SperlingViews - Vacaville, California

If you enjoy a sophisticated urban environment, if you're single, if you're highly educated and appreciate access to continuing higher education at the post-graduate level, be prepared to drive at least 50 miles to meet your needs. Vacaville is a middle-of-the-road kind of place that's great for low- to middle-wage-earners with kids who enjoy watching network television, listening to top-40 radio, and eating at chains and fast-food restaurants. I've lived here for 20 years for work reasons and will probably leave when I retire. It's not horrible, it's just not very interesting. Think tract homes and chain shopping/dining everywhere. The countryside's pretty in the spring when the hills turn emerald green. It feels safe, most people are pretty friendly, and it's right on I-80 so you can hit the freeway to get to cultural events (decent museums, opera, symphony, movies with subtitles/experimental films, and ballet in places like Berkeley and San Francisco) and continuing higher education opportunities (UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Sacramento State Univeristy). Summers are HOT with 100-degree-plus weather, while winters are cold-ish (really cold here is considered the high 20s) and rainy. Spring and fall offer ideal weather in the high 60s, 70s and 80s. Housing is cheap by Bay Area standards, but probably rather expensive by Midwestern standards. Not much of a job base; most folks commute elsewhere to work. Little mass transit so you'd better have a car. Schools are mediocre but I've certainly seen a lot worse. Plenty of dentists, doctors and other medical care providers. A big plus: It's not snobby here, and people don't put on airs, engage in "PC-speak" and take themselves and their ideas too seriously, as they often do in places like Berkeley. Overall: If you like middle-brow suburban comfort, casual dress, mass media-style entertainment, and are politically centrist or right of center and not very politically engaged or culturally curious/adventurous, you might just like it here. [read more...]

For anyone wondering about the climate here, Vacaville gets hot in the summer! It is usually hotter here than in Sacramento. The city of Fairfield is right next to us and it is anywhere from about 5 to 10 degrees cooler there, we do not get any of the cooler weather because of the hills that separate Vacaville from Fairfield. The winters here are usually very short, not very wet; definitely cold. When it does rain, it usually pours all at once! Spring is really nice here, perfect weather![read more...]

Vacaville, CA has a vibrant faith community. From various protestant churches (The Father's House, The Mission, Valley Church, First Baptist, SonRise) to Catholic, Vacaville's churches support a strong community of faith that isn't shy to hold events open to the public...comedians, kid's activities in Andrews Park, etc. They are active in civic affairs...cleaning up after Merriment on Main and after the Friday night concerts in the park during the summer, feeding the homeless, and sponsoring the Vacaville storehouse where food and clothing are provided to those in need. National and international speakers and musicians often speak and perform in Vacaville's churches, often as part of their regularly and frequently scheduled conferences and seminars.[read more...]

Vacaville is a decent place to live. Traffic is not bad, shopping is excellent, the downtown has made major improvements in ambience. It is reasonable close to some wonderful places to spend time: San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Sierras, and the Calif. coast. Sacramento has lots to offer culturally and is only 45 minutes away. Housing values are depressingly low right now. There is a lack of interesting mom and pop ethnic restaurants, but every chain eatery known to man has a branch here.[read more...]

Has wonderful weather.[read more...]

I'm a native Northern Californian; I've lived in Vacaville for 8 years now. Vacaville has become a bedroom community for both the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Metropolitan areas. The city's population is about 97,000 today and though housing prices are higher than the National average, the ability earn higher wages and the availability of activities, more than offset the higher cost-of-living. The area is lacking in understanding the importance of a reliable mass-transit service, which leads to traffic congestion at the major freeway interchanges, but many employers have been known to adjust for traffic. The city’s infrastructure continues to grow, for a working family, Vacaville provides the "small town" atmosphere with accessibility to all the conveniences of city life.[read more...]

Best of both worlds, to the east we have the mountains. To the west we have the beaches. And in between there are miles of bike trails. Traffic is pretty good, road rage doesn't seem to be as much of a problem here as seen in some of the other cities in CA. [read more...]

We enjoy the location. Vacaville is located only hours away from the ocean and the mountains. The cost of living is pretty high though.[read more...]

we enjoy living here. easy commute to SF or Sacramento. housing is a little pricey, but crime is fairly low.[read more...]