How are Vallejo, Condord and Antioch in terms of safety? (high schools, teachers)

[GregoryRP]

I would think Concord would be the safest. However, between the three, I would choose Vallejo. You get more for your money now that 60% of sales of RE are foreclosures in Solona County. However, you will have to pick the right neighborhoods, like the Waterfront, from Wilson to Sacramento, north of Tennessee. East Vallejo as close to Benica is also good, Hiddenbrook is very nice as well. Vallejo has the North Bay Athletic Association for gymnastics, nice cheap dives to eat, historical vintage homes, the Baylink Ferry and the Waterfont. The downtown central has crime. This is very similar to South Sacramento. Antioch forget it. You have Secton 8 tenants living in new 2,400 sf homes near the golf course. Too depressed of a housing market. Lot's of gangs from Oakland moved in there. Even with BART, the city is ugly and bland with no character. I also think Benica is very good but pricy. However, probably a better deal than Concord. Vallejo is good housing market and I get good rents over there on investment properties. What makes Vallejo neat is the potential, its has gone through so much with bankruptcy, crime, foreclosures, there is now more stability and the upside in the quality of life several years out is there.

[DocGoldstein]

Vallejo used to be better, but now I'm sorry to say, the city is too crime ridden and broke. Osby Davis put the city into bankruptcy a few years back and the city is just starting to recover. Funny thing is I know Osby Davis and have been to his home in Alden Heights, we have a mutual acquaintance that I met in college (Osby is a lawyer by training). I think Osby will eventually lead the city back, but it won't be for a while. Solid no for Vallejo, for right now.

[Lisalingg]

Vallejo is 70% black and 20% Filipino. Vallejo is financially bankrupt and the whole city is "under water". The mayor of Vallejo got busted. The Vallejo Police dept. is so weak that all the drug dealers and hookers come from other cities to ply their wares on the streets of Vallejo.

Antioch is 60% black now, totally reversed a decade ago. Now Antioch is suffering the same problems as Oakland.

Concord is 50% Mexican and few blacks.

[Daressalaam]

[quote=Lisalingg;23942571]Vallejo is 70% black and 20% Filipino. Vallejo is financially bankrupt and the whole city is "under water". The mayor of Vallejo got busted. The Vallejo Police dept. is so weak that all the drug dealers and hookers come from other cities to ply their wares on the streets of Vallejo.

According to 2010 census data Vallejo is 32.8% white, 22.1% African American, 24.7% Asian and 22.6% Hispanic. I'm aware of a person running for mayor being arrested after the election but not of any mayor being busted.


Vallejo (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

[tstieber]

I would also vote for Concord first, Antioch second, and Valleo gets a big fat NO.

[aslowdodge]

Concord all the way. Better areas and pockets there as well a better commute and access to walnut creek shopping.

[drewjube]

Originally Posted by MovingAloha

In the nineties, Antioch was very nice - we lived in a development called Shelbourne. I'm not so sure anymore though. My in-laws lived a part of Concord nearer Pleasant Hill and that was pretty nice.

I don't quite understand ... the last time I spent time in Antioch was the mid-90s and it seemed like it was becoming a home for many working-class whites and hispanics, maybe a little rough, but not unsafe, lots of pride of homeownership, etc. Certainly it looked like a diamond compared to Pittsburg and West Pittsburg, oops Bay Point.

So what happened to Antioch and why?

[GregoryRP]

I have several rental properties in Vallejo and the rents are high. $1,850 and $1,300, one house is 2,400 sf and the other is on the waterfront. All the tenants are professionals in their occupations and no Section 8, as opposed to Antioch. If Vallejo was so terrible, the marketplace would reflect this and rents would be lower. However, the opposite is true.

If you want to see a really bad city, go to Sacramento. East Sacramento where home prices are from $250,000 to around $700,000 or more in the fab forties has no public high school or one is very rough neighborhood.

If you compare the crime index stats of Vallejo to Sacramento, you will actually see Sacramento is worse. Yes, even in the best of neighborhoods of Sac, their are home invasions.

The key with Vallejo is to live as close to the Benicia border as possible and just do all your shopping their or at Costco.

[GregoryRP]

I was looking for a place in Antioch and when I saw Section 8 tenants living in homes built in the 1990's of around 2,300 sf near the Golf Course, I changed my mind. At least in Vallejo, the people renting in those homes have jobs or retired pensions.

[GregoryRP]

If Vallejo was in such bad shape, Jesse Bethal High school would not be set to add 6-8 teachers next year while layoff's continue in the Sacramento unified school district as well as other cities. More cities should file bankruptcy due to excessive CalPERS pension contributions of their municipal workers coupled with declining property tax revenue and unfunded mandates by the State. Fairfield and Stockton have both filed declaration of fiscal emergencies, the first step in a process towards Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Sacramento is now laying off a total of 100 combined, fire and police officers, due to pension obligations they can not afford. Vallejo is now out of bankruptcy so they are leaner and a better financial position than most communities, who choose to keep their true debts under the table.