How Bad is North Highlands? (Sacramento, Citrus Heights: crime, homes, neighborhoods)

[sweetcynic]

I second that you're better off either renting or buying a condo in a better area(say, Citrus Heights or Carmichael). Suburban condos in okay(not marvelous, not awful) areas are selling cheap.

[scientist0203]

Heres the down and dirty on Highlands. Was a military town back in the 50's-90's. That is where the racial diversity comes from so if your family wasnt military there, they probably worked there. Most of the families that still live there trace there roots back to McClellan AFB or even Mather AFB. MacClellan was a very small maintenance base so one of the reasons that you didnt see the commercial boom in vicinity of the base like you see around some of the bigger bases. That whole Northern Sac region was also founded in Rice Farms so there is still a hold over of those families that youll find it the Rio Linda, Elverta area (NH neighbor comunities to the west and NW).

WHen the Base closed down in 95 a lot of those very grounded, middle class military families left and opened the door for a lot of Russians and renters to move in and buy/rent homes on the cheap due to the mass exodus of the military mover. The exodus of these financialy stable families also saw most of the small business/commercial industry gone too.

Those first few yrs were rough especially for the integration of the younger Russians at the HS Highlands high (over 4 generations of my family are alumni). There were some race riots between the Latino and Russians in the mid 90s and to this day the separation is there although getting a little more integrated with time as all does. As for the Russians they are overall quiet people but they came from an impoverished area (not all are Russian, a lot of Ukranian, Armenian (amazing people IMO), and other Soviet Bloc countries. THeir way of life was a little to get used to, large families in one home, petty theft was huge among the older generation in stores and yard sales. The issues I have are with the younger generations a lot of car thieves and gang banger mentality. Recently there have been a lot of southern latinos moving in from So Cal and this is causing some drama between them and the Nor Cal latinos (Stems from the prison gang thing).

Economically NH is a DEAD. This is one of the major issues with it and one that I dont see changin in the near future, however the Western Roseville area, (where I currently am purchasing in and finished HS in), is near by and some homes in that area such as some of the track homes, are affordable for the 250-350K price range. If any development is going to occur in that neck of the woods for the Sacramento area it would more than likely be there.

I was born and raised in Highlands and a piece of me will always love it but after seeing the world thanks to Uncle Sam, I am saddened a bit by the stagnation of that area when I am home.

Hope that gives anyone a general background as to the situation there and maybe in doing so, also some sort of appreciation for the area.

Respectfully,

Scientist-

[cherishedtiger]

Um... did anyone notice this post is from 2008? I was going to mention trying somewhere else, but I hope by now they still arent looking

[Bokeh]

Anyone familiar with Palm Avenue and Hillsdale Blvd location well? How bad is that area? I was told it's a bad area with too many gang, drug, and prostitution activies going on there. Please, if anyone can tell me a brief history of things, I would be very appreciative.

[Majin]

Urbane, chic, eclectic, yuppie

[IH8CA]

Originally Posted by RaisedinSac

I live in North Highlands, and I disagree that Orangevale is safer. There are areas of North Highlands to avoid, just like anywhere else. Stay away from the A St area, Polk and Jackson Streets also.

You'll be hard pressed to find a house for 100k, even in NH. It would probably be totally trashed. I suggest renting, also, until you can afford something else. My home in NH is nothing special and needs some work (new carpets, eg), but it's still worth over 200k.

Sadly Orangevale is probably more sketchy than Goffstown NH haha. I mention this because you said you have a home in NH. Goffstown is like 97% white or something still.. Orangevale probably 88% and declining as we speak haha. Thats supposed to be the safest town though in the more "affordable" bracket before you get out to Rocklin it seems or Granite Bay.. Probably same class level as Carmichael, maybe a little better even. What I am amazed at here though is the amount of people who gate their homes up.. what for?? What purpose does it serve? People do that way more here than they do anywhere back east. It just reeks of I am better than you. North Highlands though, that place is probably more unsafe than the worst part of Nashua. Nashua looks like paradise in comparison altogether.

[New2Tn]

Originally Posted by IH8CA

Sadly Orangevale is probably more sketchy than Goffstown NH haha. I mention this because you said you have a home in NH. Goffstown is like 97% white or something still.. Orangevale probably 88% and declining as we speak haha. Thats supposed to be the safest town though in the more "affordable" bracket before you get out to Rocklin it seems or Granite Bay.. Probably same class level as Carmichael, maybe a little better even. What I am amazed at here though is the amount of people who gate their homes up.. what for?? What purpose does it serve? People do that way more here than they do anywhere back east. It just reeks of I am better than you. North Highlands though, that place is probably more unsafe than the worst part of Nashua. Nashua looks like paradise in comparison altogether.

Speaking from personal experience I can tell you we gated our Carmichael driveway and garage (detached) to deter thieves. Carmichael is full of bicycle riding residential burglars who love an open garage door. It also helped keep the rims on our vehicle when we parked it behind the locked gate. On the other hand, our Tennessee property has a gate to keep the cows in.

[IH8CA]

Originally Posted by New2Tn

Speaking from personal experience I can tell you we gated our Carmichael driveway and garage (detached) to deter thieves. Carmichael is full of bicycle riding residential burglars who love an open garage door. It also helped keep the rims on our vehicle when we parked it behind the locked gate. On the other hand, our Tennessee property has a gate to keep the cows in.

Hmm ok.. So many people do it in these parts.. not just you though.

To me it just means that someone says, I am not safe. I have to look over my shoulder constantly because I am insecure. If you live in a nicer place and aren't too austentacious, you don't really need to do it. I can see maybe if your on the main drag but these places are very set back where I can't think of too many "bicycle thiefs" that would pass through them. Its like a whole place living in paranoia with their barking dogs and gates. I just don't relate to it.. sorry.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by IH8CA

Hmm ok.. So many people do it in these parts.. not just you though.

To me it just means that someone says, I am not safe. I have to look over my shoulder constantly because I am insecure. If you live in a nicer place and aren't too austentacious, you don't really need to do it. I can see maybe if your on the main drag but these places are very set back where I can't think of too many "bicycle thiefs" that would pass through them. Its like a whole place living in paranoia with their barking dogs and gates. I just don't relate to it.. sorry.

To me, it means the person is smart and has the funds to live behind a gate. Decisions are typically not made based on what the peasants think.

I used to live in a gated complex down in East Sac. Not only did we have an electronic gate, but the building was locked, and you needed a key to get past the lobby or delivery areas. Even delivery trucks needed special codes to enter the gate & delivery area. The security was great! There were times when people got through the gate, and there was some theft in the parking area. But they were never able to get into the building. I don't care for condo or high density community living.

Up the hill were I live now, the majority of my neighbors have home security, large dogs, motion detector floodlights, and support the 2nd amendment. tee hee

[pkennedy1990]

Originally Posted by Inthesierras

The Centinella and Milton area are better then the Santa Fe/A Street areas, but still have MANY problems. You better live in the house you are fixing up. If not, people will break in and strip the copper pipes and steal all your tools. Don't even think about leaving guard dogs, they will get poisoned and all your stuff will still get stolen.

If you have kids, try to find another area to move. The elementary schools in North Highlands are all pretty good. But the jr high and high school are crap. They lost their state accreditation, which has been a long time coming. Its not totally the schools fault. Its hard to teach kids that are out of control and have parents that think out of control behavior is ok.

This may explain why I'm having such a hard time teaching 9th graders any kind of Science whatsoever in the Charter Schools in the area. My 11th and 12th graders in Physics and Chem (in that order, go figure) aren't having as hard a time and I don't have to YELL to be heard over their noise level. They do their homework at home, we do nothing in class - that seems to be the expectation there, since I'm actually a MATH teacher and their math teachers aren't teaching them the Math levels necessary for basic Physics or Chem. So be it. But the 9th graders are all some kind of wild things who apparently think that movies about people hunting other people for "sport" are appropriate to watch in class while normal things with themes like "don't drink and drive" or "don't have babies while you're a teenager in high school" are somehow "controversial" and present problems with the PARENTS complaining to the principal about "what the teacher is showing in class." WTF?!?! Yeah, the general vicinity area's people's mentality is MESSED UP to say the least!!