Most overrated/underrated metros in CA? 🙊 (San Jose, Fresno: sales, real estate, insurance)

[18Montclair]

Overrated: LA/OC is a far cry from the image projected by Hollywood.

Originally Posted by Yahoo: The Most Disappointing Travel Destinations in the World

1. Los Angeles: "The Whole City is a Lie"

...Travelers expecting Hollywood glitz and glamour were shocked to find what they called a run-down, dangerous and dirty urban sprawl...

Mind you I'd live in LA no problem and Id enjoy it, as Im under no illusions of what it's like.


Underrated: Sacramento

Sacramento is a very livable, pleasant, diverse, metro area that sits in between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. There are lots of desirable neighborhoods within the city proper as well as plenty of posh suburban areas. Best value for the money in the entire state imo. My onevgripe is the summer heat.

[FireStation46]

Been to all the big cities in CA: SF, LA, SD, SJ. Some nice sections some not so nice.

I prefer Solvang over big cities. Nice Elks lodge down the road in Santa Barbara.

[rubing]

underrated is yucca valley, not yucky at all...exploding with a cool arts scene

[Moddedintegra56]

sacramento is no longer underrated. maybe few years ago. but that shipped has sailed. It is clearly already recognized as a nice alternative to other expensive areas.

The most underrated is Fresno, CA. The metro is small by comparison to sacramento (1million vs 2.5 million) but the city of Fresno itself is the 5th largest city in the state and with Clovis, CA is the real anchor cities of the central CA region.

Being isolated comes with it's negatives as we all already know, but the point here is its underrated as if one can find a middle and upper income bracket job--in a region where it stands as one of the last affordable big metros in the state, a family can thrive there. It has reputable higher education options notable with Fresno State, and others including Fresno Pacific, UCSF Fresno, and community college options. Clovis Unified School district is highly ranked in the state and has always been in the top 80-90th percentile in ratings among all review sites. Compared to other smaller central valley cities, Fresno/Clovis area has most amenities and stores found in other desireable metros. Whole Foods, Macys, Malls, Trader Joes, etc. It's 140 miles or about 2 hours to SJ. 3 hours to SF or LA. 1 hour from yosemite (south entrance), snow access is also within an hour reach with a ski resort in China Peak. Also being the closest major city proximity to other national parks in that vicinity (kings, sequoia, yosemite).

Biggest cons are lack of higher paying white collar jobs, air quality, and 2 months in the summer where there are weeks of 100s. The politics in the city of fresno seem to make it progress slow.

I like to point out that the crime reputation that city has always had still lingers as stigma but numbers indicate that violent crime there has been lower than SF, LA, Sac, Oakland by comparison per X amount of people
https://www.gddlaw.com/2016/05/12/ci...nia-dangerous/
Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site

There isnt much cool stuff happening so it seems like only crime happens as thats what is reported or other negatives, but again by actual numbers, it's still below that of other cities.

The central valley region is generally undesirable but the fresno metro (well just fresno and clovis really as the other cities in fresno county suck) is clearly the best (not counting sacramento) when it comes to amenities, potential, etc. The north valleye will dispute this (stockton/modesto area) but their only claim to fame is just being closer to the bay area.

[dontbelievehim]

One of the best parts about the Fresno Clovis area that locals never mention are the lakes. Bass, Huntington, and shaver are great during the summers and are easy drives. If Phoenix had shaver lake+Sierra weather one hour away, Phoenicians would boost about it all day, but fresnans never mention it for some reason. Maybe Fresno county needs to build up shaver lake more before people start talking about it, who knows.

[Chimérique]

The core city of Fresno is sad really sad and boring for it's size and population. Actually, the whole metro is that way. There never really ever was a decent size urban vibrant core in Fresno so it's a challenge to build one now.

There are no new or future big urban residential/commerical projects really any where in the metro. It's housing costs are because its wages are incrediably low, and the poverty rate is very high.

For its size and population, Fresno's skyline is incredibly sad, not a single building over 230 feet. There is not a single modern aestheticly pleasing high-rise. It's historic core is extremely small and next to none of its worthy historic buildings have been renovated/repurposed.

The entire metro is suburban, ultra suburban. There isn't a single vibrant urban area where there is a large amount of restaurants/bars/shops etc that are walkable and vibrant.

The issues and challenges of the Central Valley are way worst in Fresno. It's hotter, smoggier- a lot smoggier, dryer, less green, less waterways, less rivers, smaller lakes.

There is no inter-city rail, no University of California any where near it. The airport is pathetic with very little non-stop direct connections to the rest of the nation. Not even, low-cost Southwest Airlines has flights from Fresno.

There is no big modern concert-music-media venue or arena.

There are no big league professional sports; they have college football, but really that's only 6 home games in an entire year.

There is the homeless problem too, but that is everywhere in California, and the West Coast......

Sorry, dontbelievehim, but these are some of the things our friends in Fresno complain about, but our friends are really nice! And they have an awesome pool, and their dog regularly swims and jumps into the pool from the diving board! They live in the fig something neighborhood, one of them has lived there a long time, the other moved from San Jose, they are a couple.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

Underrated - San Jose
Overrated - San Francisco/Oakland


San Jose actually has a lot to do and see beyond its rather bland suburban exterior would have you believe.

Ya, I like San Jose, but it's definitely not overrated because of the outrageous housing costs. And really for all the new and old money in the South Bay; it's still incredibly boring. It's safer than most cities its size, but sadly, I'd never have thought San Jose would have homeless on the level it does now, so sad.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Moddedintegra56

Sacramento is no longer underrated. maybe few years ago. but that shipped has sailed. It is clearly already recognized as a nice alternative to other expensive areas.

Well, according to 3 middle-aged female tourists from Florida, Sacramento is still Underrated. They took the train from SF to Sacramento to check it out last weekend. They were on their way back to SF and I was sitting next to them. They chatted me up, offered me wine and invited me to play cards with them. They said their friends in the Bay told them "Sacramento was up and coming", so they came up for the weekend, and they told me they had a great time here.

[mostie]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

The core city of Fresno is sad really sad and boring for it's size and population. Actually, the whole metro is that way. There never really ever was a decent size urban vibrant core in Fresno so it's a challenge to build one now.

There are no new or future big urban residential/commerical projects really any where in the metro. It's housing costs are because its wages are incrediably low, and the poverty rate is very high.

For its size and population, Fresno's skyline is incredibly sad, not a single building over 230 feet. There is not a single modern aestheticly pleasing high-rise. It's historic core is extremely small and next to none of its worthy historic buildings have been renovated/repurposed.

The entire metro is suburban, ultra suburban. There isn't a single vibrant urban area where there is a large amount of restaurants/bars/shops etc that are walkable and vibrant.

The issues and challenges of the Central Valley are way worst in Fresno. It's hotter, smoggier- a lot smoggier, dryer, less green, less waterways, less rivers, smaller lakes.

There is no inter-city rail, no University of California any where near it. The airport is pathetic with very little non-stop direct connections to the rest of the nation. Not even, low-cost Southwest Airlines has flights from Fresno.

There is no big modern concert-music-media venue or arena.

There are no big league professional sports; they have college football, but really that's only 6 home games in an entire year.

There is the homeless problem too, but that is everywhere in California, and the West Coast......

Sorry, dontbelievehim, but these are some of the things our friends in Fresno complain about, but our friends are really nice! And they have an awesome pool, and their dog regularly swims and jumps into the pool from the diving board! They live in the fig something neighborhood, one of them has lived there a long time, the other moved from San Jose, they are a couple.

Pretty accurate- born and raised in the very close vicinity myself, left Fresno years ago- but I have family there, and a daughter who just moved back a few months ago as well as one that will be moving out there with her in a few more months. Jobs are dismal, they always have been- unless you move there with a six-digit job offer, in which case it's ok. Otherwise, if regular blue or lower-paying white collar (aren't they almost all 'lower-paying white collar' in that area??) is what you do, best not to move there- sure, it's in the middle of everything awesome within a hundred-two-hundred miles in either direction, but the air quality is utterly horrific. If you don't suffer from respiratory issues, you soon will if you live there for any amount of time- when I was a kid in the 70s and living in a small town 20 miles from there, you could walk outside of town a block or two and grab a peach or grapes off of the seemingly endless orchards and vineyards, it was a fun, easy life as was usual in the 70s mostly everywhere in California.


But not anymore!


My daughter is in her mid-20s, and almost everyone she knows or went to school with either still lives at home, or with relatives- possible group of friends living together, but it isn't because they are slackers, but because the pay in comparison to the rent/utilities (PG&E is brutally expensive)/cost of living is at either end of the spectrum. So for all of the 'awesome areas' close by- the coast, Yosemite, and just every other 'awesome' thing in between (and yes...it's awesome), you certainly pay for it.



And Chimerique? My guess is your friends live in the Fig Garden neighborhood, lol. Older, lovely houses, well established, big, roomy roads with a huge, garden-like center divider with old lampposts lining it- it's ...well ,it's awesome, is what it is, lol.

[jcp123]

Overrated - pretty much all of the coastal areas, yup, including my native Bay Area. Just too bloody expensive. Honestly, it’s out of control...the Bay Area might have been worth it to me at the last recession, but now $1mln for my childhood, 1550sf house? Nah man. And all your coastal areas are also brutal...Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, LA, SD...

Underrated - Sacramento. Some are saying that it’s not underrated anymore, but I disagree. Most folks don’t know what’s up in Sac, it’s a good-size place with plenty of amenities and a pretty strategic location, close enough to skiing or surfing to be interesting. Also a decent gateway to far Northern Cal.