Single Middle Age (49) Professional Moving to Sacramento - Need Advice (San Francisco: apartment complexes, condo)

[BobR792]

Hello All:

I am a single, middle-aged, professional who is moving to the Sacramento area due to a job offer in Roseville. I currently work in NYC and do not think that I can handle living in suburban Sacramento. I am thinking about living in the midtown Sacramento. I would like advice on the following:

1) Social scene. Is there much of a social scene for middle-aged people in Sacramento (fine dining, restaurants, bars, night clubs, salsa dancing, etc.) and where can I find it?

2) What are the best (premier facilities and services) health clubs and approximate monthly cost - interested in cardio machines (Precor elliptical), racquet sports, and light weightlifting (machines and barbells)? As an FYI, I belong to NY Sports Club which I love for both the facilities and extensive club network. I find 24 Hour Fitness to offer substandard facilities in comparison.

3) How safe is it to life in midtown? Are there other areas that I should consider that offer urban-like convenience (walking distance in safe area) to restaurants, bars, movies, etc? What about Old Sacramento?

4) What should I expect for a commute from Sacramento to Roseville (around 6am)?

5) Difficulty in getting tickets for Kings games and what do local residents do to attend football and baseball games?

6) I have seen luxury apartments available in midtown in the $1500 per month range through the Internet. Are there better deals out there in the midtown or other areas for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment?

I appreciate in advance everyone's assistance!!

Bob

[wburg]

1. There is, although like any other club scene once you hit your forties it's harder to find a place where you don't feel like a creepy old geezer. A couple of clubs cater specifically to an older crowd, the first one that comes to mind is MIX, which, at least when they opened, charged a $20 cover for those 21-30, $10 cover for those 31-40, and no cover for 40+. There are plenty of people well over 40 in the live music scene, audiences as well as performers. In most of the fine-dining type places you'll be perfectly comfortable. There are a number of central city epicenters of activity these days: the 1000 block of K Street is the latest hubbub, although that's kind of a younger crowd for the most part, 20th and K is the epicenter of the local gay club scene, J/K/L Street from 15th-19th is more of a middle ground with a lot of restaurants, cafes and a few clubs (including MIX above.) There tends to be an older crowd at Sacramento's many dive bars, but I get the sense that may not appeal to you as much.

2. Personally I'd recommend Alhambra Athletic Center for a full-service gym with cardio, racquetball, etcetera--they are part of a local chain and the folks who go there tend to be older and professionals, rather than young folks looking for people to preen in front of. Capitol Athletic Club also has a good reputation, and I usually encourage folks to look at Bodytribe Fitness if you're looking for something a little more nontraditional, but they are very small and don't have racquetball or cardio machines (their idea of a "cardio" workout is more along the lines of throwing around a duffel bag filled with sand, or dragging the owner's Range Rover around a nearby parking lot with a rope for half an hour.)

3. Pretty safe, if you have city instincts you'll get along just fine. Old Sacramento has a couple of residential options but it's kind of like living in Disneyland. Downtown (from Old Sac to about 15th, between H and L Street) is rapidly improving but still a little sketchy by local standards (local standards being "I like the suburbs, if a homeless person asks me for spare change I may faint from sheer terror!"), Midtown (generally east of 15th to 30th) may be closer to what you're looking for. Southside Park (from I-5 to 15th south of R Street) is a bit quieter and a bit less gentrified but a lot of interesting things are going on there these days.

4. About 20-30 minutes, zero traffic as it is before rush hour and reverse of the regular commute. Coming home might take a bit longer.

5. Not too difficult, depending on whether the Kings actually stay in town (a subject of much debate in recent months.) Local residents go to Oakland or San Francisco for football and baseball. If you would rather not drive, the Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains are a convenient option for reaching the Bay Area.

6. $1500 for a luxury apartment is about right. It's not hard to find cheaper apartments, a 1-2 bedroom can be had for $700-1000 but they stop being "luxury" in that price range.

I'm not sure if it will reflect on your experience any, but a friend who moved from here to New York in 1999 was out visiting and was very surprised by midtown Sacramento's social scene. It was kind of sleepy but with an interesting underground arts scene when she left--now there is a hubbub of activity in places that were mostly quiet at night back then.

[ryuns]

I'm not going to top the info you got from wburg, but a couple notes, fairly general.

I agree with wburg on crime--it's statistically pretty safe, and since you're from the city, used to seeing all different types of people, you'll be fine. It's probably safer here than most big cities, except of course for NYC, which is remarkably safe for size.

The social scene will be considerably less sophisticated than you're used to, but still decent. Your money will go a lot farther, and there's still an fairly metropolitan sensibility. Also, I generally find the culture here pretty pleasant and accepting. My girlfriend and I are pretty normal-looking twenty-somethings, but feel perfectly at home at our local rockabilly dive bar (despite being some of the only flies without tattoos) or at the nicer places downtown.

Midtown sounds like your best bet overall, depending on what type of housing you're looking for.

Best of luck to you!

[wburg]

It is indeed a lot less upscale around here in general, but it can be a bit deceiving how many of those tattooed hipsters at the Hideaway have master's degrees and office jobs.

[BobR792]

Thanks for the responses. Makes me feel more confident about the move. I have to admit, when I first laid my eyes on Roseville, I thought of a postage stamp size highway rest area with a mall. I think that living in Sacramento will be a good transition that will allow me to enjoy the benefits of being in a city while taking advantage of a good career opportunity.

On the health club side, do any clubs have cardio equipment with personal televisions (a weird question I know, but personalized tvs have been part of my motivation to using my gym membership and doing cardio)? In the apartment front, what would a typical description/condition of a non-luxury apartment in the midtown area? I have had difficulty finding lower priced alternative (may want to save the extra money and put it into a down payment or investment). Also, please identify the borders of what would be considered midtown.

Best!

Bob

[Aquaboy]

California Family Fitness centers have TV cardio machines with headphone jacks, bring your own headphones. Most of the locations have lap pools, too.
I cant top Burg either, he is a native and a guru. I'll add the area known as "Land Park" as a good place for progressive-minded individuals from NY, if you can afford a home there. Forget about Roseville unless Ronald Reagan or Rick Perry are your heros.
I can recommend two pizza joints that arent repulsive, Romas and Ricos. They are good and not the cardboard junk you get around here.
Good luck!

[wburg]

Generally, "Midtown" is considered the eastern half of the central city grid: 16th to 29th Street from B Street to W Street. The "downtown" core is generally from the Sacramento River to 16th, roughly H Street to R Street, including Old Sacramento and the state capitol and surrounding office complexes. North of that is Alkali Flat/Mansion Flat, which is in rougher shape than Midtown, and Southside, which I mentioned above.

An apartment in Midtown can mean anything from a flat in a divided-up Victorian to a mid-century two-story stucco "dingbat" apartment to a brand-new mixed use building...generally my advice to those Midtown house-hunting is to visit in person and get a feel from the ground.

[ryuns]

Originally Posted by wburg

It is indeed a lot less upscale around here in general, but it can be a bit deceiving how many of those tattooed hipsters at the Hideaway have master's degrees and office jobs.

Truly a local Mr Burg--I was indeed talking about the Hideaway, which I adore. And I hope I didn't imply a lower quality of clientele at the Hideaway--I was only referring the ambiance. My gf and I, though untattooed, are among the well-educated and white collared who frequent the lower key joints around town.

Ryan

[ryuns]

And again, wburg is right on with what you'll be looking at in an apartment/room/flat in Midtown. A huge variety--lots of older homes in all stages of renovation or not. Apartment complexes, mixed use, etc. I imagine you're mostly seeing pricey stuff because they're advertising the most heavily. You could expand your search a little, but for apartments and a vibe that you're looking for, Midtown is still your best bet. Just to the east of Midtown, in West East Sac (if that makes sense) and the "Alhambra Triangle" there are some nice apartment complexes that may be a little cheaper. Not as "in the thick of it" as Midtown, but some good spots and you're close to everything . The specific apartment I'm thinking of is at Alhambra and S, near the Food Co-Op.

[wburg]

Ryan: Understood and I fully agree, the Hideaway is a treasure--it has only been open a year ir so but already feels like a local institution. I don't have any tattoos either but I'm kind of the exception among my friends in that regard! I mention it because that sort of white-collar job/blue-collar lifestyle is almost a Sacramento archetype, perhaps a call back to the city's industrial heritage. Curtis Park is a swell neighborhood in its own right, in addition to some lovely homes there are great neighborhood places like Pangea, Coffee Garden and Gunther's (and of course the Hideaway.)

The west part of East Sac, both the Alhambra Triangle and the "Thrifty Thirties" (as opposed to the very expensive "Fabulous Forties") are good choices too--a bit quieter and farther out from downtown, but in easy bike/transit range and a bit quieter. The new apartment building at Alhambra and S, "Alexan Midtown", are apparently pretty fancy and built to condo standards, but they aren't cheap. (Note: Technically "Alexan Midtown" isn't in Midtown, but because the name is becoming "hot" its use has spread. Keep an eye out for places advertised as "Midtown" but are actually in other neighborhoods like Oak Park.)