Moving To Sacramento (West Sacramento: low income, apartment, consignment)

[L0L]

I will be re-locating this Autumn to SAC from NYC.


I'm a youthful 40-something

What area would you recommend, that would best suit a NY'er to live apartment style only?

I'm into art, museums, galleries, sculptures, farmers markets, food co-ops, flea markets, thrift shops, consignment shops, wine tastings, fashion, history, culture, fine dining (seafood is my favorite), happy hours, live music, swimming, bowling, archery, badminton, croquet, and hip lounges, clubs.

And feel free to give me any suggestions for the above ^^^^^

[wburg]

Except for the part between "bowling" and "croquet" you will find all of the above in Midtown, although at a scale, speed and pace that is far, far slower than you're used to in New York. But add bike riding, superb coffee, and adult intramural kickball leagues to make up for it.You'll also pay about one-third the rent, or get three times the space. Midtown is, generally, the part of the central city "grid" between Capitol Park at 15th Street and Business 80, although Southside Park (south of R Street and west of Midtown) has its own charms, like the just-reopened Verge Gallery. There are also very nice neighborhoods on the perimeter on the other side of Highway 50, Business 80 and the Sacramento River, which have some very nice things to visit too (including a bowling alley in West Sacramento and some whompin' good Mexican, Vietnamese and Chinese eats) but sometimes Midtown induces the same sort of "bridge and tunnel people" mentality as Manhattan does, albeit, as I said, to a much milder, mellower, and slower-paced extent. The other nice thing about Midtown is that you're within easy biking distance of all of these nice neighborhoods.

[sacite]

Midtown is your only option. Seems real small at first glance. Once you live there you will discover it's hidden treasures though. Over 20 art galleries, several performing arts venues, etc. A lot of cool stuff exists in midtown that you will only find after living there awhile and exploring.

[Curmudgeon]

A California native, I lived in Sacramento from 1990 until late 2009 and my parents were both born and raised in New York so I spent a fair amount of time visiting relatives there. I concur with Midtown. It may be small as sacite pointed out but it's surprisingly interesting, diverse and vibrant. Enjoy the experience and don't bother packing your snow shovel

[xeney]

And practice smiling and saying good morning to strangers ... this city combines Midwestern friendliness with good old fashioned California oversharing. Our public transport completely sucks, though.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by xeney

And practice smiling and saying good morning to strangers ... this city combines Midwestern friendliness with good old fashioned California oversharing. Our public transport completely sucks, though.

Lol I agree on the vibe of the city. I've often tried to describe this but never have been able to as well as you just did. In the last 2 days I swear several different people walked with me and told me ultra personal details out of the blue. One man thanked me for listening though and said it relieved some stress. Made me feel good to help. I really like how aporoachable people are here. Every other major metro seems so unfriendly now by comparison.

[NorCalLover]

You should enjoy Midtown. I'm an urban dweller who lived in the Sac area for a couple of years, and Midtown was the only place in Sacramento that passed my "urban sniff test." It's obviously much slower paced than you'll be used to in NYC, but it's walkable, has good restaurants and nightlife, and an urban vibe. If you're going to be working downtown you can bike to work. Like others have said, prices are extremely reasonable in Sac, and you can use that money you've saved to pick up a car since you'll want it to leave Midtown and Downtown. :-)

[wburg]

Or you can just get a Zipcar membership, assuming the possibility that your Sacramento job doesn't have a New York City salary, and use a car when you want it.

[L0L]

Thank you, all for the valuable information.


I noticed a town on my search for apts called ARDEN, anyone have info on this area. I noticed it has a nice mall with a apple shop and some other high end shops as well and the rents are reasonable.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by L0L

Thank you, all for the valuable information.


I noticed a town on my search for apts called ARDEN, anyone have info on this area. I noticed it has a nice mall with a apple shop and some other high end shops as well and the rents are reasonable.

Arden is actually an area of Sac rather than a separate incorporated city. It is a congested area full of stripmalls, and it has somewhat of a low income feel to it. Due to both factors, the Arden Fair Mall is not one that I go to. I would rate its walkability factor very low as well. Not the place that I would choose using your criteria. The upside is that it is cheap.