68 replies to this topic

[Dave Burrell]

I think both areas are great places to live, honestly. I would venture to say EDH is a bit more upscale - larger homes, lots of gated communities, acreage on many homes... and it provides a much more "private" feel. Probably explains why some folks have a hard time getting to know the neighbors. Some people move to EDH for a little privacy. EDH has a wonderful downtown area, we drive up there all the time for the great movie theater. The views are amazing. I always enjoy just going for a drive up there.

Folsom is a great community. All the amenities you need, and lots of small town events like the rodeo, thursday night markets, christmas tree lighting... etc. Schools are excellent. Crime is low. Every neighborhood is different, but a lot of places in Folsom have tight neighborhoods with block parties, etc... you'll find many Folsomites on this board who have moved from the Bay Area and will rave about this town. Some other cities you won't find that as much.

I think your best bet is to get with a local realtor and they can explain your options. If you find some houses you like, look and see if any of the neighbors are out. Ask the neighbors what the vibe is there. Might answer a lot of questions. It really depends on what you want.

Good answer John

I too agree that both areas are nice. I moved to Folsom from a town near Santa Barbara and I like it better here then I did there.

Folsom (to me) is more laid back and friendly then EDH, and has more to offer as far as shopping and dining and town events, but don't get me wrong, EDH is very nice too.

John gave great advice - find a good realtor, tell him/her what you're looking for and let them get to work for you finding out everything you want to know about both perspective city's

Good luck

and btw, I'm an engineer for HP and welcome you to the area - hope you sell lots of gear!

[palango]

"We've looked at homes in Serrano and it is a beautiful place, but honestly we can't see how paying HOA fees and mello roos is worth it to live there when you don't even get a club house, pool, and gym out of it. EDH has very low crime rates so it's not like we'd be any safer living in a gated community. It would actually be more of a pain getting in and out and when you have guests, not to mention all the restrictions placed on you as a homeowner. Also, schools outside of Serrano are ranked just as high. So we really can't see the point paying monthly dues just to live there. I'd rather pay the $217 a month for a sports membership at Serrano country club and live somewhere else. That's a much better deal."

I agree with you 120%. I used to live in Serran and the HOA is the biggest ripoff/joke ever. for almost $500+ a quarter, you get your front lawn mowed, nice parks, trees, but no memberships anywhere.

Check out my top 11 reasons that I think Serrano is a Ripoff @ http://www.tomatopag...showtopic=13301.

On another note, you may want to check out the Blackstone development (if you can put up with tons of rattlers). Their HOA is a little cheaper, but you get a clubhouse, nice gym, and 3 pools with it at least + it is a solar community which will save you bigtime.

[polycat]

We have more friends after a few years in Turlock than we did in the bay area where I grew up. It sucks to leave them, but we want a better quality of life for our young kids. Hopefully people in EDH are as friendly as the people we have met in Turlock. I guess we'll find out soon enough!

Once you're in the area, I suggest your wife check out the local Mom's club, Sierra Moms. It is made up of moms mainly from Folsom/EDH. (www.sierramoms.org) It's a great way to meet other local families, and they have many events each month for kids, families, moms only, and moms & dads only. I traditionally have a hard time meeting new people, but have met some of my closes friends through my involvement in this organization.

Also, our neighborhood is amazing... the guys get together once a month for poker, and the gals have a "night out" once a month doing different things throughout the year. And we're getting ready to have our big annual 4th of July block party. We moved in and were welcomed with open arms... I can only hope your experience will be the same regardless of what neighborhood you settle in. Good luck! Please feel free to contact me if you or your wife would like more information about the area and the moms club.

[aprilfool71]

Good answer John

I too agree that both areas are nice. I moved to Folsom from a town near Santa Barbara and I like it better here then I did there.

Folsom (to me) is more laid back and friendly then EDH, and has more to offer as far as shopping and dining and town events, but don't get me wrong, EDH is very nice too.

John gave great advice - find a good realtor, tell him/her what you're looking for and let them get to work for you finding out everything you want to know about both perspective city's

Good luck

and btw, I'm an engineer for HP and welcome you to the area - hope you sell lots of gear!

Thanks Davbur! I sell to public sector accounts... there are a lot more of those in Sac than down here near Modesto, so I should have a lot more opportunity.

[aprilfool71]

"We've looked at homes in Serrano and it is a beautiful place, but honestly we can't see how paying HOA fees and mello roos is worth it to live there when you don't even get a club house, pool, and gym out of it. EDH has very low crime rates so it's not like we'd be any safer living in a gated community. It would actually be more of a pain getting in and out and when you have guests, not to mention all the restrictions placed on you as a homeowner. Also, schools outside of Serrano are ranked just as high. So we really can't see the point paying monthly dues just to live there. I'd rather pay the $217 a month for a sports membership at Serrano country club and live somewhere else. That's a much better deal."

I agree with you 120%. I used to live in Serran and the HOA is the biggest ripoff/joke ever. for almost $500+ a quarter, you get your front lawn mowed, nice parks, trees, but no memberships anywhere.

Check out my top 11 reasons that I think Serrano is a Ripoff @ http://www.tomatopag...showtopic=13301.

On another note, you may want to check out the Blackstone development (if you can put up with tons of rattlers). Their HOA is a little cheaper, but you get a clubhouse, nice gym, and 3 pools with it at least + it is a solar community which will save you bigtime.

Thanks Palango... we did check out Blackstone and we love the clubhouse and master planned community concept, and we really want a solar home. They are the only ones in the area offering all of this and they have great pricing and incentives. But the downside is that they are just getting started and we don't want to deal with construction for the next 5 years. We prefer completed (or near completion) or established neighborhoods. Also, I heard the area south of HWY 50 is not in the EDH school district that it's placerville. Is that true?

[aprilfool71]

Once you're in the area, I suggest your wife check out the local Mom's club, Sierra Moms. It is made up of moms mainly from Folsom/EDH. (www.sierramoms.org) It's a great way to meet other local families, and they have many events each month for kids, families, moms only, and moms & dads only. I traditionally have a hard time meeting new people, but have met some of my closes friends through my involvement in this organization.

Also, our neighborhood is amazing... the guys get together once a month for poker, and the gals have a "night out" once a month doing different things throughout the year. And we're getting ready to have our big annual 4th of July block party. We moved in and were welcomed with open arms... I can only hope your experience will be the same regardless of what neighborhood you settle in. Good luck! Please feel free to contact me if you or your wife would like more information about the area and the moms club.

Thanks Polycat... what neighborhood are you in? Is it Serrano?

[polycat]

Thanks Polycat... what neighborhood are you in? Is it Serrano?

Well actually I'm in Folsom, but have several friends in EDH. So I'm familiar with several "family" neighborhoods.

[Orangetj]

I basically grew up in Folsom, moved away to go to school, lived in a few other parts of the Sacto area and then moved back to Folsom for 4.5 years. It's a great town, but IMO has gotten a little bit overcrowded and has more traffic than I prefer. It also seems that some of the development of the town has happened without any real coherent look/feel and the city seems to neglect some of the more established neighborhoods in favor of the new developments. We moved to EDH early last year and have been absolutely loving it. We live in Serrano and I personally find the balance of what this neighborhood has to offer to be great for us. That said, I absolutely recognize that there are other parts of EDH that may be better for people looking for something else. While a lot of people report that utility costs are higher in EDH than Folsom, we haven't seen much of a net difference, even despite the fact that our EDH home is more than 30% larger than our Folsom home was.

Because of the growth of Folsom and what I consider to be relatively heavy in-town traffic, I find that it doesn't take me much longer at all to get to whatever shopping I need to do living in EDH than it did living in Folsom. If i need anything that I can't get at either Town Center or the Raleys center in EDH, the E. Bidwell shopping area is about 5 minutes from the EDH on-ramp. It took me longer to drive from our central Folsom home to that shopping area than it does from our home in EDH. As somebody who gets aggravated by traffic congestion and people speeding around town using neighborhood streets as cut-throughs, the sheer volume of cars driving in and through Folsom became very annoying to me.

On the asbestos issue, I personally think that's been overblown. Naturally occurring asbestos is present throughout the state of CA (in 48 counties). NOA isn't good for you, but unless you're spending time in dusty areas where natural soil surfaces are being significantly disturbed, I'd imagine your exposure will be minimal. Regarding snakes, I know they're around and I've seen several dead ones at the edges of the natural areas on our neighborhood, but we've not yet had any show up in our yard. Note that our home is positioned such that we have open space both behind us and in front of us directly across the street (great walking trail, too!) There are also snakes in Folsom, particularly in neighborhoods abutting open space. They are just part of the ecosystem here.

On the whole, I think both communities are great, but if peace and quiet is what you're after, my own experience has been that EDH has this in much greater abundance than most of Folsom. If you decide on Folsom, since you talk about like a more scenic environment, I'd suggest looking for homes near open space in Lexington Hills or the Parkway. Oh...the Parkway has HOA dues similar to those in Serrano with the same services.

[aprilfool71]

I basically grew up in Folsom, moved away to go to school, lived in a few other parts of the Sacto area and then moved back to Folsom for 4.5 years. It's a great town, but IMO has gotten a little bit overcrowded and has more traffic than I prefer. It also seems that some of the development of the town has happened without any real coherent look/feel and the city seems to neglect some of the more established neighborhoods in favor of the new developments. We moved to EDH early last year and have been absolutely loving it. We live in Serrano and I personally find the balance of what this neighborhood has to offer to be great for us. That said, I absolutely recognize that there are other parts of EDH that may be better for people looking for something else. While a lot of people report that utility costs are higher in EDH than Folsom, we haven't seen much of a net difference, even despite the fact that our EDH home is more than 30% larger than our Folsom home was.

Because of the growth of Folsom and what I consider to be relatively heavy in-town traffic, I find that it doesn't take me much longer at all to get to whatever shopping I need to do living in EDH than it did living in Folsom. If i need anything that I can't get at either Town Center or the Raleys center in EDH, the E. Bidwell shopping area is about 5 minutes from the EDH on-ramp. It took me longer to drive from our central Folsom home to that shopping area than it does from our home in EDH. As somebody who gets aggravated by traffic congestion and people speeding around town using neighborhood streets as cut-throughs, the sheer volume of cars driving in and through Folsom became very annoying to me.

On the asbestos issue, I personally think that's been overblown. Naturally occurring asbestos is present throughout the state of CA (in 48 counties). NOA isn't good for you, but unless you're spending time in dusty areas where natural soil surfaces are being significantly disturbed, I'd imagine your exposure will be minimal. Regarding snakes, I know they're around and I've seen several dead ones at the edges of the natural areas on our neighborhood, but we've not yet had any show up in our yard. Note that our home is positioned such that we have open space both behind us and in front of us directly across the street (great walking trail, too!) There are also snakes in Folsom, particularly in neighborhoods abutting open space. They are just part of the ecosystem here.

On the whole, I think both communities are great, but if peace and quiet is what you're after, my own experience has been that EDH has this in much greater abundance than most of Folsom. If you decide on Folsom, since you talk about like a more scenic environment, I'd suggest looking for homes near open space in Lexington Hills or the Parkway. Oh...the Parkway has HOA dues similar to those in Serrano with the same services.

thank you for answering my questions in so much detail... it really helps!

[tsukiji]

First, I'm from the Bay Area, moving to this area in the early 2000's. Bay Area drivers are idiots. And if you don't agree, you must be one of them. It's a pet peeve of mine so if you want to disparage anyone in the area that suggests that Bay Area drives are anything but then you'll have to contend with rebuttals from me as well. This is not to say Bay Area people are stupid or that they can't be pleasant. But when they are behind the wheel, they are idiots. This is also not to say that some people in the local area are better. The bike accident on EDH is one example where this is not the case. However, in general, I would say drivers in this area are noticeably more polite than the Bay Area, and that includes San Jose through Cupertino and Palo Alto all the way up to the City. I'll take the worst driver here and they'd still be better than the best driver on Lawrence Expressway, Central Expressway or Mathilda Ave.

I miss the convenience and diversity of the Bay Area. I have some great friends there. I have family there. The weather can't be beat. But I'll never move back. While there are great individuals, it's toxic as a society.

If you move to this area, you will find like me, that in general people are friendlier, more polite, more well mannered and more community oriented. And while I have to say that it's unfair to characterize that those of us who have moved here from the Bay Area are 'trash', there probably is some element of truth to the statement. It takes a certain kind of attitude and peolple to do well in the BA. Perhaps though, those people just need to adjust and make the transition to life in EDH. Just like not all people who grew up in EDH are automatically nice and considerate people. Personality is influenced by the evironment but it's not the only factor. People can change and can go either direction.

When we first moved here, rattlesnakes and the NOA issue was a common discussion. Serious topics without a doubt. But it depends on where you live. Mature areas are likely not to have a problem with snakes while new developments may have some issue until it's built out more. I'm no longer too worried about NOA; I think, as people have been living here a long time, that if there is a problem, I think we'd see more symptoms of it. But then, you need to make your own decision.

I think you'll find Folsom more like Cupertino and EDH more like Foothill Expressway Los Altos. Both good - just a matter of taste.

[chan_yvette]

First, I'm from the Bay Area, moving to this area in the early 2000's. Bay Area drivers are idiots. And if you don't agree, you must be one of them. It's a pet peeve of mine so if you want to disparage anyone in the area that suggests that Bay Area drives are anything but then you'll have to contend with rebuttals from me as well. This is not to say Bay Area people are stupid or that they can't be pleasant. But when they are behind the wheel, they are idiots. This is also not to say that some people in the local area are better. The bike accident on EDH is one example where this is not the case. However, in general, I would say drivers in this area are noticeably more polite than the Bay Area, and that includes San Jose through Cupertino and Palo Alto all the way up to the City. I'll take the worst driver here and they'd still be better than the best driver on Lawrence Expressway, Central Expressway or Mathilda Ave.

I miss the convenience and diversity of the Bay Area. I have some great friends there. I have family there. The weather can't be beat. But I'll never move back. While there are great individuals, it's toxic as a society.

If you move to this area, you will find like me, that in general people are friendlier, more polite, more well mannered and more community oriented. And while I have to say that it's unfair to characterize that those of us who have moved here from the Bay Area are 'trash', there probably is some element of truth to the statement. It takes a certain kind of attitude and peolple to do well in the BA. Perhaps though, those people just need to adjust and make the transition to life in EDH. Just like not all people who grew up in EDH are automatically nice and considerate people. Personality is influenced by the evironment but it's not the only factor. People can change and can go either direction.

When we first moved here, rattlesnakes and the NOA issue was a common discussion. Serious topics without a doubt. But it depends on where you live. Mature areas are likely not to have a problem with snakes while new developments may have some issue until it's built out more. I'm no longer too worried about NOA; I think, as people have been living here a long time, that if there is a problem, I think we'd see more symptoms of it. But then, you need to make your own decision.

I think you'll find Folsom more like Cupertino and EDH more like Foothill Expressway Los Altos. Both good - just a matter of taste.

Well since we are being honest here, I am a bay area transplant and I regret moving here in a major way! I am from the east bay and the only way we could afford a house was to move here. The funny thing I noticed right away was the terrible driving in this area-FAR WORST than bay area. I cant put into words how bad the driving is in the sac area,sorry but true.
I'm tired of people here calling transplants "bay area trash". Take a look in the mirror. If you decide to move here you will notice the level of sophisication does not come close to the bay area: restaurants,shopping and other things I dont care to mention. I will eventually move back but unfortunately I am stuck here for the moment. Please do research before moving here. I am just being honest folks.

[tsukiji]

Well since we are being honest here, I am a bay area transplant and I regret moving here in a major way! I am from the east bay and the only way we could afford a house was to move here. The funny thing I noticed right away was the terrible driving in this area-FAR WORST than bay area. I cant put into words how bad the driving is in the sac area,sorry but true.
I'm tired of people here calling transplants "bay area trash". Take a look in the mirror. If you decide to move here you will notice the level of sophisication does not come close to the bay area: restaurants,shopping and other things I dont care to mention. I will eventually move back but unfortunately I am stuck here for the moment. Please do research before moving here. I am just being honest folks.

Like I said, there are some people who don't drive well here. But you must be kidding in general.

And I noticed you focused on the superficial things in life. Shopping, restaurants. Yes, these are things I miss. But the sense of community and the friendliness of the people here far outweigh the superficial benefits of the Bay Area. I think you're right. You should move back as soon as you can. With the attitudes behind what you consider important in life, perhaps that's why there's an impression of 'Bay Area trash'. Just being honest.

[tsukiji]

Walnut Creek is one of the more desirable communities in the East Bay (aside from Danville/Blackhawk and a couple other places).

This is one of the first forums that come up for Walnut Creek in Yahoo search. Yea, I miss this. http://www.topix.net...walnut-creek-ca

[chan_yvette]

Like I said, there are some people who don't drive well here. But you must be kidding in general.

And I noticed you focused on the superficial things in life. Shopping, restaurants. Yes, these are things I miss. But the sense of community and the friendliness of the people here far outweigh the superficial benefits of the Bay Area. I think you're right. You should move back as soon as you can. With the attitudes behind what you consider important in life, perhaps that's why there's an impression of 'Bay Area trash'. Just being honest.

You dont know me-my family is the most important thing in the world to me-that is why I moved here!! For my family-is that superficial? And no i'm not kidding about the driving,maybe where you come from the driving is bad but the east bay is cake compared to sac town. I am anything but superficial-just because I pointed out a few FACTS about entertainment or lack of in this area does not make me superficial. And thats where you and I see things differant, there is no sense of community and friendliness in this town IMO. So dont tell me what I consider important until you walk in my shoes! Honest.

[chan_yvette]

Walnut Creek is one of the more desirable communities in the East Bay (aside from Danville/Blackhawk and a couple other places).

This is one of the first forums that come up for Walnut Creek in Yahoo search. Yea, I miss this. http://www.topix.net...walnut-creek-ca

Sorry buddy, but folsom/edh only wishes it could so desirable as Walnut creek/Danville. You want to compare crime in walnut creek to West Sac? Go ahead, I'm waiting.