Young Married Couple Looking For A Change (San Francisco, Sacramento: sales, apartments)

[DannyB07]

Hi All,

I've not posted a lot since joining City Data a few years ago, but I constantly use City Data for insight. Hearing all the different opinions is so valuable, even when people disagree, it's great to see all perspectives. Oddly enough, with just my second post, the title is strikingly similar to the first. There's good reason for that, as we are now in a similar position this time around, but this time we have more work experience and 5 years under our belt of living in a difficult and high COL state, Massachusetts. So here it goes!

The goal of this post is to help me better understand if Sacramento is the right location for us, based on all the threads that I've read dating back to the beginning of 2017, the answer seems to be yes, but I'm always interested in various opinions.

First some information about us and what we like:
-My wife and I are both Caucasian, she's 30 and I am 28.
-No Kids
-I'm currently employed in the Solar Industry (5 years experience) as a Sales Manager and my wife is currently employed in the Physical Therapy industry (7 years experience) as a PTA. Being in sales, our combined income can range between $140,000-$160,000 annually.
-We currently pay (including utilities) $2,400/month for a 1,200 sq. ft. one bedroom with a loft.
-Being outside and enjoying the weather is something we really enjoy, walking, hiking, etc. I wouldn't consider us extreme outdoor people that like to camp and do multi day hiking trips, but we like to get out.
-Not afraid to drive, we're both originally from Ohio and you had to drive everywhere! I enjoy driving and we regularly take 2-3 hr. drives to the Ocean or Mountains.
-We both enjoy skiing, this past season we hit 5 major east coast resorts.
-We're big time foodies and into microbreweries
-Generally relaxed and easy going people if we can be, but living and working just outside of Boston (30 min.) you're constantly dealing with M*******s and just down right rude people. So sometimes you're left with no choice.....

We just finished a week long trip to California, in an effort to make sure we're committed to moving. Unfortunately Sacramento was not one of our stops, but what we both realized after this trip is we do not like the extremes of San Francisco or LA, but would prefer a toned down version of California. That's what led me to Sacramento.

We've explored a lot in our 5 years living here in Massachusetts, even things that people who have lived here their entire life have not done. Now we're bored and ready to start something new, not necessarily for the rest of our lives, but we would like Northern California to be a page in our book of life. We think about no winters, but skiing within 2 hours, and start day dreaming and drooling! I read that people are more relaxed and easy going, and I'd love to get out of the M******* way of living (that's what you a call a Massachusetts resident who's an @sshole

Looking forward to reading all of your opinions, thanks!

[borninsac]

Seems like the answer to your question is embedded in the background information you provided.

It's unfortunate that you failed to do, as a minimum, a "drive by" during your recent California trip.

You seem to have the profile for enjoying Sacramento. You should be able to live comfortably based no your income.

[JohnS_15]

If you both can get work out here it seems like it would be a good fit. All the things you said that you like to do are easily accessible from Sacramento. Honestly it would be a great place to live for a couple lilke you guys.


Noticing your ages - if you plan on having kids in the near future you may want to give that some consideration before undertaking a big cross-country move. It'll be much more difficult to get back and forth to family in Ohio. California - even less expensive metros like Sac - is not the easiest and most affordable place to raise a family. Although with your incomes you would be fine. Not to put stress of social norms onto you guys if you are planning on not having children/waiting until you are older! Totally a valid choice either way.. just something to think on.

[DannyB07]

Thank you, JohnS and Borninsac.

I appreciate the insight into raising a family, we will likely wait a few more years, if at all.

[la_cavalière]

It sounds like Sacramento would be a great fit for you, given your careers, outdoor interests and your love of exploring. I would still recommend making another trip to check out the area.

We moved here five years ago after living in Maine and the Midwest. We love the weather, outdoors (we hike, bike and kayak), and easy access to all of the beautiful places to visit in California. Sacramento is getting a lot of buzz lately - but that also means housing prices are rising rapidly. Still, you should be able to get a nice place for about what you're currently paying. What type of neighborhood you're looking for and your budget for renting/buying?

[DannyB07]

Thanks for the comment, la_cavaliere.

That's quite the move, from Maine to Sacramento! Being just outside of Boston we're used to high rent prices, we would be looking to spend $1,700-$2,000 on a one bedroom. We don't need much space, but like higher end apartments, as they're typically safer and offer amenities.

I'm curious, it says you're located in Midtown, are you OK with going out at night by yourself, or do you try to avoid it? The idea of Midtown sounds great, walk-ability, convenience, etc. but I worry about my wife at night.

We started looking more at apartments in West Sacramento, any tips or things to know about that area?

[WizardOfRadical]

2000 will put you in the range of an OK rental in midtown.

Don't expect luxury though.

[la_cavalière]

Hi DannyB07,

As far as West Sac, I know that they have ambitious plans to develop the area near river, but I'm not sure there's a whole lot to do there yet without crossing the bridge into downtown/Old Sac.

If you are foodies, you really can't beat Midtown. We walk or bike to tons of great restaurants, brewpubs, coffee houses, parks, the bike trail, and the American River. The neighborhood is covered with massive, beautiful trees, providing welcome shade in the summer. We live in a quieter neighborhood in Midtown (New Era Park) and I feel perfectly comfortable walking at night. We do experience some car break-ins, porch pirates and homeless people, but serious crime is pretty rare.

Check out Craigslist to get an idea of prices. Higher-end apartments with amenities include Eviva, 1801L, Legado de Ravel and the Fremont, but there are also lots of nice condos or even smaller homes that may fit your budget. I would expand your search into East Sacramento as well.

[DannyB07]

Thanks for the insight on rent in Midtown, WizardofRadical.

That's great information, la_cavaliere. This is why City Data forums rock!

is it at all possible, or safe to, ride a bike from West Sacramento to Midtown? the ride back might be a little tough after a couple craft brews, but is it doable?

[la_cavalière]

Originally Posted by DannyB07

Thanks for the insight on rent in Midtown, WizardofRadical.

That's great information, la_cavaliere. This is why City Data forums rock!

is it at all possible, or safe to, ride a bike from West Sacramento to Midtown? the ride back might be a little tough after a couple craft brews, but is it doable?

There is a separated bike/ped lane on the Tower Bridge, so yes, it's an easy bike ride from West Sac to Old Sac, downtown and Midtown if you live near the bridge. You just have to learn which streets are the best for bikes. We ride our bikes from Midtown to baseball games at Raley Field as well as to West Sac and down to the Clarksburg wineries along the levee road.

There are also plans to build a bridge across the river at Broadway, but of course that will take some time.

If you're into biking, you can also pick up the Sacramento River Trail on the east side of the river, which connects to the American River Bike Trail at Discovery Park and goes all the way to Folsom.