Satori

At 1301 Richland Ave is a gated apartment complex. The landscape is actually well kept but don’t forget they add that into the price of rent. The apartment complex is huge! There are over 500 units and every one of them is two-three bedrooms. They have two pools one in the front and one in the back which is extremely busy in the summertime. Near the main office they have a gated swing set and play area for the little ones but don’t let your kids play in the sand or run around without shoes one because at night a lot of stray cats will use it as a litter box. I know . . . nasty! The gate for the complex on has two entrances and hired security that walks around a night. The down fall is this is a big community and there is only one guard. If possible try to ask if they have any available the handicap apartments (they will let you rent them) they are nicer and bigger.

If you live here you will need to have vandalism insurance on your vehicle. During my 3 + year stay I had a broken window, egged car, and slashed tires. My neighbor who parked right next to me suffered more than I ever did. They had their car keyed . . . no not in just one area of their car—all over the car. Their antenna was ripped off once and tires slashed on three different occasions.

Considering that there are over 500 apartments housing at least two people you could say parking was impossible. There is not enough room for 1000 cars. If you and your spouse (or roommate) were lucky enough to find parking your guests weren’t and that meant they parked out on the road and “hiked” in to see you. The hike at time was so far I would drive out to the street and meet them and drive them back to my place. There was only one parking spot allotted per apartment and they are not kidding. If you park in someone else’s spot I can promise you they will tow you in a heart beat.

There are always kids outside riding their bikes or playing anywhere there is grass. This is a completely family orientated living area and your children will not have a hard time finding friends. This is in the city of Ceres which is locally known as little Mexico so you will have a great deal of culture in this area.

Ok, this street is a slow and laid back street. There are older homes clumped together (older and retired people) and there are duplexes basically filled with families. The traffic is minimal and with three little parks in walking distance. The parks are so convenient that the kids don’t play in street (that’s good right). The high school is in walking distance as well as an elementary. The high school is a nice high school and the elementary is a little more focused on low income families but it has great teachers. What I really like about my street is the tree tunnel (you know where the trees on either side of the street touch and come together above you so it looks like a tunnel). The down part is it is not a modern community and all the homes are older but nice. The duplexes are boring looking and run down, but you get what you pay for!

The best part about my street is the location. You are so close (3-5 min drive) to down town and the huge library. You have all the elegant restaurants and quaint cafes, nightlife (clubs) like The Fat Cat which holds concerts and comedy shows. You have McHenry Ave. which is a main strip in Modesto only two main streets over. If you ever move over in this area your kids will be allotted $100.00 a year for local and community center activities such as sports, cooking, dancing, swimming lessons, etc. You have to go to the City Hall down town and show proof of residency and your kid’s automatically are eligible. That has to be a plus right! Since this is somewhat a low income (not poor or dangerous) area you have a great deal of benefits for a reasonable price. I have lived here for over four years and nothing crazy has happened yet. There is nothing to exciting about it either though, no block parties and such because everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.