Sacramento, the good and the bad (Los Angeles, San Francisco: crime, unemployment rate, neighborhoods)

[Tenzo]

I see a lot of posts about how bad Sacramento is.
Crime, High housing, traffic.

My wife is graduating medical school and we are considering moving to Sacramento. We ahve spent most of our lives in Chicago and consider it a very friendly midwestern town (though a little cold).

How hard would the adjustment to Sacramento be?

(by the way, the people waxing on about a nice little place in the northeast. Check the pollution, poverty, crime and unemployment rate out here. it's pretty nasty.)

Thanks

[CityGirl72]

Well, Sac will be a big shock - but culture shock! And the weather will be a shock. You'll love that Sac has no humidty! But it gets HOT and stays hot for a long time (I loved it)

There is crime in Sac, but not like CHicago, so that won't be a shocker.

I live in Seattle, and our Crime, Traffic and Housing prices are WAY worse then Sacramento.

[rgb123]

I am from Chicago and spent 7 months working in Sacramento, lived in Rocklin, thinking about taking a job and going back (in chicago now). I Thought people in california were generally nicer, happier, not neccessraily friendlier but much more laid back....the claims of ghettoness and crime I find are a little bit overdone, compared to where we come from. Its beatiful!! I loved it. I would recommend though, living toward the foothills and not directly in the city, at least at first....rent til you figure out where you want to be. IT is SO different than Chicago since the changes in elevation can make towns 10 miles apart totally different.

[AuburnJack]

The vast majority of "bad" posted in this forum is by two or three disaffected people who can't seem to move away from a place they apparently hate so much (or have moved away, and like to hold a grudge).

You will definitely have some culture shock. Sacramento has a somewhat unique culture to it... it is definitely urban, but not in the same way that San Francisco, Los Angeles or Chicago is. The area is still somewhat stuck between its metropolitan aspirations and its small-town beginnings... it's not as "cultured" as the Bay Area (whatever that means), but there is all the music, theatre, art and food one would expect from a big city. The pace here is rather slow for a big city, though. It can be a weird environment, sometimes.

There is definitely crime, especially in particular areas, though not as intense as other big cities, unless you are unfortunate enough to actually live in gang territory. Good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods are situated right next to each other here... in some cases, the very best are divided from the very worst by nothing more than a highway. However, if you're not concerned about "the bad element" (this is usually code for "poor, brown people" by those who are too afraid to come out and say it) being less than a thirty-minute drive from you, there really isn't that much to worry about, other than the annoyance of having to occasionally drive through blighted areas and the usual petty crime associated with living in an urban environment. Just be very sure to research the area you plan on living in. It's really easy to end up in a neighborhood you don't want to be in. Make sure to do your homework.

You will have to get acclimated to hot weather, as summers here get incredibly hot. It gets about as cold as it can get without snow in the winter, though, and the trees are beautiful in the fall, so we still have recognizable seasons (understand that I grew up in coastal CA, so the idea of "seasons" is still novel to me).

Traffic is a problem here, but again, not nearly as bad as some other areas of the state (Los Angeles, I'm looking at you). Some commutes are worse than others... commuting downtown from the nicer suburbs in the East is particularly bad. Most of the traffic I experience is tolerable, as you're actually inching forward the whole time, rather than being in gridlock or stop-and-go. Researching your commute will pay off, though, if you live and work here.

Ultimately, I think the adjustment will be as easy or hard as you make it... I'm still adjusting to my move here from a beautiful small town, so there's a lot for me to look down my nose at. But I can tell you from experience that Sacramento is nowhere near as bad as the Experts On The Internet sometimes make it out to be. Downtown/Midtown, the Sacramento and American Rivers, Old Town, day-trip distance to beaches, snow, Bay Area and Wine Country... like any other place, Sac has a lot of positive that can be found to offset the negative.

[rgb123]

ps...this is a good point.....that midwesterners I think generally appreciate sacramento area MUCH MORE than people who are native to california but come from coastal areas. When I was there I thought it was funny, cause they obviously never had to really live anywhere plain, boring, flat, etc. Sacramento has a lot to offer to someone who loves the outdoors and has been bored in the flat midwest!

[Sir Barton]

Sacramento is a fun place to be. It has nice buildings and things to do. Yeah, there's better than Sac... like Reno, but Reno is in the next state over.

[Think (Freedom)]

This is a good thread and you guys have given good advice. I too am thinking about Sacramento (vs Phoenix). I think Sac is under rated by most people, because of other cities such as San Francisco and L.A. I havent been there (to Sac) however. I really wish I could make a trip out there.. hopefully later on this year.

[AuburnJack]

I would *much* rather be in Sac than in Reno. To each their own, though.

[pistola916]

Reno is garbage. if it weren't for the casinos, that city will be deserted. Sac has a city feel unlike Reno.

[Tim Currie]

Geez, Reno is NOT garbage. Reno is turing into a real nice place.

10 years ago is a different story. But now with all the new shopping, neighborhoods, and the new downtown... very nice. And....MUCH more scenic than Sacramento, waay less smog (actually has beautiful BLUE sky), less traffic, etc. etc.

Yes Sacramento is much more of a city, bigger, but downtown Reno is probably nicer now than downtown Sac. Ha.

Anyway, I dont want to argue and really dont care. I'm from Sac and Mom lives in Reno. Just wanted to stick up for Reno, it's a great place.

Tim