What is Stockton like? (San Francisco, Sacramento: best neighborhood, apartments, rent)

[moonsavvy]

Stockon police officers won't even live in Stockton. Avoid it by all means possible. Lodi is a cute little winery town just north of Stockton, Elk Grove is also a better possiblity, but you will not be happy in Stockton.

[Kingsnkali]

There are nice parts of Stockton. Areas west of I-5 have some very nice neighborhoods with waterways and small lakes.

And Stockton has a brand new hockey arena (10,000 seats) and baseball stadium in the up and coming downtown/harbor area. Nice high rise condos going in too.

There are many slum parts of Stockton. This is true. But the city leaders of Stockton have 10 times more vision than that big mess/small thinking city to their north known as Sacramento.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

I have to agree. Stockton really isn't THAT bad. Most of the people who are posting these things are bay area snobs who would condesend you no matter where you lived because they think their money makes up for their lack of personality and class. stockton has some really wonderful upper middle class areas west of i5 off of march lane. around the country club and brookside, the area around lincoln high is also nice. this area can not be so bad because A.G. Spanos (local billionare) lives there. north stockton is a bit more lower middle class and can get dangerous in some parts but over all its not so bad. the south side is pretty bad and the east side is very rundown as well.

vitually all the problems you will encounter in stockton you probably will in sacramento as well. infact possible to more of a degree because sacramento is much larger. that is unless you are in folsom or el dorado hills.

[JTansen]

I was born and raised in Stockton and I have to say, Stockton is a dump... I lived there for 28 years before I woke up and got out of that town. First, there are way to many Thugs in Stockton (look up the crime rate). Second, the Stockton Unified School District is a joke. That is a huge part of the reason I moved, there is no way I would send my child to a SUSD school. Third, it is a very dirty town. Drive down Hwy 99, nothing but filth from the minute you hit the city limits. I-5 isn't much better. I know thier trying to clean up downtown, but its like putting a bandAid on a compound fracture....If your really going to move to the area PLEASE DO NOT MOVE TO STOCKTON!! Anywhere between North Lodi and Elk Grove would be a much nicer, safer place to live...

[theskillz39]

Basically listen to the people here on the commutes. If you're driving from Stockton/Lodi to either Sacramento or the Bay Area, forget it. 580W during the mornings or 580E during the evenings is one of the absolute worst roads to be on in the region.

Is Stockton #1 or #2 for vehicle theft?

[cinnabon]

Ok, so it sounds like Stockton is trying to clean up it's act, but it has a ways to go. If he gets this job (we hopefully will find out on Weds!), my boyfriend will be working at Dameron Hospital. I will try to look up where exactly that is - hopefully he can deal w/ a commute to Elk Grove or maybe Lodi? But I hear Lodi has a lot of crime/gangs as well?

Either way, I think I really want to be closer to Sacto. Another factor is I am a BIG skier & I want easier access to Tahoe.

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate all of the info!

[clortho1]

Stockon was rated in 2004, out of 326 metropolitan areas in the United States, as the worst area in the country to reside based a number of qualifying factors. In the 2007 edition, it pretty much leveled off in the same region - although the new edition has about 376 metro areas.

In '04, they ranked Modesto with Stockton, which didn't help it in, but they broke it up now.. and Modesto is dead last.

Sacramento is still thriving with lots of nice neighborhoods, lots of bad, and everything else you find in a major city. If you're still going to work in Stockton, Elk Grove is your best bet. It's very new there - for the most part - and real estate is decent. Of course you could always find a job in Sactown, which would make it 100 times easier. Either way you'll be paying less than you did in Jersey.

[mona1]

stockton is developing like crazy. brookside homes are one of the best, and affordable, in gated community

[mona1]

boorkside homes needs to be seen. amazing. lots of good things in the nice neighbourhoods.
i think this area is going to grow 30 % by next 7 yrs

[Kelly30]

Originally Posted by cinnabon

I am in NJ now, but my boyfriend has a job prospect in Stockton that looks very promising. We had been wanting to move to CA and had looked into Sacto, which looked great. Can anyone tell me how far Stockton and Sacto are from each other (can you commute back and forth, reasonably), and how do housing, etc. compare. We would be looking to rent, probably a townhouse for about 1600 - 1800/mo. Are there towns in between the two, in case I wind up working in Sacto? Also, is Stockton nice or not as nice as Sacto?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Sacramento is nice there is a lot more entertainment there than in Stockton but I would not want to drive to Stockton from Sacramento 5 days a week it will take 45 minutes to an hour depending on exactly where you are going to & from. Elk Grove in nice & a little closer to Stockton. You could probably get a nice condo in North Stockton near I-5 for what you are wanting to pay. I-5 & Eight Mile Rd. is nice or off of Hammer Lane near I-5 I think the name of that street is Shoreline.