OK... So I have sorta decided on an area of Sacto... (Sacramento: rentals, condo)

[LaniK]

Fair Oaks and general area seems like the best fit for us, but like all areas, even my beloved island home town, I know there are certain 'areas within areas' that are better and worse.

So what we are looking for to start with is a rental property, house preferred but condo apt is ok too. We are not so much interested in the "facilities" an apt or condo/area has to offer for rentals, but reasonable safety and preferably nearer to the main town area of Fair Oaks (for our older teens to get around, public transit would be a great bonus). Since we are planning to buy, we really don't want to spend a huge amount on a rental!

So tell me... what areas should I avoid, what are better for safety and convenience for shopping and public transportation? Also, we do want to buy, so a shorter lease option is also a plus.

We will have 2 adults, and two teens (out of school) and cats, with one smoker in the family.

Ideas are very welcome and appreciated.

Mahalo!

[wburg]

There isn't really a "main town" of Fair Oaks, the closest thing is Old Fair Oaks Village near Fair Oaks and Winding Way, although its role is mostly historic, I think there are some antique shops and a couple restaurants and a nice little park, but most actual shopping is done elsewhere at nearby power centers. Sunrise Boulevard is the main commuter street, and most of your shopping will probably occur north up Sunrise near the Sunrise Mall shopping complex or south over the river in Rancho Cordova. It's hard to go wrong with Fair Oaks in terms of safety but it's not inexpensive out that way.

As I mentioned, public transit is basically nonexistent in Sacramento's suburbs.

Sacramento Regional Transit District Home Page
This is Sacramento Regional Transit District's homepage. It looks like two buses, 21 and 28, run through Fair Oaks. They run every half hour, 21 goes from the edge of Roseville to the Mather light rail station and stops about 9:00, 28 from the mall to the Butterfield light rail station and stops at about 7:00. Bus 24 runs from Fair Oaks to Carmichael via Madison Avenue and Greenback Lane in a loop, and there are a couple of commuter-hour-only buses that run to Watt/I-80 to get downtown during commuter hours.

For public transit to be useful you will have to live within a few blocks of the routes they run--here's the map:

http://www.sacrt.com/systemmap/A2.stm

[yamarranaz]

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