Moving to Sacramento (from MI). Can you guys give me the 'skinny' on California? (Davis: violent crime, attorney)

[Zoephyr]

Hey everyone! Was hoping to ask you guys a couple of questions for a newcomer to California and more importantly, Sacramento. I'm moving here from the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I'm 27 years old, if that helps!

*Any fun / niche areas to explore and discover?

*How 'safe' is Midtown considered (overall)? Gay / trans friendly?

*Coolest places to check out?

*What's the tech job market like? Any companies / jobs I should look out for?

*How is the mass transit system there? If I'm sticking to Midtown / Downtown, how reliable is it? Safe?

*This may be a weird one, but personal weapons laws (knives / tasers / mace / etc.) - Can anyone elaborate on these?

*Anything else you feel I should know!



Thanks in advance, all!

[roobs]

Firearms - Frequently Asked Questions | State of California - Department of Justice - Kamala D. Harris Attorney General
Tasers - California Taser Stun Gun Laws | eHow
Mace - California Pepper Spray Laws and Legal Use
Knives - California Knife Law | KnifeUp

Transit - for the most part you can track the specific bus you are trying to catch with --- - Estimated Arrival Times which is more reliable than the bus schedule on google maps
in midtown/downtown areas, bus runs on 15-30 minute intervals and sometimes double that on weekends.

Cool places.. google/yelp? :P

Safety... I got you babe.. *shank shank*

As for places to explore.. there is American River Bike Trail - Sacramento, CA | Yelp
we can bike/run/walk along that or even fish

[sacite]

(1) Fun areas. Depends on what you are into. Midtown has live local music and art, local theatre, dancing, restaurants, bars, stadium coming in about a yr which will obviously have the Kings. You have all of that here. If you could be a little more specific on what you like to do, we could probably give you examples.

(2) Midtown feels extremely safe to me and very gay/trans friendly. I am a 215 lb man and I've never had any problems, so it's hard for me to comment on safety. My GF is petrified of midtown because of her experiences with homeless people in "downtown" - which obviously borders midtown and has its own separate problems. I believe petty theft is the biggest crime by % in midtown. Otherwise, it feels very safe to me.

(3) Coolest places - Old Sac seems like a no brainer. People give it a bad rap for being touristy, but I found a great wine bar, some very cool restaurants, some great history there. That was the first place I checked out when I moved here because it seemed like the thing to do.

Second place I went was just off 5 to Chevy's by the river. There are a couple of restaurants there right on the river, and the vibe was great for a single man. I still like that area.

There are a ton of asian restaurants, mediterranean food, etc. all over downtown and midtown. If you are into that sort of thing, I could suggest plenty.

Since it sounds as if you may be gay, you'll want to hit the triangle at 20th and K. There are 4 gay clubs there. I am straight but I went to several of them with a group of girls and had a great time.

There are really too many places to list here, but again, if you give us an idea of what you are into, we could give you some specific suggestions.

(4) Transit system. There are two main Light Rail trains that run north and south, east and west. It's fairly cheap but there are very undesirable people riding it. I got sick of it real quick. That is all I can comment on, as I've been driving ever since my experiment with Light Rail ended.

(5) Weapons law? No clue. My GF carries pepper spray. Not sure if mace has been outlawed here in CA or Sac.

(6) Anything else - Sac is up and coming. Great foodie seen, tight knit community. The things to do/places to go do not jump out at you right away like they do in other cities though. Midtown is full of small businesses and community events. You will like it if you give yourself time to adjust and discover all of the cool stuff here.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by Zoephyr

*This may be a weird one, but personal weapons laws (knives / tasers / mace / etc.) - Can anyone elaborate on these?

Not sure what exactly you are asking, but here is the website for CCW Sacramento County Sheriff's Department - Concealed Weapons Permit Information
Here's more: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/index.php

[fbt263]

Know nothing about Michigan, but sacite gives a good overall summary.

Midtown is the place to be. While crime stats aren't perfect (remember, it's a city), Midtown a overall a very safe area. Plenty of niche areas: Midtown, Old Sac, West Sac, American River, Davis you name it.

Sac strikes me as very gay friendly with 20th/K being the epicenter.

Tech market is okay, nothing special. Proximity to Bay Area doesn't hurt.

Mass transit is passable at best. We have light rail, but can be sketch at times.

As for weapons, mace is generally OK, but don't plan on carrying guns around. This is California. Most people (incl yours truly) aren't fully comfortable in the close proximity of firearms.

Overall Sac is a very cool city and one of the best places I've ever lived.

[Zoephyr]

Mostly into clubbing (gay / trans / lesbian / etc.), bar hopping, hiking, shopping, arcades, museums. And thanks for the info so far, everyone (and thanks, Roobs <3 my love!)

[wburg]

There is a local branch of the Pink Pistols (an LGBT firearms/shooting club) but I'm not sure where they meet--the last reference I saw was at a cafe that is now closed. Pepper spray and stun guns are legal, the sort of "taser" that shoots darts is not. There is a procedure to get a concealed carry permit in Sacramento County but it's kind of complex to get one. Generally Midtown is very safe in terms of violent crime, but tends to get a lot of attention when violent crimes happen. Property crime is a different story--lots of car theft, car break-ins, bike theft. Never leave anything of value visible in your car, not change for the parking meter or a soda can, and certainly never a purse, suitcase, laptop or smartphone. If you have a bike, get a really good lock and keep it inside. But Sacramento is a great city for biking--very flat with pretty good bike lanes and trails.

Arcades--there are a couple places with videogames, including Republic on 15th and J Street, but currently under construction is a large videogame arcade/bar in the basement of a building on 9th and K Street, the former location of Marilyn's nightclub. Museums: the Crocker is our biggest art museum, the oldest on the west coast. Lots of history museums including the California State Railroad Museum, the California Museum, Sacramento History Museum, California Aerospace Museum (at former McClellan AFB), Stanford Mansion, Sutter's Fort, Governor's Mansion (currently closed and undergoing renovation), the Folsom Powerhouse Museum, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Old City Cemetery, and while the Delta King isn't technically a museum, it's a genuine 1920s riverboat floating on the Sacramento River and worth a visit.

Sacramento's central city is about the only place in the region where mass transit is somewhat effective. If you have ridden transit in cities before ours won't offer any surprises except it stops running way too early

[Zoephyr]

Awesome info, wburg, and thank you!

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by fbt263

As for weapons, mace is generally OK, but don't plan on carrying guns around. This is California. Most people (incl yours truly) aren't fully comfortable in the close proximity of firearms.

Those of us who were raised around guns don't have a problem, however, it is not common & probably not even legal to open carry in Sacramento, so I don't really recommend it.

[wburg]

It's illegal to open carry in California.