Relocating to Stockton area (Bakersfield, Lodi: real estate, high crime, homes)

[jana]

I think I have read everything here on Stockton.
My son, his wife and my 7-year-old grandson are being relocated to Stockton (From Bakersfield).
Does anyone have any information on Weston Ranch? Is that a safe place to live?
Is Manteca School District any good?
Is there any safe place to live in Stockton?
Do they really have on average 10 murders a day?

My main concern is safety for them and my grandson who will have to attend public school there.
Thank you in advance for any help.

[Boof]

Hi Jana,

I don't live in Stockton, so I can't be of too much help, but I thought I'd chime in with my 2 cents anyway.

Stockton does have some very nice, safe areas, but there are equally very bad areas. Gangs, Crime, & Drugs are prevalent there. If you go downtown, you'll see alot of empty storefronts, with bums, hoods and hookers hanging out. They're trying to start a revitalization project, and did a great job with the Fox Theatre, now called the Bob Hope Theatre.

My niece went to school in Manteca, and they were happy with them. Especially the middle school.

Don't know anything about Weston Ranch, but hopefully someone that lives in the area can give you more details.

As for safety, it'll just depend on where they settle in at. Like I said, there are good & bad areas...the good can be very good, while the bad are reallllllly bad!!!!!

As for 10 Murders a day avg? That wouldn't surprise me at all. I would bet that most of them are Gang related tho.

I guess what it all comes down to is careful research of the area first. You might be able to contact the Stockton Police and ask for a crime report. Some departments will have some form of info they give to the public. It's worth a shot anyway.

Good luck...I hope your son finds a place he's happy with.

[jana]

Thank you for responding.
After everything I have read about Stockton here and elsewhere on the web, I couldn't see that there was any safe place to live there.
The only place that really touts living in Stockton is their public (city) website and I think they HAVE to say it is good!

[StocktonAdvantage]

Hi Jana,

I can help you with info about Stockton. I'm a Realtor here. I'll send you a pm with my contact info.

Kind Regards,

Karla Woods, Realtor
http://www.StocktonAdvantage.com (broken link)

[gizmo980]

I lived in Stockton for 3 years, and there are a few safe neighborhoods... I first lived in the Brookside area, which is off I-5 and March Lane (west of the freeway). This is a very nice and relatively safe area, but you will pay more to be there. I then moved to Grand Canal Blvd., which is just down the road in what's known as "Grouse Run"... also quite safe and quiet, with a really nice shopping area on that street. Basically the northwest part of town is best, from I-5 & March Lane to Ben Holt (or so), and around the UOP campus. Still wouldn't be my first choice of places to live, but it's about the best you'll get in Stockton!

As for the crime rate, they don't have 10 murders a day... according to city-data, there have been between 30-37 every YEAR (since 1999), which equals a little over 2 per month. Not fabulous, but it's not quite as bad as you think.

[izzy]

Weston Ranch is in a bad area of Stockton. The homes are fairly new and most nice. But the surrounding area is poor and high crime. South Stockton is the poorest and highest crime area. North Stockton I-5 side is the safest. You can get in the Lodi School District living in North Stockton. Which is better than any school in Stockton. In Stockton its self try for Lincoln School District. My kids haven't attend school in Stockton. But my husband visits the schools to work on their equipment...He says we will home school before sending our kids to a Stockton school.

We lived in Manteca for years, which is south of Stockton. It is an okay area and the grammer schools are pretty good. I like Nile Garden Elementary School in Manteca. The high school has police on campus and I didn't care for it much, but our oldest boys went there.

Lodi, which is north of Stockton is a much nicer area. The homes are pricer. But the schools feel safer.

If you are looking for a really safe area that your son can commute from...we live in Valley Springs which is about 35 minutes from Stockton. In the Sierra foothills. Small town. Mostly middle class. Great schools. Homes are cheaper here than in Stockton. We don't even have a stop light in town. We are minutes from the local lakes. One hour from snow and pine trees. You can get a home here for about $360,000. on a half acre, right now.

The grammer school is very safe and the teachers are great. Been living in this part of CA for about 15+ years.

Izzy

[johnruocco]

I have lived in weston ranch for 15 years. If you care at all about your family get them out of there. I have seen all that stockton has to offer and im sorry to say that it is very decieving. The drugs are the worst thing that have ever happened to stockton, and weston ranch specifically. It is infested. I left when my best friend was murdered and buried in paul e waston park in weston ranch next to my old elementary school. Not to mention all the real estate scams that are specific to that area. Forclosures are huge because of these scams. I live in los angeles now, and as big as this city is, it is much better in some places out here than in stockton.

[17271]

Stockton is a bad area. Anywhere except the North side is very run down looking. And you'll feel like a fish out of water amongst the Mexican-majority in Stockton. You won't be able to go shopping without seeing hostile thugs driving by or walking around everyday. Stockton is that bad. There is nothing wrong with the city itself... it's the people. You don't want to be there. I hesitate to use the word sick, but that's what Stockton is.