BB hole in window. Moving to Sacramento, need some suggestions (Stockton: rentals, health insurance)

[Dee2007]

I haven't lived in a big city in a very long time, and due to a break-up, I need to move to Sacramento. Currently I live a couple of hours away. I'll be renting to start, and I have pets. I found what I was looking for in Carmichael, Citrus heights and off Stockton Blvd., near 15th.

I saw what I thought was a BB hole in the living room window of this last one (which was my favorite). I've checked out crime reports and talked to people, however I see pockets of trouble all over the places and often close to the places I can afford right now. Sometimes interspersed with very nice housing and neighborhoods.

I'm starting to wonder how in the world I will know what place is ok and relatively safe and what is not. I've read on this forum for a while now and see that some areas considered safe, would have not been my first choices, yet this place I just found in an area that appears to be so so, has a BB hole in the window. (Should I let that scare me—years ago it would have been a deciding factor, no questions asked)

I am in a situation where I must move quickly and with the pets and making a move from a house, I need to get into a duplex or house. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I’m also trying to figure out how to be close to light rail, and how to get into the city, because I expect to have clients there , and a second job to make ends meet and supply health insurance at first. Since I haven’t lived there, I don’t have a “feel” for the city and I am a bit lost…
Thank you,
Dee

[CityGirl72]

Do you have kids at all? WHat is your $$ situation per month?

Stay away from Stockton Blvd!!!! It goes straight into the Ghetto!

Parts of Citrus Heights are okay - but most of the rentals are crap and underrun

Carmichael is the best bet out of your three - but still not great

If you are single and under 40 I'd say go for Midtown, it's cheaper and safer then most of those other spots you are considering.

I know Sacramento like the back of my hand - feel free to send me mail and I'll tell you exactly what's happening at any address

[renngrrl]

Midtown (15th st to capital and E to U) are good but you really have to know the place. I lived at 16th and Q for 10 yrs and loved it but I had no children and only indoor pets. Rent used to be cheap in Sac but boy has that changed.

You can't escape the crime here but you learn how to deal with it if you are renting.

Park your car in a closed attached garage. Our cars would get broken into every year around Jan/Feb like clockwork and mine was parked right under my window with a light on it! Never park in a carport - your vehicle will get vandalized continuously.

If you do park on the street, never leave anything in the car. People will break into it for change, clothing, etc.

Drive a beat up car and kept theft ins on your vehicle. sacramento/modesto/Stockton used to have the highest car theft rates in the nation. Phoenix may have taken first place by now but we're still in the top 10.

You want the mail to be dropped off directly into your house through a door or wall or you'd better get a PO box. Mail gets stolen here constantly by people looking for IDs and checks. I had one stolen once and that when I started looking into the crime statistics for Sacramento.

Get to know your neighbors well and look out for each other. I stopped two robberies just by sticking my head out my back window and asking the guy hanging in my nextdoor neighbor's window what he was doing. I never got broken into but I did wake up to people just outside my window having sex once.

This was in the 90s when we were still mostly a property crime city. It's gotten worse. These sorts of events have been spreading throughout the city and into the suburbs. The locals blame the light rail system for making the crime element more mobile.

Avoid the area west of 15th on the south side (big asian gang wars down there and that was redlight district for years) and below 16th on the north side. That's alkali flats and it has a huge problem with violent crime from the homeless flooding the area because of it's proximity to Loaves and Fishes.

Like I said, these things have spread all over. Property crime is even on the rise in places like Davis and Rocklin.

[Dee2007]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

Do you have kids at all? WHat is your $$ situation per month?
-----Limited to start with.

Stay away from Stockton Blvd!!!! It goes straight into the Ghetto!
-----Not safe then to take the bus in to the city?

Parts of Citrus Heights are okay - but most of the rentals are crap and underrun
----I can tolerate underrun, messy and so forth. I can fix things up, and I don't mind doing it. My big concern is to be safe and have my animals with me.

Carmichael is the best bet out of your three - but still not great
-----The only one I have seen in Carmichael is a little iffy.

If you are single and under 40 I'd say go for Midtown, it's cheaper and safer then most of those other spots you are considering.
-----Where exactly is Midown?

I know Sacramento like the back of my hand - feel free to send me mail and I'll tell you exactly what's happening at any address

-----I did, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Dee

[Dee2007]

[quote=renngrrl;412750]Midtown I lived at 16th and Q for 10 yrs and loved it but I had no children and only indoor pets. Rent used to be cheap in Sac but boy has that changed.
----No kids, indoor cats. My dog is a big lab and will be in and out, depending. I don't expect to leave her out when I am not there.

You can't escape the crime here but you learn how to deal with it if you are renting.
----Thank you. I could use all the tips anyone is willing to offer and the ones you offered are very helpful.

Dee

[Guingirl]

Yah...I would definately stay the HECK AWAY from Stockton Boulevard....bad bad news!!

[Dee2007]

Stockton Blvd is a long road. What parts do you think are specifically terrible? I've driven around the area, and talked to a few people and I was told that they hear gunshots in the distance, but that there hasn't been trouble on the paricular few blocks that I am looking at in 15 years.

Dee

[renngrrl]

Oak park is still gang central. The working girls still work the section of Stockton all around the med center. Gunshots in the distance me the bullets are still coming down somewhere near you.

I know you need to find an expensive yet safe place. Stockton Blvd isn't it.

[Guingirl]

Yah...hearing them in the distance is pretty scary. As far as the future, who knows, but I can tell you that that area has been a pit hole for the last 20 and that is just my memory (I lived in the area for 38 yrs- all my life).

I would chose Citrus Heights. It just turned into a city a handful of years back and it has shown as a great example of what money spent correctly will do. They have been working on rehabbing back and I think they have done a good job.