Newton Booth, Sacramento, CA

Newton Booth sits just south of Midtown and takes in Poverty Ridge, the small bluff where some of Sacramento's grandest early homes went up on ground that stayed dry through the floods that gave the rise its name. That bit of topography shaped the neighborhood, and the housing that resulted is a satisfying mix of Victorians, Craftsman bungalows, and stately older homes on a walkable grid. The edges do a lot of work. The revitalized R Street corridor, with its restaurants and lofts, runs along the northern boundary, while Broadway and Sacramento City College sit close to the south, and light rail and downtown are within easy reach throughout. This is genuinely central and pedestrian-friendly. The tradeoffs are the standard central-city ones: tight parking, busier arterials, and the bustle that comes with living near the R Street and Broadway action rather than away from it. For historic architecture, a real sense of place, and a walkable address that bridges Midtown and Curtis Park, Newton Booth is a standout, and the dry high ground of Poverty Ridge remains its most distinctive and literal foundation.