Possibly moving to Modesto, need advice!

[The Lorax]

Hi Changing1, that is good to know. If I end up taking this job, I am thinking of renting for the first year. I am in a different situation - my kid is furry (a dog) - so it makes it a little easier. However, I am concerned about crime in neighborhoods and cost of living. I've heard good things about N Modesto, Turlock, and Oakdale. Will have to look into Riverbank and some of the other cities mentioned like Ripon. Good luck to you & your family!

[changing1]

Originally Posted by The Lorax

Thank you to the original poster and to everyone who responded. I too have an opportunity to move to the Modesto area and the site and information everyone provided is very helpful. I appreciate it!

Originally Posted by The Lorax

Hi Changing1, that is good to know. If I end up taking this job, I am thinking of renting for the first year. I am in a different situation - my kid is furry (a dog) - so it makes it a little easier. However, I am concerned about crime in neighborhoods and cost of living. I've heard good things about N Modesto, Turlock, and Oakdale. Will have to look into Riverbank and some of the other cities mentioned like Ripon. Good luck to you & your family!

I have found it more difficult to find rentals that allow furbabies. We have a cat and a dog (on the smaller end, but most seem to like them 15-20lb or less. Ours is 25 lb.). They seem to prefer one or the other. I'm sad to possibly have to give up one or both of our furbabies. When my hubby drove through Turlock the other day, he was not that impressed. His company is renting a house in Riverside for my husband and the initial skeleton crew to stay in. He had to check that out today, and said it was a VERY nice part of town. I will try to send a PM to you on here as well. I have some other questions for you too. Maybe we can help each other out, haha =)

[BeauCharles]

Riverbank has some new subdivisions, but the schools are some of the worst in the area. There are a couple of property management places in Oakdale. I'd call and just explain the situation with the two small pets. With your husband assisting in opening a new office and coming from a large Midwestern city it might work to your advantage vs. a run-of-the-mill local family looking for a new place.

[some bozo]

I've lived in Modesto most, probably 50, of my 66 years. It is a place you leave, not one you move to. I've also lived in Sacramento, Fresno, and Orange County. During my lifetime it has declined from an ok place to a blight. Sure there are some nice, expensive neighborhoods, but eventually you have to get outside them. There is absolutely nothing to recommend it, the best you can say is, "well, at least it's not Stockton".

[smpliving]

OP: I'm a native Californian who moved to eastern Iowa 23 years ago. My daughter spent 8 years in Kansas City teaching middle school in a lower-income school just outside of downtown KC. I'm not sure which suburb in KC who are in, but there are quite nice suburbs there that have little to no drug problems and some of the highest rated schools in the country (Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission). When I first toured KC I was blown away by how nice parts of it is. Sure, there are the bad areas especially east of highway 70, but those parts are obvious and many more beautiful areas and attractions.


It's been many years since I was in Modesto or the Central Valley. I spent two years in San Jose, but most of the rest of my 36 years in Ventura County (Thousand Oaks-Newbury Park-Ventura ... I was just back home last year to visit family. I would really take a good hard look at Modesto and its surrounding areas before you make a move, especially the cost of housing and what you could afford, in addition to schools.


However, it would be an adventure and I don't blame you wanting to experience a different part of the country, especially California. Now that I am getting ready to retire, I would love to move back to California ( it just feels like home even with all the brown landscape), but it's probably out of my reach for the lifestyle and home I can afford in the Midwest.

[changing1]

Originally Posted by ennaf

OP: I'm a native Californian who moved to eastern Iowa 23 years ago. My daughter spent 8 years in Kansas City teaching middle school in a lower-income school just outside of downtown KC. I'm not sure which suburb in KC who are in, but there are quite nice suburbs there that have little to no drug problems and some of the highest rated schools in the country (Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission). When I first toured KC I was blown away by how nice parts of it is. Sure, there are the bad areas especially east of highway 70, but those parts are obvious and many more beautiful areas and attractions.


It's been many years since I was in Modesto or the Central Valley. I spent two years in San Jose, but most of the rest of my 36 years in Ventura County. I would really take a good hard look at Modesto and its surrounding areas before you make a move, especially the cost of housing and what you could afford. However, it would be an adventure and I don't blame you wanting to experience a different part of the country. Now that I am getting ready to retire, I would love to move back to California, but it's probably out of my reach for the lifestyle and home I can afford in the Midwest. Good luck!

We're definitely not in one of the nicer areas you mentioned lol. We're not in a dump by any means, but the schools are rated lower than those in NE Modesto/Riverbank. Even the lower rated schools are better than where we're at, according to the numerous school comparison sites I've checked. I don't feel like the move is a good or a bad thing, so long as the pay is comparable to cost of living in California. But we shall see.

[smpliving]

Originally Posted by changing1

We're definitely not in one of the nicer areas you mentioned lol. We're not in a dump by any means, but the schools are rated lower than those in NE Modesto/Riverbank. Even the lower rated schools are better than where we're at, according to the numerous school comparison sites I've checked. I don't feel like the move is a good or a bad thing, so long as the pay is comparable to cost of living in California. But we shall see.

If you can afford it, it sounds like a great opportunity. There is so much to see and do in California! Wishing you all the best!