I have a cousin who is currently considering moving to CA from Raleigh. I am very jealous of her already because Raleigh is so nice, now it looks like I might have something more to be jealous about. She has an online business where I think she makes between $50k-$60k. She also races Tris (thanks to me), used to ski in the winter (and wants to do it more) and surfs as well if she can find a body of water. She just asked me about these places. And, while I have heard San Diego is nice, I know nothing about Roseville (never heard of it until today). She is asking me about cost of living, training areas (trails, pools, bike lanes, etc.), and if there are good employment opportunities if she wants to add, or ever needs to get more income past her online business. While I used to live out west (I’m from NY), I really don’t know much about either place to tell her. I only really have been to Santa Rosa in Ca, and I thought it was a great place. Apparently, she has been there before too and that is what attracted her to California. I think she is looking to have a very similar greenish landscape to Santa Rosa. She apparently has been to Davis to visit our other cousin who lives there, but she thought it was too flat and according to her words “too many grain fields” and said she felt as she was in Kansas with not enough greenery. I on the other hand have only heard good things about Davis. I told her she should just move to Santa Rosa or San Diego as I think Roseville would be more expensive being next to Sacramento and less green. But, from what I looked up a few minutes ago, it looks like I could be wrong. She is in her mid twenties and I am guessing she would want nightlife. I don’t know, she didn’t ask. San Diego is probably good for that, and I am guessing Roseville is close to Sacramento so it couldn’t be too bad. Any input anyone has would be great.
More importantly where can she get a two bedroom in case her awesome cousin who is writing this post wants to visit.
SR is awesome. The riding out of there is just incredible. You can have wide open rolling hills (SW of town), big climbs (N of town) or get lost on lonely lanes with huge redwoods lining the road. You also can get out relatively easy to some surf spots from SR. Davis has a great community both with the University but also the tri club there. Yes, it’s flat but makes for great meandering riding in the countryside and climbs are about a 45-60min ride away in the Mayacama Mtns to the west. The climb up to Berryessa is a staple. I flat out love Davis. SR and Davis on the short list of places I’d be willing to move to from Boulder. While it’d be further from SR, Davis has good access to Tahoe for skiing and summer time cooler temps. I-80 is a smooth sail and goes by quickly. Unsure of the night life in either of these places. Davis has the college crowd and graduate school crowd but unsure if the cuz has moved past that or not. There’s also San Fran nearby if she’s really feeling the itch for a big night and you can park and take the BART in from not too far away a drive from Davis. Same goes for SR just without the BART option.
Can’t comment on Roseville even though I have a couple friends that live there (they are MTB’rs first and foremost). Folsom is a good option too, tho with all of these I (personally) think Davis and SR better options. The outdoors community is just really really rich in Davis and if that’s something she likes she’ll find a social network easily.
San Diego… SPRAWL. Depending on where she would be wanting to locate you can’t ride for much more than 7ish minutes without hitting a stoplight. I’ve trained a bunch in the area and while the weather is nice the training wasn’t great. Nightlife is really good tho!!! If she were located far east (long travels to nightlife and surfing) she’d find better riding but would also be in very generic sprawlville usa.
I have lived in Auburn for 25 years. Worked for 20 years in Roseville. Have a kid who lives in Lincoln.
Roseville is just a few miles from Sac. About 1.5 hours from Tahoe and snow skiing. Lots of great places to ride ones bike.
We have TONS of triathlons all year long. I guess we really have stuff all year long since our weather is 99% great.
Been swimming in my lake for a few weeks. Going to be 80 on Sat.
I live in Sac and I’m about 20 minutes from Roseville. The best thing about living here…less than 2 hours from Tahoe and less than 2 hours from the coast and San Francisco. You’re also 2 1/2 hours from Santa Cruz which has some nice surfing and the boardwalk. Napa (wine country) is a little over an hour away. Cost of living is much lower than San Diego. Will get hot in the summer and the winter is pretty mild. I believe we had one stretch this winter that temps were in the lower 30s.
For training, there is nothing better. Close to Auburn with great running trails (part of the Western States trail in the area), a 26 mile Parkway for runners and cyclists that starts in Discovery Park in Sac and takes you to Folsom and Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma for some nice open water swimming (until the drought makes it completely dry). Great running and triathlon community with an abundance of local races.
Not sure about the employment opportunities although hiring has picked up in the area recently.
Another Sacramento native here — Roseville is 20 minutes away. If she likes to ski, then NorCal is a good option. San Diego is prettier (coastal) but a lot more expensive. $60k a year is enough to purchase a home here — doubtful in SD.
The American River Bike Trail is 30miles of car free riding and running ---- plus kayaking – Google it.
Wow interesting. I think she is mainly interested in where is greener and most cost effective for living. She has a friend in Poway / Escondido and expressed to me interest in living there. If she goes to visit these places, I might hop on a plane to go with her. I am very interested in San Diego myself one day. And, I have never been to San Diego or the Sacramento area. Actually, I am really interested in Santa Rosa, but, like her, I don’t think I can afford that. And, while I don’t know if she wants nightlife, if I move to one of these place in 3-5 yrs or so I think i might want a little bit of it. Can’t remember if Santa Rosa had that as I was there 6 years ago for Vineman and my memory is kind of blurred by the pain and the gorgeous scenery.
Is it any better in the Poway area or Escondido area as far as traffic lights?
Wow thanks for the great information. I think she is more interested in the Poway / Escondido area. As well as which would be greener. I accidentally told her I thought San Diego. But, looks like now I might be wrong. I’m happy for all of this information because I too plan on moving out of NY one day and somewhere in Ca. Though I don’t have the luxury of just picking up and going at the moment like she does.
San Diego / SoCal is obscenely expensive and not worth what you pay for it IMO. Roseville is a much better option with her income-take it from someone with experience
Don’t take this the wrong way, but if 50-60k is her only income, then San Diego probably isn’t the place for her. She’d end up living in a shitty area or with roommates. If that’s additional on top of something else then she would probably be fine. San Diego is stupidly expensive. I’ve lived here for 14 years.
Wow thanks for the great information. I think she is more interested in the Poway / Escondido area. As well as which would be greener. I accidentally told her I thought San Diego. But, looks like now I might be wrong. I’m happy for all of this information because I too plan on moving out of NY one day and somewhere in Ca. Though I don’t have the luxury of just picking up and going at the moment like she does.
There’s nothing green about Poway or Escondido. Maybe for 3 weeks in February.
Edit on my first post, meant to say Davis is further from the ocean, not SR. Harder to get to surfing.
I don’t know rental rates in any of these areas. I’m more attuned to housing purchase price. So can’t really comment on affordability.
So while Poway/Escondido are out where riding sans stoplights and heavier traffic is possible you then are left being an energetic young professional out in anywhere usa sprawlville with no night life nearby or quick access to the ocean. It really only leaves you with the riding option. And no skiing. Best of all worlds would probably be SR as you’d be able to surf, run, ride, swim, tri on a daily basis relatively easily with escapes to Tahoe for skiing not all that difficult. Depending on how highly prized the surfing element is Davis is a solid choice too. SD just really isn’t the training heaven everyone chalks it up to be. I’ve been, I’ve trained, and thought it horrible. The only thing good about it is the reliable weather in that sense.
I grew up in Lincoln, and lived/worked in Roseville for a few years after college, but now live in SoCal. I’ve never lived in San Diego, but I go there quite a bit for races and to visit a couple of friends. Like others have mentioned, an income of 60k or less won’t go too far in SoCal for the most part. But aside from that, there are many good places to enjoy the outdoors, and lots of races, etc. However, Roseville and the surrounding areas have plenty to offer as well. Being in striking distance of some of the biggest ultra running events in the world (Western States 100, and others), being in close proximity to the Sierras, lots of lakes, the American River bike trail, and a host of other things makes it very attractive. Also, you can hope to buy a house without it costing 2 or 3 years of a neurosurgeon’s salary.
Roseville/Folsom are in the Sacramento area, it can be very hot and windy in summer and wet/foggy in the winter. But there’s a large and friendly multisport community.
But if she didn’t like all the crops around Davis, the Sacramento delta area has acres of agriculture also. Hey, the food’s got to come from someplace.
Unless you live close to the foothill communities near rt 88, it’s flat. But it is close to the Lake Tahoe area for skiing and beautiful hiking.
Sonoma county, ie, Petaluma/Santa Rosa areas closer to the ocean and have great multisport communities and cycling.
It’s got plenty of rolling hills, and agriculture, but it’s grapes. Lots and lots of grapes.
Would she consider putting her stuff in storage (like a POD,) coming out with the bare essentials and trying out some areas to see what she likes? Then get the POD moved once she’s ready to settle in.
BTW: I’ve been in North San Diego county for a long time and it’s wonderful. As was mentioned by the other ST’ers, high cost of living compared to Sacramento area.
And we don’t have anyplace close for good skiing.
PS Maybe she could register on the forum? Then she could ask us questions as they come up.
KS
Roseville/Folsom are in the Sacramento area, it can be very hot and windy in summer and wet/foggy in the winter. But there’s a large and friendly multisport community.
But if she didn’t like all the crops around Davis, the Sacramento delta area has acres of agriculture also. Hey, the food’s got to come from someplace.
Unless you live close to the foothill communities near rt 88, it’s flat. But it is close to the Lake Tahoe area for skiing and beautiful hiking.
Sonoma county, ie, Petaluma/Santa Rosa areas closer to the ocean and have great multisport communities and cycling.
It’s got plenty of rolling hills, and agriculture, but it’s grapes. Lots and lots of grapes.
Would she consider putting her stuff in storage (like a POD,) coming out with the bare essentials and trying out some areas to see what she likes? Then get the POD moved once she’s ready to settle in.
BTW: I’ve been in North San Diego county for a long time and it’s wonderful. As was mentioned by the other ST’ers, high cost of living compared to Sacramento area.
And we don’t have anyplace close for good skiing.
PS Maybe she could register on the forum? Then she could ask us questions as they come up.
KS
Roseville and Folsom are on the hilly side. The land starts to roll there leading up to the foothills. They’re all suburbs too, so there’s not much of any agriculture left there. Considerably different from Davis, IMO.
I lived in sacramento from 2000-2006. did HITS, Wildflower, Vineman, Bethel Island, Donner Lake triathlons. also Davis Stampede half marathon, Half Moon Bay Xterra. one of the best things about living in the Central Valley are the farmers markets. excellent cheap organic produce. the weather in sacramento used to wet and cold December to March and good the rest of the year. don’t know now with the drought. the bike/run trail along the American river is excellent but mostly flat, open water swimming in lake natomas. cost of living is reasonable.
overall a good place to live and do triathlons, etc.
Folsom is great (near Roseville). Out my front door I can ride 60 miles of flat terrain on the American River Trail and only see two lights (one on the way out and one on the way home). This ride can also take you to the flats of Davis with country roads. I can go the other direction and get as much climbing as I want up to Forest Hill and beyond. Folsom/Roseville are at the base of the Sierra Foothills. Great wineries up here as well. I grew up close to Santa Rosa. Also a great place but for pure outdoors we like where we’re at. The trails around Lake Natoma and Lake Folsom are great for trail runs and mtn biking. I trained for the North Face Endurance Challenge on these trails. Staple races are Donner Lake, Folsom, Challenge Rancho Cordova, IMLT (All within 90 miles). Also enjoy Wildflower and Vineman.
Wow that’s great. Sounds like she is going to visit Roseville area in June. I am going to try to go with her. Not sure if she is going to go to San Diego. Might have to cancel a race I signed up for to go with her and see if I can get off work. If I go with her I might bring my bike. Any good group road rides for hammering? Stuff like Cat 3 - Cat 1 that try to drop you? If I skip the race, wouldn’t mind something to supplement it.
Not been very wet lately which means easily able to train basically 12 months a year outside if one wants to.
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Yes, but what will you drink after your workout. Seriously, do you worry about the drought at all? I was thinking about doing a race in Fulsom to check out the area until I saw a picture of all the people walking around at the bottom of the lake. With children and grand children in San Jose, San Diego and Oahu, California would be a great place for my wife and me but I’d really like to see some rain before I think seriously about it. I did see the Desal Plant in Carlsbad. It might be the way of California’s future.
If you are referring to the Folsom Triathlon, then it’s fine. The swim in on Lake Natoma which is completely full right now (it’s run off from the bottom of Folsom Lake). There were people swimming in it yesterday (one dude without a suit - brrr!). The pictures of the people walking on the lake bed were from Feb '14. Folsom Lake is pretty full right now. The issue is that there’s no snow in the mountains and we depend on that run off to sustain the lake for the summer.
The swim for Folsom Tri and Challenge Rancho Cordova are both in Lake Natoma.
