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I'll be moving from Tempe AZ to Sacramento for work on or around December 22nd. I won't have an opportunity to visit before I get there, and everything I own will be in my car so I'd like to make the transition quickly. My last remaining questions:
1. I've heard that the area between [K and N] and [16th to 27nd] is an "ideal" area. Is that still the case? One of the places I've been looking at online, 1801L, is firmly planted in there, so that fits in well (though I'd certainly love to find something less expensive!).
2. Are apartments in that area generally going to be better rented in person by looking for "For Rent" signs, or will most of them be online? Not sure how "tech heavy" that area is.
3. We'd like to be walkable to bars and restaurants, not looking for clubs or lounges for the most part. Will we find that primarily in that area?
4. What price range could I expect for a larger studio (500+ sqft ideally) or 1BR in that area? Bonus points for a place with a washer and dryer, I see soooo many places without them there which seems weird to me.
I'll be moving from Tempe AZ to Sacramento for work on or around December 22nd. I won't have an opportunity to visit before I get there, and everything I own will be in my car so I'd like to make the transition quickly. My last remaining questions:
1. I've heard that the area between [K and N] and [16th to 27nd] is an "ideal" area. Is that still the case? One of the places I've been looking at online, 1801L, is firmly planted in there, so that fits in well (though I'd certainly love to find something less expensive!).
2. Are apartments in that area generally going to be better rented in person by looking for "For Rent" signs, or will most of them be online? Not sure how "tech heavy" that area is.
3. We'd like to be walkable to bars and restaurants, not looking for clubs or lounges for the most part. Will we find that primarily in that area?
4. What price range could I expect for a larger studio (500+ sqft ideally) or 1BR in that area? Bonus points for a place with a washer and dryer, I see soooo many places without them there which seems weird to me.
Thanks!
(1) Yes.
(2) There are so many vacancies here that it really depends on what you are looking for. There are great older buildings or duplexes that have been remodeled and are often not advertised. For a newer building like 1801 L you'll want to go online to secure it.
(3) Yes. 1801 would be perfect. Wine bars, bars, restaurants, frozen yogurt etc. Most of what you find in Sac though will be discovered after you live here awhile. A lot of small businesses are tucked away in older buildings or even alleys, and they don't jump out at you.
(4) Anywhere from $1,300 - $1,650 for a newer building. Older as low as $700 - $1,000. The noise factor caused me to move from older to newer. Washer and dryer are standard in each unit for newer buildings like 1801. Older, a laundry room is usually attached or you have to drive to a laundromat.
Thanks for the quick response! I'd imagine it's just like anywhere else, you find the "good stuff" when you've been there a while. I just didn't want it to be a two mile walk to anything given the car situation.
I'm not set on 1801, still waiting on pricing from them. I'd love to get an extended stay type hotel for about a week and go apartment hunting in person, but am worried about my stuff being either in the car or in an extended stay type hotel.
Thanks for the quick response! I'd imagine it's just like anywhere else, you find the "good stuff" when you've been there a while. I just didn't want it to be a two mile walk to anything given the car situation.
I'm not set on 1801, still waiting on pricing from them. I'd love to get an extended stay type hotel for about a week and go apartment hunting in person, but am worried about my stuff being either in the car or in an extended stay type hotel.
You could rent a storage locker for your stuff, many of them in Sac are $1 for the first month or 1/2 price for a few months. I wouldn't imagine that you would need a very large one if it is just for what fits in your car. Unless you are going to be in a hotel for a month or more, I would expect that any decent hotel with a weekly rate should work for you, just don't get one of the nasty weekly rooms in West Sac.
Thanks for the quick response! I'd imagine it's just like anywhere else, you find the "good stuff" when you've been there a while. I just didn't want it to be a two mile walk to anything given the car situation.
I'm not set on 1801, still waiting on pricing from them. I'd love to get an extended stay type hotel for about a week and go apartment hunting in person, but am worried about my stuff being either in the car or in an extended stay type hotel.
Actually you should also look north of K and south of N too--all the way north to C Street and south to W Street, generally west of 16th although south of R Street you might like Southside Park, the neighborhood southwest of the Capitol. There are hundreds of smaller apartment buildings throughout Midtown--including 1950s/60s dingbats, 1920s apartments, old duplexes and fourplexes, and old Victorian mansions split up into smaller units. There are also newer apartment buildings that have more amenities (like in-room w/d) but they cost more. But there are still a few neighborhood laundromats, and if you're within a couple of blocks it's pretty easy to roll a cart full of laundry over.
For a less expensive place, many of the landlords aren't that high tech, and walking around or biking around looking for FOR RENT signs can be the best strategy--and a good way to get a sense of your level of comfort with the neighborhood.
A two-mile walk gets you pretty much from one end of downtown/midtown Sacramento to the other.
I'll be moving from Tempe AZ to Sacramento for work on or around December 22nd. I won't have an opportunity to visit before I get there, and everything I own will be in my car so I'd like to make the transition quickly. My last remaining questions:
1. I've heard that the area between [K and N] and [16th to 27nd] is an "ideal" area. Is that still the case? One of the places I've been looking at online, 1801L, is firmly planted in there, so that fits in well (though I'd certainly love to find something less expensive!).
2. Are apartments in that area generally going to be better rented in person by looking for "For Rent" signs, or will most of them be online? Not sure how "tech heavy" that area is.
3. We'd like to be walkable to bars and restaurants, not looking for clubs or lounges for the most part. Will we find that primarily in that area?
4. What price range could I expect for a larger studio (500+ sqft ideally) or 1BR in that area? Bonus points for a place with a washer and dryer, I see soooo many places without them there which seems weird to me.
Thanks!
1. Yes, this area is ideal, with tons of cool bars, restaurants, and events. Though I would argue you could go further north of K or further south of N, depending on cross street. I'd say "ideal" is H to P, 16th to 27th, at min. J St is the closest thing to Tempe's Mill Ave, except on a much grander scale and without the massive proliferation of college kids. It's like a bigger, cooler, more mature version of Mill.
2. Some available rental inventory will be posted to Craigs. But a lot will NOT. I'd wait to rent until you get here in person. You should tour around and take note of the specific areas you like and specific "for rent" signs (not always posted online).
3. Yes. The "clubs" of Sacramento are generally west of 16th. East of 16th is the more homely bars and restaurants. Though beware, the fact that this area is cool is not a secret, so you may get crowds that make smaller bars feel like "clubs".
4. Studios. $1200-1600 for new ones in newish buildings. $600-900 in older buildings. Most will NOT have washer dryer...welcome to California land of expensive apartments with limited amenities This is normal, not weird. If you need in-unit washer/dryer, go for the newer buildings like 1801L.
A ways in advance I suppose, but welcome to California. You'll fit in fine. Live/let live casual vibe is pretty similar, just on average more left-leaning here (and the default rule is that guns AREN'T allowed). Don't want to derail thread, but I'd actually be curious to hear your thoughts about Tempe. Considering a move there for grad school (ASU), but am hesitant to leave my job and awesome life (and weather) in Sac. Having visited AZ quite a bit, Tempe feels the most "Californian" of all AZ cities to me, except at a reduced price. Seems like an alright place, just very spread out desert sprawl (though the Phoenix light rail is GREAT). What do you think?
whoops, meant east of 16th Street rather than west. There are clubs east of 16th Street, especially around 20th and K (cluster of gay bars and dance clubs)), 21st and P (cluster of bars and music venues) and 27th and P (music venue and bars) plus assorted "restaurants/bar" places that don't sell much food. Most of the places are pretty small.
Thanks for the quick response! I'd imagine it's just like anywhere else, you find the "good stuff" when you've been there a while. I just didn't want it to be a two mile walk to anything given the car situation.
I'm not set on 1801, still waiting on pricing from them. I'd love to get an extended stay type hotel for about a week and go apartment hunting in person, but am worried about my stuff being either in the car or in an extended stay type hotel.
No problem. When I moved here I did the 2 hr drive from my home in the north bay and randomly chose an apt on 26th and N. It was a studio that rented at $650. I figured if I didn't like it, I could move in 6 mo. Other than my super loud neighbor girls that hung out all night in the complex behind me and the giant cluster of Racoons that lived underneath my unit, I liked it. Lol before I was fitted for contacts I actually walked up to a group of about 5 Racoons to pet them, thinking they were cats. And I became good friends with those loud girls. But I digress.
While there I explored midtown and found a quieter studio by the capitol building for $550. I stayed there for 2 yrs before upgrading to a newer building.
Moral of the story you could just do what I did. Walk around, ask tenants questions to get Landlord's number, and just rent a place on the spot. Worse case you are there 6 mo. My coworker makes $92,0000 and lives in a $700 studio around 16th, and loves it. You have a lot of options.
I would not confine yourself to that narrow stretch (although it's fine). It's "ideal" for some people but north and south of that strip you'll find neighborhoods that are quieter but still easily walkable to bars and restaurants. I think it's prettier from H-C or L-Q, personally, and you can still walk to just about anything you want. (If you stay on the north end you can also walk to the river, which is just north of C Street with access at 28th Street. Further south has a larger concentration of good coffee shops and restaurants.)
It really sounds like roaming around when I get there is the way to go. I'll probably talk to 1801L and see what they're about just so I've got a backup plan, but I don't mind spending a day or two apartment hunting before committing. Good to know that I can widen my search area a bit too.
The description of a "more mature Mill" is fantastic -- that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I don't head out that way much since even in my early 30s I feel out of place (read: old).
Quote:
Originally Posted by fbt263
Don't want to derail thread, but I'd actually be curious to hear your thoughts about Tempe. Considering a move there for grad school (ASU), but am hesitant to leave my job and awesome life (and weather) in Sac. Having visited AZ quite a bit, Tempe feels the most "Californian" of all AZ cities to me, except at a reduced price. Seems like an alright place, just very spread out desert sprawl (though the Phoenix light rail is GREAT). What do you think?
I honestly didn't ever see myself leaving here after I got settled in. It's probably more of a topic for the Phoenix forum, but the south Tempe area is far enough from ASU/Mill to be quiet, and close enough to have easy access to everything. I don't live off the light rail but I can take the bus (stops right outside my apt complex) to the light rail stop and go wherever, or straight to the airport, which is very nice.
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