Pocket-Greenhaven, Sacramento, California
Pocket-Greenhaven (also known as The Pocket) is a suburban community within the city of Sacramento, California. It is bordered by Interstate 5 on the east and a semi-circular "pocket" bend in the Sacramento River on the south, west, and north.[1] The three exits into the Pocket-Greenhaven community off Interstate 5 are 43rd Avenue (southbound only), Florin Road, and Pocket/Meadowview Road. Entering the area from the south on Interstate 5, travelers pass a large water tower with the words "Sacramento, City Of Trees" painted on it, marking the southern boundary of the city of Sacramento as well as The community borders Land Park, Meadowview, and other suburbs, and is adjacent to the border with Yolo County. The main roads are Pocket Road, Florin Road, Greenhaven Drive, and Riverside Boulevard.
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Neighborhood residents [edit]
Located approximately 10 minutes from downtown, Greenhaven is populated by a mix of upper-middle-class, middle-class, and lower-middle-class families from a diverse array of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Traditionally, it is one of the most racially and economically diverse parts of Sacramento and has been an enclave for non-immigrant Chinese and Japanese American families. The upper echelon of Greenhaven or the Pocket area is Riverlake, a series of gated communities bordered by Rush River Drive, Lakefront Drive, and Pocket Road. Hollywood Actor Eddie Murphy used to live in Riverlake and, before expansion of Sacramento into newer, outlying areas closer to Arco Arena, many members of the Sacramento Kings basketball team lived there. Greenhaven is a low crime community with a number of schools, local businesses and restaurants. There are 18 public parks in the Greenhaven-Pocket neighborhood, many of which are connected by the Pocket Canal Parkway. Greenhaven Lake
Schools [edit]
The main high school is John F. Kennedy High School, established in 1967. The School of Engineering and Sciences, a smaller secondary school, was recently opened in the area.[2] Primary schools include the Caroline Wenzel School, Genevieve Didion School, Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 School, Merryhill School, and the Matsuyama Elementary School.
Development and History [edit]
Before development, the Pocket-Greenhaven area was a rural farmland. Pocket Road and Riverside Blvd. were country roads. Florin Road did not reach into the area. The section of Interstate 5 on the area's Eastern edge had not been built.
Greenhaven was first developed as a planned community in 1962 centered around the long greenbelt between Greehaven Drive and Havenside Drive as well as Greenhaven Lake. A sales office was established at Greenhaven Drive and Riverside Blvd to outline the community and to sell single-family built homes. Dronberger, Harris and Parker were some of the first builders to the area. Greenhaven Drive was the major drive which ended at Moonlit Circle. In the mid-1960s, the section of Interstate 5 connecting Greenhaven to the north was built, defining the boundary of the area and providing rapid access to downtown.
In 1969, Greenhaven II was built along Riverside Blvd to the north. In the 1970s, the section of I-5 connecting to the South was built and Florin Road was connected between I-5 & Gloria Drive. In the 1980s, the Pocket area was developed. The Pocket-Greenhaven area now completely fills the semi-circular bend of the Sacramento River known as "The Pocket".
References [edit]
External links [edit]
- Pocket Area website
- Sacramento's Greenhaven/Pocket Area, Arcadia Publishing (October 28, 2001), ISBN 978-0-7385-1909-8
