moving from Pittsburgh, Pa. Sacramento or somewhere in Socal?

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by sch0221

Im definitely preparing for the sticker shock. Pittsburgh has the lowest cost of living i have ever seen. I guess im trying to find someplace suburban enough to raise the kids (safety) but still culturally diverse enough, where we aren't around raging racists at every turn. I only mentioned Murrieta as a southern California option that a girlfriend who lives nearby in Ramona suggested. We aren't sure where we fit, is all. Thank you for the honest responses!

You might want to try the "San Bernardino and Riverside Counties" forum to see what people who actually live in that region think about Temecula/Murrieta as an option.

[the city]

Sacramento is not a hick town. There is a major university 30 minutes west of it. It has some higher end suburbs like Roseville and Granite Bay nearby.

I would chose Sacramento over Murrieta. If you want to live in the Inland Empire, i would be very picky about where I chose to live. They also have some major water issues down there.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by sch0221

I never understand how Pittsburgh makes the list. They must not interact with the locals. Its the most small minded town I have ever lived in. Even if the population is higher, it is very much segregated. My husband is a car salesman, and people purposely will not work with him bc of his skin color. It is always the ones with Trump hats and camoflauge. Not to mention we are so sick of the winters! Also, there are no other minorities in Pittsburgh except black people, unless you count university students. We want to move so racial issues don't have to be a deciding factor in our every day life. We also lean very left when it comes to politics, Bernie lovers....that doesnt go over well here in the rust belt.

you certainly will find Bernie lovers anywhere in CA. but remember the old saying" the grass is greener on the other side" isn't always the case. Weather wise, I can understand your wanting to leave Pittsburgh, but remember, no matter where yo go, you will find some racism. it would be wonderful if it were not that way, some areas are certainly more accepting. As a country we are more accepting than in years past, just don't think you can escape completely from rude people.

We lived in Sac many years ago; it is a wonderful city and I would choose it over Murrieta anytime based on what you have said is important to you. Have you considered checking out Portland, Or?

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by sch0221

I am a 30 year old wife and mother of 2 kids, a 4 year old and 2 year old. My husband is black and I am white. We are planning to move out of god awful Pittsburgh, away from the blatant racism, and camo as a fashion choice. Is Sacramento a good choice for a family like ours? I keep reading its a hick town. Dont want to move into what I'm escaping from! The affordability is tempting. Or should we look somewhere like Murrieta? Hubby is a car salesman, originally from Washington DC, and I work on behalf of banks to make sure people's homeowners insurance policies are in order. Thanks!

95% of the people from SoCal or the Bay Area know absolutely nothing about Sacramento. All they do is spill mis-information and stereotypes.

1. Sacramento is one the most diverse cities in the nation, by far more diverse than Pittsburg, Portland, Austin, Seattle and Los Angeles.

2. Sacramento is not segregated like Los Angeles. Mixed race couples is nothing new, people could care less, plenty of kids are of mixed race in Sacramento. The city of Sacramento is quite liberal. And the surrounding area is mostly moderate.

3. There are plenty of cultural offerings and entertainment right in Sacramento and if you add in the Bay Area which is 1 hr 15 minute drive to downtown SF when you travel non-commute hours, you have a ton of cultural offerings and entertainment.

4. The University of California, Davis is 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, its a very good well rounded, top public University rated higher than many other well-known universities. It's rated the 10th best Public University in the nation. Often it is rated the 3rd or 4th best UC in California(behind UC Berk and UCLA).

5. Educational attainment is higher in Sacramento than Los Angeles.

I's hilarious to me that people who have never lived in Sacramento from SoCal or where ever are commenting.

I've lived in Sacramento and it is a great place to live. :-)

Ive lives in SF and LA, and the quality of life for the middle class person is much better in Sacramento, and cost of living a way better.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

It's been a long time since I lived in Sacramento or Davis, but even back then, I would not have been shocked by an interracial couple. And I never felt outnumbered as a democrat.

And I grew up in the SF Bay Area, grandparents lived in Oakland, parents grew up there. I have lived in TN and WA both in the cities and in small mountain towns with loggers, and most recently I've been living in the far northern counties of CA, and I can tell you this is Trump country up here. So, I know the difference between liberal SF reality vs. Trump land, white collar folk vs blue collar folk.

Sacramento in no way compares with the Trump, redneck counties farther away from the larger cities, including Sacramento. Sacto is actually a nice blend of white and blue collar people, which makes it a more casual city than, say, San Francisco. There's a lively art scene, and plenty of nightlife and breweries, restaurants, museums, shows and concerts, etc.

Ironically, I found Sacramento to be too hot. After living in Redding, I have learned that the evening Delta breezes make living with the daytime heat in Sacto quite bearable. Everything is relative.

But, OP, having never been to Pittsburgh, I don't know what you'd be missing. I can tell you that in CA, you pretty much need to have a car. Life is much harder without one, and that includes Sacramento. Public transportation just isn't that great for getting around easily.

But, there is a lot of good entertainment in Sacto, and even though it's really hot in summer, it's not humid, and it's known for it's trees, which provide a lot of shade. It's also not a racist town, in my experience. And, you can get to the ocean or the mountains for a day trip. There's lots of interesting local history. You could do worse.

[eccotecc]

I'm originally from Pittsburgh, and I've also lived in Sacramento. Sacramento is a very nice and friendly city. My only complaint is I think the traffic in Sacramento is worse than Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh traffic is bad because of the bridges, and like the Liberty Bridge catching fire last Sept. when I was back visiting. Sacramento also has bridges and Hwy 50 and I80 along with Fairoaks Blvd, Arden Way and Watt Ave are usually all gridlock. Believe me, it's worse than the Squirrel Hill tunnel when the Greenfield bridge was imploded. Real estate is expensive compared to Pittsburgh, but property taxes are lower. Everything else in California is slightly more expensive or about the same as Pittsburgh. Weather is nicer in Sacramento, so you don't need a set of heavy winter clothes. Not that I'm trying to make a decision for you, but I'd stay in Pittsburgh unless you are just looking for a change and trying to justify moving by using a few yinzers as a reason to move.

[Mr5150]

Sacramento is not a hick town. State capitals with a million plus population??? I don't think so. But there is one very nice aspect of Sacto that may confuse some people. Those who are quick to judge or just plain haters. Sacramento is possibly the largest small town in America. People are friendly and neighborly in a way not found in most urban areas. Perhaps it is part of the Valley culture. It is a blue county surrounded by red counties. Not that there is any thing wrong with red counties in CA. Just a different POV. We all get along just fine.

Reading the above post traffic in Sacto is no worse or better than any town of its size. Gets slow 7:00 to 9:00 and 4:00 to 6:00.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Sacramento is not a hick town. State capitals with a million plus population??? I don't think so. But there is one very nice aspect of Sacto that may confuse some people. Those who are quick to judge or just plain haters. Sacramento is possibly the largest small town in America. People are friendly and neighborly in a way not found in most urban areas. Perhaps it is part of the Valley culture. It is a blue county surrounded by red counties. Not that there is any thing wrong with red counties in CA. Just a different POV. We all get along just fine.

Reading the above post traffic in Sacto is no worse or better than any town of its size. Gets slow 7:00 to 9:00 and 4:00 to 6:00.

We haven' live there since the civil war or it seems that long, but I agree about the traffic. I used to laugh when people talked about it. We were from So.CAl and thought Sacramento was a breeze except night time rush hour. As for it being a hick town: as you say, it is the capital of the largest state, population wise; how could anyone call it a hick town. No it isn't NYC thank GOD