Thinking of moving to Oak Park . . . any thoughts? (San Diego, Sacramento: crime rates, house)

[blueeyedmountaingal]

I'm moving to the area to start a new job in June and have been researching possible neighborhoods in Sacramento. Oak Park caught my eye, it reminds me of places I lived in the older parts of San Diego (South Park, Normal Heights) which were considered "up and coming," where there was a cute, old main street but homes and businesses had fallen into disrepair and crime was higher but in the last 5-10 years young professionals had come in and started to buy homes, and businesses came back to the area.
So, is Oak Park a decent place now? I was initially attracted by the low home prices, as I would like to buy soon after moving, and they seem to have a great deal of Vistorian and Craftsmen style homes, which I would love to own. But, other than the usual urban sketchiness, is this neighborhood pretty ghetto or on its way up?

[CityGirl72]

In my opinion it is NOT decent now. Yes people came in and put some money in there and yes it's looks a bit better but the crime is alive and well there still.

If you want "up & coming" try out Curtis Park, that's where it is safer and the homes are really being remodeled great.

Also close in the area is Tahoe Park, which has always had nice homes, but is close to Stockton Blvd and should be noted to take care.

PS - and also consider this: How long will you live there...if it's 5 to 10 years and in that time you might have a family to raise - really look close at where you buy. Oak Park is not safe for children. But if you are leaving before you have a family then it might be a place for an investment.

[mikefarinha]

Thinking of moving to Oak Park . . . any thoughts?

Yeah, don't!

Oak Park is the kind of place you try to drive through as quickly as possible.

I lived in Tahoe Park for the past 3 years, which is close to Oak Park, and it can be a nice place to live. Tahoe Park gets nicer as you go east.

[Inthesierras]

Well, last year a cop had his house fire bombed in Oak Park. A community activist had the same thing happen to her months before the cop, and I think she died. Drugs and gangs are horrible there. I wouldn't move there. It's supposed to be up and coming, but it give it a little longer before you move in. That is really sad. There are homes that would be beautiful if they were fixed up. Its sad to see them get to the point of having to be torn down vs restored. I agree with the others, check out some of the other areas. Oak Park was once a great neighborhood. My grandparents lived there 50 years ago and it was the typical picket fence, hard working family neighborhood. People weren't rich, but they built nice homes and took care of them. I look at the photos from that time and its just amazing how different it is today.

[wburg]

It's at the point of being up-and-coming where if you're a musician and you want a place where you can afford to live working part-time at a coffee shop with several roommates, and the neighbors won't complain too much about having band practice in your living room, consider Oak Park. It's kind of like how midtown Sacramento used to be about 15-20 years ago. It's also a lot safer than it used to be.

That being said, if you still want to check it out, check out the northern edge near UC Davis Medical Center, or the bordering neighborhoods like Elmhurst, the Alhambra Triangle, Tahoe Park, Curtis Park, or Midtown. There are deals to be had, if you don't mind living in a neighborhood that's still a little edgy--just install a burglar alarm, never leave anything out on your porch (front or back), and keep your eyes open.

[deuterdu]

Originally Posted by blueeyedmountaingal

I'm moving to the area to start a new job in June and have been researching possible neighborhoods in Sacramento. Oak Park caught my eye, it reminds me of places I lived in the older parts of San Diego (South Park, Normal Heights) which were considered "up and coming," where there was a cute, old main street but homes and businesses had fallen into disrepair and crime was higher but in the last 5-10 years young professionals had come in and started to buy homes, and businesses came back to the area.
So, is Oak Park a decent place now? I was initially attracted by the low home prices, as I would like to buy soon after moving, and they seem to have a great deal of Vistorian and Craftsmen style homes, which I would love to own. But, other than the usual urban sketchiness, is this neighborhood pretty ghetto or on its way up?

RUN AWAY!!!!!

[cw68]

I would chose Tahoe Park over Oak Park. Up and coming, better deals, not near as much crime. Curtis Park is not "up and coming" nor is it cheap. You could also look at Hollywood Park.

[KidBlue]

Oak Park is NOT a good place to live. Parts of Tahoe Park and Curtis Park are better, but you might want to also check out parts of Citrus Heights, Orangevale, Roseville, and Carmichael. I think you would be much happier in the older parts of these towns. They are being fixed up and have much lower crime rates. Particularly check out Carmichael. There are some really cute older homes and fixers.

If you need to be closer to Sacramento for work, there are some cute older homes near Highway 50 and around 60th Street or so. I'm not sure what the area is called. There are other pockets of older neighborhoods that might work for you but stay away from Del Paso Heights and Oak Park. These areas are not improving and are only getting worse.

[wburg]

Around 60th street--South of Hwy 50 is Elmhurst and Tahoe Park. North of Hwy 50 is the eastern edge of East Sacramento, sometimes called Brighton after the farm community that used to be there.