Pocket Area - Breaking it Down (Sacramento, Elk Grove: apartment complex, homes, neighborhoods)

[inpd]

Hi,

I started to look at buying the pocket area. I know once
you cross I-5 and go out east, your in trouble and that
the pocket area has flooding dangers.
But if your going to get a decent home and not pay $500K+
then you need to take risks ...

Can someone break down the pocket area for me?
I know of Greenhaven as being the northern part, but
what other parts of the pocket are there. Seems to be
that there are older, newer and fabulously upscale places
behind gates!

Also, what has the neighborhoods "trajectory" been
compared to the 70's, 80's and 90's. Is it getting better or going back
and forwards.

Thanks.

[Tim Currie]

I don't understand the first part...

However, the pocket neighborhood is (get out your map..) the area in between I-5 and the sacramento river in the south part of town. I-5 is mostly straight north and south and the river comes right in next to the freeway and then veers off west around in a big loop, or "pocket" shape, and then back up close to the freeway again. That, is the pocket.

[cw68]

I would concentrate in buying in the Didion elementary school area. Excellent K-8 school and a great re-sale point.

[AuburnJack]

I can't speak to the neighborhood trajectory, being that I came here only recently, but I live in the Pocket and find it a nice neighborhood to live in. Greenhaven is, generally, the area Northeast of Florin Road and mostly west of I-5... everything else between the highway and that U-bend in the Sacramento River is the Pocket neighborhood. It seems to me that Greenhaven is a little nicer for homeownership... schools, very pretty streets and homes, and of course, it's borders South Land Park (great!) instead of Meadowview (not great at all). I live in the proper Pocket, in an apartment complex with all of the concerns that come with apartment living, and it's a nice and relatively quiet area. It's better to be further away from I-5 if you're looking to avoid petty criminals wandering in from the less savory South Sacramento areas, but then, that puts you closer to the levee, so you have to decide what's scarier. There is at least one ritzy area in the Pocket... the Riverlake community, which sits on a man-made lake in the southwestern part of the Pocket, is full of million-dollar homes. The rest of the area is pretty affordable, while still being a desirable, "middle class" suburban sort of atmosphere.

Be aware that, with some exceptions, there's really nothing in Pocket-Greenhaven in the way of restaurants, things to do, services, etc. There are two shopping centers which are very decent (one centering on the Nugget and one centering on Bel Air), but other than that, residents need to go downtown or to Elk Grove for a lot of things.