Is Sacramento a good base city for a road warriors? (Fresno: violent crime, house)

[bbqueen]

Currently based in SFO but can't afford to buy home. Would love to move to Sacramento area but not sure if it's convenient for road warriors like me. I fly almost every other week to a project anywhere metro USA. I can move anywhere in the US as long as there's an airline hub, decent weather and affordable housing (under $300K) and good outdoor activities.

Chicago and Mineapolis is out (too cold- done that!) Dallas, Denver, Houston, Sacramento, Atlanta, Charlotte are short listed. Any suggestions?

[claret]

Sac. is nice and you can still find some older affordable homes at that price.

[calwest]

Despite the old reputation as a "Cow Town", Sacramento has a lot to offer: nice parks including the American River Parkway with over 20 miles of bike paths along a clean and lush parkway, diverse restaurants, the Sacramento Kings and River Cats Miner League B.B. Club, some nice old Victorian neighborhoods. However, there is lots of traffic, much due to the Sacramento and American Rivers creating bottle becks for traffic on surface streets and freeways (US 50, I80). For some the heat is uncomfortable, often 100 degrees in the Summer, and fog in the Winter months. Crime is higher than average for California, with auto theft among the top in the Nation, violent crime such as robbery, murder and rape are also high. Smog is also high, ofter in violation of Federal Standards (like many California Cities such as Fresno or Bakersfield). Like a mini LA, people now commute from distant areas to downtown for work and put up with it. I lived in Sacto for my entire life, and all in all like Sacramento.

[NikkiB]

I would take Atlanta off of your short list. I live in Athens, GA about 45 minutes NE of Atlanta and would never consider making it my home. You would probably have to go outside the "perimeter" to find a house in your price range and the Atlanta is renown for having some of the worst traffic conditions in the nation. Most of Atlanta is lacking in any real charm except for areas like Midtown and Virginia Highlands, but the prices are prohibitive for many people.

I'm considering a move to Scramento myself. I've never been there, but from most things that I've read it seems to have some nice areas, it's affordable and it's centrally located to several day or weekend trip locations like San Fran, Tahoe and Napa.

[KidBlue]

I think Sacramento would fit your needs. The airport is international (just barely, but you can transfer from Sacramento to where you'll need to go) and pretty easy to get to. Except for some fog in the winter, travel is usually not prevented by the weather. It never snows. It's hot in the summer but really low humidity and everywhere has A/C. There are still homes in your price range, but you'll need to search them out.

My sister and her husband travel all the time (both within the state and outside the state and country) and find Sacramento an excellent place for their warrior activities.

[scotto911]

wtf is a road warrior?

[jeffredo]

Sac is pretty darn good for a person in your situation. It can get spells of winter fog, but usually nothing like the San Joaquin Valley (so it doesn't impact the airport too often). While Sacramento Metro isn't the greatest airport (not a hub - usually will have to transfer for points east of Denver/Dallas/Minneapolis), it has within a two hour drive both Oakland and SFO which greatly expands your options. Weather is fine - mild/cool winters, hot and dry summers (but not oppressive like the desert). Home prices are very competitive with the cities you mentioned since the 08 bust.

[NinaN]

Look at the airplane routes from Sacramento airport. I come from the Dallas area (no I do not miss it) and I spent 6 years as a road warrior. You could fly almost anywhere in the US with a direct flight from DFW. Flight were more expensive due to the AA monopoly there, but the company was paying. Not so true from Sac. Depending on your destinations, you will have a lot more layovers than you want if you fly that much. Just something to think about. An extra couple hours each direction can add up if you fly weekly or more like I did. Also, the chances of delayed flights, lost luggage, etc. double when you don't flight direct.

Denver is certainly more expensive housing-wise than Dallas and more chance of bad weather delaying flights. Houston is incredibly inexpensive. For your budget, you can get a fabulous house in Kingwood or The Woodlands, which are great planned communities near the airport. However, it's HUMID there. Not terribly hot, not terribly cold in the winter, but really, the humidity is a bear.

OK, now that I think of it, the layovers with extra time flying might not be so bad if you want to live out here.

N

[wburg]

scotto: Someone with a mohawk, big shoulder pads, and a bunch of psychotic buddies who roam the wasteland terrorizing survivors of the apocalypse and stealing their gasoline, of course. Or someone who drives a lot for work and is looking for a central city to use as a base for their operations, with or without shoulder pads and terrorizing.

[Aquaboy]

Well this town isnt a Mel Gibson movie altho there are a few meth-crazed warriors here.
Flying out of SMF (sac) is super easy. Ive never gotten hung up on I-5 or missed a flight due to traffic. Housing has gotten even cheaper due to the economy. I would actually recommend it for a person on the road a lot.
My 2 cents worth.