Do you own a small local business in the
Central City or Arden?...Join the Grid!

Downtown Grid - Sacramento Contacts:

Main Office:
2321 P St. [Map]
Sacramento, CA 95816

Office (916) 455-0460
Direct (916) 410-6168
Fax (916) 440-6715
info@downtowngrid.com

Rebecca Sykes, Central City Regional Manager
(916) 410-6168
rebecca@downtowngrid.com

Niki Kangas
(916) 873-5268
niki@downtowngrid.com

Julia Seebach, (916) 595-8850
julia@downtowngrid.com

Chris Renslow, Technical Support
chris@downtowngrid.com

DowntownGrid is now on Twitter!

Downtown Grid Recent Awards

sacramento.downtowngrid.com voted
Best Sacramento Website!
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.

Downtown Grid was Awarded Small Business Member '08
by the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber.

ABOUT US

sacramento.downtowngrid (tm) started in 2004 and was inspired by the rich combination of independent businesses and cultural resources of the Sacramento City.

Our Mission sacramento.downtowngrid.com is the central hub for local businesses and cultural resources of the Sacramento City. We aim to create one degree of separation so that we can all teach, support and inspire each other in growing a vibrant, healthy, local economy. As the central gathering point, we connect the community online and on the ground in an atmosphere of “comple-tition”, a complementary competition.

Whether you are a visitor or resident of the Sacramento region, we hope that this site serves as a useful guide, connecting you to the Central City.

How We Got Started sacramento.downtowngrid.com was started in 2005, when Julia Seebach and her now husband Scott Smithline moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area. Living away from the Central City, Julia tripped into Midtown and went home excitedly to show Scott online. There was a vacuum of information about Midtown and its abundance of independent boutiques and restaurants. After seeing Midtown with his own eyes, Scott and Julia picked up and moved to the heart of it. As a graphic design student at Sacramento State University, Julia developed a community directory with profiles of small businesses that she and Scott hoped to turn into a viable business.

Months into their project, Brian Fischer joined forces with them as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development. He helped to rebrand the company as sacramento.downtowngrid.com.

Almost five years into the model, sacramento.downtowngrid.com has become the local online community hub, with a strong ground presence distributing over 300,000 maps per year at over 200 locations.

What's Coming In 2009, the team launches its national brand of downtowngrid.com with expansion projects regionally and in the Bay Area. They hope to spread the gospel of backyard marketing and local economies through a philosophy of ethical capitalism and a hybrid support structure for main street everywhere that is online and on the ground.

Building Community... "I live and work in midtown/downtown Sacramento and I absolutely love sacramento.downtowngrid.com! I visit your website often (at least 3-4 days per week) mostly to find new places for lunch, but for other businesses and services as well. I have also recommended your site to almost all of my friends and co-workers and they all seem to enjoy it as well. I just wanted to say thank you for providing a great directory of such a wide variety of local businesses! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" ~Carren Christensen

sacramento.downtowngrid.com in the news...

"Small Business Member of 2008"
downtowngrid was awarded 2008 Small Business Member of 2008 by Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber. See blog for details.

"The Power & Influence 100"
Brian Fischer (co-owner) featured in "The Power & Influence 100" Sacramento Magazine Sep. ‘08
"BRIAN FISCHER, Internet activist—The 36-year-old co-creator of sacramento.downtowngrid.com (along with the husband-and-wife team of Scott Smithline and Julia Seebach) and the Oak Park advocacy group 100 Minds is a force in ethical capitalism and an eloquent champion of the anti-suburb. For this tenacious grassroots activist, it’s all about connectivity: fostering social networks to advance a unique geographical identity. (What else would you expect from a guy who constructed interdependent economies out of Legos at age 4?) While no one person can claim credit for Second Saturday’s popularity, Fischer is often cited as a catalyst. Some would love to see him run for office."
> See link

"Best of Sacramento" by News & Review
sacramento.downtowngrid.com: Winner of Best of Sacramento by News & Review for best Sacramento website four years in a row! 2005, 2006,2007,2008

Sacramento Magazine Article Feb. 2008

Midtown Rising By Jan Ferris Heenan
Many are following the trends closely to make sure that the essence of midtown remains the same, even as the area continues to grow and prosper. Few are more vigilant than Brian Fischer, a community organizer and one of the forces behind sacramento.downtowngrid.com, a business networking and social advocacy group.

“What kind of flavor would there be to the city of Sacramento if the majority of the 100 restaurants and 40 or 50 boutiques in midtown were primarily franchises and chains? What would people remember? Where would the [profits] go?” he asks. > complete article

> See our blog for more articles

Testimonials from our Small Business Members
	“Along with bringing in a steady supply of new customers, sacramento.downtowngrid.com has created a fantastic network of small businesses that has become integral to our success.” Alison, Zac and Sam Englad, DAD’S Kitchen DAD’s Sandwich Shop
	“sacramento.downtowngrid.com has allowed me to be a part of a community of professionals and my business has increased tremendously as a result.” Cindy Ajay, Blue Sky Day Spa
	“As an advocate for small businesses in Sacramento, sacramento.downtowngrid.com has increased business by connecting us to the community which allows us more time to focus on our business: coffee.” Sean Kohmescher Temple Fine Coffee & Tea
	“The sacramento.downtowngrid.com’s community of unique, locally- owned businesses creates a powerful force beneficial to all of our success. The first place I encourage my clients to view when looking for a dinner, events, retail stores or services.“ Stephanie Baker, Real Estate Consultant
	“Advertising with sacramento.downtowngrid.com is more affordable than anything else out there. They’ve brought me many quality clients and exceeded my expectations” Awaken Your Body Massage, Florina Clark
	“One of the only places I advertise is with sacramento.downtowngrid.com. I know that that was an excellent choice. They pop up on google boutique searches, but that is not all. I was recently contacted by Lucky Magazine, a na- tional fashion and shopping magazine, who found me through my profile page on sacramento.downtowngrid.com. Thank goodness, I was listed!!” Olivia Coelho, Bows & Arrows
	“I’ve had great success in exposing my business through sacramento.downtowngrid.com. I have a coupon on my online profile page and I get people on a weekly basis coming in with them. I also take advantage of their collective advertising. I highly recommend any local, small business to join this great network.” Christopher Davis, BicycleChef Bicycles
	“We have seen the positive effects after joining as a member from producing warm leads to creating strategic relationships with other local business owners. Even more importantly, the presence of sacramento.downtowngrid.com gives us a sense of confidence that we will succeed as a start-up even in this down economy.” Ricardo Robles and Jeffrey Louie, Owners of Capsity Offices
	“Brian Fischer and the team at sacramento.downtowngrid.com exemplify what it means to be a “community partner.” They work with many small businesses to create one big sense of community for the Central City. The first annual Edible Crawl for a Cure presented by sacramento.downtowngrid.com was an unmitigated success that raised over $10,000 for the Sacramento Chapter of the CF Foundation.” Darby Flynn, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Director of Special Events and Vice President of Chalk it Up!
	“When we want to get the word out about our shows to the young hipsters of Sacramento we turn to sacramento.downtowngrid.com. Our phones light-up as soon as they send a blast out to their members. sacramento.downtowngrid.com clearly has a dedicated and growing following who are paying attention.” Bill Blake, Managing Director, B Street Theatre