OC to Colorado to....Sac??? (Sacramento, Orange: transplants, crime, neighborhoods)

[rksinco]

Hi everyone....we left Orange County 6 years ago to live somewhere more affordable to raise a family, so we now live in Colorado Springs. We find ourselves missing California sometimes....mainly the weather and being closer to family and friends....even though we know CA is a financial mess right now.
I'm not sure I want to go back to Orange County because, generally speaking, it's expensive to live there on a teacher's salary and the people are wound a little tightly....to a large dgree. Maybe there are some Orange County transplants in the Sac area that can offer some comparisons between the two.
I'm interested in smog....is it really as bad as down south? I hear and read a bit about crime rising (like everywhere else in a recession) but does it compare to southern Cal?
Things I liked about Orange County were the masterplanned neighborhoods, and the variety of shopping and restaurants. Not a fan of the traffic, materialism, and constant rush of everything.
Things I like about Colorado is proximity to wilderness, camping, and fishing. Sac seems to be (on paper at least) a nice blend of the two...or am I way off?
Can the 2 areas really be compared at all?


Thanks for your time on this.

[wburg]

My guess is you'll like Placer County--Roseville is the "big city" with around 100,000. Closest to the mountains and wilderness, recent master-planned communities, and if you like OC politics you'll love Placer's voting profile. Smog and traffic aren't as bad as southern California, weather is a lot hotter.

[rksinco]

Thanks so much for the advice! I just started looking at those 2 places. Looks nice and they seem to fit our preferences.
Unfortunately, the only 2 times I have seen Sacramento were from the highway on our way up to raft the American. Lots of great information on here, though.
Thanks again.

[AllansHomes]

I agree with Wburg. In fact I've heard people say Roseville is the OC Northern CA!

Allan

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by rksinco

Thanks so much for the advice! I just started looking at those 2 places. Looks nice and they seem to fit our preferences.
Unfortunately, the only 2 times I have seen Sacramento were from the highway on our way up to raft the American. Lots of great information on here, though.
Thanks again.

If you like the Springs, you'll definitely want to check out the Roseville/Rocklin area. We are currently in Lone Tree (south Denver Metro area) and will be moving to the Roseville area this spring/summer. We found that the area has a good mix of what we like about both Denver and California.

You'll find some master planned communities, plenty of amenities, and will be close to all kinds of outdoor activities. And you'll be close enough to the Bay Area for a weekend drive if you find the Sacramento region lacks anything. Take a few trips out there to check it out - one in winter and one in summer.

[rksinco]

Thanks again for the input!