Which is more family friendly Arden or Rancho Cordova? (Sacramento: apartments, to rent)

[ohiomom3]

My family and I are moving from small town Ohio to Sacramento CA area. Ive researched for months trying to find the best area for all our needs. We want a SAFE place, family friendly, elementary education is very important and a sense of community. We are an outdoors family. I seem to like Arden area and I found some nice apartments in Rancho Cordova. I just need some local opinions and suggestions. Thanks!

[ohiomom3]

Also Ive looked into Carmichael, Citrus Heights. HELP!

[Think About It!]

Check out SchoolPerformanceMaps.com. You will notice where the higher rated schools seem to coincide with the nicer and more expensive areas. With the nicer schools and better area they also tend to be the safer areas too.

[BeeGlee]

Please consider Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Carmichael and Natomas. Good luck with your search.

[caligirlz]

Are you looking to rent or buy? What is your price range? Where will you be working?

Based on your criteria, "a SAFE place, family friendly, elementary education is very important and a sense of community. We are an outdoors family" I'd suggest Folsom or Roseville/Rocklin.

[NewToCA]

I'd choose Arden-Arcade over Rancho Cordova.

If you are looking to rent and like the Arden-Arcade area, I'd take a much closer look at the Fair Oaks area.

[ohiomom3]

We are looking to rent. Looking to pay NO MORE than $900. Husband is going to UTI school.

[ElectroPlumber]

The good news is that you might be able to find a decent apartment in Rancho for $900 over on Data Drive. Whatever you do stay away from any apt. around Coloma Dr., no matter what the rent is.

The bad news is that we like to kill each other in Rancho at alarming rates. The Parks Director was gunned down in the park next door to the High School a few weeks ago by a disgruntled ex-employee. We also had three kids killed in their front yard a couple of blocks from where I live a year or so ago (gang related so the police say). A lady was killed behind the neighborhood sign (it was torn down to prevent it from happening again) around 6 months ago. Then there was the gas station killing and the lady killed while she was driving down the road. Those are the ones I can remember from the last two years.

You can search the Sacramento Bee on line to get the details of the murders. Depends on what you consider family friendly, I guess.

Really, this is California. You have to get out of the mindset that you can have a delightful, family oriented place with great schools, etc. while still having a cheap place to live. There are some great places around Sacramento to live but EVERYONE wants to live there and the rents and home prices are expensive as a result. You will find, if you move here, that unless you are financially well-off, living in this area is a series of trade-offs between what you can afford and what you can stand to live around.

A trip out here to visit neighborhoods is mandatory. Don't just rent something over phone. You may live to regret it.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by ElectroPlumber

Really, this is California. You have to get out of the mindset that you can have a delightful, family oriented place with great schools, etc. while still having a cheap place to live. There are some great places around Sacramento to live but EVERYONE wants to live there and the rents and home prices are expensive as a result. You will find, if you move here, that unless you are financially well-off, living in this area is a series of trade-offs between what you can afford and what you can stand to live around.

A trip out here to visit neighborhoods is mandatory. Don't just rent something over phone. You may live to regret it.

That is a really good point you made there, about the trade-offs and how desirable a place is to reside. The schools are a major consideration too, I don't think folks who come here from other states realize the massive differences in the local schools.

I came here just over 5 years ago from metro Columbus, Ohio, and those trade-offs didn't exist over there. It was very easy to live in a neighborhood that was relatively inexpensive, yet have a safe environment and very good schools. Here, it is much more difficult to pull that off.

[Michrdias]

I have been in the sacramento area for about 12 years.. I have lived from Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, Arden, Rosemont.

I am from a small down in the boonies. ok we jump frogs for fun! Anyways, I have a child so I can relate. I liked Folsom since it was quiet and slow compared to other parts, but it is very pricey and people seem to be snobby it reminds me of Roseville but Roseville seems to have a faster pace going on. I really liked Citrus Heights, it has had certain parts get worse over the last few years but others they are cleaning up and I think that a lot of the people they have on their police, fire, and medical teams in that area are awesome. They have a wide range of type of people there and you have a lot nearby and for elementary schools I recommend Carriage, I have had my child in over 4 schools in that area and that was the best one. I don't care for Rancho Cordova, I think not only is it ghetto but the people there act trashy.. They have tried to clean it up but I do not think it has worked. Parts of Carmichael are very pricey to the extreme of complete ghetto but there is the middle ground and some decent parts. Rosemont has trashy areas it is like Rancho Cordove but you can find I places tucked back that are quiet and you don't deal with the ghetto and its cheap. I do not like the schools in Arden they are the worse I have ever experienced. There are some nice quiet streets that are dead ends that are the best (that way you dont deal with the ghetto) but that is all my opinion good luck on your search.