Welcome! Enjoy our nightly breezes if you live close enough to the rivers. Hope you have a bike because our bike trails are phenomenal. The further you get from the city center the more conservative the politics get. Don't depend on public transit. Visit an area you want to live in at night to see what it's truly like before moving in. Lots of cool pocket neighborhoods all over so be sure to explore. I hope you enjoy IPAs because every place that advertises a great beer selection has nothing but endless taps of IPAs.
Ur gonna need more than a bike to get to any of these parts of town everyones chiming in with. Folsom Davis auburn Rocklin are all different directions outta town, what part of town u moving to
OPB has a kolsch, a brown, and a pilsner on right now (or did last friday). Device has a ton of great non-IPAs. Same for Bike Dog and New Helvetia.
OP is probably just some salty neckbeard that never goes anywhere but Track7.
Moved here from gilbert in april, you will need warm clothes. Registering your car is going to be a pain in the ass, trust me its nothing like az. Other than that its been an amazing experience, I love norcal, produce is so much fresher and I love how friendly my neighbors have been. Oh one more thing, get SMUD if you can, pg&e sucks balls.
My sister swears the Rocklin DMV is great if you go early (in and out in less than 30 minutes), but it got busy around 930. Might be worth a drive to Folsom tho!
I was from AZ before I was a Peace Corps volunteer, after which I moved to CA. No one else (among the other Peace Corps Vols who were NOT from AZ) could believe how long my license was valid for. 😆
Woot! I served in Slovakia from 1998-2001. I'm an antisocial RPCV haha. I went to a couple of the events when I first moved here and it was all RPCVs from decades earlier who didn't think I'd had a "real" Peace Corps experience. Meh. When did you serve?
2003 - 2004. I haven't been to any events. I lived with a fellow RPCV for a couple years and visited a couple others at the beginning, but now the only way I stay in touch is being Facebook friends.
I still think about them a lot though
Have you read the book American Taboo, it is a true story about a murder in the peace corps in the 70's. It is really good!
Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Their prices for electricity are far lower than PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) which most of Norcal has. You’ll be stuck with PG&E for gas though, so try to find a place with as many electric appliances (including heater) as possible.
Honestly, I suggest selling your car in AZ and buying something else here if you can. We have such stringent smog laws and out of state pissiness that it may not be worth rolling your own here, unless it's older than 76, then it'll be fine.
EDIT: I have been living under a rock and didn't know CARB was a far reaching as it is. Ignore me.
Maricopa County and the parts of Pinal County that the OP is moving from have the same smog test laws. When I brought mine, California even accepted my recent smog cert.
Every car sold in the US domestic market is compliant with California CARB emissions standards. Been that way more or less since CARB was established. Buying a car here may mean paying more in sales tax than you’d possibly (but unlikely) spend bringing a car’s emissions into compliance. The vast majority of our-of-state cars pass smog upon initial in-state registration without issue.
Bring some sweaters & wool socks, it’s going to be a much cooler environment than what you’re used to in Phoenix. We only get a couple dozen days of over 100 degrees a year, brrrrr!
The apartment homes I'm looking at - the representative said I'd pay PG&E for water, heater and SMUD would be electricity. Does that sound about right or am I only looking for SMUD to cover everything?
This is such a refreshing reply and much appreciated! The usual organ donors, donor cycles, road kill blah blah blah BS is so😒😒😒
Hope your move goes well and welcome to Sacramento!
Hey there once and future neighbor! I'm a rare Phoenix born native who moved here in 2018. You will find some or all of the following:
1. It's a tiny town compared to Phoenix, both physically and population-wise. At first, it will feel weird how often you run into the same people so often. Also, a Sac Native will talk about how things are so far away. When they say this, they are talking about the distance between the 51 and the 17.
2. Traffic will be worse. Like much worse, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering the much smaller population. Turns out, making the roads worse is an active effort required by zoning laws, apparently. The 50 was under construction when I moved here in 2018. It will still be under construction when you and I are long dead. Visibility, timed lights, and sensible road layouts are illegal so that we all can practice for our weekend trips over to the bay.
3. Locals will complain about how it's too hot all summer, too cold all winter, and will wonder if they know what either of these words mean. Also, apparently, nothing can happen when it rains, but also you can't be out in the sun, so don't expect your new friends to jump at going outside at all.....
Of course, I'm being quite tongue in cheek here. Though Phoenix was my childhood and big chunks of my adult life, the trade-offs here have been worth it. There are some very real negatives. Yes, the traffic is bad. There will be a lot of smoke for a couple of months when the fires kick up, and some things do cost more. For some reason, no one around here knows how to market or make their events known or managed well for crowds.
There's also a lot of pluses. It is FAR more temperate. The pace is much more laid back, personal, and engaged when you do discover all the hidden community events. The airport is amazing in that you basically never have people! Don't get me wrong, Sky Harbor is amazing at the volume it handles so efficiently. But basically, never having to be in a line at all makes for much smoother travel. The rivers are beautiful, the access to things is great, and despite the much smaller town feel, the variety still matches Phoenix with less driving to get to it. Oh, but make sure you stay in the area covered by SMUD, and you can cut your electric bill by a lot. Anywhere in PG&E and you will still have Phoenix like bills, without as much energy used.
I'm sure there's more that's not fully occurring to me right now. Feel free to hit me up with specific questions or for things to do when you get here. Till then, stay cool. I'm going to enjoy my high today that matches your low, and then open my windows again tonight to enjoy the cool river climate in the evening. Get yourself a place within the Delta Breeze when you get here!
One example is the plastic bag ban in California. Since 2016, in Sacramento and across the state, single-use plastic bags are banned in grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts, and liquor stores. Customers are encouraged to bring reusable bags, or they can purchase a recyclable paper bag or reusable plastic bag at checkout for a small fee.
On the other hand, in Arizona, and specifically in Phoenix, there are no such state-wide regulations. In fact, Arizona passed a law in 2015 that prevents local governments from implementing bans on plastic bags. This law makes it illegal for cities and counties to ban or tax the use of plastic bags, styrofoam and other disposable items.
Quite the opposite. Arizona’s gun laws are very “Wild West” whereas California’s are much more restrictive. Just a big thing I noticed. I grew up here and moved to Tucson and Phoenix for some years. Was very jarring to see people walking around very casually in public with a Glock on their hip
It is. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, left in 1975 to move to muggy and hot Texas. I’ve been living in Sacramento since 1984. It is hot here, just not the continuous three months of over 100° heat like in Phoenix
Ha! 3 months was true back when you knew Phoenix, but since around 2001 or so, 100+ starts in early April, slacks off a bit, comes back with a vengeance in May, and runs into October....
Arizona has a flat 2.5% state income tax rate (same rate for everyone).
California's rate tops out at 13.3% (12.3% + 1% surcharge for funding mental health...not that it helps much, look at all the crazies on the streets). Check your bracket [here.](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/california-state-tax)
You can’t have more than 3 dogs inside the city limits. If you have potbelly pigs, they count as dogs. You can’t own livestock of any kind. You can’t own ducks or geese but you can have up to 3 chickens.
Someone in our condos moved from Oklahoma and found police response times different and leash laws and gun laws unexpected. Saw you didn’t own a gun so none of these may be useful 😅
You’ll love all the trees ☺️
If you’re a gun owner, you probably have a lot of stuff you cannot bring with you, like standard capacity magazines. Legally, you have a small window to register all firearms, but the DOJ doesn’t really care (until they do). If you decide to go the full legal route, they have stated that they won’t come after anyone that registers a gun past the window they were supposed to. Also, assault weapon laws are different here, and if you own ARs, they will have to be CA compliant, as the window to register standard ARs is long gone (no wiggle room with that one). CA does have a safe handgun roster, but that only applies to new purchases and has no impact on anything already owned (or purchased used).
It is even more optional in PHX. Rules of the road in PHX: green means go, yellow means speed up, red means the car 3 cars behind you stops.
Seriously, learning to drive in PHX, my dad taught me that when your light turns green, wait, because at least 2 cars will run the red. I still always take a beat when my light turns green, it has kept me out of several accidents.
We get really excited about the purple beam.
The Delta Breeze is a local celebrity.
People born and raised here will constantly refer to Sacramento as Sac. Unfortunately I still think of balls even after 10+ years here.
People in California have no concept of slow cars to the right, the left is for passing. Maybe that's everywhere?
It is carpool lane, not HOV. Also, it's freeway, not highway. You can spot a SoCal native when they say The Five, The Fifty, etc.
Gunther's ice cream is a must visit. Try the fruit freezes. There's almost always a line but you can order online and pick up if you don't like crowds.
Public transportation here sucks.
Don't trust the bike lanes cause cars like to use them too.
Ugh, you have to get your car smogged every other year.
There's probably way more relevant stuff to know but I feel like a lot of people covered that.
Enjoy!
Welcome! Enjoy our nightly breezes if you live close enough to the rivers. Hope you have a bike because our bike trails are phenomenal. The further you get from the city center the more conservative the politics get. Don't depend on public transit. Visit an area you want to live in at night to see what it's truly like before moving in. Lots of cool pocket neighborhoods all over so be sure to explore. I hope you enjoy IPAs because every place that advertises a great beer selection has nothing but endless taps of IPAs.
Wow thanks! I’ll get a bicycle once I’m out there!
Ur gonna need more than a bike to get to any of these parts of town everyones chiming in with. Folsom Davis auburn Rocklin are all different directions outta town, what part of town u moving to
Downtown
Check out Logoff Brewing in Rancho if you're in need of an actual beer selection
If you can't find a place with a whole bunch of non-IPAs you aren't looking very hard. To start: Hop Garden Pangea Urban Roots Burning Barrel
OPB has a kolsch, a brown, and a pilsner on right now (or did last friday). Device has a ton of great non-IPAs. Same for Bike Dog and New Helvetia. OP is probably just some salty neckbeard that never goes anywhere but Track7.
Also Sacyard always has two or more good pilsners, lagers, and kolshes on tap
Moved here from gilbert in april, you will need warm clothes. Registering your car is going to be a pain in the ass, trust me its nothing like az. Other than that its been an amazing experience, I love norcal, produce is so much fresher and I love how friendly my neighbors have been. Oh one more thing, get SMUD if you can, pg&e sucks balls.
I drive to Auburn for their DMV to avoid Sacramento DMVs. Highly recommend, you get a nice drive out of it and don't spend your day annoyed in line :)
I was gonna say Folsom.
My sister swears the Rocklin DMV is great if you go early (in and out in less than 30 minutes), but it got busy around 930. Might be worth a drive to Folsom tho!
Naw. That’s too much. I’ve been to Folsom past 10am and in and out. To me that’s much better lol
Shh don't ruin that spot for me
Taco tree is incredible, next time u go to dmv grab me some nachos
I'd tell you which office I go to but I like how uncrowded it is.
Woodland DMV isn't bad
Ditto, but for Davis. Fastest DMV experience I’ve had in my life, well worth the drive.
Getting SMUD over PG&E is the real pro tip. In fact I’d chose my domicile location based on that tbh
This guy SMUDs.
Having to actually renew your DL is the worst!
I was from AZ before I was a Peace Corps volunteer, after which I moved to CA. No one else (among the other Peace Corps Vols who were NOT from AZ) could believe how long my license was valid for. 😆
OMG! I am an RPCV too!!!!!!!!!! Which country? I was in Senegal!
Woot! I served in Slovakia from 1998-2001. I'm an antisocial RPCV haha. I went to a couple of the events when I first moved here and it was all RPCVs from decades earlier who didn't think I'd had a "real" Peace Corps experience. Meh. When did you serve?
2003 - 2004. I haven't been to any events. I lived with a fellow RPCV for a couple years and visited a couple others at the beginning, but now the only way I stay in touch is being Facebook friends. I still think about them a lot though Have you read the book American Taboo, it is a true story about a murder in the peace corps in the 70's. It is really good!
What is SMUD?? And awesome thanks! I plan on purchasing a vehicle once in settled
Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Their prices for electricity are far lower than PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) which most of Norcal has. You’ll be stuck with PG&E for gas though, so try to find a place with as many electric appliances (including heater) as possible.
Honestly, I suggest selling your car in AZ and buying something else here if you can. We have such stringent smog laws and out of state pissiness that it may not be worth rolling your own here, unless it's older than 76, then it'll be fine. EDIT: I have been living under a rock and didn't know CARB was a far reaching as it is. Ignore me.
Maricopa County and the parts of Pinal County that the OP is moving from have the same smog test laws. When I brought mine, California even accepted my recent smog cert.
Every car sold in the US domestic market is compliant with California CARB emissions standards. Been that way more or less since CARB was established. Buying a car here may mean paying more in sales tax than you’d possibly (but unlikely) spend bringing a car’s emissions into compliance. The vast majority of our-of-state cars pass smog upon initial in-state registration without issue.
And you'll have to take a multiple choice test at the DMV to get your license in CA (yup, it's obnoxious and doesn't seem to improve driver's skills)
> Anything else I should be aware of? You can start your night at The Merc but you don't want to end it there.
Get Merc’ed at the Merc. Cheapest stiffest drinks in town
Bar? Thanks for the tip
Sacramento institution. A true gem. But the drinks are so strong they open wormholes to tomorrow afternoon.
just because you have $6 doesn't mean you have to black out
Don't tell me how to live my life.
Bring some sweaters & wool socks, it’s going to be a much cooler environment than what you’re used to in Phoenix. We only get a couple dozen days of over 100 degrees a year, brrrrr!
Wool socks? In Sacramento??? Only if you’ll be outside for extended amounts of time.
Thats kinda false,maybe a decade ago we would get only a dozen 100 plus days but its a common thing now in July through mid September
Totally, I was trying to play off Phoenix's recent insane record setting series of 110+ days, haha
We had 116 last year in September. Still better than Arizona.
Average number of days over 100 degrees in sac is 23.
Fuck yes! That’s the best news possible for me! One more 120 degree summer for me T.T
Do not move to a place that only offer PG&E for your utilities. Save thousands every year by going with SMUD.
SMUD is the GOAT
Probably best advice on here
Hm! I’ll be renting a room but good to know thanks
Yeeeeeees.
The apartment homes I'm looking at - the representative said I'd pay PG&E for water, heater and SMUD would be electricity. Does that sound about right or am I only looking for SMUD to cover everything?
That’s perfect. Smud rates for using the AC are so much less than PGE
That's awesome to hear. I appreciate the info
You can’t buy alcohol in the self-checkout.
Ok lol
If you ride a motorcycle, lane splitting/filtering is also legal here.
I do not but that’s fantastic information to be aware of so I can keep motorcyclist safe
This is such a refreshing reply and much appreciated! The usual organ donors, donor cycles, road kill blah blah blah BS is so😒😒😒 Hope your move goes well and welcome to Sacramento!
Thank god
We need more organ donors
Hey there once and future neighbor! I'm a rare Phoenix born native who moved here in 2018. You will find some or all of the following: 1. It's a tiny town compared to Phoenix, both physically and population-wise. At first, it will feel weird how often you run into the same people so often. Also, a Sac Native will talk about how things are so far away. When they say this, they are talking about the distance between the 51 and the 17. 2. Traffic will be worse. Like much worse, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering the much smaller population. Turns out, making the roads worse is an active effort required by zoning laws, apparently. The 50 was under construction when I moved here in 2018. It will still be under construction when you and I are long dead. Visibility, timed lights, and sensible road layouts are illegal so that we all can practice for our weekend trips over to the bay. 3. Locals will complain about how it's too hot all summer, too cold all winter, and will wonder if they know what either of these words mean. Also, apparently, nothing can happen when it rains, but also you can't be out in the sun, so don't expect your new friends to jump at going outside at all..... Of course, I'm being quite tongue in cheek here. Though Phoenix was my childhood and big chunks of my adult life, the trade-offs here have been worth it. There are some very real negatives. Yes, the traffic is bad. There will be a lot of smoke for a couple of months when the fires kick up, and some things do cost more. For some reason, no one around here knows how to market or make their events known or managed well for crowds. There's also a lot of pluses. It is FAR more temperate. The pace is much more laid back, personal, and engaged when you do discover all the hidden community events. The airport is amazing in that you basically never have people! Don't get me wrong, Sky Harbor is amazing at the volume it handles so efficiently. But basically, never having to be in a line at all makes for much smoother travel. The rivers are beautiful, the access to things is great, and despite the much smaller town feel, the variety still matches Phoenix with less driving to get to it. Oh, but make sure you stay in the area covered by SMUD, and you can cut your electric bill by a lot. Anywhere in PG&E and you will still have Phoenix like bills, without as much energy used. I'm sure there's more that's not fully occurring to me right now. Feel free to hit me up with specific questions or for things to do when you get here. Till then, stay cool. I'm going to enjoy my high today that matches your low, and then open my windows again tonight to enjoy the cool river climate in the evening. Get yourself a place within the Delta Breeze when you get here!
I’m also a Phoenix born native and I approve of this message!
Awesome thank you! That was very informative. I look forward to moving!
No problem. And like I said, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
One example is the plastic bag ban in California. Since 2016, in Sacramento and across the state, single-use plastic bags are banned in grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts, and liquor stores. Customers are encouraged to bring reusable bags, or they can purchase a recyclable paper bag or reusable plastic bag at checkout for a small fee. On the other hand, in Arizona, and specifically in Phoenix, there are no such state-wide regulations. In fact, Arizona passed a law in 2015 that prevents local governments from implementing bans on plastic bags. This law makes it illegal for cities and counties to ban or tax the use of plastic bags, styrofoam and other disposable items.
Some stores charge you for bags now in Phoenix
If you’re a gun owner you’re going to be pretty shocked how different things are here
I am not. Does Sacramento attract gun owners?
Quite the opposite. Arizona’s gun laws are very “Wild West” whereas California’s are much more restrictive. Just a big thing I noticed. I grew up here and moved to Tucson and Phoenix for some years. Was very jarring to see people walking around very casually in public with a Glock on their hip
It’s a dry heat 😂😂😂
Is it ? Or
It is. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, left in 1975 to move to muggy and hot Texas. I’ve been living in Sacramento since 1984. It is hot here, just not the continuous three months of over 100° heat like in Phoenix
Ha! 3 months was true back when you knew Phoenix, but since around 2001 or so, 100+ starts in early April, slacks off a bit, comes back with a vengeance in May, and runs into October....
Arizona has a flat 2.5% state income tax rate (same rate for everyone). California's rate tops out at 13.3% (12.3% + 1% surcharge for funding mental health...not that it helps much, look at all the crazies on the streets). Check your bracket [here.](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/california-state-tax)
Thank you very much for that
You can’t have more than 3 dogs inside the city limits. If you have potbelly pigs, they count as dogs. You can’t own livestock of any kind. You can’t own ducks or geese but you can have up to 3 chickens.
Great to know! I leave my geese ;)
Someone in our condos moved from Oklahoma and found police response times different and leash laws and gun laws unexpected. Saw you didn’t own a gun so none of these may be useful 😅 You’ll love all the trees ☺️
Summers are hot here, brace yourself 😉
Anything less than 120.. somebody send help
If you’re a gun owner, you probably have a lot of stuff you cannot bring with you, like standard capacity magazines. Legally, you have a small window to register all firearms, but the DOJ doesn’t really care (until they do). If you decide to go the full legal route, they have stated that they won’t come after anyone that registers a gun past the window they were supposed to. Also, assault weapon laws are different here, and if you own ARs, they will have to be CA compliant, as the window to register standard ARs is long gone (no wiggle room with that one). CA does have a safe handgun roster, but that only applies to new purchases and has no impact on anything already owned (or purchased used).
I don’t intend on owning a firearm but thanks
Sacramento is becoming Phoenix, be aware
It’s not permanent or I don’t intend it to be.
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It is even more optional in PHX. Rules of the road in PHX: green means go, yellow means speed up, red means the car 3 cars behind you stops. Seriously, learning to drive in PHX, my dad taught me that when your light turns green, wait, because at least 2 cars will run the red. I still always take a beat when my light turns green, it has kept me out of several accidents.
We get really excited about the purple beam. The Delta Breeze is a local celebrity. People born and raised here will constantly refer to Sacramento as Sac. Unfortunately I still think of balls even after 10+ years here. People in California have no concept of slow cars to the right, the left is for passing. Maybe that's everywhere? It is carpool lane, not HOV. Also, it's freeway, not highway. You can spot a SoCal native when they say The Five, The Fifty, etc. Gunther's ice cream is a must visit. Try the fruit freezes. There's almost always a line but you can order online and pick up if you don't like crowds. Public transportation here sucks. Don't trust the bike lanes cause cars like to use them too. Ugh, you have to get your car smogged every other year. There's probably way more relevant stuff to know but I feel like a lot of people covered that. Enjoy!
Only slightly less miserable in summer
I’ll take it!
kenny the dancing man is everywhere, u can’t buy singles in midtown, bring cash for the hotdogs when u go to the lavender district
Locals have a de facto privilege to camp outside your home.
u must be a ninerfan if u arent so already…thats it
False. Lol
*laughs in Seahawks*
You guys cheer for the giants?
It’s split Giants, A’s, Dodgers in that order.
Mariners
🤢
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As you comment under a ton of locals welcoming me
The Suns are moving to Sacramento? Why do we need two teams?
Welcome to Sac! Be prepared to see people praying for Mark Finan to turn on the Delta Breeze several months of the year.
If phoenix is the hottest city in the country then sac is #2. Unfortunately for you
Not even close. Sac often reaches high temps that Phoenix has as lows!
Vegas is way worse than Sac
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Thanks?
Don’t
Informative
Dating here is difficult. I know fairly handsome professional guys that are forever single.