Parkway-South Sacramento - Sacramento, CA

The development of Parkway-South began with the creation of Stockton Boulevard, a major road that passes through the area. Two transportation additions helped improve the urban sprawl of the area. These additions were the development of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad. In the 1940s, more residential areas were constructed and in the 1950s, shopping centers were developed. The Parkway-South area experienced increased growth during the early 1960s as a result of the Florin Mall.

The Parkway-South neighborhood lacks a strong arts and museum culture. The closest museum and arts scene lies several miles north of Parkway-South near downtown Sacramento. Annual events for this area also include events such as Winterfest and the Sacramento Bacon Fest located near downtown Sacramento.

Dining options and restaurants in Parkway-South consist of popular fast food locations and authentic cuisine restaurants. This area lacks niche eateries, local cafes and delis that add personality to a neighborhood. Although most options are sprinkled throughout the neighborhood, the central location for authentic cuisine borders State Highway 99 and Florin Road. Laos Kitchen serves authentic ethnic cuisine that includes traditional Cambodian, Thai and Laotian dishes. This restaurant has a cash-only policy that may seem like an inconvenience; however, guests overlook this minor drawback for the reasonably priced menu and excellent preparation. Popular dishes include stuffed chicken wings, kapoon, papaya salad and kasoy. These dishes come highly recommended as a result of the traditional yet spicy flavors. Laos Kitchen has a polite and friendly staff that add to the dining experience. Another restaurant, La Favorita Taqueria, has authentic Mexican food that guests rank as the best in the Parkway-South area. This restaurant has grown in popularity for the well-prepared dishes, reasonable prices and quick service. La Favorita Taqueria provides an authentic Mexican dining experience filled with traditional dishes and free chips and salsa. Guests highly recommend the super burrito, platillos with meat, enchiladas and carne asada plates. The churro cart outside the restaurant has also become a guest favorite. Seafood fans head to Firehouse Crawfish for a hands on eating experience. The restaurant specializes in crawfish but also serves a range of other seafood, including catfish, shrimp, crab and clams. In a quick three step process, patrons order their choice of seafood, a seasoning and degree of heat, which ranges from a mild zero to the 5 alarm level. Seasonings include sweet Asian Cajun, spicy tangy and garlic butter with lemon pepper. Firehouse also serves a selection of starters, sides and beers. Nightlife in Parkway-South has a quiet and laid-back atmosphere. This neighborhood has one bar, Sharky's Billiards, in the general vicinity and one bar, Idle Hour, on the border. Sharky's Billiards has become a popular location as a result of the pool tables, jukebox and arcade games that keep guests entertained while enjoying a specialty drink or beer.

You can complete a few errands on foot in the Parkway-South neighborhood. Locals use biking as a reliable means of transportation, as the area features multiple bike lanes. The Parkway-South area has several transit and public transportation options. The neighborhood has multiple Sacramento Regional Transit bus lines passing through that include routes 51, 61, 68 and 81.

Car-sharing services, such as Uber, Zipcar and Lyft, serve Parkway-South for residents without a car. Local taxi service includes Access Taxi, which serves the Parkway-South and surrounding areas. Parking in this neighborhood consists of customer parking lots and street parking. For access to nearby locations, State Highway 99 and Florin Road help residents travel easily.

The Parkway-South area has several neighborhood parks that include Nicholas Park, Fruitridge Park and Florin Creek Park. Nicholas Park & Softball Complex rests near the center of the neighborhood and provides green space for exercise and a baseball diamond for sports related activity. This park also has a playground for children and a picnic area for special events. Florin Creek Park sits on the southern tip of Parkway-South, and this park has a beautiful nature area, a picnic area, barbecue spots and a playground for children. This park also has a community center that holds annual sporting events for children and guests throughout the year. Florin Creek Park has a family-friendly environment that provides areas for exercise or areas to simply enjoy nature.

The cost of living in Parkway runs around 11 percent lower than Sacramento. The cost of living includes public transportation, which costs $2.50 for a single, one-way fare on Sacramento Regional Transit bus lines. Expect to pay around $650 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Gas sits around 17 percent higher than the national average, and residents can expect to pay $3 to $4 for a domestic beer at a local bar.

Shopping in Parkway-South consists of a diverse selection of department stores, chain retailers and shopping centers. This area also provides a number of boutiques and specialty stores that residents find useful for unique items. The Florin Towne Centre and South Gate Plaza provide large shopping areas filled with fast food dining locations, department stores and grocery stores. These locations have several places to shop for clothing items, home essentials and gift items.

For grocery needs, residents shop at Walmart or Shun Fat Supermarket. Shun Fat Supermarket has become an alternative to big box retailers and provides customers with ethnic food items, basic home essentials and fresh seafood. This store has competitive prices and a diverse selection of items that most well-known retailers do not carry.

The closest farmers market, Farmers Market Thursday, located on Florin Road has cheap produce, flowers, dairy products and Asian vegetables. This market opens until noon on Thursday, and regular vendors include plant and pastry vendors.

Sheetal Fashion has become a popular shop in the Parkway-South area for its high-quality clothing items, accessories and jewelry. This shop has Indian-inspired items and provides reasonably priced alterations for customers. Sheetal Fashion has clothing for men that includes suits as well as clothing for women and children. The shop has a friendly and helpful staff who works within its customers' budgets and makes the shopping experience enjoyable.

Another well-known shop, Mjm Designer Shoes, has a wide selection of shoes and handbags that guests praise constantly. The shoes, handbags, socks and accessories have been discounted and include designer names such as Puma, Coach and Nine West. Mjm Designer Shoes has shoes for every member of the family and every occasion. The shop has a well-organized arrangement and a large inventory, and the staff provides excellent service that keeps customers coming back.