Objective view of Sacramento for newcomers (San Francisco: to buy, to live in, restaurant)

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Though Davis is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Sacramento, I think that the 8 or 9 mile area between the cities with absolutely no development at all makes it a bit different than the UCLA or USC situations in LA.

USC and UCLA are part of contiguous metro areas.

Exactly. Although having that dead zone there probably makes Davis a lot nicer than it would be if it surrounded by a larger city. USC is in the ghetto for all intents and purposes.

[sacramento916]

People always say Sacramento is a city of great potential because of it's location, being the capitol, the weather, so forth.

I think the biggest problem is that many folks here have a small town mentality. They are constantly disparaging efforts to build greater and grander things and would prefer to keep the development at a slow pace. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that the government is seated here, there is not as much entrepreneurial energy as in other parts of the state.

With that said, I think Sacramento is an underrated city. It's not flashy nor a great tourist destination by any measure, and it pales in comparison to the other glorious cities that inhabit this state. But it is a very livable city, it is a great place to raise a family and it is a very diverse city (in many ways, socially and geographically).

[rob1crazydude]

If you think it hot in sacremnto try tampa fl, in the 6 months of summer and first of fall its 90 -95 degrees day and the morning starts at 80 we never get less than 75 or so for a low,,i think i could stand it here better if it did, i look at other places to move to , no luck yet,thats why im reading your post, but be happy if you get low over night temps they help cool off the infratructure, plus our humidty is so high its hard to get a breath of heavy hot air,,love it here in the winter, most days are 55 high of 75,,by august the city is sooo hot, the concrete just radiates heat,, and the gulf is 88 degrees you go to the beach and think ill cool off in the water and its hot and sticky,hyuck!! Sorry to interject ,, but its hot here allready,, i tell people that living in florida in the summer is just practicing for "hell" good luck to all of you and much happiness,

[ccn1217]

Originally Posted by Casportsfan

Please tell me where the hills are then in this city or even guide me to a mild grade. Go ahead and list an actually location I can drive to to prove your point. I actually LIVE here and have up and down and around the entire city and explored almost every bit of it in my 3+ years here. Yes, it's FLAT. ALL OF IT. That's why you can see the city skyline from 15 miles away as you drive in from the west, and 35 miles away as you drive in from the East.

"Major cities are on flat areas" . . . . Portland, Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego are NOT flat. I could name more but that's a waste of time.

Trust me. I live here. It's FLAT. I notice that you don't fly up from Florida to go to Sacramento either, but to go to Tahoe. Hmmmmm . . . . .

And for the record: Tahoe, NOT flat. Strange that it's noted for it's beauty as well isn't it.

El Dorado Hills and Folsom have lots of rolling hills! Check it out. I'm from Seattle and visited last week. Most of sacramento is flat, but once you get to Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and even parts of Rocklin, like Whitney Oaks, are all hilly areas. Folsom and El Dorado Hills are beautiful areas!

[webdev]

Originally Posted by Casportsfan

NEGATIVES


(7) The downtown waterfront area is pathetic. The waterfront could be a gem, and should be, or at least similar to what Portland has, with quirky little shops and coffee houses right on the river. No excuse for it, and I've heard them all. Supposedly reastaurants cannot build on the river due to flooding, yet an 18 story state building and another pyramid shaped state building were constructed in the last 5 years right smack dab on the river. Go figure.

I agree with you big time on this point. All you ever hear in Sac is how can we generate more revenue, more business. Bring in more tourism. You look at Old Sac and thats about it. There is so much that could be done. Bustling boardwalks along the river with restaurants, entertainment etc. You see these great kind of things in other cities.

[sacramento916]

Originally Posted by webdev

I agree with you big time on this point. All you ever hear in Sac is how can we generate more revenue, more business. Bring in more tourism. You look at Old Sac and thats about it. There is so much that could be done. Bustling boardwalks along the river with restaurants, entertainment etc. You see these great kind of things in other cities.

That's already been planned with the railyards, Township 9 and various other projects. If it weren't for the recession, these would've already been built or at least neary completed by now.

[Ichibanzebra]

Originally Posted by Casportsfan [URL="//www.city-data.com/forum/sacramento/993014-objective-view-sacramento-newcomers-post14660557.html#post14660557"]//pics3.city-data.com/trn.gif[/URL]
Denver has always been one of my top U.S destination points. It's a place I have always wanted to visit and explore, for many of the reasons that you mentioned. And aside from those, it is a great sports town.

I've only passed through the airport terminal on connecting flights, but even that brief experience left a good impression on me. Flying in, the landscape just outside Denver is laden with brand new, shiny, glass office buildings, and from my conversations with a Denverite (correct term?), this was due to an explosion of tech companies in the area. I'm not sure if that is true or not, but it did pique my curiosity.

The airport itself was very modern and had a cosmopolitan feel about it, with bars and restaurants inside. It almost felt as though I had landed in a shopping mall. Likewise for the people. I got a very cosmopolitan, hip, urban vibe, which I personally think is great when it's combined with such close proximity to the outdoors.

I believe today it's about 80-85 here, possibley a little warmer. It always feels hotter than it actually is here, because it's just extremely dry and stagnant. That, combined with the air quality, just gives it a stale feeling. I don't think I'll ever adjust to that after living in areas where the air is much cleaner and a temperate, cooling ocean breeze comes in that chills everything out a bit, unlike the Delta breeze, which in my opinion, just teases you. It teases you because you feel the wind, and expect relief, but there is no real cooling affect. It's just a dry, warm breeze pushing all of the hot air around.

HAHAHA you need to check out MoveSac.com

[jamaylamay]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

Just adding in:

I LOVE the flat. Flat is one of the reasons I came back. I was so claustrophobic in Seattle with those hills, it was confining.

I remember going on a flight back to Seattle from a Sac visit and the Seattle hip 20-something said how she HATED the flatness. I was happily arguing with her, but then when I thought about it on the plane I started crying. I MISSED the flatness! By then I had only been in Seattle for about a year.

What area of Seattle did you live in? And for how long? I was raised in Seaside, CA, lived in San Diego for 8 years and recently moved to Spokane, WA and have been here for a year. With no luck for jobs in this area, I'm now looking into moving either to Sacramento OR to Seattle. Thought I could pick your brain about both! The "hilly" Seattle area is appealing to me, but since you've lived there did it once appeal to you as well and does not anymore? And what was your overall impression of Seattle? And what do you love about Sacramento? I'm at a crossroads and would love any advice about either place. Thank you!

[shelato]

I think if someone was looking for a truly objective view of Sacramento they would be reading the census data on the region. But if they are seeking out advice from a public forum on the internet, they really aren't interested in an objective view of the region.

[u225615]

Year 5 in Sacramento...moved from SF...Sacramento grows on you to the point that you stop comparing it to other places where you've lived (SF, SD, LA etc) and come to realize and appreciate Sac for its own merits.

Positives...
Canopy of trees downtown and vicinity
American River bike trail
Water recreation on the rivers/Folsom Lake
Diverse population, ethnic restaurants,upscale eateries
Breeze cools down nights comfortably on all but the hottest days. Whole house fans work well here.
Housing for all type of incomes; same for neighborhoods.Want ghetto? its here, hip? Sac has Midtown, leafy neighborhoods? Fabulous Forties
One day trips possible to SF, Monterey, Tahoe, Napa
Lots of shopping opportunties in town and in nearby communities (Roseville)

Negatives
Allergy sufferers beware
Must have car to get around
flat (some feel its a positive especially if you're into biking)
River front not well developed...so much potential!
Hot summer days
Can we get a hockey team!