Single mom, moving to Sac. Advice on good/bad areas? (Sacramento: rentals, crimes)

[unsureSac]

Sounds like you'll be moving to Midtown. Good luck!

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by Jc79movinforward

Thank you all you've been amazing and I love this forum! To clarify a bit, yes I am specifically looking for an apt/condo/duplex situation for now. Median rent in many of the surrounding areas, except Folsom, Roseville, Rocklin and maybe one or two more, list on avg $1000/mo, so I'm assuming I should find something decent even if it's in a neighboring town?
It's going to be very hard to find something for $1000 in Folsom. It is possible, but there is a limited supply. One of the older apartments that used to be in that price range, has had a total remodel and is now starting at $1300/mo.

I will not be working right away, this is intentional, and will be looking for work as a speech therapist a few months down the road, tell me if you think I'm crazy.

When I say I'm trying to stay away from too conservative, I mean I am not religious and not married, welcome diversity, do not particularly side with any political party and not looking for myself or my daughter to be ostracized for any of these things.
midtown


If I had to pick "2 out of 3", which I refuse to do unless I absolutely have to, I would choose safe and convenient.
Well, I wouldn't necessarily say midtown here.

Remember my "nice", is a well kept apt with respectful neighbors, some landscape and in a low-crime area, not a house in Folsom. Thanks for the comments, please keep them coming. I really appreciate the help, too bad I can't have all of you as neighbors!

I really think that is what Nick was saying. You may have to make a choice as to the most important criteria because you aren't going to get your 3 together depending on your tolerance level.

Now, if you are ok with a high number of homeless folk wandering through the neighborhood, or the jails being emptied into midtown when the governer orders more inmates to be releassed, then go to midtown. If you want safety, then perhaps you can find a more diverse suburb. Perhaps Fair Oaks. Perhaps Citrus Heights. Or Arden. All of which are closer to midtown but still far enough away. You'd also have access to better schools.

[wburg]

Generally, the Governor ordering inmates released means they're coming from state prisons, like that one in Folsom, rather than city/county jails, like the one in downtown Sacramento.

The "thrifty thirties" aren't really a neighborhood, it refers to streets between Alhambra Boulevard and 39th Street, generally south of H Street and McKinley Park, in East Sacramento, south to Stockton Boulevard. "Thrifty" is a relative term, apartments and houses are not that cheap, but they are less expensive than the "Fabulous Forties," a neighborhood of large, dramatic mansions that is one of the defining features of East Sacramento. South of this area is the Alhambra Triangle, which I'd consider a nice neighborhood but some might consider too close to Oak Park, a traditional high crime area, but it's the rapidly-gentrifying "Med Center"/North Oak Park part of Oak Park.

We all have different definitions of "safe." Midtown is generally pretty safe when it comes to violent crime--shootings, muggings, home invasion. It happens, but when it does it's a big deal and makes the papers and people raise a hue and cry to City Hall and the police department. We don't have drug dealing and prostitution in the streets. Car break-ins happen, in part because tons of people drive downtown to go to bars and clubs and park in Midtown because they can park for free on Midtown streets. As a result, thieves cruise around at night looking in car windows for things to steal. Yes, there are homeless people in Midtown, but generally I wouldn't say they make a neighborhood particularly unsafe. If you don't ever want to see homeless people, I'm not sure where to recommend outside a gated suburban community with guards in front, because I see homeless people all over, including the suburbs.

A lot depends on where Jc79movinforward ends up working, but one of the advantages of living in Midtown for many is proximity to work, which greatly reduces the cost of commuting, even if they drive--a 1 mile or less commute means using a lot less gas than a 20 mile commute, and facilitates alternative modes of commuting, like transit (public transit is best near the city core) or biking or walking. The real factor isn't just rent alone, but rent plus transportation cost. If you add up those two expenses, living in Midtown or one of the traditional neighborhoods (Curtis Park/East Sacramento) becomes a lot more economical for anyone who works downtown, in Midtown, or in a nearby workplace center like UCD Med Center, Mercy, Sutter, CSUS, Sac City College, etcetera. And if it's the sort of neighborhood you are looking for (diverse, walkable, cultural amenities, etc) then the balance shifts again--because if you live in an outer suburb where such things aren't available, you have to get in your car again to drive to them, meaning more transportation expense.

[Jc79movinforward]

The city of Roseville keeps popping up in my searches as far as safety, schools, shopping, and possible employment opportunities. I think if I could find work there I could afford it, the rent seems doable. However, I have come upon posts in these forums that quite frankly scare me, much more so than any homeless problem ever would. (not they scare me in the first place) Not that I have the luxury of picking the exact space I want to raise my daughter in, or be in myself, but I have limits. I'm seeing posts such as "more evangelical churches than Starbucks" and "gay couple kicked out of mall for kissing"...this is energy I do not want to have to tolerate. Just how racist, religious, discriminatory, uniform is this city? I do not mean to assume, stereotype label a place or people, but I need to know before immersing myself in a place. The terms "redneck" and "hillbilly" seem to be a common theme for some posts. Should I worry, or are these simply the ramblings of some uninformed or ignorant guests?

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by wburg

Generally, the Governor ordering inmates released means they're coming from state prisons, like that one in Folsom, rather than city/county jails, like the one in downtown Sacramento.

True, but they are historically let out in the downtowns. Not the suburbs.

[caligirlz]

Re Roseville.....

Originally Posted by Jc79movinforward

I'm seeing posts such as "more evangelical churches than Starbucks" and "gay couple kicked out of mall for kissing"...this is energy I do not want to have to tolerate.

"more evangelical churches than Starbucks" That's BS
"gay couple kicked out of mall for kissing" and that was one incident a couple of years ago.
There's plenty of nonreligious folk, gays, non-caucasians & other type of people in Roseville.

Originally Posted by Jc79movinforward

Just how racist, religious, discriminatory, uniform is this city? I do not mean to assume, stereotype label a place or people, but I need to know before immersing myself in a place. The terms "redneck" and "hillbilly" seem to be a common theme for some posts. Should I worry, or are these simply the ramblings of some uninformed or ignorant guests?

Most of those posters are anti-suburbs. Or hate christians. Placer county is typically more conservative than Sac County, and certainly midtown. But you will not be run out of town by fire breathing Mennonite types with pitchforks.

But whatever, if you're going to believe the rumormongers...

[Jc79movinforward]

Just trying to get a feel for the town, I guess rumors and these posts are all i have to go by. Thanks for the response.

[wburg]

In the Roseville Galleria's defense, they just joined the Sacramento Area Rainbow Chamber of Commerce in an effort to patch up relations with the local LGBT community, who still feel kind of sore about that incident. Roseville used to be a little country town, and I would have called them "redneck" and "hillbilly" 20-30 years ago when I lived in that neck of the woods. Nowadays the Bay Area expatriates seem to outnumber the old-school Roseville working joes (y joses) to the point where the regional Tesla dealership is in Roseville. I'd assume that the Bay Area expatriates who move to Roseville tend to be the ones who considered the Bay Area too liberal for their tastes, but you can be pretty liberal and still consider the Bay Area too liberal for one's tastes.

I think a lot of the posters claiming things like East Sacramento was a high crime area are, well, folks whose psych meds ran out and were experiencing things that weren't actually happening outside their heads. East Sacramento is a very safe and generally very quiet neighborhood. I like Midtown a lot too, it's more fun than East Sacramento, but East Sac is starting to catch up as their population goes up and more Midtown-like restaurants and shops open up on their business corridors. Same goes for Curtis Park and Land Park. I certainly wouldn't call Midtown anti-religious, or haters of Christians, as we have churches of all denominations every couple of blocks here, most of which are various sorts of Christian denominations, and they seem to do a good business on Sunday mornings. But we also have Buddhist and Sikh festivals in Southside.

[caligirlz]

Midtown has a variety of churches, but they are not your typical evangelical churches. Many would be considered to be non-mainstream & new-age by evangelicals.

[Jc79movinforward]

Any areas in Roseville to stay away from? I've read other threads, but now that you all know my situation, maybe it would be more catered to my needs as opposed to the others. Any apt complexes to look at? Just as an example of what a few good reviews by caring citizens can do: I was looking into "The Cottages" apt complex up in Folsom in the beginning. Looked amazing from all the pics/amenities etc...go to yelp and it has 1 out of 5 stars and people had horrific reviews about thefts, break-ins, dirty business practices by the management and dirty run down spaces with bandaids in the shower to boot! haha