Goods things Sacramento area (San Francisco, Fairfield: relocating, income, job)

[KirbyJRT]

I'm thinking of relocating to one of three areas. Coming from CT. Connecticut is a good place to live, but I'm not a cold weather person. Since I recently divorced, there isn't much of a reason to stay here.

I've narrowed it down to:
Sacramento, CA
Austin, TX
Tampa-St Pete, FL

If I decide Sacramento I would be starting out in Olivehurst. I like to live in the suburbs and spend time in the city for entertainment purposes. I was stationed in Fairfield from 1984-1988 and completed a recent visit to the same area in October.

I'm an IT person attending Villanova to pursue a Project Manager certificate. I know about the heat, bums in the city, gangs, loud music, etc...

I loved Sacramento and Davis and Calistoga and Napa-Sonoma Valley, San Francisco and even the dried out fields of Vacaville. I've done my homework and the Cost of living calculators make Sacramento pretty much a one-to-one proposition in comparison to where I live in CT and my income. Job market seems fairly good at least according to dice, monster and careerbuilder.

Anyway. Looking for positive feedback about the area.

C'mon people. Sell it to me

[CityGirl72]

Are you looking for feedback on Olivehurst (like suburbs?) or Sacramento

I do not know many people who are in Sac that go to Olivehurst - and I don't know anyone in Olivehurst that ventures to Sac if they can avoid it.

So why Olivehurst? Is it an afforablility issue? Have you thought about renting first and then taking a look into the area to buy?

If you've read my posts - you see that I love the area - but each area in Sac COunty has a different feel. This means you'll like some and avoid others..

So I can give you feedback if you tell me what you like...

THANKS!

[CityGirl72]

PS I love the heat too - what the hell was I thinking moving to Seattle?

[KirbyJRT]

I have a friend I can stay with in Olivehurst. That at least gets me back in the area to start. I would not be looking to buy at first. I'd be happy renting for a year or so. I will have to assume I would be working in downtown Sacramento. Again just a starting place. I am hoping that I can telecommute at least 3 days of the week once I get settled. Other then UC-Davis and Sacramento itself I'm not overly familiar with the surrounding area. I used to come up to Beale to play in softball tournaments in the late 80's and also was it Mather or McClelland, can't remember. It was the one they closed...

Yes I would like information on the suburbs. The city I can figure out. I don't want to live in the city.

PS. I lived in Seattle from 1994-1997. *&^&**^% rain and dampness, nearly killed me.

[CityGirl72]

I'm having a hard time convincing my husband to move now - but I digress

What do you like to do (age?) If you like suburbs and you are divorced - you might like the Roseville/Rocklin area, it's clean and yuppie and super suburbs

There is also Folsom and ELdorado area - kind of the same as Roseville - but maybe a bit more familyish

There is Elk Grove which is more afforable and also yuppie suburb hell, but you have to cross South Sac to get there - and that it where the gangs and the ghetto drugs are

Now I LIKE Midtown of course (If you lived in Seattle - it was like Wallingford area)

I HIGHLY recommend East Sacramento, Davis, Land Park (or even River Park by Sac State) - and the old NICE part of Fair oaks....and if you really got some moola there's American River Park or the Fab Forties (the NICE NICE part of East Sac)

Those place I tell you about have the tall canopy trees and the vintage houses or tudors, large parks, lots of nightlife close by and is a stones through away from the track home hell of the suburbs.

[CityGirl72]

BTW I'm re-married but when I got divorced, I moved to Sacramento from So Cal, and it was a great place to re-learn yourself

[KirbyJRT]

Thanks for the input. I'm almost positive I'm going to go for it. I'm working as a consultant now. The Project I'm working on and my schooling should end at the same time.
Sac = I have a place to live.
Tampa = I have a job lined up (my old companies last two CIO's live there and have told me all I have to do is ask). Austin = I like the area. I also like San Antonio.

[corduroyboy]

Don't go to Olivehurst. Work sent me there for a week and I couldn't wait to leave. It's a strange part of California. As much as I hate the rush around of Sacramento, I'll take it anyday over Olivehurst. Definitely stick to the places others have suggested in this post.

[Guingirl]

I wouldn't have picked Olivehurst as a hot bed of IT, but you said you had a place to stay. You would more likely commute into the Roseville/Rocklin or Sacramento areas. Both are really nice and you will find that most IT professionals make somewhere as a base of 50K-85K as a start depending on who you work for and the specialty.

You might want to go and find a salary calculator and really write down what you want to make and what you want to do on your down time.

We just recently moved to the DFW area and when we were researching, Austin was really nice but it was more humid than we were used to. In Sacramento it is a dry heat...but then again...so is an oven hehe

It sounds like you are in a time in your life where if you sit down and just dream (and I can imagine going through a divorce isn't the easiest) about what you want your future to look like...then it will be easier for you to make it happen.

I know that with us, we had a lot of hardship the last few years and had fallen into a real rut. We used this move, it was from my home all my life, to really mix things up and do some of those things we had always put off. We HAVE to make an effort, etc now

Good luck in the choice you make. Anything moving forward and keeping a positive mind it a good thing! Take care!!

[KirbyJRT]

Thanks for the input. What did you not like about Olivehurst?

Can anyone fill me in on Yuba City - Marysville? I did online research already. I found that a place called Wheatland is rapidly growing. In looking at Satellite images, it seems that it's all farmland surrounding each one of these towns/cities. Which is fine by me. Probably what will happen is the farms will be sold and developments will be put up. Pretty much happens everywhere.