A Davis Lover From Europe Needs Help! (Los Angeles, Sacramento: best cities, oceanfront)

[Rocalie]

Hello Everyone,

For my health and sanity (you will understand why later), I would love to move to Davis but I have a few questions …


Well let us see,

I do not own or drive a car (I love to bike and walk daily)
I do not smoke (I have a severe allergy to tobacco smoke)
I do not eat out (because of my allergy I have been avoiding public places and outdoor activities)
I am not looking for a job (I am self-employed and work from home)
I am not rich but I am self-sufficient and a low maintenance person
I am not buying a house (I am looking for a top floor apartment for rent)
I do not need a fancy place: no pool, no fire place, even no dish-watcher...
I do not have kids, but I like the company of young people in general

I will not be dealing much with UCD or the legendary top notch Education System in Davis for my activities; however I like to mingle with educated people, but when they are too arrogant and pretentious I just stay away from them.

I am an artist; I make things with my hands (fashion and craft) from home and sell them online to a large global clientele. Also, I purchase practically all my work supplies and personal things online and I will mostly be dealing with USPS, FedEx and UPS for the shipping and delivering.

After a tragic automobile accident, cars (or very fast vehicles in general) traumatize me and for my transportation I can only bike or walk.

I am from France and would love to live in Davis; but before I visit and feel the city for myself, I need your help (those of you who know Davis) to narrow down the areas where I can find apartment buildings or corporate units/housing.

I hate to live in detached bungalow type houses or lower/ground floor apartments. Are there buildings with 2 or 3-story (or higher if possible, 4 to 6-story) with apartment for rent? Of course, I will be renting a top floor apartment only.

Although I do not have kids, I need to rent a large apartment, at least 2 bedrooms or a large one bedroom (600 Sq. Ft. minimum) but with the basic amenities only. Is it possible to find an apartment building without a swimming pool in Davis?

I understand the cost of living and housing are high in Davis and this could be a bit of struggle for me at time, but do I have a choice? Is there another genuinely bike friendly city in California (near Davis), with a small percentage of cars speeding on the streets and a cost of living and housing lower than Davis?

I live a simple life and I am more like an ‘indoor’ person; I rarely go out for recreation or entertainment. Second-hand smokers still have a miserable life in France as the anti-smoking laws are not really enforced.
I believe I will like living in Davis, but are there things or areas I should avoid in Davis?

I thank you in advance for your time and for replying to my questions,

Roc

[Steve97415]

There really isn't any other city in the U.S. that can match Davis for bicycle friendliness. It really has set the standard. IMO, the two next best cities in California would be Folsom and Chico. All three are within the general Sacramento Valley area. Chico is a bit farther to the north and somewhat isolated from the more cultured Sacramento metro area, but it is more affordable for someone who is self-employed and you would probably love Bidwell Park which is very large and reserved for bicycle and pedestrian use only. All three cities have a great deal of automobile traffic despite their bicycle infrastructure. Automobilism is the unofficial state religion of California, I'm afraid.

If you are not really an outdoor person and are not averse to a climate with rainy winters and springs, Portland, Oregon might suit you well. It has a lot of the kind of housing you prefer and is much more cosmopolitan in its feel than Davis. It also has excellent mass transit (in most cases you can take your bike with you on the bus or train).

I'm sure there are some multi-level apartment dwellings and New Urbanist developments in Davis, but in general, single-story ranch houses predominate...and they are very expensive, IMO, considering what you get. Portland might be comparable in rent, but there would be much more choice and utility bills would be much lower. Because Davis is not very large, yet is the seat of a large university, competition for less expensive housing is high.

[sms1967]

Davis is ridiculously expensive... why, I've no idea. It's kind of exclusive geographically but all that means is it's a drive to anything. Seems like a nice town but if you're looking for a home big enough for a family... forget paying less than $600k. Davis just doesn't seem built for that... yet all the cities around it are.

[Clarks]

The best place in CA for people with allergies is Crescent City. The fog keeps the allergens depressed. Davis, being in the Central Valley probably is high on the allergen count, dust and pollen from the surrounding Ag land.

Fort Bragg and Mendocino are two other possibilities, Mendocino is pretty arty.
Mendocino;

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Clarks

The best place in CA for people with allergies is Crescent City. The fog keeps the allergens depressed.

Depends on your allergy trigger. I live just a few miles up the coast from Crescent City. People whose noses are sensitive to mold and mildew spores have horrible allergies here. In the valley I have no problems.

Crescent City is neither bicycle-friendly nor pedestrian-friendly by any measure. Nor is it a place where "mingling with educated people" would be an easily accessible endeavor.

[Rocalie]

Originally Posted by Clarks

The best place in CA for people with allergies is Crescent City. The fog keeps the allergens depressed. Davis, being in the Central Valley probably is high on the allergen count, dust and pollen from the surrounding Ag land.

Fort Bragg and Mendocino are two other possibilities, Mendocino is pretty arty.
Mendocino;

Thanks Clarks; I think Steve97415 is correct regarding the different allergens. I can handle dust and pollen although they are not healthy either. But it's Nicotine (Tobacco) and toxic mold that make me very sick and incapacitate me gravely.

Also my first criteria of selection would be:
1) the Bike Friendliness of the city, even if there are cars around, as long they are not the only major mean of transportation (like in Los Angeles) I should be fine.
2) multi-level apartment buildings as I prefer to live away from the ground.

[Rocalie]

Originally Posted by sms1967

Davis is ridiculously expensive... why, I've no idea. It's kind of exclusive geographically but all that means is it's a drive to anything. Seems like a nice town but if you're looking for a home big enough for a family... forget paying less than $600k. Davis just doesn't seem built for that... yet all the cities around it are.

Hi sms1967, for now I am not planning to buy, maybe later when I can afford it (in a few years hopefully).

And I would not mind investing over $600K in a 2 bedrooms apartment (900 Sq. Ft. minimum) on a top floor in Davis.

The Bike Friendliness of the city outweighs the other problems.

[Rocalie]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

There really isn't any other city in the U.S. that can match Davis for bicycle friendliness. It really has set the standard. IMO, the two next best cities in California would be Folsom and Chico. All three are within the general Sacramento Valley area. Chico is a bit farther to the north and somewhat isolated from the more cultured Sacramento metro area, but it is more affordable for someone who is self-employed and you would probably love Bidwell Park which is very large and reserved for bicycle and pedestrian use only. All three cities have a great deal of automobile traffic despite their bicycle infrastructure. Automobilism is the unofficial state religion of California, I'm afraid.

If you are not really an outdoor person and are not averse to a climate with rainy winters and springs, Portland, Oregon might suit you well. It has a lot of the kind of housing you prefer and is much more cosmopolitan in its feel than Davis. It also has excellent mass transit (in most cases you can take your bike with you on the bus or train).

I'm sure there are some multi-level apartment dwellings and New Urbanist developments in Davis, but in general, single-story ranch houses predominate...and they are very expensive, IMO, considering what you get. Portland might be comparable in rent, but there would be much more choice and utility bills would be much lower. Because Davis is not very large, yet is the seat of a large university, competition for less expensive housing is high.

Thanks Steve97415 for the Portland, Oregon suggestion; it's included in my selections: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/green-living/the-five-most-bike-friendly-us-cities/1025

Later, when I will be ready to buy, I might also check Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Oregon before I make up my mind on Davis, California.

For now (and if possible), I would prefer to pick a Bike Friendly city in California; somewhere around Sacramento. Considering I work from home and do 95% of my shopping online, I will not need to commute much. As long as the city has some infrastructure in place to accommodate Cyclists and pedestrians, I should be fine.



Therefore, the most important parameter is the apartment (in multi-level structure) and cost of living (utilities). Some people have suggested Woodland, Roseville and West Sacramento… that added to Folson, Chico and Davis makes a lot of cities I would have to visit and test before I settle down. This is why I am trying to narrow things down a bit.

Considering I am not buying my habitation yet, I would not mind spending 6 to 12 months in one of these cities (where rentals are affordable and available) in order to be close enough to the other ones and take the time to travel around (just thinking out loud here).

The problem now is, base on my situation I described in detail on my first post, which one of these eligible cities should I move to first when coming from Europe?

Thanks for your valuable input.

[DMenscha]

I can't think of any high rise residential buildings except the college dorms and they're only 3 stories tall.

[Steve97415]

Bike-friendliness is something that I prioritize highly as well. So, I have to wonder...why come all the way to the U.S.A. when Belgium and the Netherlands are right next door?