Living in Arden Arcade (Sacramento, Arden-Arcade: low income, section 8, affordable apartments)

[babypop07]

Can someone tell me what it's like living in Arden-Arcade? I looked on a map. Is it a small town? Or basically part of sacramento? Do many students from this city attend CSUS, or is it pretty out of the way? Can someone just give me all the information they have on this city. Thanks.

[wburg]

There is no city of Arden-Arcade. It's part of the unincorporated county of Sacramento, there is no city government. It's basically a suburban neighborhood of Sacramento, but outside the city limits--a lot of people who live there think they live in Sacramento, because it's impossible to tell where Sacramento ends and Arden-Arcade begins except the color of the street signs. It's not really a "small town" either because it is completely built out, but all with very low-intensity uses. The northern end is getting a little rough, the southern end has some very wealthy areas, and there are some business streets with shopping centers in the middle. The southern end is near to Sac State so they have some apartments that cater to students.

[NorCal Dude]

LoL the northern end of arden is rough?Wrong.

Mira Loma high school on the northern end is one of the best schools in the san juan school district.

Don't get me wrong, the south end towards the river is the affluent part of arden.

But out side of the sierra oaks neighborhood area, the dividing line of arden has been watt ave, for the last 40 years.

East of watt ave, you get more run down rental scarred homes, and large garden style section 8 slumpartments.

West of watt, and it's like you have turned on a light switch. Much better west of watt.

Up north, you only have to worry about marconi ave, and the slumplexes on that street. An iffy patch work of low income apartments that runs thru arden and carmichael.

[wburg]

I think you may have your directions reversed--the bit east of Watt, near Mira Loma High School, is the part in better shape, compared to the area west of Watt and the Sacramento city limits, which is generally the part I was referring to. Once you go east of Watt it kind of blends into Carmichael. And it's not "rough" as in actively dangerous, just rougher than it was in the 1970s/80s--as in "getting a little rough," meaning it's a bit ragged, not an active war zone or anything.

[TruthTeller1954]

The area is bland suburban with not much sense of community but quick commute to Sac State. To me it is Styrofoam suburban sprawl, but seems relatively safe area. Lousy public transit and you need a car to live there. Not good for bike riding and not a walkable neighborhood. The kind of community that everybody was nuts about in the 1950s. I heard lots of public schools closed in that area since it is mostly retired folks and not young families there.

I would not enjoy living there because, I admit that I am spoiled by 20 yrs of living in groovy Midtown.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by babypop07

Can someone tell me what it's like living in Arden-Arcade? I looked on a map. Is it a small town? Or basically part of sacramento? Do many students from this city attend CSUS, or is it pretty out of the way? Can someone just give me all the information they have on this city. Thanks.

It is basically part of Sacramento, although not in the formal City of Sacramento proper. In fact, it may get annexed by Sacramento, if Mayor "K.J." gets through with the arena and begins to focus his attention on that.

It is not a bad place, and there are affordable apartments that are a short bus ride or drive to campus.

But as others described, it is not a place for singles, more a place for families who can't afford Roseville or Folsom.