I was born and raised in San Francisco. In 1969, the family moved to Sacramento. I was 10.
Sacramento was a sprawling CA valley cow town with few problems and little to recommend it. It wasn’t too bad of a place to live.
Today Sacramento is just a bigger, nastier, more rude, more congested cow town. It doesn’t help that half of Oakland moved into places like Elk Grove and Natomas.
My old neighborhood is still nice but the large succession of Taquerias and fenced yards is constantly creeping closer. This is from the massive middle class white flight from Sacramento to Lincoln, Rocklin, Roseville, and El Dorado Hills, & etc.
1985-2007 I lived in San Francisco to work on the bay bridges. Visiting my Sacramento parents those 12 years, I saw a steady progression of crowding and decay. They sleepy cowtown became San Jose in a decade.
When I decided to return to Sacramento in 2007, I just couldn’t do it and leaped over it for the crappy little conservative cowtown of Yuba City.
Yes, Sacramento is pretty miserable living. I couldn’t go back to it after the place was ruined. I wouldn’t live in Sacramento on a bet. Compared to 1969, it has been ruined. That is hardly unique to Sacramento.
All that maybe, but they still have Gunther’s Ice Cream on Franklin Blvd!