No more cookie cutters please! (Sacramento, Orange: to rent, houses, neighborhoods)

[kelty]

Hi there, my family and I are contemplating a move to the Sacramento area and could really use some help. We are currently in a Michigan suburb (which we are not very fond of) and we lived in the city of Chicago for about 8 years (which we both loved). We have a two year old and a two month old and are looking to rent for a year so we can learn more about the area before committing to a home purchase. That means no need to worry about schools and such for this initial move.

I know it sounds quite idealistic, but we are looking for a tree lined street with charming well kept homes, think bungalow, within walking distance to a downtown area with shops, restaurants, etc. Does this exist in the Sacramento area? My husband will have the general Sacramento area as his territory, so we don't really have to worry about a commute to an office every day. We'd like something that's family friendly and safe, but that has that feel of a neighborhood that's been around for a while. We don't want to be in mini-mall heaven, where you have to drive everywhere to do anything. We currently live in a new subdivision with no trees, every house looks the same, and we are looking for something just the opposite. Does Roseville or Folsom have a downtown area? I hear a lot about them. Would a neighborhood in Sacramento proper be more up our alley, if so, which one? Any insight offered would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Curmudgeon]

Mid-town and the park environments/neighborhoods. But schools might be a problem later on. You might also want to check out Folsom.

[Majin]

East Sac, it's technically a suburb but there are no cookie cutter homes and there are sidewalk cafes and such. No strip malls or big box retailers. Even quite a few bars.

[wburg]

Roseville and Folsom have small "downtown"/old-town areas, holdovers from the recent past when they were little railroad towns before exploding into suburbs. Both have some fairly quaint and charming residential areas nearby, but the stock is limited as both were small towns before their recent explosions, and historic preservation is an extremely low priority for the most part. The "downtowns" are assortments of 1-2 story buildings and mostly boutiques and restaurants, you will have to drive for most of the essentials of life and there is little public transit in both cities. The same is true of Elk Grove. Davis is another option along similar lines--it's a college town, but has very developed bike infrastructure.

Midtown, East Sacramento, Curtis Park and Land Park are likely candidates: Sacramento isn't a "big" big city, but it has tree-lined streets and nearby business boulevards on the old streetcar corridors--again, except for Midtown, not "downtown" proper but perhaps what you're looking for.

Your politics might come into play. Roseville is quite conservative, Folsom and Elk Grove more moderate, Sacramento more liberal (especially the old-city neighborhoods near downtown, less so in the outer burbs) and Davis even more liberal than that.

[KC6ZLV]

There are some older neighbourhoods out in the 'burbs that are nice. Look off of Auburn Blvd in Citrus Heights east of the Sylvan intersection. Fair Oaks has some really nice areas too near the old Fair Oaks area and along Sunset.

[Majin]

Sure, Citrus Heights works if you like 8 lane boulevards that act as freeways and walmarts, walgreens and applebees as your shopping and dining choices.

[Jasmine728]

Having lived in the Sacramento area for 37 years , what you describing is closest to East Sac area.. beautiful tree lined streets ( hence the moniker "city of trees" , bungalows, parks, cafe's, restaurants, Trader Joe's all within walking distance. Curtis Park, Land Park, midtown would all qualify too. And if your husband did have to commute, most likely he would be going against traffic. Personally I would skip Folsom and Roseville.. yes they do have hopping downtown areas these days but the rate of growth in the surrounding areas has made both of those towns a major cluster trafficwise. The stripmalls and cookie cutter houses and malls that surround those communites create a different atmosphere in my opinion. You hear a lot about them because they have grown so much in recent years. The small area you would have to chose from in either of those to be in walking distance to anything would really be limited and majority of shopping would have to be driven to. Folsom especially is more touristy with a downtown that caters to tourists and visitors. I lived in East Sac for well over 10 years and still miss the community there and just walking and riding my bike through the streets just looking at all the yards and nice houses. Old town Fair Oaks area is nice too...

[wburg]

I grew up in Citrus Heights, and the closest thing to "downtown" CH has is Sunrise Mall. Of course, time adds cachet and the charming Craftsman bungalows the OP seeks were once considered "cookie cutter." There are a few older (as in 1930s-1940s) homes on the back streets that still don't have sidewalks, but the Rusch home is about the only "bungalow" there. Same goes for Orangevale, Arden-Arcade and for the most part Carmichael. There are a handful of century-old homes on back streets, overrun by mid-century "little boxes," holdovers from when these were agricultural regions.

I suppose Old Fair Oaks would count--but that's pretty much two square blocks, Roseville and Folsom were "the big city" for Fair Oaks.

[kelty]

Thanks so much for the information. It sounds like East Sac is right up our alley. How is Arden Park? Any shops or restaurants there? Also, is Davis pretty much cookie cutter or does it have the neighborhoods we are looking for? Thanks again!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by kelty

Thanks so much for the information. It sounds like East Sac is right up our alley. How is Arden Park? Any shops or restaurants there? Also, is Davis pretty much cookie cutter or does it have the neighborhoods we are looking for? Thanks again!

Though we haven't been there or lived there for years, I would second Arden Park. Plus if you do end up buying there, the schools are or were pretty good.

Nita