Is Sacramento conservative?

[strawberriieee]

Tell me about Sacramento. I know it's "slower" than San Francisco, but what things --good and bad-- have you heard about it. What do you like and dislike about it? Are there any hilly areas there? Do you here about much "racial" profiling by the police there? Are there any ethnically integrated neighborhoods? Is it a zenophobic area? Does it feel "cool", like the rest of California, or is it more like the South?

Someone please respond!!!! Thanks.

[dpbaker]

I don't live there, so I don't know anythiing about racial profiling, or all that jazz. The one thing I do know is that it is cheaper than the S.F. Bay Area, BUT it is hot, hot and dry in the summer! If it's a weather thing, I'll take the Bay Area. I have family in the Roseville area and a friend in Davis and the complaints are only about the summer heat!

[Jaybee]

I used to live in Davis... its a very progressive college town. Downtown Sac is nice, redeveloping and has a mall that's semi-outdoors. There is an oldtown Sacramento tourist trap and bar scene next to the river (Aka Old Sacramento), and your normal nightlife options throughout downtown. Conservative by California standards, but not to most people. I don't know of any particular racial profiling issues in Sac; its a diverse place.

The Sierra Nevada's are very close to Sacramento. Around Roseville (a booming area with a huge mall), the hills starts to roll at I-80; Lake Tahoe and Reno are just over the pass (as well as lots of snow skiing). Up US-50, a nice exclusive area is El Dorado Hills (right in the Sierra foothills). If you want something hilly-rural with a long commute, you can try Placerville or Auburn. If you want your standard urban sprawlville, go to Elk Grove. Downtown has alot of nice trees in the residential neighborhoods to the east of the CBD. There's a huge mall at Cal Expo (Arden Fair), but I think it's lost some of it's appeal lately due to the Galleria at Roseville (previously mentioned). There's even the Peter Calthorpe designed Laguna West near Elk Grove on I-5 nearest the Sac River Delta area.

[strawberriieee]

Thanks for responding, Jaybee.

I looked at monthly weather stats. from a weather almanac, for Sacramento; and I saw that it gets pretty cold there for about 3 months out of the year. Would you agree? (Sometimes the weather averages don't acurately refect the ususal weather.) Does it really only reach highs in the 50's, consistently throughout winter?

Also, I've heard that the areas known as "South Sacramento" and "North Sacramento" are undesirable areas in which to live. Do you hear about much gang activity there -- as compared to Los Angeles, for example -- where there's lots of gang activity.

Aren't the banks of the river on a bluff? -- or are the river banks flat, also?

Would you describe downtown Sacramento as a walkable community, if a person also lives in the downtown area? In other words, does downtown have nearby schools and reasonably affordable residential communities (within the $200,000 - 300,000 range)? Are there grocery stores and movie theaters and cool bookstores downtown. I know that you mentioned a couple of downtown malls. Is Laguna West Mall downtown? (Downtown LA, for example, is NOT a desirable/pleasant place to live. It doesn't even have schools or theaters, to my knowledge.)

Is there a "counter-cultural" scene, ala Berkely? --or is it mostly a haven for families?

Is it possible to actually go river-rafting on parts of the river, or is it more of a shallow creek?

Anyone can respond.

[planningabetterfuture]

Well I tell you this. I went to school at UC Davis and now I live and work in downtown Sacramento and it is not conservative. I grew up in Orange County (Huntington Beach) were talking home of the 80's yuppie and that was conservative.

The Sacramento Metro Area has conservative parts but most liberal people stay close to the city's center. When you start moving out towards Roseville and Yuba City people tend to be a little more "backwoods" if you know what I mean.

[strawberriieee]

I'm glad to hear that it's not another Bakersfield, CA. I've heard Bakersfield feels like a Southern city. I'm debating whether to move to San Diego or Sacramento. San Diego is extremely expensive though; plus, I'd like the riverfront area of Sacramento.

I used to live in LA, but now I'm in Charlotte, NC, which I don't like. Once I leave Charlotte, I'm never going to live in the zenophobic, sexist South again.

[dpbaker]

Would you not consider the Bay Area/Silicon Valley? It seems like you might be aiming for a generally warmer climate? This area is expensive too, but I understand prices are also on the rise in the Sacramento area (housing anyway). Are you looking for a more liberal environment?

[triadcat]

I'm glad to hear that it's not another Bakersfield, CA. I've heard Bakersfield feels like a Southern city. I'm debating whether to move to San Diego or Sacramento. San Diego is extremely expensive though; plus, I'd like the riverfront area of Sacramento.

I used to live in LA, but now I'm in Charlotte, NC, which I don't like. Once I leave Charlotte, I'm never going to live in the zenophobic, sexist South again.

WOW....talk about being close minded and painting a region of about 120 million people with a bad picture.

As if we don't get enough crap thrown at us from the rest of the US......

[friedpez]

I go to UC Davis, and while Sacramento itself is not as liberal as Davis, it is still relatively progressive. Looking at voter trends from the area, it's evident that the areas closer to downtown and CSU Sacramento are more liberal than the suburbs, like Roseville and Elk Grove. It is definitely more liberal than Fresno and Bakersfield, however.

[Greens!]

I'm glad to hear that it's not another Bakersfield, CA. I've heard Bakersfield feels like a Southern city. I'm debating whether to move to San Diego or Sacramento. San Diego is extremely expensive though; plus, I'd like the riverfront area of Sacramento.

I used to live in LA, but now I'm in Charlotte, NC, which I don't like. Once I leave Charlotte, I'm never going to live in the zenophobic, sexist South again.

wow

i moved from San Francisco to Charlotte, and then to Houston, if California is such a "progressive" place, im surprised at how little is known about the outside world.

i may not know what zenophobic means, but i do know that xenophobic refers to someone who is afraid of things that are foreign, like strangers or foreigners. and im confident that someone from North Carolina is no less sophisticated than a Californian, and a Californian is no less prone to prejudice than anyone else.

[strawberriieee]

wow

i moved from San Francisco to Charlotte, and then to Houston, if California is such a "progressive" place, im surprised at how little is known about the outside world.

i may not know what zenophobic means, but i do know that xenophobic refers to someone who is afraid of things that are foreign, like strangers or foreigners. and im confident that someone from North Carolina is no less sophisticated than a Californian, and a Californian is no less prone to prejudice than anyone else.

Thank you for somewhat impolitely correcting my spelling. --We'll have to agree to disagree. Thanks for responding.