Considering a move to Sacramento
Hello BPN!
We love the Bay Area and have lived in Berkeley and El Cerrito, but it's time to relocate for lower cost of living. We can't justify housing costs here anymore unfortunately (but love love the vibe and strong parent network/liberal-mindedness, diversity). I have read through a few dated threads about other folks considering a move to Sacramento here but wanted to re-open the conversation to see if anyone has recently moved from the Bay Area, or has lived there prior, and if so, what advice do you have about the city? We like what we've seen of Midtown for the walkability/bike-ability, but are there less expensive areas that are diverse and have good schools - ideally a Spanish dual-immersion school? We have a 1 year old now and plan to grow our family in the future, and figure now is a great time to make a move and get to know the community before the school years start up.
Also what kind of parent networks exist in the Sac area? Not finding much online...
Any advice much much appreciated, and hopefully we can connect with some of you up there who have also made a move.
Parent Replies
I used to live in Sac before I had kids. I agree you can have a much better quality of life there with a family and without paying 1 million for a cracker box house on a small lot...LOL. I am not sure about Spanish immersion schools, but there are a lot of Spanish speaking people, and finding a Spanish speaking nanny or daycare would not be hard.
You might consider living in Elk Grove, or Carmichael, which are pretty family friendly I think. Roseville (if you like suburbia), though it doesn't have the same character as Midtown. I'm not sure I'd pick Midtown for raising a family b/c there is a fair amount of petty crime, liquor stores, etc. Folsom is nice and has an old fashioned downtown, but it's less culturally diverse I think than some other areas, and tends to be more expensive.
I grew up in Sacramento and recently moved to Berkeley! Sacramento is an awesome city with so much to offer. I think you will really enjoy it! I recently moved from the East Sacramento area (adjacent to midtown) and loved it for its walkability and 'urban' feel. I would check out East Sacramento, midtown, Oak Park, Tahoe Park, and Elmhurst. All are close to the growing downtown Sacramento area, adjacent to the river with its awesome bike and walking trails, and close to retail, restaurants, etc. The areas mentioned above are very popular due to the growing downtown with its new arena for the Sacramento Kings as well as the bustling restaurant scene. That being said, the homes are also expensive, older and smaller than homes you will see when you continue out to the suburbs. In addition to the above, I would check out Carmichael, Arden-Arcade and even Roseville or Folsom.