AmandaC

A drive on Riverside Blvd. will take you through several different neighborhoods, some nicer than others. Driving from where Riverside hits Broadway (at the Target), and towards South Land Park, Riverside travels through one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the area. Many of the houses look like cottages, and the trees are gorgeous. Despite the name "Riverside", you rarely glimpse the river at all, although you are traveling right by it. The neighborhood gets a bit shadier for a while, but then becomes nice again as it goes through 43rd Avenue and goes into some of the older neighborhoods.

We lived right off of Windbridge, and we loved this area. The street is usually quiet and home to many families of different stages. There are several parks and schools in the area, and a nice shopping center with all of the basic stores, including one hole in the wal Mexican restaurant that was my absolute favorite. There are lots of houses for rent and several apartment complexes, so there is a rather high turnover, but it is still a safe neighborhood. Windbridge is also where the 4th of July parade takes place, which is a great community event.

Until you get past Sacramento and down to Elk Grove, Franklin Blvd is a seriously scary street, and should be avoided at all costs. We used to live in the area, and before I knew better, I drove down the street a few times. People who looked homeless, strung out on drugs, and gang members were abundant everywhere. Every night on the news, we'd hear about shootings or gang activity in the area. Sadly, the activity has spread to some of the surrounding neighborhoods that used to be quite nice.

Front Street hugs the riverfront in Old Sacramento and is where you can find one of the most beautiful views of the city. In the evening, the street is the perfect spot for a romantic stroll (especially if you've just eaten at the Firehouse restaurant!). On the other side of the street is Old Sacramento shopping- lots of tourist shops and places where locals stop in on the weekends to browse. There's also a smoked fish store where you can get delicious smoked fish sandwiches, a small Greek restaurant, and a dog treat store. The train museum is a great place to take older kids.

Greenhaven is a beautiful street full of nice homes and several parks. We enjoyed living in this area for several years. It's quiet, but right off of I-5, so shopping is not too far away. There's also a nice shopping center with a Nugget (an upscale grocery store), and several basic fast food places. I loved having a 24 hour Burger King right around the corner! Housing in this area is very expensive, but rentals are actually usually some of the cheapest in the region, which attracts many young families.

The first few blocks of Florin Road are nice (we lived in a court on its first block), but once you go over the freeway to the East, you are in one of the most rundown and dangerous areas in Sacramento. The houses in the neighborhood have bars on their windows, and crime is rampant. We had friends held up at gunpoint in the Walmart parking lot, and the Florin Mall became so dangerous that no decent person would ever dare go in. The rest of the shopping centers are rundown and full of stores I would never shop in. Don't even think about driving down the street at night. It's a scary place!

To many, the Garden Highway is just a quick shortcut from the outlying areas of Sacramento to the heart of the city. But the Garden Highway is also a lovely scenic route that follows the river and goes right by one of Sacramento's most beautiful areas: Discovery Park. This is a great place for a picnic, or to take a hike. We spend a ot of time here as a family, and I always try to take visiting friends to this area. Once the scenic areas are behind you, you will find yourself in the busier areas of Sacramento on either side, and with it comes a lot more traffic.

If your looking for shopping, you probably have to look no further than Arden Way. A quick hop off of Business 80, and you're instantly at the mall and its surrounding stores. Arden is also home to popular restaurants, such as The Cheesecake Factory, and The Elephant Bar and Grill (one of my personal favorites). Driving in this area takes nerves of steel and quick reflexes, and the back-up at the lights can be a nightmare, particularly at Christmas time when the mall is packed with holiday shoppers. When I was younger, I used to love to shop on Arden Way, but now I usually avoid it because of the crowds.

We lived on Durfee Way for two years, and it was a wonderful place to raise our family. The neighborhood was nearly always quiet and peaceful, but full of young families with small children. A huge, beautiful park was just around the corner, and it had the added attraction of being right on the canals. We would take nature walks to see the ducks, latest ducklings, and even families of turtles.
The sense of community on this street was wonderful, and we were also in the district for the top elementary school in the area.
Grocery shopping is literally right around the corner, but you will have to drive to Elk Grove or further into Sacramento for anything more.
I would move back there in a heartbeat!

South Land Park Drive is a long street that runs through many neighborhoods, but the area between Seamus and Broadway is its most beautiful scenery. The houses are old and the trees are thick and somewhat overgrown, but it makes the street look like something from the East Coast, particularly in the Fall. Along the way, there is South Land Park- a beautiful park that is expansive, and a great place for picnics. You'll also pass the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland, which are all nestled in one area of the park We spend a lot of time here with our kids!