Take a break from downtown for some history, art, food and shady respite.

UPPER PARK

Let’s be good stewards of Chico’s wild side.

—by HOWARD HARDEE

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A local farmers’ market is at the heart of Chico’s most diverse neighborhood.

BARBER

See how this old company town turned funky, in a good way.

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MALL TOWN

It’s another world on the other side of the freeway.

—by KEN SMITH

Check out Chico’s busiest and (argueably) most fun green space.

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elcome to Chico! Upon first arrival, it may seem as though the student-centric evirons around Chico State are all there is to this college town—and admittedly, they make up a huge part of Chico’s identity—but there is so much more to the Chico experience that can be found by wandering a bit throughout its varying neighborhoods.

Each year, the Chico News & Review puts together this Goin’ Chico guide as an introduction for new college students to this new home of theirs, and this year, we’ve provided snapshots of the various Chico neighborhoods, each of which offers a different perspective of this eclectic little city. We tried to choose some of the most exciting ’hoods—obviously, we could not include them all—with a mixture of enough local flavors to give you a proper taste.

And, to encourage you to get out there, we’ve come up with a challenge (with prizes!) that will provide a nice introduction to what’s in store. See instructions on page 12 for more info.

As the school year progresses, be sure to pick up a copy of the free CN&R on Thursdays to stay connected to all the music, politics, arts, activism and fun happening in your new city. The alternative weekly is your most comprehensive community resource, and we are committed to shining a light on every corner of the city and sharing Chico’s stories with you.

Now, get out and explore your new town!

Goin’ Chico editor: Jason Cassidy CN&R editor: Melissa Daugherty Design: Tina Flynn and Sandy Peters Copy editing: Meredith J. Graham, Melissa Daugherty Advertising manager: Jamie DeGarmo Cover illustration: Ben Simonsen Copyright 2014 Chico Community Publishing Chico News & Review, 353 E. Second St., Chico CA 95928 530-894-2300 www.newsreview.com

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CHICO STATE The

First-Year Experience Program mentor helps freshmen get the lay of the land on campus de

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ou’re new to town, and hopefully you’re curious about what’s in store for you on the campus that will be your home base for the next few years— especially year one. Chico State junior Mathew Fukuhara is not that far removed from being in your position, and in his present capacity, working as a mentor for the First-Year Experience (FYE) program, he’s able to help newbies navigate the campus and get the most from the resources it provides.

FYE is dedicated to helping students with the transition to college life through peer mentoring, involvement in public events, internships and Chico State First-Year Experience Program mentor Mathew Fukuhara. even dedicated PHOTO BY KATHERINE GREEN courses such as Introduction to

University Life (UNIV 101) and Self, Identity and Sustainability (UNIV 105).

Fukuhara has been involved in FYE since he arrived, and is now a mentor with the program.

“Mainly we try to connect the campus with the community,” he said. “The most important key that first-year students can develop is a sense of place. As a freshman, there’s a period of liminality; it’s the idea that the identity that you have when who you are at home is far different from the identity that you’re going to create here. … Your perception of yourself is constantly changing, and you are developing every day. FYE seeks to provide students with the resources they need to feel successful.”

Fukuhara said one of his favorite public events that the program sponsors is

The WREC pool provides a much-needed oasis during the persistent valley heat.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WREC

4 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

Though the events are not heavily advertised, the semester-ending Open Studios student-art show cases—spread out among the many studios on both floors of Ayres Hall—make up one of the best art shows in Chico. Look for them Novem ber and April.

Chico State rose garden.

PHOTO BY KATHERINE GREEN

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Left: Student art work on display in Ayres Hall art studios during semesterculminating Open Studios event.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Above: Bidwell Bowl Amphitheatre, a quiet place to chill along Big Chico Creek.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

the Chico Great Debate, during which students get the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the community via a topical debate.

“The Great Debate is where I developed a lot of confidence in my own speaking ability, because as a freshman, you really don’t know how you’re going to be treated,” Fukuhara said. “You might be thinking you’re at the bottom of the barrel. But in reality, you

GOIN’ CHICO STATE Five must-visits on campus:

1. First Year Experience

Program, Meriam Library, room 171.

898-3705. www.csuchico.edu/fye.

2. The WREC: Wildcat Recreation Center is your own grown-up playground! It houses a massive twostory gym, plus an indoor track and basketball courts, an outdoor pool, and a rock-climbing wall. Students get in free with a Chico State ID, and visitors can purchase a one-day pass for $10. www.aschico.com/wrec 3. Online arts calendars: The

Department of Art and Art History hosts a list of rotating shows at the many university and student galleries on campus at www.csuchico.edu/art; the School of the Arts has a listing of all student and faculty theater, music and art events at www.schoolofthearts-csuchico.com/ calendar; and Chico Performances posts its schedule of visiting, world-class performing arts at www.chicoperformances.com.

4. Yes, there are campus kickball and dodgeball leagues. Sign up for these and other intramural sports at www.csuchico.edu/recsports.

5. All-gender bathrooms on the

should be thinking that ‘I have the most opportunity here to do whatever I’d like to do, and become whoever I want to be.’ The Great Debate is a great way to develop your voice on campus, and your voice in the community.”

When talking about other student resources on campus, Fukuhara pointed to the Associated Students and its various programs that offer a rich variety of options for students. “We are special in particular as a campus … because our AS is separate from the campus, so we actually own ourselves. We own our own business. … The revenue that comes through the bookstore is given back to us through other programs on campus.”

The Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) and Dining Services are two of the biggest examples of AS-owned and -operated entities.

Others include AS Recycling, Adventure Outings, Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) and the KCSC radio station.

Among the other campus features Fukuhara highlighted were the giant standing sculptures of the Monolith Project—titled “Green Space”—in the courtyard behind Ayres Hall, as well as a couple of sweet spots for stealing away for some quiet study or reflection.

“The [Bidwell Bowl] amphitheater located off the physical science building is a great quiet spot.

It’s not very trafficked; there aren’t many performances [on the stage] there. If you want a quiet place to work, or you want to read a book out in the open, that’s one good place to go,” he said. “There are a lot of places on campus where people never really go. Selvester’s [Café] is really underrated,” he added. “It’s another great place to study, to hang out with friends, [and] they have great coffee ● there.”

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• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 5

SOUTH CAMPUS

Student performers on the 100th Monkey Café & Books stage during a concert sponsored by Chico State’s School of the Arts (SOTA) production class.

Former Chico State AS president recounts living in the center of the action

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOTA PRODUCTIONS

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aypinderpal Virdee spent five years at Chico State, and this past May, on the eve of graduating with a degree in organizational communications, he reflected on his favorite Chico neighborhood.

“I pledged to my fraternity [Phi Delta Theta] back in the spring of 2010 … and that following semester after pledging and being initiated, I lived in the fraternity house for a year. I loved living south of campus. That was one of the best years, and the best places to live.”

The south campus neighborhood— from Second to Ninth Street, between Normal Avenue and Walnut Street—is largely Chico State grad and former AS President Jaypinderal Virdee. populated by students PHOTO BY KATHERINE GREEN living in apartments and

The Fifth Street house of Chico’s oldest fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau. PHOTO BY KATHERINE GREEN

the converted single-family homes of the area. And, of course, it’s also where you’ll find the majority of Chico State’s Greek houses. “There are five sorority houses, and a sixth one that should have a house next year. I think there are seven fraternities in the area, that I can count off the top of my head,” Virdee said.

Virdee has been involved in student government at Chico State for three years, serving as Associated Students president during the 2012-13 school year. Speaking with him at the end of the 2014 spring semester, he was looking forward to graduating and starting a new job with Hewlett Packard in the Sacramento area.

And as he leaves Chico for his new career, Virdee said that he owes a lot to his fraternity experience (“I’ve learned so much from this group of guys, and I would not be where I am today without them”), and to the community of students he was a part of while living in the fraternity house.

“Being young college students, it’s a little intimidating living in a city apartment with families next door. [Here], you’re housed with people all around your age; you’re all going through similar experiences in life, no matter who you are. It’s very easy to cultivate relationships and friendships out of that. I highly advise living on the

south side of campus for that reason. I’ve made some great friends out of just being a neighbor.”

And besides the friendships and his Greek experience, Virdee said the central location was the best feature of the southcampus neighborhood.

“Living there, it was my first year in student government, so if I forgot anything, I could just run home and back and I had no worries. I was two blocks from campus, and two blocks from downtown, which is amazing. If I wanted to go to the Thursday night farmers’ market, it was literally a hop, skip and a jump, and I was there. If I wanted to go get Starbucks, it was a five-minute walk out of my day. I wasn’t driving, or dealing with the hassle of parking. I couldn’t have loved it more.”

Though the neighborhood is flanked on its west and east sides by many local shops and restaurants within walking/biking distance—along Walnut Street and downtown, respectively—there is a de facto center square at the intersection of Fifth and Ivy streets (referred to as “Five & I”) where a few bars, restaurants and a convenience store cater to the typical student needs.

SOUTH CAMPUS continued on page 8

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6 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

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GOIN’ CHICO 2014 7

SOUTH CAMPUS continued from page 6

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The most iconic spots at Five & I are the excellent Mexican restaurant Tacos Mary, the family Italian eatery and great date spot Franky’s, and of course, one of Chico’s most popular weekend party destinations, the infamous Riley’s Bar & Grill.

More recently, a few additional flavors have been added to the neighborhood, with Kiwi Blast frozen yogurt, Serrano’s Mexican

GOIN’ SOUTH CAMPUS Five must-sees:

1. Empire Coffee: The hip train-car

Campus Transportation

coffee shop, 434 Orange St. www.empirecoffeechico.com

2. 100th Monkey Café & Books: Café, bookstore, classes, live music and poetry. 642 W. Fifth St. 3. Good eats and drinks at Fifth

& Ivy: All at the same intersection: Tacos Mary, Serrano’s Mexican Grill, Kiwi Blast frozen yogurt, Franky’s Italian food, 100th Monkey, Riley’s Bar & Grill.

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5. The field at Fourth and Cherry: a tree-lined block of grass perfect for games of catch and kicking the Hacky Sack.

Treasure-hunting in the massive Orange Street Consignment warehouse by the railroad tracks.

CN&R FILE PHOTO

Grill and 100th Monkey Café & Books filling out the block.

Virdee also commented on the area’s reputation on weekends, when the regular drinking and partying can make for pretty rowdy scenes at night. “People think that the south side of campus can be dangerous, but I think a lot of it is personal responsibility. As long as we’re responsible and we’re with a group of friends, nothing’s ever happened to us, which is a blessing.” And he pointed out that having things concentrated in one area has some safety advantages. “The bar scene is local, and I appreciate that,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about driving.”

As for other activities, Virdee mentioned a small park next door to the Newman Center for Catholic students on Cherry Street. “My roommates and I, we’re typical boy’s boys, so whenever it’s sunny outside, we just cruise over to Fourth and Cherry streets. There’s a field, and we toss a football, get ● some of our friends to play.”

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GOIN’ CHICO 2014 9

FILE NAME NORTHERN STAR MILLS

DOWNTOWN

Crowds line up at the food trucks during the downtown Thursday Night Market.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Getting to the center of the action Sherri Scott sells vegetable starts from the GRUB Cooperative farm at the Thursday Night Market.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

BY

MEREDITH J. GRAHAM meredithg@newsreview.com

A

large part of what makes Chico special is the bustling downtown core, with its restaurants, bars, boutiques, salons and entertainment venues that create a real energy at the heart of the city.

And with its location so close to the Chico State campus, downtown is a natural first stop for new and returning students and their families.

In a relatively small space— from First Street south to Fifth and Salem Street west to Wall—Chico’s downtown core offers a unique opportunity to see a lot of what the city has to offer. Few know

that better than Nicole Romain, membership services coordinator for the Downtown Chico Business Association.

The DCBA was created in 1976 and every business within the downtown borders, which actually expand to include the SoPO (South of the Post Office) neighborhood and some of the streets east of the core, is automatically a member. In her role, Romain is responsible for communicating with those members to help make sure not only that business is booming, but also that other needs—like employment, street cleanup and safety— are being met.

One thing that distinguishes Chico’s downtown from those of

Nicole Romain, membership coordinator for the Downtown Chico Business Association, poses in front of the Tres Hombres patio.

PHOTO BY MEREDITH J. GRAHAM

10 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

similar-sized cities and other college towns is that it’s mostly made up of locally owned businesses.

“We have a lot of mom-andpops downtown,” Romain said.

“We’re unique in that other downtowns have big-box anchors.”

Some of the long-standing local favorites include: Melody Records (selling actual vinyl records!); the two Main Street bookstores, Lyon Books and The Bookstore directly across the street; and several outdoor-recreation shops—including three geared toward bicycling—serving the active Chico community.

And Romain pointed to longtime local favorite Made in Chico as a prime example of how downtown’s shops cater more to people looking for something different than something you might find in a big corporate store.

“Made in Chico is really, really cool,” she said.

“You can get the gist of what they offer by the name. Everything in there is 100 percent made locally—there’s a lot of local art—and it’s very unique.” Other shops that similarly embrace that eclectic vibe are Home Ec, with its “oddly appealing home wares and gifts” and Bird in Hand, also the site of the National Yo-Yo Museum.

Clothing stores in the

LOCAL’S TIP Hunt for outdoor art. From murals of Chico’s founders, John and Annie Bidwell, to outdoor art galleries, downtown is a hotbed of artistic expression. Visit the city’s website at www.chico.ca.us and click “City Arts Program” on the dropdown menu to find a list of public art works as well as a map of 16 colorful public-art benches where you can take a load off and enjoy the downtown scenery. core have similar attitude, and range from the ultra-chic men’s store Formal Education to the laidback Trucker to the fashionably funky Bootleg, its Second street neighbor Konjo, and Boho in the Garden Walk mall.

A visit downtown isn’t complete without a stop in one of the many local cafés and restaurants. Naked Lounge Tea & Coffeehouse is a hotspot for students and hipsters alike, and Romain pointed to Sweet Cottage—which serves up pies by the slice or whole, along with all Nicole Romain tests out one of the cruisers lined up outside Campus Bicycles.

PHOTO BY MEREDITH J. GRAHAM

manner of house-made jams, juices and teas—as a nice new addition to the downtown landscape.

“One place I’d like to highlight is House of Bamboo,” Romain said of the Second Street restaurant that’s located just off the main drag. “They’ve got fantastic food, and there’s a fantastic family that runs the place. But most of the time it’s practically empty—it’s a real shame.”

Some restaurants, like the Banshee (which serves up some mean fish tacos and a mouthwatering mac and cheese), double as bars DOWNTOWN continued on page 13

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Chi co News & Revi ew

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GOIN’ CHICO 2014 11

?

E S I W T E RE T S O C I CH U O Y E R A

Take the Chico Landmark Challenge and win some prizes!

It’s simple. Just find the landmarks in Chico shown on our list, snap a selfie with you and each landmark and send them to us.

See page 25 for all the details Deadline: Sept. 12, 2014

12

GOIN’ CHICO 2014

•

Chico News & Review

Tres!

meeet at m

r students te meeting plaCe Fo a Favorito Campus! + it’s Close

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Vintage treasures on the racks at Bootleg.

DOWNTOWN continued from page 10

and add to the nightlife Chico is known for.

Duffy’s Tavern is probably downtown’s most local-centric bar, and is frequented by townies as well as the students who’ve made a local connection. Duffy’s is part of the busiest nightlife block in Chico, with the Lost on Main nightclub, its basement neighbor the DownLo (a great place to play pool!), and western bar the Crazy Horse all clustered together. The corner of Second and Wall streets—featuring The Beach, University Bar, VIP Ultra Lounge and Panama’s—is also a goto spot at night because of its four distinctly different clubs/bars on the same corner.

Entertainment doesn’t start and end in the bars, though, as downtown is also home to two large music venues that book touring rock, rap, indie and electronic artists (the El Rey and Senator theaters), a community theater showcasing contemporary and original plays (Blue Room Theatre) as well as regular community events like the Thursday Night Market (April-September) and Friday Night Concerts at City Plaza.

In addition to being downtown’s central gathering place, the City Plaza is also one of the main destination points for Chico’s homeless population. As Chico has grown, so have its social problems, and homelessness is one that the DCBA and others in Chico are

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

working to improve. The Generosity Campaign, launched in 2013, encourages people to give to local agencies that help the homeless rather than giving directly to them.

“You can drop off a tube of toothpaste, or cash, or you can volunteer” at a local agency, Romain said. “But don’t give anything to the people in the streets—it just prolongs their street life. The goal is not to drive the homeless out of downtown, but to get them what they need in terms of housing and jobs.”

As unsavory as some of the aspects connected to homelessness (or nightlife rowdiness for that matter) can be, when it comes down to it, the homeless are citizens like the rest of us. And they contribute to the hip, upbeat and kinda funky vibe as much as all the townies, students, professors, baristas, hippies, hipsters, bar-hoppers, business owners and clerks who ● populate the downtown core.

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1st & Broadway | downtown ChiCo | 530.342.0425

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A random downtown street performer.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

GOIN’ DOWNTOWN Five must-sees:

1. Thursday Night Market: Held every

Thursday evening, from April through September.

2. The Banshee: Great for lunch or dinner,

serving craft beers, wines and spirits. 134 W. Second St.

3. House of Rice: Specializes in food, décor

Park Plaza ChiCo 680 Mangrove ave 530-893-0808

Pheasant run Plaza ChiCo 2009 Forest ave 530-893-2727

and other Asian-themed items. 338 Broadway.

4. Upper Crust Bakery & Eatery: Delicious baked goods—and lunches, too. 130 Main St.

5. Tres Hombres Long Bar & Grill: A local (and student) favorite, known for its taco bar, margaritas and outdoor patio. 100 Broadway.

m–f 9–8 | sat 9–7 | sun 10–5 Check out ChicoSupercuts on facebook to receive a $3 off coupon Chico News & Review

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 13

THE AVENUES Take a break from downtown for some history, art, food and shady respite M

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Bidwell Mansion, the home of Chico founders John and Annie Bidwell, was built in 1865.

jasonc@newsreview.com

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

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California State University Chico

I

t’s often said that downtown is the heart of Chico. And it’s true; it’s where the community most often comes together. But everyone who comes to shop, eat and be entertained in our city center enters via roads leading from other parts of town and each of those arteries carries distinct lifebloods.

There are students from the west, townies from the south, and the stream of rejuvenated natureseekers returning from Bidwell Park in the east, all mixing together in the downtown heart.

The warm glow of Avenue 9 Gallery at night is a magnet for the neighborhood.

PHOTO BY BILL DI GRAZIA

“It’s not going to beat unless it has flow,” said local painter and retired Chico State professor Maria Phillips. “Downtown is wonderful, but there is more to Chico than that.” The analogy of blood flowing to Chico’s heart is Phillips’, and as one of the founders of the Avenue 9 Gallery—located on Ninth Avenue, right in the heart of the Avenues neighborhood—she’s one of the people who contributes to the eclectic personality it pumps into Chico from the north. And the arts advocate is very passionate about her ‘hood, and never at a loss to explain its romance and appeal to would-be visitors.

“There’s this memory of the past, and yet it’s got this current, contemporary meaning to it—you might call it a ‘vibe,’” she said, referring to the blend of old and new attractions along The Esplanade. Among the old are the 116-year-old Northern Star Mills feed store at the south end (510 Esplanade) and the iconic Big Al’s Drive In near the north end (1844

Esplanade). And behind the gallery, Phillips pointed to the old Matador Hotel, looking like a 1950s postcard with its palm trees and Mediterranean-inspired design.

Added to the mix are the more recent residents bringing new life to the area. There’s Avenue 9 Gallery and its rotating exhibits of local and visiting artists, and Ambiance Antiques and Art next door, plus a smattering of noteworthy local restaurants along The Esplanade: Red Tavern (1250), Nash’s Restaurant (1717), Turandot North China Gourmet Cuisine (1851), and many other great spots (Farm Star Pizza, Wild Oak Café and Sin of Cortez) north of the Avenues proper.

And The Esplanade, the road that takes you through the Avenues, is itself a destination.

“We start out downtown with museum row,” said Phillips, referring to the trio of main attractions at the beginning of The Esplanade—the historic Bidwell Mansion built

by Chico’s founding father, John Bidwell; its fairly new neighbor, the Gateway Science Museum; and the future home of the Museum of Northern California Art (monca), the old Veterans Memorial Hall, a couple blocks up the road. “Then you come up to this fabulous boulevard.”

After Bidwell Park, The Esplanade is probably the most scenic drive in Chico. The wide tree-lined boulevard is one of the main arteries running through town, with two lanes of regular traffic moving each way through its middle section, and bikes and the occasional

Maria Phillips, painter, retired art professor and co-owner of Avenue 9 Gallery.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

14 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

LOCAL’S TIP

- STUDENTS SAVE IN EVERY DEPARMENT -

Art at the Matador: The annual spring arts celebration (usually the second weekend of May) is hosted by the Chico Visual Arts Alliance (ChiVAA) and fea tures a range of arts activities on the grounds with individual artist galleries in each of the rooms of the old Matador Hotel, 1934 Esplanade. www.chivaa.org/art-at-the-matador

BEER & WINE OVER 250 VARIETIES

Big Al’s Drive In is a Chico classic, the perfect spot to stop during a lazy ride down The Esplanade to grab a milk shake, corn dog or soft serve on a cone.

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PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

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Uptown Style Close to Campus

Just off The Esplanade, in the front half of Jamie Musser’s Ninth Avenue home, Lovene’s has been offering second-hand and upcycled clothing for nearly 40 years.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Happy Hour every day 2-6 Small plates/House wine $3.50

car rolling along the sleepy one-way side roads. In addition to the gorgeous canopy of neatly spaced trees, the storybook scene along The Esplanade is enhanced by some of Chico’s oldest, biggest and most beautiful homes lining its side streets.

The Esplanade was even featured among the grand boulevards of Paris and Barcelona in The Boulevard Book, written in 2002 by a trio of urban planners who opened with a snapshot of the “wonderful street in Chico, California.”

“One can imagine taking a walk here on a summer evening, with or without an ice cream cone.”

The authors likely didn’t take any strolls from June to August in Chico, or else there would’ve been no question—you’ll need that ice cream. Just stop along the way at Big Al’s for a soft serve or one of their famous “triple● thick” shakes.

GOOD AT CHICO GROCERY OUTLET ONLY

House liqueur $3.50 Sierra Nevada Draft $3.00

GOIN’ DOWN THE AVENUES Five must-sees:

1. Bidwell Mansion, 525 Esplanade (next to Chico State), www.facebook.com/ BidwellMansionSHP

2. Avenue 9 Gallery, 180 E. Ninth Ave., www.avenue9gallery.com 3. Big Al’s Drive In, 1844 Esplanade 4. Lovene’s Clothing: Vintage and upcycled threads. 252 E. Ninth Ave.

pagne Cham Sat & h Brunc 10-2 Sun

5. Gateway Science Museum: Ice-age

skeletons, mini ecosystems, and rotating exhibits on science and nature, 625 Esplanade. www.csuchico.edu/gateway

Chico News & Review

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 15

GOIN’ LOWER PARK Five must-sees:

1. The Polar Bear Plunge: Every New

Year’s Day, hundreds of brave Chicoans take a dip in Sycamore Pool.

2. Endangered Species Faire: Butte Environmental Council’s annual event celebrating native plants and animals is held in May.

Chico’s busiest and ( arguably ) most fun green space

3. Janeece Webb Living Animal

Museum: Meet the Chico Creek Nature Center’s nonreleasable animal friends, including a red-tail hawk.

4. Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall:

Exhibits on the park’s natural wonders are on display—at the Chico Creek Nature Center.

Entrance to Annie’s Glenn.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

5. Cedar Grove: A beautiful meadow with picnic areas surrounded by cedars and the World of Trees Nature Trail.

One of Ann Schwab’s favorite spots in Lower Park is Sycamore Pool at One-Mile Recreation Area.

The pool is a magnet during Chico’s long, hot summers.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

PHOTO BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY

CHICO STATE CAMPUS

LOWER PARK BY

MELISSA DAUGHERTY melissad@newsreview.com

G

etting to Lower Bidwell Park from Chico State is as simple as following Big Chico Creek, the waterway running directly through the campus. And getting there is easier and safer than ever, thanks to some infrastructure improvements over the last few years.

Chico City Councilwoman Ann Schwab, who was elected back in 2004, pointed many of them out during a walk from the edge of downtown into the heart of Lower Park on a warm late-spring afternoon. She started at the entrance to Annie’s Glen, an isolated area of the park that serves as its westernmost entry point.

Schwab mentors volunteers as part of her job as program manager at Community Action Volunteers in 16 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

Education (CAVE)—an Associated Students couple, who deeded 2,500 acres of the organization at Chico State—so it’s not surpris- park’s 3,670 acres to the city.

The horseshoe pits are ing she put in a plug for giving time back to “They were contemporaries of John located at the west side of the park. She was among a group from the Muir and other naturalists, and they saw One-Mile Recreation Area.

PHOTO BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY Friends of Bidwell Park that cleaned up Annie’s it as very special and wanted to keep it Glen—by pulling out invasive plants, such as open and accessible to everyone,” Himalayan blackberry—for the park’s 100th Schwab said. “[Donating the land] is anniversary back in 2005 (native species have something they had decided together.” the Council Fire Ring; in addition to picnic and since been planted there). People can also volToday, one would be hard-pressed to find barbecue areas that the public can reserve for unteer through the city’s Park Watch program. someone who appreciates Lower Park more private parties. Among the park’s more spectacIn 2009, the city constructed a tunnel than Schwab. She lives adjacent to it, and ular features are its giant oak and sycamore under the street that separated Annie’s Glen takes full advantage of that proximity on a trees flanking the pool. The canopy of Lower from the rest of the park. A few years later, the daily basis. “I kind of think of it as filling up Park provides a shady respite this time of year, tunnel was covered in nature-themed handmy soul,” said Schwab, who moved here for col- as does the creek. made tiles. Further transforming the area was lege in 1975.

Lower Park in general is a high-use recrethe installation of a pedestrian bridge crossing She walks the park ational space. Paved and dirt trails for walking the creek as well as ornate light standards and each morning, along and biking run its length. Horseback riding is a new pathway. Before that, the area had with the many allowed on some of the easternmost trails. become a magnet for tranother regulars, Park-goers can learn more about the space, sients who set up makeshift and during the including the native species inhabiting it, at camps along the creek. The warmest the nonprofit Chico Creek Nature Center, the greenway is an active thorevenings of the park’s official visitor’s center, located at 1968 E. oughfare for bicyclists and year, cools off in Eighth St. Take a dip in Sycamore Pool pedestrians. the chilly waters of Even though this lower section of the park The namesake of the Sycamore Pool, the is heavily used, Schwab has seen a lot of at dusk. I t’s less crowded area, Annie Bidwell, was the large pool built into the wildlife in the space, such as deer and turkeys. and much more peaceful in wife of Chico founder John creek.

That spot is located She’s seen some oddball things, too, including the evenings. For relief from Bidwell. The greater park, at the One-Mile Recreation someone walking their pet sheep, named Salt the daytime heat, walk the which comprises three disArea—home to softball and Pepper, she recalled. She noted that each trails closest to the creek tinct regions—Lower Park, fields; horseshoe pits; Caper stroll brings new discoveries. to scope out the best Middle Park and Upper Acres, a fairytale-themed “A walk in the park is always an adventure,” Park—is named after the children’s playground; and ● Schwab said. swimming holes.

LOCAL’S TIP

UPPER PARK

A view of Salmon Hole from the cliffs above Big Chico Creek.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

A summer flight off the remnants of the Diversion Dam in Big Chico Creek.

PHOTO BY HOWARD HARDEE

LOCAL’S TIP Sweet swimming spot: Leave Yahi Trail at Devil’s Kitchen (a series of pillar-like Lovejoy-basalt rocks popular with rock climbers), and make your way down to the creek. Be mindful of the poison oak lining the overgrown trail. Unlike many of Upper Park’s swimming holes, this spot has a sandy beach, and it’s not visible from the trail. So, be ready for nudists. Visit www.bidwellpark.org to download maps of Bidwell Park trails.

Bidwell Park Ranger Shane Romain.

PHOTO BY HOWARD HARDEE

Park ranger urges users to take care while enjoying Chico’s wild space BY

HOWARD HARDEE howardh@newsreview.com

“T

his is what I love about the park,” Senior Chico Park Ranger Shane Romain said during an interview at Horseshoe Lake in Upper Bidwell Park. He was gesturing to a great blue heron slowly stalking through the reeds along the shoreline as a red-winged blackbird attempted to light on its tail feathers. “You never know what you’ll see out here.”

Romain has an obvious connection to Bidwell Park. At a sprawling 3,670 acres, the bulk of the park’s area is contained in Upper Park—a mix of incredible rock formations, swimming holes, abandoned New Deal-era projects and windswept grasslands. The ranger lingers over what others might not give a second glance—a patch of pineapple weed on the trail, a recently hatched duckling’s broken egg shells, a bird hitching a ride on another bird’s behind. In short, Romain stops to smell the wildflowers, and he thinks everybody else should, too.

“When a lot of people visit Upper Park, they don’t take the time to appreciate everything that’s here,” he said. “People go to Bear Hole to jump and swim and have a good

time, and that’s great. But the geological forces that created that area are so amazing. If people took a minute to appreciate those things, I think that would foster greater stewardship.”

Plenty of college students can relate to Romain’s first Chico experience. After floating the Sacramento River one Labor Day weekend with his girlfriend, he was so impressed that he returned to his home in the Bay Area and told his roommates he was moving to Chico. “I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

Once Romain made the move, he began pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming a park ranger. “I’ve wanted to be a ranger ever since I was a little kid,” he said. “I would set up my stuffed animals and lead my parents on wildlife safaris.” He completed his general education requirements at Butte College and transferred to Chico State to earn a degree in parks and natural resources management. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by the city of Chico.

In the seven years since, the rangers have been chronically understaffed, Romain said. He’s one of only three park rangers employed by the city, including one seasonal position. They’re responsible not only for Bidwell Park in its entirety, but also Lindo Channel, Children’s Playground, Comanche and Little Chico creeks and Chico’s downtown City Plaza. With only one ranger on shift at a time, and so much ground to

GOIN’ UPPER PARK Five must-sees:

1. Monkey Face/Horseshoe Lake: The iconic rock face overlooks Horseshoe Lake, the starting point for most Upper Park adventures.

2. Hooker Oak Recreation Area: Technically in Middle Park, this green space has barbecues, a basketball court, baseball and softball fields and the Sherwood Forest disc-golf mini course.

3. South Rim Trail: Along the edge of the canyon on the south side of Big Chico Creek; popular with serious mountain bikers.

4. Yahi Trail: A more shady trail that begins near Horseshoe Lake and follows Big Chico Creek upstream for 4 miles, providing access to the popular swimming spots: Alligator, Bear, Salmon and Brown’s holes.

5. Peregrine Point disc-golf

course: An 18-hole course on the southern rim of the canyon off Highway 32.

cover, an enforcement presence in Upper Park is rare. In other words, upkeep relies heavily on user stewardship.

As such, Romain urges hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders to stay on designated trails and be mindful of closures due to rain, which help prevent erosion. Of late, the rangers have increasingly encountered rogue trail-building, where overzealous park-goers cut back vegetation to forge new paths.

“We depend on the public to get involved, to report those things and let people know it’s not cool to do that,” he said.

There certainly isn’t a shortage of existing trails. There are a dozen major trails and many minor, unnamed ones. Those along Big Chico Creek in Upper Park are the most scenic and diverse, though the entire park is worth exploring.

Romain’s personal favorite is the Yahi Trail, which offers spectacular views along Big Chico Creek. The Yahi is off-limits to mountain bikers and horseback riders and is maintained by the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society. “There’s an overlook over the Salmon Hole that’s just beautiful,” Romain said. “That’s a must-see.”

So, what’s his best advice for first-time park users?

“Be respectful,” he said. “Follow the regulations—they’re there to keep you safe—and be mindful of where you’re at and what you’re ● doing.”

Chico News & Review

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 17

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Touring the colorful (and tasty) west-side hood with a longtime resident

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The no-nonsense façade of Everyday Vietnamese Cuisine belies the colorful dishes of affordable cuisine inside.

BY

KEN SMITH

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

kens@newsreview.com Longtime Nor-Sac area resident Tim “Turtle” Bailey settles into a bowl of pho.

PHOTO BY KEN SMITH

T

he intersection of Nord and West Sacramento avenues is visible from the front door of Tim Bailey’s Columbus Avenue apartment, which also offers a vantage point for a constantly unfolding production of human drama provided by a never-ending cast of passing college students, transients, weirdos, working folk and shifty characters.

“The other day I was out here having a cigarette and a guy came cruising along playing a flute,” said Bailey, a Chico musician and man-about-town better known by the nickname Turtle.

“So I went upstairs and grabbed a ukulele and we had a little impromptu jam session.

“Later on I found a note on the door saying thanks for playing some music and that he’d lost his walking stick. So

The Dog House is at the center of the action in the parking lot of the University Square Shopping Center.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

18 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

if you see a walking stick … ” he joked as we Pizza in University Square (“The sandwiches are left his apartment on a tour of the neighboramazing, especially The Italian, and the guy hood, Turtle leading the way on a longboard who runs it is a Chicago Bears fan”) and while another friend and I followed on bikes.

Sophia’s Authentic Thai, located just Our first destination was the recently opened south (305 Nord Ave.). He also loves Everyday Vietnamese Cuisine (951 Nord Ave.).

Donut Rising in University Square, par“I’ve been here a few times and think it’s ticularly the bacon-and-maple Oh Canathe best pho on this side of town,” he said, da bars, and said most of the restauslurping away at a giant bowl of chicken noodle rants in the vicinity are worth a visit. soup ($6.95) as he related how he came to “It’s not just food, but there’s some Chico and the time he’s spent in the Nor-Sac really interesting shopping … like a neighborhood. really great home-brewing supply store In the year 2000, Turtle was a bona fide rail- just down the street [Chico Home Brew way tramp who—realizing he didn’t have time Shop, 1570 Nord Ave.]. The Thai place to reach New Orleans to meet his other hobo [Sophia’s, 305 Nord Ave.] is next to the Red friends for Halloween—decided Chico was a Room Tattoo [231 Nord Ave.] and there’re a suitable backup. He’s been in Chico since and bunch of smoke shops around, too.” spent about six years total in this neighbor“There’s really not much night life in this hood—his first local home a different apartment on Columbus Avenue. For him, A typical fun, hectic night of punk rock at Monstros Pizza. the main attractions for this PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY area geared toward college students and other lowincome residents are the cheap rent and the central location—near the university, downtown and an eclectic cluster of restaurants.

“The food in this neighborhood is incredible,” he said of the many restaurants centered around the Safeway/University Square shopping center (1008 W. Sacramento). “Within a few hundred yards you can get excellent food from all over the world—Italian, Mexican, all kinds of Asian food, everything.”

Listing his favorites, Turtle mentioned Mamma Celeste’s

Donut Rising’s Oh Canada bar … comes with bacon!

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Local Goodness

Let us Make

YOu HappY With the Best Chinese

LOCAL’S TIP Though it’s hard to tell through all the modern apartment complexes, much of this historic part of town was home to the Mechoopda Maidu Indian Rancheria and some of Chico founder John Bidwell’s earliest orchards. The last remnants of these are a tribal cemetery at 808 W. Sacramento Ave. and many century-old pecan and walnut trees scattered throughout the neighborhood. The cemetery is fenced in and best appreciated from outside the gates, because everyone knows it’s a bad idea to go tromping around Native American burial grounds uninvited. part of town, though—no bars really,” he said. “There’s a hookah place right over there [The Hookah Spot, 995 Nord Ave. Ste. 150], but I’ve never been there because I don’t smoke hookah. Other than that, Aca Taco and Subway [both in the University Square] are open after the bars close, so you get a lot of drunk people in there late at night and it can be entertaining.”

Elvira welcomes the neighborhood to Tony’s Liquor.

Turtle said the exception to the lack of nightlife is when Monstros Pizza (628 W. Sacramento Ave.) holds concerts a few times a month. A fixture in the local music scene who’s been in notable punk bands, such as Gruk and Disorderly Event, Turtle has enjoyed the sawdust-on-floor pizza-and-punk palace from both sides of the stage.

“It’s the only all-ages venue that has withstood the test of time, and they have great shows, mostly punk and metal bands,” he

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

said. Turtle also believes that Monstros has the best pizza in town (he especially praised the tomato sauce) and serves cheap beers, including the rare-for-Chico bottled Schlitz and the nonofficial official beer of punk rock, Pabst Blue Ribbon.

As we headed west toward Monstros, a man, whose name our guide couldn’t recall, paused to say, “Hey, Turtle!” as we crossed the railroad tracks. The tracks inspired Turtle to reveal some of the darker parts of the human drama he’s seen from his stoop.

“Just a few months ago a guy was involved in a gunfight over here, then got hit by a train while he was running away,” he said.

“The neighborhood can be a little rough, so people should always be a little careful.”

Monstros was closed that weeknight, so we grabbed a take-out nightcap at the nearby Tony’s Liquor (634 W. Sacramento Ave.), another area landmark. “See ya, Blondie,” the Eastern European man at the counter told Turtle as we left, to which he responded, “See ya, Smiley.”

“He’s on a first nickname basis with lots of regular customers,” ● Turtle explained.

GOIN’ SOUTH CAMPUS Five must-sees:

1. The Dog House (West): Try a

killer Western Bacon Cheese Dog or Frito Pie washed down with top-notch lemonade, University Square shopping center, 1008 W. Sacramento Ave., www.chicodoghouse.com

The diverse student- and lowincome-housing neighborhood of Nor-Sac straddles the train tracks on the west side of town.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

2. La Fleur de Michoacan: Exceptional homemade Mexican ice cream in exotic flavors, University Square shopping center, 1008 W. Sacramento Ave. 3. Super cheap eats: Warner

Street Grocery has some of the cheapest quick bites in town, like a Polish sausage and huge soda for under $3, 1147 Warner St.

4. Star-gazing: Between the Chico

High and Chico State athletic fields along West Sac, there is plenty of open area without lights and trees obstructing the view of the night sky for staring into space … or other latenight activities.

5. Punk rock and sawdust: Kick up some sawdust on the floor of Monstros Pizza at one of the Pyrate Punx-produced all-ages punk shows, 628 W. Sacramento Ave., www.chicolist.com

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Chico News & Review

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 19 08

Check off after proofing:

08

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Works from the spring 2014 members’ exhibit at 1078 Gallery.

JASON CASSIDY

jasonc@newsreview.com

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f a neighborhood is going to get labeled with a nickname like SoPO, it had better have a scene that lives up to its hip-sounding moniker. An acronym for South of the Post Office—the heart of which encompasses Main and Broadway streets from Fifth to Ninth Street—the four-block-long area is a much less partyfocused extension of the downtown core, and is in fact home to some of Chico’s more stylish local businesses: the Winchester Goose craft-beer bar, Three-Sixty Ecotique, Nantucket Home eclectic home furnishings, Tin Roof Bakery & Café, Chico Natural Foods Co-op, Leon Bistro, 1078 Gallery, among others.

“I think this is kind of the alternative nightlife spot,” said Josh Hegg. And he would know. Not only is he the music director for the 1078 Gallery, he’s also one of the busiest performers and producers in Chico.

Hegg moved to town from the San Diego area in 2008 to study music at Chico State, and since arriving has made a name for himself in two of Chico’s most popular bands—prog experimenters Clouds on Strings and jazz quartet Bogg—and as one of the producers in Uncle Dad’s Arts Collective, which puts on its own original theater, music and other performing-arts productions at the 1078 Gallery as well other local venues.

The Uncle Dad’s fun is just one small part of the busy schedule of “contemporary and experimental artworks” that 1078 Gallery has been bringing to Chico audiences in its 33 years (the past eight of which have been in its current SoPO location). Most weeks, in addition to the regular visual-art shows, the gallery’s calendar features at least one concert by local and touring indie-rock, folk, metal, experimental or jazz artists, plus poetry readings, films, theater performances and art workshops.

And lately, just a couple doors down from 1078, the most recent addition to the SoPO scene, the fresh and funky Winchester Goose has added a new burst of energy to the neighborhood. With its stylish space, and meticulously curated selection of rotating craft beers, the Goose has quickly become a local hotspot.

And on the nights when 1078 is hosting an event, the two block mates are a natural complement to one another.

20 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

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“I think we kind of help each other,” Hegg said. “I think this area is livening up.”

Among the SoPO destinations bustling throughout the day are the Tin Roof Bakery & Café, with its delicate pastries and arguably the best bread in Chico; Leon Bistro, where California Culinary Academy-trained chef Ann Leon serves up some of Chico’s finest cuisine; and Chico Natural Foods Co-op, which is committed to natural, organic and locally sourced food and produce and also serves as a busy hub for Chico’s progressive community—many of whom do good work via the Chico Peace & Justice Center a few blocks away.

But, despite its attractive features, it’s sometimes a hard sell getting new students to venture down to SoPO. Hegg said that, given that Chico is a smaller city than many of those from which students have moved, there is often a perception by newcomers that the local offerings are going to be less sophisticated, and even amateur, in comparison. As a result, a lot of students tend to stick close to the school, falling into the well-worn party-school groove.

“There’s a lot of pressure to go out to all

GOIN’ SOPO Five must-sees: Chico musician and promoter Josh Hegg sits outside the 1078 Gallery, where he serves as musical director.

1. 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway, www.1078gallery.org

2. Chico Natural Foods Co-op, 818 Main St., www.chiconatural.com

3. Winchester Goose, 800 Broadway, www.thewinchestergoose.com

4. Tin Roof Bakery & Café, 627 Broadway, www.facebook.com/tinroofbakery

5. Pullins Cyclery: Selling and working on Chico’s bikes for nearly 100 years. 801 Main St., www.pullinschico.com

LOCAL’S TIP Open Mic Night at Has Beans, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m. It’s barely in SoPo (501 Main St. ), but the funky little café and its extremely popular weekly open mic definitely lean away from the party scene and more toward the eclectic expressiveness of its southern neighbors.

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But for those who do venture out of the college bubble and check out a local rock show, community-theater performance or an art opening, they come to find that Chico has something of value to offer.

“It’s not refrigerator art,” Hegg said. “We have a good network of locals or transplants [not only] making real neat art, but also collaborating, crossing boundaries and stuff.”

And in many ways, the SoPO area is the ideal

Chico Natural Foods Co-op produce worker (and local astrologist) Kevin “Koz McKev” Durkin.

destination for adventurers interested in exploring what makes Chico move, whether its local art and music, artisan food, fashion, sustainability or community activism.

“I think of Chico as the sandbox,” Hegg added, suggesting that there is room for anyone with a little curiosity to jump in and play along. “You can do pretty much ● anything you want.”

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• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 21

CHAPMANTOWN mb

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Getting to the heart of Chico’s most diverse neighborhood

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Don’t miss Kite Day, the first weekend of spring, when all of Chico, kids and adults alike, descend on Community Park to fly their colorful kites.

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very Friday afternoon, rain or shine, many Chapmantown residents walk down to the end of Cleveland Avenue, to the edge of the massive Community Park, to visit the Chapmantown Farmers’ Market. “We have all sorts of vendors and it’s growing,” said market manager Lindsey Holmberg. Some of the vendors, like the Maker’s Garden of Second Baptist Church, and brand-new vendor Amberglen Farm, are actually growing their vegetables, herbs and plant starts in Chapmantown.

It’s a true community market.

A native Chicoan, Holmberg first got into farming in Oregon after college, but soon made her way back home, where she found a work-trade position at GRUB CSA Farm. She’s lived on and off in Chapmantown for the last three years, and during that time, she worked as market support staff for Richard Roth,

Chapmantown resident and founder and manager of the neighborhood’s market until he retired this year.

“Richard Roth is really a champion of Chapmantown,” Holmberg said. “[He] commited himself for five years to the market and finally retired, though [he’s] still active in sustainable-farming advocacy.”

Holmberg is organizing some of the community’s upcoming programs, like the monthly healthy-eating events, and is hopChapman Certified Farmers’ Market manager Lindsey Holmberg.

Market manager Lindsey Holmberg prepares for the weekly Friday afternoon community market in Chapmantown.

There’s plenty of room at the expansive Community Park for several sports—from softball to soccer—to be played simultaneously.

ing to institute an EBT-matching program over the summer. “I think it’s important to reach the diverse community,” Holmberg said, noting that the Chapman neighborhood has both ethnic and economic diversity, with 64 percent of its residents living in poverty.

The community, Holmberg says, qualifies as a food desert, a place where most residents have barriers to obtaining fresh food, as the neighborhood doesn’t have a grocery store.

The market, then, offers a place in the community where residents can walk to get fresh produce.

Chapmantown also lacks some amenities that other parts of town are used to, like sidewalks, street lamps and city police officers. That’s because Chapmantown is not technically Chico; it’s unincorporated land surrounded on all sides by Chico.

(Some things are slowly changing, as many parts are now linking up to city sewer, for example.) The borders are generally agreed to be from

CHAPMANTOWN

22 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

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Humboldt Road (or perhaps Ninth Street, depending on whom you ask) to 20th Street, and from Highway 99 down to Mulberry Street (or all the way down to Park Avenue, for some). This little island of not-Chico, generally considered the most working-class, diverse neighborhood in town, is famous for its boisterous crowing roosters, its roaming chihuahuas and the occasional pit bull, and its residents’ commitment to their neighborhood and its many quirks.

Within its nebulous borders, Chapmantown offers plenty to do.

“I like going to Has Beans on Humboldt Avenue,” Holberg said.

“It’s the gathering place for the neighborhood.” Coffee sippers can also check out the books at the Little Library, a book exchange that is set up right next to the cafe. Chapmantown hosts a number of Little Libraries, including one outside of Subud Hall, a funky little community hall that hosts classes like Dance of Universal Peace.

Down the street from Has Beans, on the very edge of Chapmantown, is popular restaurant

GO CHAPMANTOWN Five must-sees:

1. Chapmantown Farmers’

Market, 1010 Cleveland Ave. Fridays 2-5:30 p.m., year-round, rain or shine.

2. Has Beans, 1078 Humboldt Ave., www.hasbeans.com 3. Café Coda, 265 Humboldt Ave., www.cafecoda.com

4. Chico Locker & Sausage Co., 196 E. 14th St., www.chicolockersausage.com

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and music venue Café Coda, with a line out the door most weekend mornings for brunch. Eight hours later, the line reforms, this time for its vibrant live music events.

Just a few doors down is Humboldt Skate Park, although it’s occasionally closed due to vandalism.

Community Park, also often called 20th Street Park, isn’t just home to the farmers’ market; it’s also popular for pickup sports, including soccer and spikeball. The volleyball courts are almost as crowded as the soccer fields on the weekends. The park also has a playground, tennis courts and horseshoes. Holmberg sees a wide variety of parkgoers, saying “during summertime, what I think is really great, is that in the evening people will just flood into Community Park: old men playing chess, kids playing soccer and baseball …”

If the weather isn’t cooperating, Off the Wall Soccer provides indoor soccer on 20th Street, right across the street from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., whose brewing grains can often be smelled across Chapmantown.

On the opposite side of the neighborhood, at the corner of Locust and 14th streets (near Park Avenue) is Chico Locker & Sausage Co., where meat lovers drool over house-made sausages and a fullservice deli. And across the street is the huge family-run Show Love Thrift, this author’s favorite thrift store in town. Their piles of freebies bring in the hordes, but the real draws are their great daily specials, good quality stuff, and their honest interest in helping the community. A sign in their dressing room sets the tone: “We care about your karma. Please don’t steal. If you really need it, ● just ask.”

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GOIN’ CHICO 2014 25

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26 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

BARBER Old company town turns funky—in good way ol

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Local experimental jazz quartet Bogg sets a lively mood at popular Barber watering hole, the Maltese Bar & Tap Room.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

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he Barber neighborhood sits in southwest Chico bordered by Ninth and 22nd streets between Park Avenue and Chestnut Street.

Barber developed as a company town serving the Diamond Match Co. factory, which was built in 1906 and still stands (in semi-ruin) on a large piece of land on the west side of the neighborhood. The factory got its start when a man named Ohio Columbus “O.C.” Barber was passing through Chico on the train and a member of his party fell ill.

As it happened, Barber and his buddies had come to California in search of trees to supply the match company he’d built in the town he’d founded called Barberton, Ohio.

The story goes that Barber exited the train, looked around, saw all the trees and figured, “These will do.” He subsequently built a sawmill in an area 12 miles north of Paradise where he founded the town of Stirling City, named after the boiler company he owned

Barber neighborhood resident Roger Montalbano stands in front of his Normal Avenue home.

PHOTO BY TOM GASCOYNE

Old-growth trees shade much of the Barber neighborhood.

PHOTO BY TOM GASCOYNE

back in Ohio.

The Barber neighborhood eventually was absorbed into the city of Chico and the match company stopped operations in 1984. Today the neighborhood is made up of mostly older homes interspersed with some newer apartments and a number of restaurants, bars and stores along Park Avenue and some of the streets that intersect with it. The neighborhood is also defined by the many towering palm, sycamore and pine trees that line the streets.

Roger Montalbano, part-owner of two of Chico’s iconic businesses, Duffy’s Tavern and the

Pageant Theatre, has lived in the Barber neighborhood for almost 40 years.

“I love this neighborhood,” Montalbano said during a recent interview. “I don’t think I’d want to live anyplace else in Chico. It’s got enough young people in it so it doesn’t seem like it’s a retirement community and yet it doesn’t, with a few exceptions, have that rowdy, college kind of a feel.”

He’s lived at a number of different addresses in the neighborhood and now resides on Normal Avenue in a house he bought in 1991. Barber, he said, has a certain funky feel and smell to it. And he means that in a positive way.

There is a community garden at the corner of Normal Avenue and 16th Street, which in the past year has been joined by the now-flourishing Jesus Center garden, whose produce is served at the center’s free meal program for the down-and-out.

“People have chickens here,” Montalbano said. “It’s got a nice ethnic mix, too.

There are some great shops like the little Mexican grocery store, and it’s really close to Chico Natural Foods. I hardly ever go outside the neighborhood to shop. Normally the farthest I go is probably down to Duffy’s, but the Maltese is here and then there is the Park Avenue Pub, and the Sicilian Café is within walking distance. And Nobby’s, of course, has one of the best hamburgers in town.”

BARBER continued on page 29

LOCAL’S TIP Put on your cheese skirt. The only thing better than one of the giant 1/3 lb. burgers at Nobby’s (1444 Park Ave. ) is one with cheese, which is allowed to melt down over the sides and onto the grill, where it cooks into a crispy skirt of pure goodness.

Chico News & Review

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 27

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BARBER continued from page 27

GOIN’ BARBER Five must-sees:

1. La Michoacana: Mexican grocery store, bakery and deli, 1414 Park Ave., Ste. 116.

2. Her’s Asian Food Market, 1414 Park Ave, Ste. 110.

3. The Maltese Bar & Tap Room:

live music, burlesque, drag revues, and retro cocktails, 1600 Park Ave., www.themaltesebar.com

4. The Rotary Playground: basketball,

playground and shade, at 16th and Broadway streets.

5. Tacos Cortez, 1530 Park Ave.

The Barber Yard was built for the lumber to be used in the former Diamond Match Co., depicted above on an old postcard.

PHOTO BY TOM GASCOYNE

DISCLAIMER

The author of this story is a current Barber neighborhood resident who was also born in Barberton, Ohio, and raised about a mile outside the limits of the city where his father served as chief of police in the 1970s and early ’80s.

Sergio Alejandre Jr. and his sister Amairany pose in front of house-baked goods at LaMichoacana.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

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He said he knows a man who’s lived in a house on 11th Street between Salem and Normal since 1946 and that he also had a next-door neighbor named Bernice who lived in her house until she was 90 years old.

“She stayed until she just got too old to live by herself,” he said. “But she was still driving a car in her 80s and mowing the lawn with an electric-cord lawnmower.”

Bernice told him that she had planted what is now a towering sycamore tree in her yard when she was 12 years old, “That means its 70-something years old now and it is a gorgeous tree,” he said.

“There is just that kind of history here.”

He said sometimes the neighborhood can get a bit noisy and that there are some landlords who don’t keep up their properties and rent to “less-than-desirable people.”

“But it always comes and goes and I’m grateful for the fact that my neighbors have historically accepted my parties and my noise,” he said. “Everybody just looks out for everybody else and knows when it’s their turn. The guy next door has been having Mexican fiestas and playing music loud with his pals. And that’s just great. The kids across the street call themselves ‘The Normal Thespians’ and are in the acting program at Chico State.”

At one time, he said, the place housed the Chico State lacrosse team and before that it was known as the “Surfin’ Warehouse” and occupied by young hipsters.

“When I first moved in here and, of course, had a house-warming party, it went through the evening and into the morning. The late, great Matt Hogan and Dave ‘Twelve Pack’ Sorenson were sitting on the front porch singing till all hours of the night. The next morning I went over to apologize to Bernice and she said ‘Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m deaf.’ And I said ‘Score!’ Deaf neighbor on one side and party kids on the other.”

He said today the neighbors across the street play drums loud and late, but he’s not complaining.

“Part of being in a neighborhood community is accepting everybody’s particular idio● syncrasies.”

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• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 29

MALL TOWN

A warehouse of youthful fashions in the ‘ginormous’ Forever 21 at Chico Mall.

Chico Mall 99

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

E. 20th St.

Forest Ave.

It’s another world on the other side of the freeway

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KEN SMITH kens@newsreview.com

T

he distinctly un-Chico aura about the city’s southern retail district, centered around the Chico Mall on East 20th Street, is exactly what appeals to refugees spending a few-year sojourn here for school or other purposes. While downtown and other parts of the city retain varying levels of smalltown charm dominated by local businesses, Mall Town unabashedly embraces the homogenized, mostly corporate feel of suburban sprawl.

For those who hail from cities like Temecula, San Jose, Roseville or Fresno, it can feel like home. Locals likewise visit the area—sometimes begrudgingly—out of sheer convenience. Regardless, if you spend any length of time in Chico, you’ll eventually end up navigating these Olive Garden and Logan’s Roadhouselined streets and parking lots. It’s inevitable if only for the fact that it’s home to the only In-NOut Burger for at least 45 miles.

Autumn Stallings, Amanda Hernandez and Tawnie Torres know plenty about making the most of Mall Town. Stallings has worked at the Vans store in the Chico Mall for nearly seven years, while Hernandez and Torres have each worked 30 GOIN’ CHICO 2014 • Chico News & Review

there almost three years, and all are students and Chico natives.

The women shared some tips one recent weekday afternoon when mall traffic was at a minimum.

During such slow times, the ladies said they sometimes entertain themselves with the occasional game of hide-and-seek in the store racks, assembling outfits and play-

ing dress-up with the merchandise, or talking in fake accents to customers and passersby.

“But that’s all pretty rare, because we’re usually pretty busy,” Stallings was quick to add.

The women said their jobs provide them with a front-row

seat to some primo peoplewatching. They have regulars, like a mall-walker (“He actually goes really fast; he’s more of a mallrunner,” said Stallings) who has waved hello for many years but never stopped to introduce himself. And there’s the occasional sensational happening.

“Sometimes you get one that has you telling stories for weeks,” Hernandez said. As an example, Torres mentioned that the paramedics recently came after a man accidentally wounded himself with a knife he bought from the Cutlery Works store across the way. And Stallings was on the clock once when someone called to threaten to blow up the mall.

Come lunchtime, the ladies have a few standbys. “Subwaaaaaaay!” they chimed in chorus when asked about their most common destination.

(There are two in the area— one in the Target shopping center and one inside Walmart.) “Actually, Auntie Anne’s [Pretzels, in the mall] is our favorite, but when we have to take a break from pretzels we go to Subway, or sometimes Togo’s.”

The women also mentioned some good noncorporate options for take-out, like the recently opened second location of downtown favorite T. Tea Bar & Fusion Cafe (now also at 555 Flying Working at the mall: Vans store employees (from left) Autumn Stallings, Tawnie V St.), a vegetarian-friendly Torres and Amanda Hernandez try to keep things fun in Mall Town. destination offering spePHOTO BY KEN SMITH cialty teas and bowls and

wraps built from your choice of greens, grains and proteins. They also said Ojiya Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar (2477 Forest Ave.) has good sushi and teppanyaki-style dining, in which food is prepared on a flat hibachi set in front of diners. And most Chicoans would agree that some of the best Thai and Chinese food in town can be found at Cocodine Thai Cuisine (Raley’s shopping center) and Tong Fong Low (2072 E. 20th St.), respectively.

“The Vans store is the best store in the mall, of course,” Stallings offered when asked about shop-

LOCAL’S TIP USDA Forest Service Genetic Resource and Conservation Center, 2741 Cramer Lane. On the edge of Mall Town, the facility known to locals as the Tree Farm features nature trails that run along Comanche Creek through a demonstration forest filled with tree and plant species from around the globe.

Highlights include the Giant Bamboo Forest, buildings dating back to 1904, and the fact it’s dog-friendly.

A warm, soft pretzel from Auntie Annie’s in the Chico Mall.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

3

GOIN’ MALL TOWN Five must-sees:

1. Burger Hut: The “Neighborhood Special”

(burger, fries and soda for $7.08) is a Chico institution. 2451 Forest Ave. www.burgerhut.com

2. Krispy Kreme: Chico had one, then it didn’t, and now it does again. 2060 Business Lane.

• Appetizers and Sushi • Salads, Rice and Soup • Hot Noodle and Curry Dishes • Rolls and Big Tuna Rolls • Beer, Wine and Sake 1722 Mangrove Ave Chico Open everyday Sun - Thu 11:30am - 10pm 345-4571

3. BevMo!: Huge variety of craft beers, wines and booze in bulk. 1937 E. 20th St.

4. Over the 99: Most of the commerce is on

the east side of the freeway, but the west side has some staples, too—Barnes & Noble, Costco, Michaels Arts and Crafts, etc.—on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

Fri - Sat 11:30am - 10:30pm

• Outdoor patio • Sushi • Rolls • Hot noodle & curry dishes • Beer, wine & sake

5. Scrubbs Hand Car Wash & Detail

Center: More than just a car wash, it has a great gift shop and decent deli as well, with massage chairs! 1020 Skyway.

There might be one around nearly every corner in the home cities of many newly arrived students, but in Chico, there is just one In-N-Out Burger.

THINK FREE.

ping. She also mentioned PacSun and American Eagle Outfitters clothing stores.

“There’s a Victoria’s Secret, for the girls,” Torres said, “And Zumiez is pretty cool.

“Oh, and we have a ginormous Forever 21,” said Stallings. And when Hernandez mentioned Dick’s Sporting Goods, Stallings added, “It’s also ginormous.”

As for grabbing a drink after a long shift,

the three said if they stay in Mall Town they go to The Handle Bar (2070 E 20th St., Suite 160), which offers a fine collection of craft beers and pub grub.

As for events, Mall Town isn’t known much for nonshopping-related public events.

Though there is the Food Truck Tuesdays street-food rally in the parking lot of T.J. Maxx (2540 Notre Dame Blvd.), and the Vans trio said the Chico Mall’s Safe & Sane Halloween celebration, in which mall retailers decorate their stores and hand out candy, is a nice event.

“It gives parents a place to take their kids for Halloween so they’re not out wandering the streets,” Stallings said. The women added they’ve sometimes joined in, fashioning costumes from over-sized shoe boxes formerly ● used for window displays.

Great Japanese restaurants

2000 Notre Dame Blvd Chico On the corner of East 20th St & Notre Dame behind Best Buy 342-8500

Open everyday 11:30am - 10pm

• Ramen • Donburi • Curry • Sushi • Beer, wine & sake Lunch: M-F 11:30am - 3pm Dinner: M-F 5pm - 10pm Dinner: Sat 4pm - 10pm

Outdoor Patio

243 W. 9th St Chico 891-9044

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

TRY CHICO’S #1 CALIFORNIA BURRITO, SEASONED GRILLED CHICKEN, MARINATED TRI-TIP! Sa

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W. Sac Ave

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Bulldog Taqueria

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995 Nord Ave • Chico • 592.3605 (across from Safeway on Nord) www.bulldogtaqueria.com

Chico News & Review

pg31 GC 2014

• GOIN’ CHICO 2014 31

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