In my opinion, this is one of the prettiest stations in the whole light rail system…read more
To be fair, I've only been to Franklin station two or three times, but have had good experiences so far.
On a recent evening, just before sunset, I found myself at 16th Street Station with a day pass and some time to kill. So, I decided to watch the sunset from the blue line.
(For those who do not know, 16th Street is considered the major intersection between the blue line and the gold line, since both lines run through that station.)
When it comes to the blue line, I basically still consider myself a tourist. Even though I ride the gold line all the time, I've only stepped on the blue line a handful of times.
On this occasion, I rode the blue line from 16th Street to Franklin Station and back, which allowed me to see the sunset over Sacramento from both directions.
It was actually a really beautiful view. It made me think about how some of the views from the gold line are pretty interesting, too, but I'm just too used to them to notice anymore. It's funny how we can start to take beautiful things for granted as soon as they feel familiar.
Franklin Station itself seemed very clean. Other than two other people waiting to return on the same train, it was empty. This might have something to do with the criminal activity other reviewers have mentioned, but I was fortunate enough to not experience any.
I also didn't notice a security guard, but it's possible that they were roaming around the (very large) parking lot. It's possible that I just missed them, since I was only there for a minute.
(I have personally not had any issues with blue line trains running late, although I could write a book on all my issues with the gold line.)
Immediately upon arriving to the station, the rider is struck with the visual of a large copper arch-- a work of art called "Esperanza," created by a group of artists led by David Best.
Upon doing a little research, I learned that Esperanza is one of many temple-like, artistic structures built around the world by a group of artists who call themselves The Temple Crew. More information on these temples can be found at thetemplecrew.org
According to the website:
""Esperanza" was created to serve as a beacon, welcoming the hard working, diverse community of south Sacramento. Though reminiscent of a temple, the arch is not intended to reference a particular culture or religion, but invites individual interpretation. The intricately cut steel temple-like structure evokes the feeling of a sacred and safe place, a metaphor for the importance of public transportation that serves this community. A text component, including such phrases as "I see you have a family to take care of" and "I see you searching for a better life" speaks volumes to this community. At its most elemental level, "Esperanza" serves as an inviting entrance to the station and community landmark."
Overall, it's a nice-looking station, especially at sunset.
