Vallejo, CA Reviews

Well-polished squalor. - 6/4/2020
If you move to Vallejo, you will quickly realize that you're paying a lot of money to live in well-polished squalor.

I moved to Vallejo in mid-2008 just as the city declared bankruptcy. It was difficult at first, with rampant crime and a dramatically-reduced police force due to catastrophic budget cuts. I hoped things would eventually improve, but I had to move to the east coast in late 2011 before I saw any positive changes. Fast-forward to 2014 and I returned to Vallejo--and I've regretted that decision ever since. I can honestly say that it has been the longest six years of my life and I have literally dreamt of moving. (I don't even tell people I live here, it's that bad!)

Sirens at all hours; sideshows (cars doing donuts) at all hours; gunshots at all hours; violent crime and murder is COMMON here in a city of just over 100,00 people! The homeless population has increased exponentially and the city absolutely refuses to do anything about it, apart from Read More

If I could move I would - 10/1/2018
I would love to live in a place where there are not fireworks all year round or gunshots every night. Police are understaffed and overworked and this is coming from a Vallejo police officer. This city has potential and things are starting to happen very slowly but remember this is the fourth worst city in California for crime. FACT: LOOKUP STATISTICS. Maybe with new people moving in the trash that lives here will go someplace else. Cars doing burnouts/donuts all hours and lots of drugs. so, you decide if Vallejo is worth living in. 5/4/19 I need to add a few tidbits of some fun FACTS. You can now have ROOSTERS IN CITY LIMITS AND LET YOUR DOGS BARK ALL DAY AND NIGHT. YOU WILL NEED A TWO WEEK LOG OF TIMES AND DESCRIPTION OF BARKING DOGS AND FOUR PEOPLE TO SIGN A PAPER AND TWO MUST BE WILLING TO GO TO COURT. When all is said and done Solano County Sheriff's Animal Control will take the other side you're complaining about so they don't have to do their job! Nowhere else around Solano Read More

Phoenix Rising - 2/16/2018
I've lived in Vallejo for 5 years I moved here from Alameda California where I spent about 3 years and before that was in Seattle for 18 years. People said to Read More

Vallejo is a great option to live in the Bay Area - 5/23/2016
Vallejo is considered very affordable compared to San Francisco. It is 30 miles north of SF and 30 miles south of Sacramento. It is next to Napa, CA. It has great weather. You can ride the ferry to SF. It is one of the most diverse areas in the United States: 25 percent each Hispanic / Latino, white, black and Asian/Pacific Islander. I have lived in East Vallejo for 16 years and have had no problem at all. East Vallejo, which is East of I-80 is very beautiful area, rolling hills and you can still see wildlife (deers, coyotes) at night. Downtown or Central Vallejo has beautiful century-old houses. Mare Island Shipyard, which was the oldest naval base in the west was the area's biggest employer. Vallejo was thriving when the Naval base was open, however, when it was closed in the 90s, businesses and local government struggle to provide good employment opportunities in the city. Currently, the biggest employers within the city are the hospitals: Kaiser and Sutter. Nevertheless, Mare Read More

Life in vallejo - 1/12/2016
I was born and raised in vallejo and moved to oregon in 1996. No jobs and lots of drugs from what i remember. After mare island closed that was it. My sister was the victim Read More

Vallejo isn't perfect, but NO PLACE is...... - 12/22/2014
Coming to the Bay Area from Brooklyn, NY, and living in San Francisco for 10+ years, my partner and I just bought a house in Vallejo. I think Vallejo has it's issues, but what city doesn't? If you ask me, Vallejo seems like a fairly decent place to live: there's some really beautiful neighborhoods, especially in West Vallejo, with really well-preserved Victorian architecture, and it's AFFORDABLE to buy a home there, compared to other places in the Bay Area.

When I consider that in some other places, homes like the one we just bought in the Bay Terrace area near River Park and the Mare Island Causeway with views of Mare Island and San Pablo Bay beyond, would start at $500,000; we are extraordinarily lucky to have found a home for a little over $200,000. That just DOES NOT happen in other places! AT ALL! I can still easily commute to SF (just an hour by ferry) for work, and it's a pleasant commute.

All in all, I don't love everything about Vallejo, but I love Read More

Great place to live - 9/28/2013
I used the "Crime" category because that is probably what most people are interested in or concerned about in regards to Vallejo, I was. That is not however the focus of my post.

I moved here in April and couldn't be happier with my decision to buy in Vallejo. I did loads of preliminary research before closing to figure out all I could about my new prospective city and home and am confident I made the right choice.

After bottoming out with a bankruptcy, there is no way to go but up and it appears that is exactly what is happening all over town. It's only a matter of time before other people being run out of SF due to rising costs discover what Vallejo is about. It's awesome! The weather is great, there are abundant places to eat, loads of shopping and amenities, more than acceptable commute times with many different alternatives and houses that are affordable and also architecturally desirable. The daily grind here is just perfect.

I'm talking Read More

Come Help Us Reinvent a very old City! - 8/7/2013
Vallejo was once the capital of California and the city dates back to the 1850's. Vallejo's citizens have stepped up their involvement and have reclaimed their city government. There is an entirely new management staff from police chief all the way to maintenance director. The new city manager is excellent, and the city council and even our formerly intractable mayor are changing to meet the demands of the people. Vallejo is a beautiful city full of wonderful people with no more trouble than other cities of its size. The bankruptcy did create challenges, but the city has emerged stronger and more progressive. Participatory Budgeting, Neighborhood Night Out, block parties, arts festivals, ethnic festivals, the Pirate Festival, the Vallejo Powwow, and the fabulous Obtainium Cup Race (google it!) provide entertainment and activity many times during the year. The is live music weekly at the Empress Theatre downtown, at Gracie's on the weekends, and opera, jazz, and live theater at Read More

Arty City - 7/3/2013
The city has a vibrant art community that thrives in spite of the economy - live theatre, art shows, fabulous farmer's market on Saturdays - check out The Coal Shed on Mare Island, some splendid art going on there. The city itself has a questionable reputation on a lot of levels, most of which are based on certain areas in town - not an uncommon issue for most cities anyway - and much has changed over the years for the Read More

Cool near the water - 7/3/2013
Perfect climate, a few hot days during summer but breeze from the Carquinez Straits makes for lovely evenings. Read More