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2 Killed on Folsom Lake Crossing
At 12:28 in the morning, Folsom Police responded to an accident on Folsom Lake Crossing. When emergency personnel arrived, they found the driver of a Honda Civic deceased and a BMW sport utility fully engulfed in flames. When the flames were extinguished, it was determined the driver hadn’t survived. Police determined that the BMW was driving at excesive speeds, crossed a double yellow line, and struck the Honda.
Folsom a ‘Strong’ City
Folsom has been profiled in a promotional website showcasing ‘strong’ cities in California. ‘Strong Cities, Strong State’ is a campaign designed to communicate the importance of local government in California. Among Folsom’s strong points are Palladio Mall, great schools, Historic District revitalization, Sphere of Influence (South of 50 expansion), and Folsom Lake Crossing – all made possible during a huge recession.
Marathon Run Tomorrow
The California International Marathon is tomorrow – it starts at Folsom Lake Crossing. They head down Folsom Blvd at early 7am hour and take a right on Oak. Vic’s parking lot is an excellent place to park and cheer on the runners.
Prisoner Escapes, Picked Up
A minimum security prisoner walked off of Folsom Prison earlier today. Inmate Terry Yeckley apparently escaped during the day, however was later found within city limits. Folsom Police spotted the prisoner walking on Folsom Lake Crossing and brought him back in to custody.
Folsom Lake Crossing
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We were fortunate enough to be given access to check out Folsom’s newest bridge, Folsom Lake Crossing, about a week before it opened up. The views of the dam are incredible! Craig and John were escorted by city officials and Mayor Miklos. In retrospect we should have take a picture of the mayor too – the dam was a great backdrop!
You’ll notice a difference in quality in the photos. Craig took the good ones, John’s weren’t as good. |
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Down below is an old canal that used to go to the old prison dam. |
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This is a rare shot few people will ever see. Even kayakers |
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Craig snaps a shot of the dam. |
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Off in the distance you can see a few prison buildings. |
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The old dam. |
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Films and Videos Shot in Folsom
Folsom is well known for a lot of local landmarks – Folsom Prison, Folsom Dam, and the Rainbow Bridge, to name a few. Fortunately this makes for some compelling video. It’s been featured in several movies and videos over the years.
Captain America II: Death Too Soon
This cheesy 1970′s made-for-television movie was the talk of the town around 25 years ago. Several scenes were shot here in Folsom. There is a large motorcycle chase scene that goes through some undeveloped areas of town, and then culminates with a chase over the Folsom Dam, where Captain America ends up in the American River Below. Later in the movie, Captain America breaks in to a Prison (filmed at Folsom Prison) and makes quite an escape! You may recognize a younger Christopher Lee, known for the Lord of the Rings films, and the late Stanley Kamel, who had a regular role in the TV show Monk.
American Me
The 1992 Edward James Olmos film American Me was filmed at Folsom Prison. The movie is about a Chicano youth who breaks the law and then becomes the leader of a powerful gang at Folsom Prison.
The Jericho Mile (1979)
Filmed entirely inside of Folsom Prison, this was the directorial debut of Michael Mann. The movie is about a prisoner who takes up long-distance running, and even becomes competitive enough to beat Olympic runners.
Papa Roach’s “Time and Time Again”
Local Band Papa Roach filmed “Time and Time Again” in the Sacramento area… the scene starts in Sacramento and ends on the Rainbow Bridge. The chase scene also goes over Lake Natoma Crossing. Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton lives in the American River Canyon North area.
Diggstown (1992)
Starring James Woods & Louis Gossett, Jr., this movie is about a con artist who is just released from prison.
Another 48 Hours
Eddie Murphy’s character is released from Folsom Prison – lots of scenes were filmed here and can be seen in the trailer. The bus accident appears to be in the area as well – White Rock Road maybe?
Folsom Prison Blues
Most are aware that Johnny Cash filmed his famous concert at Folsom Prison in 1965. No known video has been found of this event (though he also played at San Quentin and was filmed there). Joaquin Phoenix’s 2005 biopic Walk the Line has a scene that says it is Folsom Prison, however nothing looks familiar.
Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951)
The movie that inspired Johnny Cash to write “Folsom Prison Blues”. It is unknown if this movie is available for NetFlix.
Historic District Real Estate
The oldest homes in Folsom are located in the Historic District. As you cross the American River this would be the area between the Rainbow Bridge and Lake Natoma Crossing on the east side of the river. These homes tend to be on the “grid” streets, which are within walking distance of historic Sutter Street. Some homes in this area were built in the late 1800′s and many have undergone extensive renovation.
There are some very large multi-level Victorian style homes, but more are smaller bungalow style homes. Many of these homes have been in the same family for many years, and seldom are they available to purchase. When they are available there is a wide range of values and some would be valued close to a million dollars. There are also some newer homes of various styles in the Historic District, which are more readily available. Most of these homes range in price from the high $300,000s to the low $500,000′s.
Since this area is walking distance to Sutter Street its residents enjoy the street’s year-round activities which include peddler’s fairs, craft fairs, and Thursday night markets in the summer time. Numerous eateries, antique and collector shops, specialty shops and art g
alleries are located along Sutter Street and the surrounding streets. The city’s first large hotel, Lake Natoma Inn, is located along the river. Several pubs in the area attract large crowds on the weekends. There is even an occasional parade, and Santa Claus has been known to frequent the area.
The Historic Truss Bridge, opened in 2000, provides pedestrian and bike access across the American River and is just part of the extensive network of bike trails through the city. Folsom City Park, the Folsom Zoo and Dan Russell Arena are an easy walk or ride down the bike trail and have many activities throughout the year. The American River at Lake Natoma borders the Historic District to the North and West and provides extensive recreational opportunities.
Folsom Real Estate
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Thinking of moving to Folsom? It’s a great place to live, work, and play! Take a look at the various areas of Folsom and find out a little more about one of Sacramento’s best suburbs. |
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| Folsom Real Estate Map Are you new to Folsom, wondering where exactly the neighborhoods you hear about are located? Find it here. |
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Broadstone The new Palladio Mall and Folsom Community College are the centerpieces of this area (although the mall isn’t finished). |
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Empire Ranch The newest houses in Folsom are currently in the Empire Ranch area. With its golf course and rolling hills, it is always popular. |
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North Folsom Once the Lake Natoma Crossing bridge was opened, this area once again felt part of Folsom, as travel to the other side once again became bearable! |
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Lexington Hills The late ’80s and early ’90s saw a large expansion of the Lexington Hills area. With nearby access to the lake, it’s always been an attractive and popular area. |
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Historic District The oldest part of Folsom is the Historic District. It’s a mix of homes from the days of the gold rush up to more recently built homes as well. |
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Natoma Station Natoma Station also grew quickly in the 1980s. This area is well known for an abundance of parks and recreation areas. |
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Central District World War II saw a significant time of expansion in to this area, which is currently the ‘shopping district’ of Folsom, where there is always a hub of activity in the area. |
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Prairie Oaks / Willow Springs / Los Cerros Many parks and walkways line this area, and it is within walking distance to many Intel employees that live in this part of Folsom. |
Folsom Slang
| For you Folsom newbies out there, you may be coming here from the Bay Area, Southern California, perhaps even out of state. You may hear us talking about Folsom potatoes, going up the hill, or parking on the lid… then you ask yourself what the heck it is we’re talking about. Allow us to introduce you to some Folsom slang – phrases known around these here parts! | |
| Arco | Power Balance Pavilion – formerly known as Arco Arena, home of the Sacramento Kings. |
| Apple Hill | An area just past Placerville that is home to apple orchards, wineries, and Christmas Tree farms. Very popular from October – December. |
| The “Bay” | San Francisco Bay Area |
| “Bayrria” | Short for Bay Area. |
| Big Tit | Big rock on Lake Natoma that looks like… well, a tit! |
| The Bike Trail | American River Parkway Bike Trail from Sacramento to Beal’s Point (originally built in 1890s) |
| The Bridge | Usually refers to Rainbow Bridge, our city icon, which tends to snarl traffic due to it’s small size (2 lanes). |
| Cash Crossing | Folsom Lake Crossing – some locals like to honor the late Johnny Cash. |
| Causeway | Yolo Causeway between Sacramento and Davis. |
| Causeway Classic | Annual football game between local rival colleges Sacramento State and UC Davis. |
| China Wall | Area on Lake Natoma that is popular to jump off of. Several teen deaths have occured in this area. |
| Chinese Diggings | The rock piles on the side of Folsom-Auburn; been around since the gold rush when Chinese miners were around. |
| The City | San Francisco. We still realize Sacramento’s a second banana to “The City”. Some claim we inherited this term from Bay Area transplants. |
| Delta Breeze | Cool air that cools down Sacramento Valley in hot summer months. Winds pick up from Sacramento delta to the area. |
| Dinner bell | That sound you hear around 5:00 pm is from Folsom Prison. We all presume it’s for dinner. |
| The Dip | Formerly popular high school hangout Big Dip. Now a Fish & Ships place still called Big Dip; not as popular once the high school moved across town. |
| Downtown | Downtown Sacramento (not Folsom). |
| Dyke 8 | Folsom Point boat launch. Dyke 8 was its former name, until it no longer was thought of as a politically correct name. |
| Folsom potatoes | All the river rocks that you pull up in your yard – so abundant you’d swear they grow in your soil. Travel down Folsom Boulevard and you’ll see lots of Folsom potatoes left over from the gold mining days. |
| Folsom Shovel | Jackhammer with clay spade bit; or a digging bar. Folsom’s soil in notoriously hard; Go down about a foot and it’s all hardpan. |
| FM-8 | Any popular after work hangout for Intel employees. Named FM8 because their buildings are named FM1, FM2… up to FM7. |
| F-Town | Folsom. |
| Hangtown | Placerville. Hangtown was its nickname in the gold rush; they hung 3 desperados from an oak tree one day, and you can still view a hanging “man” outside one of the buildings. |
| The Hotel | Folsom Hotel on Sutter Street, now a bar. The original hotel is now apartments above the bar. |
| Lunch Bell | That siren you hear at 12:00 noon is Folsom Prison. It’s not really a lunch bell! Guards line them up to make sure everyone is accounted for. |
| Negro Bar | Area on Lake Natoma that used to be an African-American gold rush settlement. Now a popular swimming hole. |
| The Lid | Liedsdorff Lid. Liedsdorff Bridge that goes over Folsom Boulevard; used for parking. |
| The Market | Thursday Night Market. Weekly farmers market and craft fair during summer months on Sutter Street. |
| Mormon Island | Former Mormon community now under Folsom Lake. |
| The Pyramid | Pyramid/temple shaped building in West Sacramento. |
| New Folsom | Folsom Prison‘s newer maximum security prison. |
| Old Folsom | (1) Historic area of Folsom - Sutter Street and surrounding areas (most common term). |
| (2) Original Folsom Prison, built in 19th century, still in use as a minimum security facility. | |
| Old Sac | Old Sacramento – original downtown of Sacramento – now a tourist attraction. |
| Old Salmon Falls Bridge | Former bridge to Salmon Falls community, now under water. Becomes visible in drought years. |
| Old Town | Historic area of Folsom - Sutter Street and surrounding areas. |
| “Open the Dam Road” | Refers to Folsom Dam Road; now closed for security reasons; It has since been replaced by Folsom Lake Crossing. |
| The Outlets | Folsom Premium Outlets (outlet mall), across from the Folsom movie theater. |
| Rad Hills | El Dorado Hills. The sign overlooking Highway 50 used to say “Rad Hills”. (From stolen lettering) |
| The Railroad Block | Area by Sutter Street where future development will house gold rush-era tourist shops. Currently a parking lot with restored railroad turntable. |
| The Rodeo | Folsom Rodeo – annual event around 4th of July. |
| Snack Shack Lot | The parking lot below the Powerhouse Pub; formerly the site of the snack shack. |
| South of 50 | Currently undeveloped land which is being considered for annexation to Folsom. |
| Tower | Historic Tower Theater in Sacramento. Across the street from 1st Tower Records. |
| Transplant | A former Bay Area or Southern California resident (i.e. “Bay Area transplant”; “SoCal transplant”). |
| “Up the hill” | Heading “up the hill” means traveling in to the Sierra Nevada, most likely Lake Tahoe or Reno. “We just drove up the hill to go skiing last weekend”. |
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Zittles |
Zittle’s Gourd Farm. World famous gourd farm at corner of Folsom-Auburn and Oak. |
Folsom Lake Crossing
Folsom Lake Crossing was a huge hit since the day it was opened. When Folsom Dam was built, it had a service road that went over the top of it. An additional bridge was needed, but since the service road was there, it was never built. After 9/11, the road closed for good, closing a major artery in the city, and a traffic mess extended in to Old Folsom. Local politicians were successful in lobbying to raise money for the new bridge, and was opened in 2009.
The name of the bridge is a source of controversy. The public was invited to submit ideas fot the bridge name; 4 finalists were chosen – after Folsom Lake, Folsom Dam, Johnny Cash, and Granite City (Folsom’s original name). Johnny Cash was a popular favorite, as the bridge drives past Folsom Prison. The name ‘Folsom Lake Crossing’ was eventually chosen – Mayor Miklos wanted the city of Folsom’s name in the bridge, as it was instrumental in getting the bridge in town. Some locals still refer to the bridge as ‘Cash Crossing’ in protest.

















