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Where are you moving from? In general, California has a problem with homelessness and its getting worse just about everywhere in the State. I think the problem is worse today than 5 years ago and I think the homeless problem was better 10 years ago than it was five years ago, I can't say that there is any region in Sacramento that doesn't have issues with homelessness, but its most acute in the Sacramento area, in the Grid basically downtown and midtown.
Where ever you have homeless people you are going to have the problems associated with homeless people, think urine, feces and needles. The needle situation downtown is bad enough where a coworker who lives downtown, that he now carries nitrile gloves and pliers in his cycling rescue kit because he is worried about the bio-hazard of removing used needles from his bike tires when gets flats riding downtown. Most of the homeless are just dealing with some combination of mental illness/drug use and are mostly harmless. But a few are aggressive. Along the bike trails closer to downtown are numerous fairly extensive homeless encampments. along the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail, between the California Almond Growers Exchange Building and the American River bike trail, I don't think I have been through that area without seeing at least 50 or 60 tents. On both sides of the American River downstream of I 80 to the Sacramento River, there is probably 400 or 500 homeless people on both sides of the American River. It would be a pretty place to run along the river if you didn't have to worry about stepping in human feces or needles. Along the Sacramento River you don't have quite the density of homelessness, but you do have them under the freeway overpasses and just spread through out the grid.
I do thing the homeless problem is worse in Berkeley and San Francisco than Sacramento and also that its worse Downtown LA or Santa Monica than Sacramento. But I would say compared to the rest of the country the homeless problem seems worse for a similarly sized city in California, than in similar sized cities in other States.
Thanks for that explanation. I'm also coming from a city that has a fair amount of homeless. But they aren't as aggressive. I have seen needles downtown. I know a lot of homeless people do have mental issues.
Wow so there are that many needles on the ground downtown? That is scary.
But what about gangs or just violent crimes in general? Is it better in Midtown/Downtown than other areas?
Definitely avoid many places in North and South Sacramento like Del Paso Heights. Those are crime infested parts. Also be careful with parts of Rancho Cordova. With COVID, living downtown is not key anymore as nightlife is pretty much ended. I'd want to be close to the river for rafting and swimming.
I don't mind like fights etc...just not murders and homicides etc. Like I know there are areas that are dangerous. I'm more interested in downtown/midtown. I know it's not like NYC or Vegas where it is like a 24/7 area, but I keep hearing that is dark and after a certain time, maybe 6p.m it starts getting scary?
As I mentioned elsewhere, typically Midtown's crime is fights, vandalism, property crime, not so much homicides. 6 PM is the dinner hour and probably when Midtown feels safest. COVID of course changes everything but Sacramento was already a good place for outdoor dining and I think as we move forward we're going to have even more; summer here is basically from May to October, and because it gets hot during the day, people come out on the cool evenings so the dinner crowd really runs until 9-10 PM in summer. 10-11 PM is the transition from dinner crowd to nightlife crowd (again, pre-COVID and presumably there will be a post COVID) which runs until about 2 AM, then the only street activity is at the handful of late-night restaurants. In winter the dinner crowd shows up and leaves earlier, and on weekdays the nightclub crowd ends earlier. A lot of the large music venues run live shows from 8 to 11 PM if they're all-ages because technically those under 18 have an 11 PM curfew, but most stay open as bars or dance clubs from 11 PM-2 AM. So after 2 AM it's pretty quiet and dark, which I guess is scary because it's harder to see who might be skulking around the next corner and there aren't witnesses ("eyes on the street")
There aren't really gangs in Midtown. Homelessness has gotten worse because of skyrocketing rents, a lack of statewide supply, and loss of homes due to wildfires, so a lot of the newer people on the streets are homeless for economic reasons, despite the stereotype that everyone on the street is a drug addict or seriously mentally ill (although it's completely natural for someone on the streets to be depressed or angry--anger and depression is a logical and appropriate reaction to a horrible situation.)
It's really hard to say where things will go; Midtown post-COVID might end up being more like East Sacramento with a lot wealthier residents who are less tolerant of things like loud nightclubs and bars down the street, and because the young people who have been piling into Midtown since like the 1970s have been getting priced out the nightlife destinations for young people may transfer to other parts of town where they haven't been priced out, like Oak Park (plus, the ones who have moved here during the 1970s-2000s and haven't moved out are now old enough where they're less interested in the nightlife scene.)
As I mentioned elsewhere, typically Midtown's crime is fights, vandalism, property crime, not so much homicides. 6 PM is the dinner hour and probably when Midtown feels safest. COVID of course changes everything but Sacramento was already a good place for outdoor dining and I think as we move forward we're going to have even more; summer here is basically from May to October, and because it gets hot during the day, people come out on the cool evenings so the dinner crowd really runs until 9-10 PM in summer. 10-11 PM is the transition from dinner crowd to nightlife crowd (again, pre-COVID and presumably there will be a post COVID) which runs until about 2 AM, then the only street activity is at the handful of late-night restaurants. In winter the dinner crowd shows up and leaves earlier, and on weekdays the nightclub crowd ends earlier. A lot of the large music venues run live shows from 8 to 11 PM if they're all-ages because technically those under 18 have an 11 PM curfew, but most stay open as bars or dance clubs from 11 PM-2 AM. So after 2 AM it's pretty quiet and dark, which I guess is scary because it's harder to see who might be skulking around the next corner and there aren't witnesses ("eyes on the street")
There aren't really gangs in Midtown. Homelessness has gotten worse because of skyrocketing rents, a lack of statewide supply, and loss of homes due to wildfires, so a lot of the newer people on the streets are homeless for economic reasons, despite the stereotype that everyone on the street is a drug addict or seriously mentally ill (although it's completely natural for someone on the streets to be depressed or angry--anger and depression is a logical and appropriate reaction to a horrible situation.)
It's really hard to say where things will go; Midtown post-COVID might end up being more like East Sacramento with a lot wealthier residents who are less tolerant of things like loud nightclubs and bars down the street, and because the young people who have been piling into Midtown since like the 1970s have been getting priced out the nightlife destinations for young people may transfer to other parts of town where they haven't been priced out, like Oak Park (plus, the ones who have moved here during the 1970s-2000s and haven't moved out are now old enough where they're less interested in the nightlife scene.)
Wow thanks so much for that detailed response. I think I understand the general landscape now. Yeah I guess the darkness can be scary. They don't have street lights?
Also, I was google New Era Park, and it says that it takes 30 minutes to walk from New Era Park to Midtown? Is that true?
It depends on how fast you walk. In heels, no way. But you probably could do it, in that.
The bars and nightclubs do draw in the hood rats and the gangsters after dark. So I am not sure I would agree with the claim that you aren't going to find gang members in midtown. For whatever reason, I get the attention of the cholos. Which is another reason, I don't like being alone in the grid after dark.
The drug and mental illness issue is a big problem among the homeless. There are a lot of used needles lying around, which is another reason I don't feel comfortable in open toed heels in the grid. Plus just the urine and the sh*t, so you spend a lot of time just watching where you are stepping.
I have a job and family which keep me here. But I probably wouldn't be moving to California right now if I didn't have things keeping me here.
We are going on almost a month of wildfires and fairly toxic air pollution. Propublica has a great article on fuel loads in the local forests and between global warming and the huge massive backload of fuel in the forests in California, I think the huge mega fires are going to be a recurrent feature in California until we burn this fuel load off.
If you look at housing costs and rent in Sacramento versus other pars of the country. I remember after driving through St George Utah on my way to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, thinking southern Utah is a really pretty part of the country and St George was a lot less expensive than Sacramento and if there was a more direct flight I would probably leave. I just don't see the value proposition in California or Sacramento as that great anymore vs the rest of the country.
There are just a lot of problems in California, like housing, homelessness, forest mismanagement, that don't seem to get fixed and I don't think will get fixed. The State is too big and it too difficult to form a consensus to get anything done.
Wow thanks so much for that detailed response. I think I understand the general landscape now. Yeah I guess the darkness can be scary. They don't have street lights?
Also, I was google New Era Park, and it says that it takes 30 minutes to walk from New Era Park to Midtown? Is that true?
No. New Era Park is part of Midtown. There are streetlights on the business streets and a few residential corridors, but there are quite a few streets that don't have streetlights, or at least not very many so it's pretty dark.
What are the most artsy/hipster areas of Sacramento? Midtown? and specifically where.
Downtown and Midtown, and northern Oak Park. "Specifically where" is a moving target because there are always venues and galleries and cafes opening and closing, but generally along R Street from 10th to 15th or so, around Fremont Park, central Midtown between about 15th-28th and J through Q Street (which includes Lavender Heights, centered on 20th & K, art galleries around 20th & J, nightclubs and cafes on J and K in the 20s, and the 21st Street corridor.) In Oak Park, basically along Broadway from about 32nd (Broadway Coffee) to 36th or so (Brickhouse Gallery.) All of this is subject to dramatic and radical change once we get through COVID and everything gets reshuffled again. And note that there are also artistic outposts all throughout the central city and adjacent neighborhoods, on Del Paso in North Sacramento, farther south into Curtis Park at the Sierra 2 Center and Sol Collective, Miller Park south of downtown, and more. Some might have closed by the time things start recovering, but others will have opened. COVID and the pending recession will result in closure of some of the higher-end or more well-known places and some of the small businesses, but in my experience recessions are when small underground things start to open, often in illegal or semi-legal spaces, that become some of the most legendary spots, and then in the next economic boom they get shut down because they grow too big and draw cop attention, or the building they're in gets demolished for condos or something.
Thanks! I'll get it out.
Also, I heard it is really hot there. Is it shorts and t shirt all year round? Besides maybe December and January?
No. It's hot though.
As far as areas, depends on budget and just what you like.
East Sacramento, Land Park, Midtown/Grid. Not much reason to live in Midtown at the moment with COVID but it's a nice neighborhood. It's on the rowdy side but most of the crime is property crime and just drunks being drunks rather than gang activity. Most of the night life stuff was between J and L street, spills out a bit to maybe H and Q streets or did. When I was just out of college I'd have preferred to live in the Grid but outside of J and L, but the other half didn't like all the ruckus so I was in Natomas (Willow Creek). Nice enough neighborhood, very boring but I could bike to work downtown in 15 minutes so pretty close. East Sacramento or Land Park weren't in budget. Arden-Arcade area is nice as well, or at least parts of it are.
Otherwise go farther out to, Roseville, Folsom area. Newer suburbs, much more family oriented and pretty boring but they're nice. Davis if you want a college town is nice.
Downtown and Midtown, and northern Oak Park. "Specifically where" is a moving target because there are always venues and galleries and cafes opening and closing, but generally along R Street from 10th to 15th or so, around Fremont Park, central Midtown between about 15th-28th and J through Q Street (which includes Lavender Heights, centered on 20th & K, art galleries around 20th & J, nightclubs and cafes on J and K in the 20s, and the 21st Street corridor.) In Oak Park, basically along Broadway from about 32nd (Broadway Coffee) to 36th or so (Brickhouse Gallery.) All of this is subject to dramatic and radical change once we get through COVID and everything gets reshuffled again. And note that there are also artistic outposts all throughout the central city and adjacent neighborhoods, on Del Paso in North Sacramento, farther south into Curtis Park at the Sierra 2 Center and Sol Collective, Miller Park south of downtown, and more. Some might have closed by the time things start recovering, but others will have opened. COVID and the pending recession will result in closure of some of the higher-end or more well-known places and some of the small businesses, but in my experience recessions are when small underground things start to open, often in illegal or semi-legal spaces, that become some of the most legendary spots, and then in the next economic boom they get shut down because they grow too big and draw cop attention, or the building they're in gets demolished for condos or something.
Thanks so much for the detailed responses. You guys are really friendly. Yeah I was confused at the J and K street and 21 or w/e at first but after looking at the maps I can kind of see how everything is laid out. I've also been looking at videos of people walking around midtown/downtown and it seems beautiful there.
It seems like a quite a historical place - I know it is the capital of California, so that makes sense.
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