What would it be like living downtown, near the Capitol building?

[Curmudgeon]

One thing I will add that I neglected to mention before is all the activity going on in downtown. The Capitol is the site of many a rally, march and demonstration. Those can be kind of fun sometimes. It seems that something is always happening here and there is never any lack of things to do or see.

[Casportsfan]

I lived right across from the Capital for a year, and this area is great. I believe this is still "midtown". To answer your question regarding the gym, you could walk from the capital to 24-hour fitness in about a half-hour. This gym can be packed at peak times, but I loved it. I loved the energy there and the proximity to downtown. The only hassle was having to wait for a cardio machine, etc., and you can park in the downtown plaza for free if you are a member. Not sure about capital gym, but there is also a yoga studio around 16th I believe, and a strongman type gym with kettle bells, etc. somewhere around 20th. In short, there are good options around, depending on your goals.

A lot of people jog around the capital, and it is a great area to do so. I used to enjoy this run as well. It's very pretty and scenic, and in my opinion is a runners paradise. You can count your laps and get a good couple miles in and feel as though you are in nature without having to walk 3 or 4 miles back to where you started when you get tired. A lot of people run this area, especially in the warmer months.

I would say you'd want to stay out of downtown per se, but then again there aren't many living options there so it's not like you are going to be duped into coming there and then realize you made a poor choice. The few apartments that ARE in "downtown" are in areas that you'd instantly know you wouldn't want to live in.

I consider the capital midtown still. Yes, the area is very safe and I had zero problems. I would say Midtown ends around 12th, which is right near the capital, and I would suggest staying between L and S st. (east west borders run from A st. to X st., just like the alphabet). Closer you get to A St. is a bit ghetto, and likewise with X St.

There are TONS of restaurants and coffee shops in the mid-town area, which is again what we are really talking about here, so you'd probably enjoy this aspect. Downtown itself is based largely upon government work though, so it is a bit slow, and lacks some energy. But from the Capital out, it's great, in my opinion.

Parking is a bit tough, but it's not a "nightmare" as people are suggesting here. The city will give you a residents pass depending on where you live, which allows you to part on the Street. If you have a 9-5 job you'll have no problems parking in that area. Sure, I'd have to circle the block after work, but I always found a spot around 5:30 when I got home. It was literally NEVER a problem. Now, if I had gotten off of work around 3:30 or so, then yes, it would have been more of a hassle, but still, there was always a spot a couple blocks away on days when I left work early. There is also the option of paying for a gauranteed parking spot in a nearby lot or apartment complex, which is usually $50-$75 per month from what I checked.

All in all, for what you like I think you'd really enjoy it, but you should come and check that area out on a weekday and include a weekend so you can get a good feel for what it's really like.

[Casportsfan]

Originally Posted by wburg

The map linked above makes my computer freeze, here is another map with some city neighborhoods and neighborhood association links:

Neighborhood Associations in Area 1 (http://www.cityofsacramento.org/ns/nadb/nad.cfm?areaid=1 - broken link)

Where "Midtown" begins and ends can be kind of vague, especially now that it's kind of the hip neighborhood--some unscrupulous realtors have started describing homes for sale in south Oak Park (not a place you want to move) as midtown. Technically "Midtown" is the neighborhood between 15th, 29th, J and R, but most of the residential neighborhoods in the C-shaped area around downtown Sacramento and the capitol can be described as "midtown." "Downtown" is roughly the area between H and N from I-5 to 15th-19th, but it's not really a neat rectangle. Much of Downtown, especially the state offices, is completely dead at night except for the homeless people who camp near the heating vents on the street for warmth.

The neighborhoods on the western end (Alkali Flat, Mansion Flat, Southside) don't have as good reputation as those on the western end (Boulevard Park, Marshall School, Poverty Ridge, Newton Booth, Midtown.) The points in between, from the teens to around 21st Street, are where most of the bars and nightclubs are, except for a big loud cluster of them on J and 27th.

You can't ride bikes in Capitol Park but you can jog around it. There are better places to bike, like the American River bike trail, the Sacramento Northern bike trail and the trail along the Sacramento River, or just riding through town (flat terrain and lots of bike lanes, so lots of cyclists.)

Parking is getting pretty dreadful, rates of car break-ins and thefts are relatively high. If you plan on having a car, get off-street parking.

Schools are an issue. There is a charter Montessori school going into the old Marshall School, and Country Day, a highly-rated private school, is moving their high school into the old Newton Booth school, so that might change in the future.

C'mon man, seriously?

Harveytherabbit, don't worry about your car. I lived in Midtown for over 2 years and left my car unlocked by accident more than once, with full cases of CD's, jackets inside, etc., and never had a problem. Never had anything stolen or even a scratch on my car. Hell, I've even left my wallet out in plain view and there it was, sitting exactly where I left it.

The parking is a little tough, but still doable and won't put a wrench in your plans or ruin your day. I've never had parking problems in that area. I wouldn't suggest "get off of street parking", because there is almost no way to do that. There are limited paid lots in the area, and you can spend the extra money for a lot, but why do that unless it's really a necessity? Paid parking can make your life a little easier, but it is a luxury and not a necessity.

[wburg]

casportsfan: I've known too many people who had car break-ins over the past 16 years, I guess. Break-in rates aren't ungodly high, just relatively high--enough to be common but not quite an epidemic. My wife's car got broken into because she left 37 cents and an empty pack of cigarettes on the seat. I haven't personally had any break-ins (just one attempt where someone stuck a screwdriver in my door lock) but it's pretty common. Off-street parking isn't impossible, a lot of rental units have some kind of parking option, especially the newer buildings, it adds some security and peace of mind. It also means you don't have to worry about getting a ticket if you don't move your car on street-cleaning day. If you live anywhere near the growing number of bar/restaurant clusters (18th & Capitol, 21st & P, 27th & J, 20th & K, 14th & R) parking is worse at night, while closer to state offices it gets very crunchy during the day.

It's nowhere near San Francisco levels of parking (SF people tell stories about the great parking spot they got five years ago) but it's going from bad to worse, partially because a lot of daytime parking lots haven't clued into the fact that they can make a lot of money renting to restaurants in the evening--and the city hasn't clued into the idea that evening parking enforcement can make them a lot of money too.

I figure if someone is living very close to the capital and works at a state office, they probably don't even need a car at all. Sacramento is good bike-riding country, and a lot of bike lanes have been added to central city streets, but for some folks even a bike is redundant--it's a good town for walking.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by wburg

casportsfan: I've known too many people who had car break-ins over the past 16 years, I guess. Break-in rates aren't ungodly high, just relatively high--enough to be common but not quite an epidemic. My wife's car got broken into because she left 37 cents and an empty pack of cigarettes on the seat. I haven't personally had any break-ins (just one attempt where someone stuck a screwdriver in my door lock) but it's pretty common. Off-street parking isn't impossible, a lot of rental units have some kind of parking option, especially the newer buildings, it adds some security and peace of mind. It also means you don't have to worry about getting a ticket if you don't move your car on street-cleaning day. If you live anywhere near the growing number of bar/restaurant clusters (18th & Capitol, 21st & P, 27th & J, 20th & K, 14th & R) parking is worse at night, while closer to state offices it gets very crunchy during the day.

It's nowhere near San Francisco levels of parking (SF people tell stories about the great parking spot they got five years ago) but it's going from bad to worse, partially because a lot of daytime parking lots haven't clued into the fact that they can make a lot of money renting to restaurants in the evening--and the city hasn't clued into the idea that evening parking enforcement can make them a lot of money too.

I figure if someone is living very close to the capital and works at a state office, they probably don't even need a car at all. Sacramento is good bike-riding country, and a lot of bike lanes have been added to central city streets, but for some folks even a bike is redundant--it's a good town for walking.

About a month ago someone broke out the driver's side window on my car which was parked on the street downtown in front of our home so it does happen. I'd made the mistake of leaving my GPS mounted. Shame on me for tempting a night crawler thief! Someone also keyed my trunk about a month after I bought the car. It's only 18 months old and has gotten some dings on the "mean streets of Sacramento". I'll have the cosmetic work done AFTER we move back east and have a garage.

A lot of the restaurants along J and L Streets and 16th Street as well now offer valet parking and make use of commercial lots. It costs but is less of a headache than circling block after block. For most areas, parking enforcement and time limits end at 6:00 p.m. but are in effect until 10 p.m. near entertainment centers such as the Music Circus (Wells Fargo Pavillion).

My wife and I did without a car for four years, walking to work and most shopping. We'd get a three-day weekend rental special car once or twice a month for heavy shopping and road trips to get out of Dodge. It was far less expensive than car payments, full insurance, maintenance, parking, etc. Non-owners liability insurance is really cheap. I do have to add, however, that Sacramento is notorious for red light runners which is why we ended up without a car. Ours was totalled by one. By-and-large, Sacramento is very walking and bike friendly.