General pros & cons of Sacramento (former 20-year - 8/8/2012

This review covers Sacramento itself, but the whole area going east to the foothills is a seamless mass of houses and roads, so you usually can't tell when you've crossed into another city unless you see a sign. Folsom seems more separated from the rest because of Lake Natoma (just a wide part of the American River) but it's mostly one big suburb. I list more cons than pros because those things are what prompted me to move away. Others might like it here just fine for their whole lives. PROS: There are decent neighborhoods with good people in the mid-town and Land Park areas, especially. The American River Parkway is invaluable to have and the bike trail is generally well maintained. The parkway land was mainly spared development because of the river's floodplain. There really isn't much in the way of nature aside from land along the river and reservoirs to the east. Weather most of the year is very comfortable, with no snow to speak of and plenty of sun. The land is mostly flat, which makes for less complicated driving than some places. Relatively close access to the Sierra Nevada is convenient for escapism. CONS: South Sacramento is crime-ridden and the trend has extended south to the once-decent town of Elk Grove. This is apparently due in part to "escapees" from bad sections of the Bay Area seeking cheaper housing, or just general overpopulation and a welfare mentality. Sacramento just gets more and more crowded, like the whole state (NPG would be welcome). The Del Paso Heights area north of downtown is similar to the south area but is trying to improve itself. You're likely to run into thuggy people in many parts of the city but it's probably no worse than any large urban area. Traffic can be bad, especially afternoon commutes headed east on 50 & 80 or south on 5, but most big metro areas are similar. The summer heat can be oppressive at times, but it's more tolerable than places like Redding in terms of cooling down at night. Just don't live here if you like to be outside and can't cope with drawn-out summers. If you have good air-conditioning you'll survive fine indoors. Sacramento's air quality is among the worst in the nation, though I think it might be skewed by stagnant summer air patterns. I'd like to see air quality data by month. What many people call "allergies" might be partly due to smog, not just plant material. I noticed an improvement in my exercise lung capacity not long after leaving Sacramento for the Bay Area. SUMMARY: Overall, I moved away because of the bad air, heat overload, a general impression of growing crime and thuggyness, plus I just wanted a change of scenery after being laid off from work. Every place has negatives but you can do much worse than Sacramento. It's sort of a reflection on California as a whole. People say they're "fed up" but the so-called greener pastures out of state may be an illusion. There's a reason why California is so crowded!

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Why Sacramento doesn't work for me - 6/8/2012

I have lived in Sacramento since I was one month old, and was proud to live there for most of my life. In recent years, though, I've been doubtful that living here was really the best move. Because it doesn't snow, there are Harleys (the worst invention ever) 365 days a year, rain or shine. Because the cost of living is so low, there are a plethora of smokers, crummy public schools, and a lot of crime after dark. Finally, I am 6' 8" and feel like I need to be around tall people, but Tall Clubs International has set up shop so it's impossible to do that without doing things I disagree with. One thing I like about where I live is, there are few conservatives.

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Undergraduate Education - 3/13/2012

I received a BS degree in Civil Engineering, all through education located within Sacramento. Sacramento City College, a community college, is cheap to receive your lower-division, and I have found that the education I got there is more comprehensive than some of my University friends received. I painlessly transferred to CSU Sacramento, which is an ABET accredited engineering campus. I am very pleased with the education I got, as well as the help entering the workforce afterward. I had a job lined up the day I walked out of my last final, all in the late stages of the recession (Dec 2011). Three thumbs up!

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Sunny California - 3/4/2012

The cost of living is what is driving my husband and I to start thinking about relocating. There is always plenty to do here and it's nice being able to take a day trip to San Francisco or Lake Tahoe whenever you want. The climate is wonderful, plenty of sunshine and not much humidity to speak of. Yes, the summers do get hot, numerous 100+ degree days, but it is true what they say about the difference between a humid hot and a dry hot.

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RIver Systems - 2/12/2012

The river systems in Sacramento and surrounding areas are beautiful and a great place for recreation with the family.

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Mixed feelings - 5/27/2011

When I moved to Sacramento, I moved there not knowing much at all about the city. I picked it because of the location in California. It is located almost right in the middle. This is great if you like both mountains and ocean, and are fine with not living by either. You travel about 2 hours west and you are in the San Fransisco bay area - and you have the ocean. You travel about 2 hours east and you have the mountains, and a little farther is Reno. If you travel about 6 hours south you are in the L.A. area. Travel about 3 hours north and you are in Redding/Shasta area. The Sacramento area is not as big as the L.A. but it is still big. There are many smaller cities that surround it, and they all kind of merge into one. I lived on the border of Sacramento and Citrus Heights, and it was not the best area to live as far as safety goes, or beauty for that matter. There is a lot of people and a lot of crime. At least once a week there was a search helicopter looking for criminals hovering over our apartment complex. They would tell us to stay indoors, and lock the windows and doors. I had my apartment robed in broad daylight. I actually walked in while in progress, and they ran out the back. The cops were no help either. There are gangs everywhere especially in south and north Sac. There are, however, really nice areas that are much safer. I would say I lived in the ghetto, or one of the ghettos. So do your research on the different areas or take a trip there before moving. There is plenty to do in the city and around the city - indoors and out. There are some awesome water parks in the area - if you are into that. Prices vary, there are some really cheep areas and some not so cheep areas. Basically the price matters here. If it's cheep it might be too good to be true, and you might end up in an area like mine. (Mid-tone is a beautiful area, but pricy) Downtown is fun - lots of history and culture, and the streets are lined with orange and palm trees. It's beautiful! The temperature often hits triple digits in summer. In the winter it can be bone dry cold, but rarely rarely ever snows. Mostly it's pretty dry and hot. The good thing is most places come with a/c and pools, but they get packed quick. There are plenty of good places to eat, good malls, and really a lot of stuff was way cheeper in Sacramento - compared to Washington. Honestly I was sad to leave when I did. When I was moving back to Washington while driving from I-80 to I-5 I took one last look at the downtown and just bawled like a baby. I was very happy there except for the negative factors that I mentioned. The sun itself made me happy. I have lived most of my life in Washington and the sun in Washington will just never compare to Cali sun. Other than that I can't think of anything else to add. Well except the air quality is not so good, and it gets smoggy. I have seen worse, but I have also seen better. Make a visit before a move, and see if it is for you and your family. Good Luck

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Polution - 4/18/2011

I have lived here with my family for 16 years. I have asthma. I played tennis, and did everything outside before I moved here. Since moving here I can do none of these. I did not have asthma before I moved here, and didn't believe the saying I heard, that most people that move here will get asthma. My husband was in the Navy so we moved often but no where kept me living only in the home. We will move within 5 years, and are looking for the best place in northern California that will be the best for my health. I'm sorry this is a negative posting however, we had to move here for job reasons. If you have an option think twice.

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Sacramento Sucks - 2/27/2011

I have lived in the city of trees AKA Sacramento since 1980. So I’m sure that I qualify in giving a accurate assessment of what living here is like. Weather: low humidity, Summer includes many days of 100 degrees, but average year has 73 days with a high over 90 and it rains on average over 50 days and fog is over 90 days per year. Average cold temps are around mid 40’s during the winter season. Snow fall is extremely rare here. Traffic: If you are in downtown Sacramento and are traveling say to the suburbs of Roseville which is about 30 min drive you need to add another 30 to 45 min if you are traveling between the hours of 4:00 to 7:30 PM and 7:00 to 8:30 AM. Highway 50 is even worse getting from Sacramento to Ranch Cordova which should take about 20 minutes but in traffic time it will take you almost an hour. Crime: Areas such as Del Paso Heights and Oak Park have really high crimes rates. No one should go into those area’s after dark unless you want to run the high risk of getting shot or stabbed. In the suburbs you’re more than likely to have a higher chance of getting robbed. I should know it’s happened to me twice. Housing: is 37% Higher than the U.S. average. A two bedroom apartment you cost you around $900.00. Section 8 has been closed for years and there are very few low income apartments and if you can’t afford the housing we have many homeless locations. Population:1,451 people per square mile. It is really overcrowded Employment: Unemployment rate in Sacramento is 14.70 percent (U.S. avg. is 10.20%) Most of my friends have been unemployed for several months to a couple of years. Three of my friends have left California and swear that they will never return. Social Services: Due to budget cuts that are expected to go though Welfare will be eliminated. Med-I-cal services will be reduced by 40% which means out of pocket expenses. SSI will be cut to the federal pay only. People: Most of the people here are rude, but I did not realize that until I went to Reno, the people there would ask me how I was doing, where I was from and did not hesitate to strike up a conversation with me. At first I became really nervous and I held my purse a little closer to me. They will even help if you are broke down on the side of the road. If you live in Sacramento you need to have road side assistance or call someone you know. Because no one is going to stop to help you. Sometimes a cop will come by and tell you to move your vehicle because you are a distraction for the other drivers and at the same time will look for any violations, because cops love giving out tickets. But you do have a greater chance of getting a ticket in Citrus Heights and Roseville. Education: Collages are not too bad if you can afford to go many schools are being forced to not only raise fees, but reduce enrollment numbers, making the college application process more competitive than ever and if you have your child in public school. You can expect that there will be 21 other students in the classroom. If your child falls behind because, the teachers will not do their job he or she will be placed on a individualized education plan and be considered a special education student. The cost of living which includes utility, gas, food, housing, transportation and health care are all above the U.S. national average. Insurance is outrageous we rank 5th as the most expensive in the U.S. Not to mention you get taxed and regulated to death. The only good thing that anyone can say about living here is that it is a perfect location, you're half way between the mountains and the coast but don’t forget to look at all the smog covering the valley when you are driving back from Reno on I-80.

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Failing Economy - 1/19/2011

I know that the economy is a mess nationwide but this city was struggling long before the economic downturn. When I arrived ten years ago, the downtown district was wonderful - busy, beautiful, bustling - a destination. Downtown, especially K Street, is nearly vacant except for the homeless. State workers once filled the streets, shops and eateries. With the state budget cuts and furloughs, most of those places went out of business. It is sad, really, to watch the gradual creation of another California ghost town.

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opinion on Elverta - 1/15/2011

Elverta is a quiet community north of Rio Linda. It's about 6 miles from the recently new Food Source shopping center in Rio Linda to get your groceries as well as about 6 miles travel to Antelope's Walmart near Elverta Rd & Watt. Besides living off a street that cars zoom by on, it's a nice,quiet community that is a nice escape from the busy Sacramento culture I lived in for the past 11 years. I recommend it to people who like rural living. It's a nice hideaway!

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Great Place to Live - 11/4/2010

Sacramento to is a great place to live I think because you are just minutes away from San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Los Angelos, San Diego so your right in the middle of it all. All you have to do is decide what you fill like doing for that day and go in that direction. You have choices here as far as recreation and thing to do with your family. Old Sacramento is a place to visit at least once or twice a lot of history there. If your looking to live and raise your family stay on the rural areas and away from the south side. I like it because we never get bored it way to much to do here. Enjoy.

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Climate - 10/13/2010

I like all the seasons here.

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Summer Heat - 8/12/2010

Most of the time, it's too hot during the summer - although this summer has been mild.

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Nice city, interesting demeanor - 6/15/2010

I have lived in all regions of the country as a military dependent, so my opinion of Sacramento is based on comparisons of similar cities.I have lived in Sacramento 12 years. Positives; It is a clean,nicely situated city between the Bay Area and Reno/Tahoe,between the ocean and the mountains. It is one of the most diverse cities in the country.It is a city for active people with bike paths and walking trails through out the city and along the rives. Overall Sacramento is a nice city,in a generic vanilla sort of way. Negatives; It is definitely a country city, with mild "redneck" leanings, even though Sacramento elected an African American mayor.It is not a progressive city thus such nicknames as Cowtown,the Big Sacratamato and the Big Easy.....Chair.It is more of a minor league city,home of the RiverCats and at this time the NBA Kings,which the voters don't seem to want to pay to keep.The city has outstanding restaurants though in the best of Sacramento many chain restaurants top the lists. Sacramento is a nice,generic city a good place to thrive....I mean,yawn, exist.

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Sacramento from someone who has lived there since - 6/6/2010

I have lived in southern Ca and all over Northern CA and even Las Vegas. Sacramento is HOT!!! You are looking at perhaps 10 to maybe 20 days in the summer when its over 100. It is dry however, not as dry as Vegas or AZ but dry none the less. I find it very liveable, but then again I can handle the heat. It is NOTHING like the south, I just came back from Orlando, and have visited Miami Tampa etc, and its no problem dealing with it. You do need AC here for sure. The winters are so livable it might freeze once a year ...maybe. No Snow limited rain and the springs and fall are AWESOME but sometimes too short. Sacramento has a long time reputation as a Cow Town, (and we embrace it) but it is anything but that. For the young ones the night life in Downtown Sac has picked up considerably, and I will let you in on a little secret... Sacramento has some of the most beautiful women in California and they dont know they are beautiful. Sacramento is very diverse, people are friendly, although I would say they are California friendly, they are not southern hospitality or even midwest hospitality. For Families I would reccomend the northern suburbs, Rosevllie, Rocklin, Lincoln Granite Bay if you can afford it. You will find that is basically the same here as any other city, you have your housing developments with the chain resteraunts and strip malls. You will be paying more to live in California, and the motto here is we are two hours from everywhere. two hours from Tahoe two hours from Reno two hours from San Francisco two hours from Napa Wine country two hours from the Coast you get the gist. The traffic is bad. Not as bad as San Francisco Or L.A but its getting there. I will probably move eventually because of it, but for now I have a system. Some schools are horrible, some are excellent, if you do your homework, you can make it work here. Crime is Higher in the city and the south area not so bad in the north and north east. We have the Kings (basketball) and we really should have more pro sports but we dont have enough big corporations to support the luxury boxes. I would say you are going to meet someone from every Race, Religion, Political party etc It is very diverse and no one seems to have a problem with it. If you dont like diversity dont move here. We have folsom lake (folsom prison) the foothills with beautiful trees, smog, microbreweries, Big malls, and some really nice resturants. the housing market is horrible if you are selling, great if you are buying, and there is somthing for everyone here. Deal with the traffic Hot weather and smog (we have smog because we are in a valley, and it comes from all over and sits in the valley. the gold rush started here and we have no problems or bias towards new people moving in the area.

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Sacramento - 3/29/2010

Congested streets, dirty air, unhappy people.

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Expensive housing! - 2/26/2010

Sacramento has a lot of good points to it- it's close to San Fran, the ocean, skiing- all less then 2 hours away. If you live in midtown, which I did, you can walk anywhere. If you live in the right spot, it can be a very walkable city. I didn't find much need to go outside of the midtown grid, and to be quite honest, I really didn't like the outskirts of Sac at all. Just a bunch of those neighborhoods where all the houses look alike. There is a lot of crime in Sacramento, so you have to lock your doors. In the past 10 years Sacramento has gone from a cow town to a hip place to be- and with that hipness comes inflated prices. My husband and I moved out because we couldn't afford to buy a house there (in midtown). If you want to live in the outskirts, you can do that easily, as it's not expensive, but that wasn't what we wanted. Also, the traffic there has gotten bad. It used to be so easy to drive around town- now it's a pain in the butt, especially during rush hour. If you like the sun shining every day and over 100 degree weather, you will find that in Sacramento. Oh, and the people are generally quite nice.

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Public Transportation - 1/10/2010

Sacramento is a place that not only was I born and raised in, but lived in for forty of my fifty years and I am here to tell all that Sacramento receives a D+ in the area of public transportation. This system stops running for the most part at 9:30 p.m. Sure the light rail runs until after midnight, but that only works for people who live in the downtown area or near the light rail. People who live and work and depend on the buses are out of luck, limiting them to where they can work or live in Sacramento. A person can forget working a night job unless they have a car, or can afford a taxi. I was told not long ago by a Sacramento Regional Transit bus driver that Sacramemto is politicaly a "car town" and will never change. I have experienced many a day waiting an hour or more for a bus to arrive at my stop. Only to experience rude and unwilling to help drivers, who think that their only job requirement is to drive and take long breaks. Ninety five percent of the time I will run into fellow passengers complain about the services provided and how they will be glad to get an automobile so that they will not have to take the bus anymore. Great! Sacramentos' air quality is already bad enough. In conclusion, Sacramento public transit is far from ranking as a great alternative to getting around.

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close to recreation - 11/18/2009

Sacramento is very conveniently located to great recreation opportunities in the Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada, Napa Valley & San Francisco all within less than a 2 hours drive

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Primary Schools in SAC - 10/5/2009

I am looking to move from Chicago to the Sac area....not sure how schools stack up??? Can someone recommend a great school district or area?

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