ELK GROVE - the good, the bad, the worst?

[Curmudgeon]

I recall a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall in Elk Grove that was actually quite creditable. Don't remember why or how we ended up there but the food was very good and the service excellent.

[NorCal Dude]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

I recall a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall in Elk Grove that was actually quite creditable. Don't remember why or how we ended up there but the food was very good and the service excellent.

remember the street it was on?

[montreid]

Originally Posted by edwardius

You can find much better schools in say Arden Park than in Elk Grove. Yet when people are saying the schools are good in Elk Grove they aren't lying. Instead what they are talking about is what kind of school you can get if you need a specific sized home for a specified price range. Say you are looking for a 3bed/2bath home with 1700 sqft selling for around 250k. You can find a house like that in say, Elk Grove, Natomas, West Sac, Rancho Cordova and Antelope. But of all of those houses in that price range, Elk Grove is probably going to have the best schools.

Now if money is no object, and you can afford to spend 500k for 3bed/2bath home, 1700sqft home, you can find better schools in Folsom, Arden Park, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills. But a lot of people have budgets of how much they can afford to spend and need space a certain amount of space for there kids.

To see more of what I am talking about, play around with these two links.

HousingMaps

California School Performance Maps

Elk Grove's schools stand by themselves regardless of SES and urban planning issues. The school district's school are consistently above average, and their top schools are among the top performers in the state.

You would be hard pressed to say that's even close to being true anywhere else in the Sacramento region--less El Dorado Hills and Granite Bay. If you're comparing Elk Grove to those just mentioned, I'd think that says quite a lot about Elk Grove in itself. Arden park is such a hit/miss, you'd be crazy to depend reliably on public schooling--thus the prevailing comments on the board of people looking at private schooling within the city.

Even that said, Elk Grove's private schools, like Bradshaw Christian, are competitive with the best the Sacramento can offer.

Elk Grove doesn't pretend to be an inner city, walk to your job, type place to be. But to say that it's culturally deficient or unsafe really shows people are biased toward a different beliefs--none of which are based on culture or safety or education.

[Majin]

Welcome to Elk Grove, CA population 140,000









Enjoy your stay.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

remember the street it was on?

I think it might have been Plaza Del Sol on Elk Grove Blvd.

[sms1967]

Majin, if it weren't for all the sheep and their strip malls, you wouldn't be unique.

[Georgie L.]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ozo

I spend a lot of time in Elk Grove. I can't think of 5 restaurants that aren't chains, other than a few mediocre Chinese places. Could you list a few good non-chain restaurants in Elk Grove NorCal Dude?

Originally Posted by d_deathrage

As for good non-chain restaurants in Elk Grove, I would try out some of the following.

Boulevard Bistro
8941 Elk Grove Blvd
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 685-2220
www.blvdbistro.com

Vince's Italian Restaurant
8901 Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 423-1060

Kabob Palace
9168 Franklin Blvd Ste C
Elk Grove, CA 95758
(916) 391-0280

Pho Anh Duc EastWest Cafe
9261 Laguna Springs Dr
Ste 130
Elk Grove, CA 95758
(916) 684-9988

Sunflower Chinese Cuisine
8469 Elk Grove Blvd Ste 9
Elk Grove, CA 95759
(916) 684-7176

Adding:

Palermo Restaurant. Family owned and run. Giovanni will personally greet you AND get to know you.

The Brickhouse in Old Town.

El Jardin in East EG. They have another location, so I suppose technically a "chain". If a chain is "two".

Todo Un Poco in Laguna West. Another owner who will greet you personally AND get to know you.

And for the non-sit down service types....

Ocean Fish and Chips on EG Blvd.
Cilantro's (also has another location) in East Elk Grove.

[Pool Runner]

Originally Posted by Majin

Welcome to Elk Grove, CA population 140,000









Enjoy your stay.

Your last pic isn't Elk Grove, and odd that none of the cars facing the camera have a front license plate, Ca requires a front plate so it would be odd that every car in your pic is missing theirs. Also all the rear plates look like Florida. The street and backdrop look nothing like anywhere near Sacramento. Maybe the North Bay at best but not Central California. Just pointing this minor oversight out.

[gorgar]

It's not exactly a place made for old people, but then not much of California is geared to old people. Accordingly, you will find it somewhat lacking in have a representational cross section of people from different age groups.


But it is flat. It's remarkable for its "unremarkableness." Be wary of the shadow inventory being held back by the banks. Option ARM recasts and Alt-A mortgages will be the next wave coming through the system and will hit places like Elk Grove more so than other areas. I fondly remember the made-for-TV images of sleepovers outside of empty cul-de-sacs in front of a portable building; people lining up just to get their name on a list to buy an unbuilt home in Elk Grove. In the end, reports eventually made their way out that some of those events were staged/populated with shills to get folks to sign up for a new home. Nothing surprises me anymore about the housing mess that is California. You might be better served buying a home in a more established section of Elk Grove (homes built in the 1970s and 1980s). Some areas have a bit more character (with trees!) if you are willing to search them out. Local knowledge is key. Also be away of the Section 8 areas, rentals, and mello-roos. Use Real Estate, Homes for Sale & Real Estate Values - Zillow. Good luck.