I am looking for a job in Sacramento.

Considering moving to Sacramento, is it an overall nice place to live?

• My husband and I are looking to move for a change of pace and he saw a job available in the Sacramento area. I've done some looking around on the forums about the area and it seems that a lot of people are complaining about the city becoming too crowded, and the crime rates being high, is this something to really be concerned about? I've heard that Midtown and Downtown are great places to be, would I feel unsafe if we lived in these areas and I was home alone? How much is a 1-2 bedroom apt for rent in the midtown/downtown area? Is public transit in the area pretty good? How late does the public transit stay going? We tend to be night owls and would like to use the public transit a good amount of the time. How is the culture and diversity in the City? Anything you have to say about Sacramento please feel free to share! We aren't sure if we will get a chance to come and visit the city before we make the move, we've been to Southern California and San Francisco (which we love!) but never been to Sacramento. So we want to know from the people that are living there if it's a fun place to live for a young couple.

• Answer:

  I lived in the City of Sacramento from 1971 to 1979, and in the environs since then. I worked downtown until 2000. The worst crime that ever happened is having my car stereo ripped off while the car was parked (this was before car and stereo alarms.) Yes, Sacramento has high-crime areas, but there is no need to go there. The crime is mostly gang-related and if you don't do gangs or drugs, you have no need to be involved. Except in the '70's, when the "South Area Rapist" was getting a lot of publicity, I never felt uncomfortable being home alone or walking downtown in the early evening. Sacramento is very diverse, in its own Pacific Rim way. There are a lot of Japanese and a fair number of Vietnamese and Hmong (southeast Asian tribal people). The city council has long been integrated and the State Government (I don't know if you know that California is the State Capitol) is also. There is lots to do here if you like nature, history, and education. People who say Sacramento is boring usually mean it doesn't have glitzy places where stars hang out, or really high-class expensive restaurants. I don't miss those. I prefer a lower-key existence. (The other side of the coin is that people say the area is getting "too crowded." I have to admit the freeways are too crowded, but I don't think the area is.) Public transportation is decent, with a useful light rail system and pretty regular buses. If you live downtown or midtown, you get transportation discounts for short trips. Definitely, Sacramento is not SF or LA. It is smaller, lower-key, quieter, with fewer amenities. But I consider it a very nice place to live.