Moving from Santa Rosa to Sac area, looking for something similar (Sacramento: renter, homes)

[SLA74]

My husband will be starting a job at UC Davis Medical Center soon, so I'm starting to research places to live within reasonable commuting time. We currently live in Santa Rosa, and I'm tremendously sad to be leaving Sonoma County since I absolutely adore it here, but we really don't have a choice.

That said, I am a graduate of UC Davis and lived in Davis as a student back in the mid-90's and loved it. I think it would be a good place for us but I'm concerned about the higher cost of living there, although that's not necessarily a deterrent.

We are a youngish couple (early-mid thirties) with a 16 month old son. We tend to be very socially liberal in our views and are very outdoorsy. We enjoy shopping farmers' markets and supporting local businesses/economy. We are into yoga and holistic health practices (yoga, chiropractors, acupuncture, etc.). We also like having options for plenty of family-friendly activities and festivals. We don't really want to be in a super-urban area (I grew up in LA and am so over that), but rather someplace more on the woodsy/rural side where we can have our own chickens/small livestock and a garden. What I like so much about Sonoma County is you can be in rural/semi-rural areas but still have the liberal vibe going on (e.g. Sebastopol, which would be my ideal place to live in a perfect world). As for schools, we would really like our son to go to a Waldorf school (I know for sure there is one in Davis and one in Fair Oaks), but something similar would be fine.

We are currently renting, having never owned, and don't mind continuing. Homeownership isn't necessarily a huge priority for us (I personally prefer the flexibility of renting, however I know it could be hard to find what I really want without buying). Our monthly housing budget shouldn't exceed $2000, and ideally we'd like to have a 3/2 or 3/1.5 detached single family home (semi-rural nice but not absolutely required).

Based on all this, what might be some good areas to consider, and is Davis still an option worth considering?

Thanks in advance!!

[wburg]

Even downtown Sacramento isn't super-urban, so if you don't want that option, don't worry, it is not available here. I'd recommend taking a look at Elmhurst, the neighborhood just north of UCDMC.

[cmrubin]

Davis will give you the liberal college-town vibe and is convenient to Sac (there are even public transportation options) but is expensive and not very "rural" anymore. I suggest you look at Loomis and Penryn; they are both charming foothill communities and the commute, while not as convenient as Davis or Sac, is doable. They both have a more rolling landscape and rural feel.

[wburg]

Chickens and a garden are also possible in the Sacramento city limits if you have a backyard.

[ryuns]

Is there a certain amount of land/space you'd be looking for? As wburg mentions, there's a lot you can do with the space you'll have in a some of the neighborhoods near UCDMC. I'd definitely recommend checking out Elmhurst and East Sac. A little farther away, Curtis Park and Land Park. That would put you in the direction of the Camellia Waldorf School in South Sac, which I know nothing about, but is an option. You'll have better luck with larger lots and more rural feel out towards Fair Oaks. Advantage of the former neighborhoods is putting you closer to a bigger variety of the things you like to do. (E.g., I biked about a mile and a half to an arts festival in Midtown--great mix of kids' activities AND a biergarten.)

I really like Davis, but if you're not a student or taking advantage of sending some kids to the public school system, I really don't think it's worth the extra cost. That'd also be an ugly commute for the husband.

You can think about buying if you're planning to stay a while, but I'd definitely recommend getting to know the area first. Costs are pretty low here relative to rents, and as another person who enjoys some of the same activities as you, like gardening, that's all a lot easier to do in your own place.

Good luck on the move! I could definitely see missing Santa Rosa, but hopefully you find something here you like almost as much.

[SLA74]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

It looks like my husband will not be taking the job after all, and it looks like we will be able to stay where we are. But should we need to move to the Sacramento area in the future, this is all good info to know!

[Canonind]

I wonder if the Woodland area would work for you. It sure seems like it just might be. Not sure what it's like to live there….have only went to a BBQ there and it seemed people had lots of space. That was back in the 80's. Northern California appears to me to be heading toward megatroplis status. I'm shocked at where neighborhoods have developed (especially in flood zones), but now that I mention it, Woodland could be Yolo County. There's the Yolo causeway that is part of I-80 going to Davis from Sacto and that gets horribly fogged in…and a flood area too. It's not uncommon to have Discovery Park with the Sacramento River covering the stop signs in the park below. But you would be by University. Congrats on getting a job at one the the worlds top medical research places (well maybe not the world, but it's something huge like best in the country).

[Heethen]

I have to move to Sacramento from santa rosa, what do yall think about comparisons?

[sacite]

You and I are of a similar mindset when it comes to hobbies. I lived in Sonoma County for about 20 years, with 5 or 6 of them in Santa Rosa. Sac has all of the things you like about Sonoma County but a lot more of them. More Yoga, better coffee culture, way more community stuff, etc. In fact, other than the beauty of the Sonoma Mountains (and outlying areas) and the coastal climate of Sonoma County, there's nothing I really miss about it. I have more of everything here in Sac. So, you'll probably like it here too.

Some areas you can consider for your budget: I would try Land Park/Curtis Park. Most people will say that's out of your budget, but I know firsthand from offers I received while a renter that it is not. You may have to search a bit, but you can probably find something in that range there.

Also, someone correct if I am wrong, but the river park area has old ranch style homes that may rent for that range. I also heard that while older, those homes are pricey - so I could be wrong. But, it's a nice, quiet area on the outskirts of Land Park and it's still close to everything you'd want to do. You might want to check there too.