Sacramento, CA

I took the above photo a few weekends ago, while M and I wandered around downtown and old town Sacramento. I’m falling for this city; I think it’s an underrated California “gem”. It fits what she and I were looking for.

We wanted a small-big city. Though I will always love Southern California (Ventura County, Greater Los Angeles), and it’s urban sprawl and wonderful diversity, I wanted something more… rural? Not sure if that’s the right word. I wanted a place where I could get “city life” yet still be amongst farms.

This is it. We’re in suburban Sacramento, just a 7-minute drive to downtown. Our neighborhood is uber quiet, across form a park, and filled with young families. On weekends and evenings, we can jet into the city to get our culture (food, events, sports, shopping, etc.) without much fuss. Dinners out are awesome; just a $5-10 Lyft ride so we both can drink and laugh and enjoy without much worry about finding/paying for parking or DUIs.

The rivers (Sacramento and American) are gorgeous. Folsom Lake is so close, too. No shortage of recreational and scenic waterscapes around here.

We’re a quick drive to the bay area, Redwood National Park, Yosemite, Santa Cruz/Monterey, and more. A little longer, and we can drive to Southern CA, Portland, and more places our family and friends are in. It’s central to the people and places we want in our lives.

Now that we have the location settled, it’s time we start taking advantage. Quality of life… that’s what all of this is about.