May Be Moving to Sacramento - Need Advice

Hi, I moved to Elk Grove 3 years ago from Fairfield and we do like it here. There is plenty to do for kids, lots of activities at the park and what not. For night life, go to downtown Sac, it's only about 5-10 minutes away. Natomas is nice, but a flood zone, which is expensive to pay for the insruance. Stay away from South Sac. My cousins live in Granite Bay and Loomis and Roseville, all which are nice too. Good luck!!

My daughter and her family live just about 19 miles south of Sacramento, (a beautiful city by the way lovely and green even in drought contitions) They live in Elk Grove, lots of good schools, good shopping and excellent trasportation to Sacramento. This is actually a good time to buy as there are lots of very nice homes, quite a few with swimming pools.
We have a home near by in Galt, which we rent out.

Hi A.,
my name is S. and i have 9 grandchildren and have lived in the sacramento area for over 40 years. We just came here for my husband to go to college and after his masters degree we just never left.
We live right out of sacramento in a town called elk grove. It used to be a sleepy little cow town but has grown considerably over the years. I like it here a lot and feel very safe. I would not worry about walking at night or anyone harming me. Housing prices have dropped here and it is a lot cheaper to get a home.
Another place that you might like is wilton which is close to elk grove. It is all country and a wonderful place to raise kids. We moved there when our 4 were just really young and was so easy to raise them out there because there is nothing for them to get into to get into trouble. The school out there is very nice. I just talked to one of the teachers my kids had out there and she said it is still a great school for the kids. You can buy acreage out there and build a house or buy one already built. Our children loved it out there as we could raise baby calves and have ducks, chickens, pigs and horses. I felt that it was and still is a great place to raise children.
I don't know too much about the night life as we never went out too much with out the kids but my sons and their wives have a good time.
If you live in this area you are not far from the mountains or the ocean. There are two rivers in sacramento that are wonderful for skiing or fishing or just picnicing and swimming. One river is the american river the other is the sacramento river. There is a lake named folsom lake that is great for family fun and also has camping there. There are also camping places along the american heading up towards lake tahoe that are beautiful.
I hope this has helped you a little bit and if you need any information please let me know.
Some areas of sacramento are worth avoiding so you need to talk with someone when you think you have found some place you would like to look.
Good luck to you
S.

We moved here about 5 years ago from San Francisco and initially looked for a home in Elk Grove, but our realtor pulled us in a different direction. Though I do have friends that live there, I am glad I don't; there are neighborhoods within and surrounding that area that aren't the best. There are beautiful homes there too, but I would still say that unless you are moving into the foothills on the side of Hwy 50 (El Dorado Hills/Folsom) then it may be best to stay on the north side of Sac (Roseville/Rocklin/Granite Bay). Even Natomas, which is a fairly new area, seems to have a lot of theft and vandalism. Davis is nice, but it is a college town. Land Park is beautiful too, right in Sac, if it is within your budget. Now is a great time to buy, the market is WAY down. So my reccomendation would be to stay away from South Sac, Natomas,and parts of Elk Grove.

Anywhere you go in Sac is going to be very family oriented, lots of mom groups, story times, swim lessons, etc. Downtown Sac is just like any other city, with great restaurants, culture and nightlife. There is also Old Town, which is historic and a fun place to take the kids or not. Tahoe is 2 hours away, great for going to the snow...

The weather is hot in the summer, but you really do experience all four seasons here.

Good Luck!

You have some great advice here as far as places to live and things to do. One thing to note if you're expecting the Bay Area as far as people and political views, you'll be in for a shock. It's extremely conservative here and not as many people hold college degrees. That was the biggest surprise for us moving here from the Bay Area and we've had to learn to keep quiet about our views and education. Placer County is even more conservative than Orange County. If this doesn't sound ideal to you, definitely consider the Davis area, because it's different than the rest of the valley.

Good luck!

It really depends on what you want for housing and where your husband will be working. & what you can afford.
Areas to consider inside Sac that are good & family friendly: Land Park, curtis park, East Sacramento, and the Pocket area. Near by commuting areas with the big developments and houses include Folsom,El Dorardo Hills, Elk Grove, Roseville, Natomas. (I prefer older homes, so I live within the city boundaries). Folsom Roseville and Elk grove all have an older town center, so its not all urban sprall.
You can google the weather is Sac. But I bet its close to Dallas. hot and dry.

Hello,
I live in the Sacramento area and I really enjoy it. There are several children's parks, for the whole family. Some great parks to visit are the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town, and Funderland. There are also some great museums in the area. I have lived in the SF and there are many differences between there and Sacramento, but SF is only an hour and a half away. Its a great day trip to go out there and visit the City from here.

A great area to live in is Elk Grove, Natomas has some nice areas too.

I hope this helps, here is a link to museums in the area http://www.sacmuseums.org/.

I personally love the Fair Oaks/Orangevale area...great schools (San Jaun District), older established neighborhoods, lots of trees, close to Folsom/Roseville for good shopping, parks, bike trails, great park and rec activites for kids throughout the year, close to Tahoe too! I grew up in this area, so I am probably biased - but you should at least check it out. The other area we love is Rancho Murieta (my husband grew up there) - awesome gated community, safe place to raise kids - that is where we will probably end up eventually. Good luck! :)

Hi there,

My husband and I just moved to Sacramento from San Francisco at the end of May; he received a really great job offer and we moved.

If you're looking to buy a home, there are really great homes in the Land Park Area (out by the Sacramento Zoo) and East Sacramento. Midtown is also great to live in, especially if you'll be renting for a while and there is a possibility of beign able to easily commute to his/your office(s).

The weather here is hot in the summer - if you google zip code 95816 or 95811 you'll get an idea of the heat we've had lately, but it's tolerable, and it isn't always in the 100's. I grew up in this heat as a kid and just loved it.

Our first isn't arriving until February, but having talked to other parents here who have been here for years, they really like it here. There is the Zoo, water park. It isn't San Francisco, but there are so many more cute restaurants, art shops here as the downtown is greatly being revitalized. We've enjoyed our move here so far. They have 'Second Saturdays' here where lots of bands come out to play live music and shops open with snacks, wine, etc.

Another place you may consider moving is the city of Davis - it's a University Town, very nice and a more rural feel to it. It's much more liberally-oriented than many Sacramentans. It just depends on what you like.

I hope that answered some Q's for you - feel free to ask more if you have them.

Best of luck to you.

Hi,
I along with a good amount of people in the sacramento area are transplants from the bay area. If you are looking for a like neighborhood or style to the bay area Folsom is a great location but it is also a keeping up with the Jones so the housing rates.are higher than other areas in sac county and you have to be very careful what area you get a house in as you go to that designated school. We lived in El Dorado Hills when we first moved up here and while a great area, not having the built in city looking out for its citizens was an issue for me with the costs of just standard amenities, so we purchased a house in citrus heights near the mall and in the smud utility district and completely gutted it. We managed to buy in a great little community neighborhood and all the neighborhood kids play together even though they all go to different schools. We are in the San Juan school district as is the majority of north sac county and they allow you to lottery into other schools and have non-neighborhood schools that are more acedemic or creative based on your child needs. The people are great here and my husband and I have made some great friends, also you have the option through out sac county to get what you want in a house whether it is new or old with character, I would suggest getting a house with a pool as on those 100 plus days- you really want one like today but now it has cooled down to 66 for the evening. Before you buy are if you can take a day to spend time in the neighborhood to see what type of neighbors or neighborhood you will be moving into. Sac county still has neighborhoods and neighbors with time for friendship.

Hi, A.. I would stay out of the south area... Florin Road, Mack Road, Stockton Blvd. North Highlands is a bad area also as well as Del Paso Heights, Marysville Road. Probably best to talk to a realtor to find out exactly where the good areas are. If you are renting or even buying, you might want to check out the areas you are thinking about before making a final decision by going there at different times of day and night and sitting in your car. I think Roseville, Camron Park, Lincoln, Folsom, El Dorado are your best bets. Best of luck.

Hi A.,

I grew up in the Granite Bay/Loomis area. It was great growing up here because most of the houses have larger lots and acreage so there was always room to run and play, but that also comes with a larger price tag. After going away for school, my husband and I moved back to the area, but in Old Roseville. I have a 17 month old daughter, and am enjoying raising her here. Some of the houses are smaller, but I love the quaintness of the old houses (ours was built in 1928). The high school and elementary schools are pretty close, as well as tons of shopping.

If you are looking for a more rural town, I would look at Granite Bay, Loomis, or Newcastle. If you are looking for a more urban setting, I would look at Roseville. Best of luck to you!

I moved to Orangevale 8 years ago. It's growing but still kinda little-ish as far as cities go. If I drive only 3 miles I can be in a small town kind of neighborhood: older homes way off the road, horse property, etc. Folsom is right up the street and Old town Folsom is one of my favorite places to go (my 5 year old's too!). Old Sacramento has a good feel to it also, I love the old towns. I am 6 miles from Folsom Lake, I can walk to the river, and most everything I need is less than 5 miles away. There are many business owners and home owners in Orangevale who have been here a long long time and still act like your neighbor. Those are my kind of strangers :)

Hi A.,

I have grown up in this area and lived here most of my life. I have moved a bit, but found that I always come back home. There is no other place like it for weather and things to do. There is a lot of things to do with children and also as adults, a lot of them are also free. There are several nice areas in the Sacramento area, there are a few you really do not want to go into. The summers can get into the low hundreds but that does not last long and the winters are generally pretty mild. I am going to be moving soon into my own place as I just moved back to the area and I am living with my Mom. I have chosen the Galt area, which is a really nice town on the outskirts of Sac. I am more than happy to talk further if you want, you can call me on my cell phone, it is still an Arizona # ###-###-####. I am happy to talk with you about all of the areas that are nice and also what to avoid. As well as some of the fun things to do around here.

D.

Hi there-
I grew up in Sacramento, I live in Roseville now. If you want to be somewhat close to night life,culture, arts, I would stay in Sacramento, downtown has some great outdoor restaurants with music. Good neighborhoods that are family friendly are Land Park-older homes with lots of charm, you'll pay more for them though, Sacramento zoo, fairytale town, funderland are all in Land Park. River Park is a great little pocket neighborhood near Sacramento State. My girlfriend is good friends with everyone on her block! Lots of young families, a mom's group, etc. South Sacramento is where most of the crime is and it seems to be creeping more and more south, which gets close to Elk Grove, so if you're looking at outlying neighborhoods, I would look at Folsom, Fair Oaks-some parts or Roseville, Granite Bay(a little pricey) or Rocklin. Good luck, looks like you have information overload!
K.

A.,
I happened to be waiting in the doctor's office this morning after my initial reply and found all these websites for you...August 08 issue of Family Circle
city-date.com
epodunk.com
factfindercensus.com
and cyberhomes.com
all pertaining to finding out information about where to look for homes, schools, etc...GOOD LUCK!

Wow...I have lived in Sacramento all my life (I'm now 53) other than 4 years...but I was thrilled to come back to Sacramento!! It's a great place and the first thing people will tell you is that you're 2 hours from San Francisco, 2 hours from the mountains (Lake Tahoe)...it does get warm here, but I would say no more than 5-10 days that we see 103+... Elk Grove/Laguna is a BUSY place to live, (too much for me) and there are some great areas (Carmichael, Pocket)...depending on where your husband's work is would also factor in... Good luck with your decision...

Sacramento is a great city to live in. The weather is really nice. It can be in the 100's in the summer, but that only happens a couple days at a time and then the rest of the time it's in the 80's and 90's. The winters are really mild, but snow is just an hour and a half away. Also San Fransico is an hour and a half away. Sacramento has a wonderful down town area which has really great restaurants, clubs, art galleries, and museums. There are a ton of really great parks all over town, and of course there are all the normal sports for kids to join. There are a lot of good places to live, but a really neat new development is right off of Zinfendel (south off of Highway 50). It is called Capital Village and they are built by Beazer Homes, which is a quality building company. My brother just bought a house there. There are a lot of different size houses and condos all in one neighborhood, with neat parks. Or if you're looking to rent we have been really happy at Monte Bello Apartments, which is off South Watt Ave. Good luck with your decision.
S. R

A.,

I grew up in the Bay Area and went to college at Santa Clara never imagining I'd end up in the Sacramento area. I loved living in the country outside of Auburn for 13 years but now live in Fair Oaks, a town adjacent to Sacramento, and have been in town 6 years now. In this area the cities and towns run together with area that is 'county' land. It is sometimes difficult to know where one starts and another ends.

Right now the choice of a school wouldn't be that important due to your son's age. If you plan to purchase property (and now is an excellent time to do so), you should still seriously consider renting for a minimum of 6-months while you get the lay of the land. There are several parts of town that are run-down and have more serious crime issues. Other parts are nice but the traffic patterns are a real problem depending on which side of town you live and work in. If your husband is in law enforcement (mine was), you should consider looking outside the city or the county where he will be working to put some distance between his job and homelife.

You should also know that the Sacramento area has the most diverse population in the country. So there are parts of town that seem to be more ethnically specific - it isn't really an issue, but it might be important. Housing in the greater Sacramento area runs from 800 square foot bungalows to multi-story mansions on acerage. There is no 'average' home here, though there are average/more traditional neighborhoods, especially with some of the newer developments. With two big rivers, parts of Sacramento are also in a flood plan and other parts are bordered by a wonderful, multi-mile, multi-use parkway that follows the river.

Today it is 105 degrees, and it has actually been a pretty mild summer with only a handful of days over 100 (and almost no humidity). Some summers we have 30 or more days over 100 and the reality is that, while you may never like the heat, you do get used to it and everyone has air-conditioning in their homes, offices and vehicles.

There are lots and lots of parks, libraries and things to do for young families. There is a wonderful downtown area that is gaining strength and vitality, including a neat "2nd Saturday" program that promotes the arts and brings lots of folks to the downtown and midtown area. Downtown and midtown are very walkable. There is Sacramento State University and 2 different junior colleges in the area, put UC Davis just a short drive away - so lots of educational opportunities too.

Try this site for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau - http://www.sacramentocvb.org Try this one for county information - http://www.saccounty.net/default.htm Try this one for Sacramento City information - http://www.cityofsacramento.org

Good luck - J.

Hi A.,
I love living in Granite Bay, CA. I moved here 10 year ago from the Bay Area, San Carlos, CA to be exact. I recommend Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, even Grass Valley, or Auburn. Granite Bay has great schools for your children. It might depend on what you and your family like to do. Everything is here or very close by. Jobs are a little tight these days, they say, but my husband and I work from home in our own business and are doing very well. We can not say anything bad about the area!
The weather is great.
There is plenty to do from outdoor activities to cultural or night life. San Francisco is only 1 1/2 hours away. Tahoe is an hour away. We really like it here. Truly one of the better places to live in the US. But that's just our opinion!

We are Bay Area transplants who love living in Roseville; located about 20 minutes from Sacramento. Lots of outdoor activities, parks, great schools, shopping and affordable housing in a safe environment. Roseville has it's own city services ie. Electric, Garbage, Water and Sewer...which tends to help reduce living cost. Also, 2 major hospitals Sutter Roseville and Kaiser Permanente (which is currently building a new Women. and Childrens Health Center.) 2 Movie theaters and lots of restaurants too. Best of Luck to you and your family.

Davis, 14M west of Sacramento, is a wonderful family friendly, child centric place to live. Lots of recerational activities, college town, beautiful and excellent school system. Check out www.davisparentnurseryschool.com, this is a wonderful place for you and your child to make lifelong friends. Roseville, Carmichael, Granite Bay, Elk Grove are all nice family centric places as well.