James Marshall Park

This is a pretty small park in Midtown, but is definitely a welcome green space amongst the bustling city and businesses. There are many trees, so it makes it a nice spot for shade especially during our Sacramento summers.It's not the most peaceful spot as it's right off the very busy J street and close to the freeway, but if you're on a walk in the area its a nice spot to take your dog or wander a bit off the regular sidewalk.There's a building in the center of the park, but I'm not sure what it is or if it's currently in use.

James Marshall is a pretty but smallish and busy park on the edge of midtown across from some very popular eating, drinking and nightlife establishments. If you're in the area, it's a nice place for a short dog walk or lunch/reading on a bench. What I like best about the park is the large number of shade trees. It's actually one of the more overall shaded parks in downtown Sacramento, giving a welcome respite from the heat in the long, hot summer months. That shade can also attract quite a few homeless who use it as a semi-camp/place to snooze, so keep that in mind. Not my first choice for a picnic, but definitely doable. There's a Senior Center in the center of the park that I've actually never seen in operation. One thing to note is that a lot of the park traffic might be spillover from the bars on a Friday or Saturday night. Also, the meter maids are ruthless around here, so definitely keep your meter full. I spent an afternoon here and they came around every hour like clockwork.

I work in the area. It's nice to find a bench on a sunny day to eat my lunch and people watch. If you plan to park in the area, especially around happy hour, please pay the parking meter. Too many times I have seen the meter maid out at 5:50pm ticketing unlucky drivers.

Pleasant little rest area in a pleasant part of town. There's a senior center here, too, so I assume there must be organized activities for seniors here.