Professionals in Stockton (San Francisco, Fresno, Oakland: apartments, crime rate, how much)

[Capgras]

Greetings,

This may sound insane to many, but I am considering a move to Stockton, CA. I have had a chance to visit and it was nowhere near the horror story of a city described on this forum. I realize, you can not get a complete understanding of a community after a few days, but my wife and I were pleasantly surprised with what we saw. To put my comments in the proper context, you may want a little more detail on our trip. We stayed mostly in the northern part of town. Looked at neighborhoods in the Brookside, Spanos Park, Lincoln Village, and Morada. Also saw the downtown and marina area as well. Spent a little bit of time in 1 of the shopping centers, (Sherwood), to get somewhat of feel for the patronage. Made the trip to Trader Joes. No red flags in any of those areas.

I do not mean to make this all about class/money but these are realities that influence decisions about where we live and the experiences we after those decisions are made. As of 2012, the median household income for Stockton was around 51K. I am curious to hear from the professionals in Stockton (attorneys,physicians,executives,etc.) who earn salaries that are several multiples above the median to comment on life in Stockton. Are there any other professionals considering a move to Stockton? As I see it, our daily lives in Stockton would not be that different from our visiting experience in terms places we would frequent and likely live.

By California standards, the cost of living in Stockton seems like a good bargain. Home prices seem reasonable and proximity to regional attractions (San Francisco, Tahoe, Yosemite, etc) is a huge bonus. The overt negativity of some of the posters seems more of a reflection of the person than the city. Even if, for the sake of argument, I am willing to concede the point that Stockton is a terrible city that has hit rock bottom, wouldn't that mean that there is no place to go but up? Is there any room for optimism in Stockton?

This forum is a great place to gather information/opinions. Hopefully, information provided is coming from a variety of sources interested in sharing objective points of view that will help others make informed decisions.

[NWbyNW]

I'm glad you enjoyed your stay.

Stigma's for cities happen all over the world of course, and Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, Oakland, all have that Stigma in California. It is usually based off of the city's past or peaks in crime. Other cities nationwide of have stigmas like many outsiders still think New York is unsafe, or Pittsburgh, Baltimore, etc.

Sadly, no matter how much Stockton has put into beautifying the city and making it a nice livable place, you will still have people bashing it, simply based off of past experiences that may have been years ago, or just based on what others have said. Personally I am happy you had a good experience there. I have never had a problem there either. I thought the waterfront was nice.

Still Stockton has a higher then average crime rate (by a long ways), but if you are like the average person, chances are you won't experience the crime or see it. But crime rates are also hard to measure, and there is no true effective way to measure it.

I am glad to read your point of view.

[Majin]

This can't be a serious thread.

[Bulldogdad]

Nothing wrong with any of those places your looking at living.

You could also check out Lodi, Manteca, Tracy and other areas in San Joaquin County.

Yes and Linden, DMenscha

Resident and business owner in Stockton.

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by Bulldogdad

Nothing wrong with any of those places your looking at living.

You could also check out Lodi, Manteca, Tracy and other areas in San Joaquin County.

Yes and Linden, DMenscha

Resident and business owner in Stockton.

Thank you my Bulldog friend. Saves me typing it out.

[KileyGirl80]

I was recently offered a job in Stockton, from my research I don't think I'll have a peace of mind living in Stockton based on safety issues. So, I've found a few apartments in Lodi, my research has me leaning towards this area, however, I contacted a family member who told me that Lodi is a pretty racist area. Honestly, none of my research suggested this but since the family member and her friends are acquainted with the area, I still wanted to hear other's opinion. I've looked at the demographics of the area and is very aware it's predominately White, that doesn't bother me as long as I'm in a safe area but, of course I don't want to be in a place that I will have to deal with racist BS on a daily basis, any suggestions or input about Lodi being racist towards non Whites? I've looked into Tracy, Modesto, Manteca, Rio Vista, Lathrop, and a few other surrounding areas, but those areas seem to have a lot of mixed reviews, unlike Lodi reviews which has been consistently good or favorable. Yes, I'm a young and single female, but I don't need to be in a lively city; I just need somewhere safe and non-racist with a Walmart (or similar shopping) and a grocery store.