Moving back to Sac (Sacramento, Folsom: for rent, houses, safe area)

[michcoop99]

Hello,
My family and I will be relocating to Sacramento in few months. I am from the area, so I know the parts where I would potentially buy a home (Folsom, Rocklin, El Dorado, etc). HOwever, my kids are still a few years away from needing a good school and we will start by renting. I noticed the last time I was in town that downtown and midtown look a lot better than they did years ago and I'm considering renting a small house in the area. Do you think it is generally safe in downtown/midtown? Should I do landpark instead? I'm looking for a VERY easy (like within 10 miles, preferably less) to the Capitol area commute. Any suggestions? It doesn't have to be safe enough to walk around in the middle of the night or anything (I currently live above the Bronx in NYC, so I know dangerous neighborhoods) - I just want to feel comfortable walking my kids around during the day and parking my car. Thanks!

Michele

[Majin]

Originally Posted by michcoop99

so I know the parts where I would potentially buy a home (Folsom, Rocklin, El Dorado, etc)

Originally Posted by michcoop99

Do you think it is generally safe in downtown/midtown? Should I do landpark instead?

Midtown now, and Land Park when you're ready to buy a home.

[Kalifornian]

The Victorian district downtown should be okay, however it merges with a very unsavory area before you even realize it. Area can be dicey as it is city. There is a large gay district near 21st, it is not the best to walk at night. I imagine the city schools would not be as good as the forementioned areas, i.e. Midtown,Land Park. The area near Cal Expo might be desirable, but I don't know what that area is called; it's east of downtown and relatively easy access to downtown. .

[wburg]

You might look at the northeastern corner of the central city--Boulevard Park/New Era Park/Marshall School, the area east of 21st and north of J. A charter Montessori elementary school is going into the old Marshall School, so you might even have a good school for your kids once they're old enough if you decide to stay in the neighborhood.

The club district along 21st is probably the safest place to walk at night, at least on weekends, because there are people and activity and lights. The most dangerous places to walk at night are quiet neighborhoods where nobody is watching. Aside from the Alkali Flat area, most of the central city is pretty comfortable to walk around during the day.

Land Park, Curtis Park and East Sacramento are pretty desirable and still relatively close to the central city but more expensive.

There is no law that says you have to move to the exoburbs when you have kids or want to buy a house. If you like the central city, live there. If you're used to the Bronx, Sacramento won't offer any big surprises--and you might be surprised by how Sacramento has changed since you left. A friend who moved to New York 10 years ago came back to visit and was pretty amazed at what goes on in downtown/midtown these days. Not enough to move back from New York, of course...

[edwardius]

The Northeast section of town is one of the areas I would definitely avoid. There is a welfare office at 28th and Q which just attracts all kinds of problems to that neighborhood day and night. You have people milling about waiting for light rail or the bus.

If you have small children, I would look at Land Park, McKinley Park, and Curtis Park and I would avoid the central grid.

The central grid is very hit or miss. There are neighborhoods like Southside Park, Alkalai Flat and the Northeast East section that have lots of homeless people milling about, lack many owner occupants and can be very sketchy especially at night. The areas that are safer are going to be very loud. Do you want to be trying to put a three year old to bed when there is noise coming from the bar or the club around the corner? Also what about the traffic? The grid isn't really big wheel friendly.

McKinley Park, Land Park, Curtis Park and East Sac aren't that far from downtown. But the neighborhoods are just much better set up for kids. There is less traffic. There are lot less homeless people and there is a lot less noise, especially when you are trying to put the kids to bed. Too many of the parks in the midtown grid have been taken over by the homeless. It can be difficult finding a place to take your kid to the bathroom when there is someone sleeping inside the stall or someone has just urinated all over the floor. These are areas, I just wouldn't want to touch a baby changing table.

If you were single or gay and didn't have kids, I think midtown is a fine choice. But with small children, I would look more at McKinley Park, Land Park, Curtis Park and East Sac. The parks are cleaner and in these neighborhoods you will find more children for your kids to play with.

[wburg]

d_deathrage: Q Street is in the southeastern corner of the central city, not northeast. The distance from the Marshall School neighborhood is about the same as the distance to the Curtis Park neighborhood, but Curtis Park is also adjacent to Oak Park, a neighborhood that I wouldn't recommend for this person, and Land Park is right next door to the New Helvetia/Seavey Circle projects. So pick your poison, I suppose. Heck, I live a few blocks from 28th and Q and the biggest problem I hear about it is when employees who work there park in the neighborhood in front of people's houses instead of their parking lot.

[edwardius]

I really think if you have small children that the suburbs are much better choices. In the suburbs, you have bigger homes, with bigger bathrooms and bigger yards. Its so much easier to give the kids a bath in a bathroom with some space to move around in. You also have much more space and much bigger closets for stuff like bassonets, cribs, diaper pails and storing toys. You have bigger garages for storing stuff like bikes, trikes, razors and big wheels.

Also the neighborhoods in the suburbs actually have kids. Generally its pretty easy to find someone nearby for them to play with. The streets out front have less traffic or you have big back yards for the kids to play in.

In the gird the homes generally are much smaller with smaller bathrooms, smaller kitchens smaller lots with much smaller backyards because the garage is often taking up a lot of the backyard.

In the grid, the homeless have taken over a lot of the parks, so you can't use them as substitutes for the small backyards. I have first hand experience with trying to take my kids to go use the bathroom. It was a total pain in the ass. So its not like you can use the parks as substitutes for the very small backyards. Also the streets out front, just aren't well suited for small children playing outside. The streets are just too busy.

Wburg does bring up some good points about Curtis Park and Land Park. Parts of them are pretty iffy too. Maybe East Sac or McKinley Park might be better, but I really think, michcoop99's orginal plan of going out to Folsom, Rocklin, El Dorado is just much better.

If Michelle was 25 and single and looking for some place she could walk home a little buzzed from the bars, I think midtown would be a good choice. But when you have kids your needs change and I think that other areas do a much better job of addressing them.

[Mr. Ozo]

28th and Q is not that bad.

[Jimbo15]

But its not very good either. Its definitely some place I would rather not live in if I had better options or if I had small children.

[michcoop99]

I appreciate all of the advice. We probably won't do midtown/downtown. I absolutely love LandPark, but I'm really don't want to spend 2500+ a month to rent a house.
What about the newer area of North Natomas? There seem to be a lot of houses for rent in specific (even gated) communities? I know there are areas of Natomas that are hit and miss - but are there safe areas if I look?