Anyone new to Sacramento regret their move? (Los Angeles, San Jose: home, unemployment rate)

[Mr. Ozo]

I’d just like to say that I live in the city(Midtown) and commute to the suburbs. I could never live in the suburbs, only the city or the country. However, there are jobs in the suburbs and so I get in my car and drive a reverse commute every day(I hate commuting but you gotta eat). But Midtown Sacramento is a special place, I love to walk and bike to everything once that car is parked. So I have to commute to work, but not to life. I’m planning on buying a home in the central city someday, but not the suburbs. No I don’t care I’ll get “more Square footage” for the price. I kinda of like living on the upper level with people below, so I’m looking at places spilt into units.

[wburg]

We're in the same boat, Mr. Ozo: I don't care for the suburbs, but like cities, and have lived in small towns that I really liked. Partially this is because many small towns are also built using the same basic model as old cities, and Sacramento: a walkable core of old buildings, with residential uses above or within short walking distance of places of employment, commercial and recreational uses. Small towns reflect urban practices that make sense even in city context, often because they used the same rules to build small towns as those used in big cities. Early 20th century towns like Marysville and Eureka had walkable downtown districts, dense residential uses, and even streetcars.

Amazon.com: Beyond the Metropolis: Urban Geography as if Small Cities Mattered (9780761835851): Benjamin Ofori-Amoah: Books

Another point about the "two hours from XXX" reputation: while I get sick of it, as do a lot of people, in some ways it's a good thing. No offense intended to FresnoFacts, but Fresno doesn't have the same sort of reputation because there isn't much point in claiming that they're only two hours from Stockton or Bakersfield. Another plus of the "two hours" thing is the fact that, from central Sacramento, you can have a very dramatic change of scene in a relatively short time. I visited Los Angeles over the weekend, and it took us an hour just to leave Los Angeles proper and another hour to get beyond the outer suburbs--it can take two hours just to leave town at all! From Sacramento, in an hour and change you can find yourself in any number of different environments: the mountains, the river delta, small-town America in the foothills or the valley, the ocean, big cosmopolitan cities, or even a suburb if that's your bag. There are also good things about the city itself (either its central urban amenities or its exclusive outer suburbs) but proximity to other things doesn't mean the city itself is without appeal.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by wburg

Another point about the "two hours from XXX" reputation: while I get sick of it, as do a lot of people, in some ways it's a good thing. No offense intended to FresnoFacts, but Fresno doesn't have the same sort of reputation because there isn't much point in claiming that they're only two hours from Stockton or Bakersfield. Another plus of the "two hours" thing is the fact that, from central Sacramento, you can have a very dramatic change of scene in a relatively short time. I visited Los Angeles over the weekend, and it took us an hour just to leave Los Angeles proper and another hour to get beyond the outer suburbs--it can take two hours just to leave town at all! From Sacramento, in an hour and change you can find yourself in any number of different environments: the mountains, the river delta, small-town America in the foothills or the valley, the ocean, big cosmopolitan cities, or even a suburb if that's your bag. There are also good things about the city itself (either its central urban amenities or its exclusive outer suburbs) but proximity to other things doesn't mean the city itself is without appeal.

No offense taken , but you are only thinking up and down 99 and I-5. That would also mean that within 2 hours of Sacramento are Stockton, Yuba City, etc.

Don't forget that within 2 hours of Fresno are Yosemite Valley, Kings Canyon (actually Grant Grove is only 1 hour), Sequoia, the high Sierra Lakes, etc. The coastal areas like Monterey and San Luis Obispo are only about 3 hours from Fresno.

[bliss61]

I fell in love with Sacramento; it had everything I wanted but I made a mistake by renting a low income senior apartment at the corner of C and 12th.
These buldings are stunning but inside the apartments live over 55 residents who are just off the streets. That is not bad; the idea that older people should have affordable housing. But that is not the whole story.
Many residents (all over the age of 55) are in advance stages of drug addiction, ranging from crack cocaine to marijuana.
Several tenants who get medical marijuana from local dispensaries bring back their large bags and either sell it or give it away to other tenants; some are mentally ill.
This is HUD, subsidized housing, so the developers get paid for any portion of the rent that the tenant cannot afford. The addicts however, use whatever is left over from their SSI or SS income to buys drugs and do not have food, which they get at food banks.
When most sick, they will steal or beg for "loose change" or food from other tenants.
This is life at it's lowest at Globe Mills. I was forced to fulfill a lease, living behind a dead bolt, not being able to use the facilities at night and feeling like "prey".
It was obvious that armed 24/7 security was needed from the beginning.

[dgjps]

It's just that Sacramento lacks some sort
of character.

Where do you live? My husband and I moved here 25 years ago and love it. I am from NY, he is from NJ. We met in Los Angeles. We have always lived in the city- within 3 miles to downtown. We can bike/bus or drive to work. We never drive in traffic. The Second Saturday Art scene is fun, there are many community theatres that offer low cost plays, lots of art galleries, miles of river- sailing in the delta and walking along the Sacramento river are common activities for us. Not to mention the incredible hikes, trips within 2 hours of the city. Our 3 children have received a WONDERFUL education at Sac City schools- and we have life-long friends - from many parts of the US and world.

Maybe you arent living "in" Sacramento- but one of the bedroom communities?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bliss61

I fell in love with Sacramento; it had everything I wanted but I made a mistake by renting a low income senior apartment at the corner of C and 12th.
These buldings are stunning but inside the apartments live over 55 residents who are just off the streets. That is not bad; the idea that older people should have affordable housing. But that is not the whole story.
Many residents (all over the age of 55) are in advance stages of drug addiction, ranging from crack cocaine to marijuana.
Several tenants who get medical marijuana from local dispensaries bring back their large bags and either sell it or give it away to other tenants; some are mentally ill.
This is HUD, subsidized housing, so the developers get paid for any portion of the rent that the tenant cannot afford. The addicts however, use whatever is left over from their SSI or SS income to buys drugs and do not have food, which they get at food banks.
When most sick, they will steal or beg for "loose change" or food from other tenants.
This is life at it's lowest at Globe Mills. I was forced to fulfill a lease, living behind a dead bolt, not being able to use the facilities at night and feeling like "prey".
It was obvious that armed 24/7 security was needed from the beginning.

Just start counting the months or weeks before your lease is over and think of all the great places you will able to find to live then..

NIta

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by dgjps

It's just that Sacramento lacks some sort
of character.

Where do you live? My husband and I moved here 25 years ago and love it. I am from NY, he is from NJ. We met in Los Angeles. We have always lived in the city- within 3 miles to downtown. We can bike/bus or drive to work. We never drive in traffic. The Second Saturday Art scene is fun, there are many community theatres that offer low cost plays, lots of art galleries, miles of river- sailing in the delta and walking along the Sacramento river are common activities for us. Not to mention the incredible hikes, trips within 2 hours of the city. Our 3 children have received a WONDERFUL education at Sac City schools- and we have life-long friends - from many parts of the US and world.

Maybe you arent living "in" Sacramento- but one of the bedroom communities?

We had a similar experience but we were only in Sac for about 1 year and 1/2. We lived in the Rio Americano highschool district. Our kids loved the schools, we made awesome friends and sometimes still miss it. We made such good friends that even though we were there for a short time we had honored with many going away parties, still exchange Christmas cards with some of our friends, 30 years later.

There was always something to do, never were we bored. No matter where someone lives they can make it work. If they can't, normally they only have themselves to blame. Oh, there are exceptions, of course, but generally we get out of things what we put into them. People who sit around and complain will always find fault.

Nita

[edwardius]

The neighborhood around Rio is still very nice. I imagine the trees are much taller though then 30 years ago.

[Screw Sacramento]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I understand your hot liking it and it not being for you, but I always have problems with people who confuse fact with opinion: when you said things like cost of living and job opportunities, these are more opinion than fact. Sac does not have a high cost of living compared to other places in California or even the east coast and the job market, though not good isn't any worse than in other parts of the state.

You opinion, is one thing and we all have a right to it, but when you say things as fact you are giving some people wrong information.

Nita

Actually it is a little worse than in other parts of the state, at least if the Sacramento Bee and the official labor market trends are to be believed. Currently unemployment here hovers somewhere between %11-%17, there is one position to every seven applicants, and out of all US cities with unemployment issues, it ranked 42 out of 50 (in the nation).

Dontknowifwe'recomingorgoing had a really good point about character. As much as I couldn't live in San Francisco, that city has a lot of character and is fun to visit. Auburn, too, has a small town character and Lake Tahoe is unequivocally beautiful and fun to visit. Colorado Springs (another area I lived) was strong in the character/recreation dept.

Sacramento does just seem to a big "small" city in the middle of the valley. The most character I've seen from it is Old Town Sacramento, thank God they kept that. It's just somewhat corporate and impersonal here, and the people don't seem to have too much going for them unless they enjoy politics.

[NorCal Dude]

There is plenty of character in sacramento. Old town, mid town, east side, the pocket, the whole american river corridor, this is in addition to the various 'ethnic' neighborhoods in town.