Elk Grove or...Work from home single mom..too isolated? (San Diego: for sale, houses)
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So after thinking OC and San Diego I've decided Sacramento is THE place I'm going to put down stakes until my older kids fly the coop.
I work from home so no commute.
My kids are 14, 12, and 4 high achieving, I'm involved in their schools, and I supplement with home schooling so I don't want a D grade school but not heart set on an an "A" grade school.
Requirements are:
Cleanliness, green space, bikability/walkability, proximity to libraries or bookstores, and parks and Diversity, we're a biracial family and its been hard in Silicon Valley finding a comfort zone..this is the main reason we are moving...diversity and affordability.
I also have to live close to an Airport for work and be within a commutable distance to Salinda(?) Modesto once a week..a 1-1.5 hour communte is ok with me.
Bonus points for proximity to water...I had my heart set on the coast, but Santa Cruz and Monterray though affordable are 70's and we're looking forward to being really hot in the summer...
So here is my dilemma--is Elk Grove too isolated for my family?
It hits on most of the requirements above--but I'm not solid on whether its truly diverse meaning a nice smattering of blacks, asians, whites, etc....Sacramentos stats are as close to 20/20/20 as I've seen...also nearly everyone I speak to talks about how remote it is.
Roseville has been suggested, but when we drove from Elk Grove to look at properties in Roseville, the route was crazy (maybe it was the GPS) and it was so congested and not very pretty...did I just see the wrong part?
We were also in West Sac which looked alright...
We love to get out and road trip and travel so we're ok with being a little bit out of the loop, yet we are definately out and abouters---festivals, museums, concerts, beaches, skiing, biking, etc.
We explored Elk Grove over the weekend and the area between Franklin and Blossom Ridge...Laguna? StoneLake....really spoke to us---is it too isolated?
Older Son is in Football, youngest in Softball & Soccer, daughter is track and modeling...
as for myself, I work from home and appreciate options to work at a park, the library, a coffee shop etc....
Based on this info, can I get some feedback on the merits of Elk Grove and alternatives? We're ok living in Sac proper, I've seen lots of properties in Natomas, but don't know about that either.
Also, we don't really care about the hood, as long as there is diversity and relative safety...we've lived everywhere from South Central LA to Cupertino and places in between.
Sorry for the long post...thanks for any and all help
Hi Suzy. Good luck on your search. It seems like Elk Grove might actually be a pretty good choice. It's a pleasant enough suburb, some decent schools (others can probably be more specific about that), and the closest part of the Sac area to Salida (even though that means exit in Spanish, if pronounced Sal-ee-da, apparently it's technically Sal-eye-da). It's also pretty diverse, as you mention. But yes, Elk Grove is very suburban. There's plenty to do in the greater Sac area, but you're unlikely to find a place in Elk Grove that you'd consider walkable or bikeable.
You don't mention your price range, but you're coming from Silicon Valley, so I assume there's some flexibility? Roseville and Folsom are also options. They tend to be more expensive than Elk Grove (and Natomas) though. The road from Elk Grove to Roseville is, yes, pretty unattractive, but that's not a huge issue if you're only driving once a week. Both Folsom and Roseville make for a very long drive to Salida though, as you're likely to content with drivers heading downtown for work. Living in Folsom may let you bypass some of that by taking a back road, but there aren't many good option from Roseville. Good schools and attractive cities. Folsom gets the nod for having a great network of bike paths, light rail into Sac) and access to the (currently very dry) lake.
I'd also consider Davis, whose schools are second to none, but also has a pleasant downtown and is incredibly bikeable. About the most expensive town in the area (save for a few gated enclaves), but still worth a look. Makes for a longer trip to Salida though.
If you decide that you want to be closer to the city and would appreciate tree-lined walkable neighborhoods, you could take a look in Sac, specifically at East Sac and Land Park (including South Land Park). As many will gladly tell you, the city schools are spotty, but those areas have generally excellent schools. Fewer houses for sales, and they'll be more expensive, but if you can swing it, they are really lovely places to live. Great locally owned shops, tons of parks (big regional parks, as well as smaller neighborhood parks), great architecture, huge shady trees. Your drive south would be against traffic and generally pretty easy.
I was going to suggest taking a look at East Sac, as well, although the high school situation there is pretty dire. What you might like about that area is that there are a ton of people in the central city who work at home (this may also be true in Elk Grove, I have no idea), which makes it relatively easy to network and meet people, which I really value since I am also a parent and I work at home ... if I didn't have friends to meet up with for coffee during the day I would spend a lot of time never talking to another adult.
I was going to suggest taking a look at East Sac, as well, although the high school situation there is pretty dire. What you might like about that area is that there are a ton of people in the central city who work at home (this may also be true in Elk Grove, I have no idea), which makes it relatively easy to network and meet people, which I really value since I am also a parent and I work at home ... if I didn't have friends to meet up with for coffee during the day I would spend a lot of time never talking to another adult.
I suspect Davis would also be good on that front.
Hm. I didn't know about Hiram Johnson. Is it really that bad? What I notice is that school test results (and the resulting "grades" that show up on greatschools, etc) are pretty perfect reflections of the neighborhods they serve. E.g., Hiram Johnson gets the East Sac kids plus the Oak Park kids and ends up with a middling score. McClatchy takes Land Park and pieces of South Sac. From my own experience in a high school with a huge mix of income levels, I always assumed that'd be "good enough"--i.e., that a kid from a good family would have plenty of opportunities to excel.
In any case, if the OP finds living in the city appealing, they'll want to take a look at both those schools to make sure they're good options. Charter and private schools could also be an option, of course.
I do not know a single East Sac family that actually sends their kids to Hiram Johnson. Its API ranking is a 3/10, which is a little below what I'd call "middling." (McClatchy's is a 6/10.) That's not the only factor that matters, of course, but most East Sac families that can't afford private school try to get their kids into McClatchy or one of the alternative schools.
Hi Suzy. Good luck on your search. It seems like Elk Grove might actually be a pretty good choice. It's a pleasant enough suburb, some decent schools (others can probably be more specific about that), and the closest part of the Sac area to Salida (even though that means exit in Spanish, if pronounced Sal-ee-da, apparently it's technically Sal-eye-da). It's also pretty diverse, as you mention. But yes, Elk Grove is very suburban. There's plenty to do in the greater Sac area, but you're unlikely to find a place in Elk Grove that you'd consider walkable or bikeable.
You don't mention your price range, but you're coming from Silicon Valley, so I assume there's some flexibility? Roseville and Folsom are also options. They tend to be more expensive than Elk Grove (and Natomas) though. The road from Elk Grove to Roseville is, yes, pretty unattractive, but that's not a huge issue if you're only driving once a week. Both Folsom and Roseville make for a very long drive to Salida though, as you're likely to content with drivers heading downtown for work. Living in Folsom may let you bypass some of that by taking a back road, but there aren't many good option from Roseville. Good schools and attractive cities. Folsom gets the nod for having a great network of bike paths, light rail into Sac) and access to the (currently very dry) lake.
I'd also consider Davis, whose schools are second to none, but also has a pleasant downtown and is incredibly bikeable. About the most expensive town in the area (save for a few gated enclaves), but still worth a look. Makes for a longer trip to Salida though.
If you decide that you want to be closer to the city and would appreciate tree-lined walkable neighborhoods, you could take a look in Sac, specifically at East Sac and Land Park (including South Land Park). As many will gladly tell you, the city schools are spotty, but those areas have generally excellent schools. Fewer houses for sales, and they'll be more expensive, but if you can swing it, they are really lovely places to live. Great locally owned shops, tons of parks (big regional parks, as well as smaller neighborhood parks), great architecture, huge shady trees. Your drive south would be against traffic and generally pretty easy.
Hi ryuns,
Thank you much for your response, oh the mixed bag of options! I plan to move out Sacramento ish and buy within a year or so after getting a better feel for the area. East Sac and Land Park sound like just what I'm looking for to buy and I will definately check it out, and yes IT has been good to me, thank God. Thanks also for the lesson on Salida...I need to brush up on several languages, Spanish being one of them.....speaking of lakes, that's the appeal re: the area I was considering in Elk Grove...I will of course continue to Google and forum lurk my head off, but are the water recreational areas....clean? I come from the Pacific Northwest and the lakes are pretty straightfoward....can the same be said within Sac and outlying areas?
I was going to suggest taking a look at East Sac, as well, although the high school situation there is pretty dire. What you might like about that area is that there are a ton of people in the central city who work at home (this may also be true in Elk Grove, I have no idea), which makes it relatively easy to network and meet people, which I really value since I am also a parent and I work at home ... if I didn't have friends to meet up with for coffee during the day I would spend a lot of time never talking to another adult.
I suspect Davis would also be good on that front.
Hi Xeney,
Thank you for posting...see that's what I'm afraid of...the isolation...I need people, lol. One more reason to explore East Sacramento....how does one determine where people who work at home are concentrated? I would love that...seems I've more road trips to take.
East Sacramento, midtown, Curtis Park, etc. all have a strong coffee house culture (both local shops and Peets/Starbucks). That's where we all go when we're feeling isolated!
I do not know a single East Sac family that actually sends their kids to Hiram Johnson. Its API ranking is a 3/10, which is a little below what I'd call "middling." (McClatchy's is a 6/10.) That's not the only factor that matters, of course, but most East Sac families that can't afford private school try to get their kids into McClatchy or one of the alternative schools.
Thanks for the note--wasn't doubting your assessment, just really don't know anything about the place. FWIW, my "middling" comment was based off a quick glance at their greatschools score, which is 5, but I guess that's a composite of their raw API ranking of 3 and a "similar schools" ranking of 8.
Thank you much for your response, oh the mixed bag of options! I plan to move out Sacramento ish and buy within a year or so after getting a better feel for the area. East Sac and Land Park sound like just what I'm looking for to buy and I will definately check it out, and yes IT has been good to me, thank God. Thanks also for the lesson on Salida...I need to brush up on several languages, Spanish being one of them.....speaking of lakes, that's the appeal re: the area I was considering in Elk Grove...I will of course continue to Google and forum lurk my head off, but are the water recreational areas....clean? I come from the Pacific Northwest and the lakes are pretty straightfoward....can the same be said within Sac and outlying areas?
Thanks again for your time and perspective!
Elk Grove does seem to have a lot of man-made lakes, but I don't think anyone swims in them. Not super familiar..maybe someone else can comment on that.
Right now, we're all a little downtrodden on the lakes, which are nearly all at record low levels. (I think we collectively feel better with this tiny bit of rain we got, but it's still not enough!) But I would say that, generally, most of the reservoirs in the foothills are pretty pleasant, though it depends what you want to do. By the time the water is flowing through Sacramento, it's not generally considered pristine, but people still definitely swim in them.
If you're looking for aquatic recreation, Sac isn't a bad choice as far as California goes. Two rivers, access to quite a few lakes, a couple hours from the ocean. But it's a far, far less "wet" place than the PNW, on the west side of the Cascades. That's good or bad, depending on your perspective.
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