I am going to be relocating to California at the end of April. I have set my sights on Southern California such as San Diego, however I may have a possible job offer in Sacramento. I am not sure if Sacramento is really where I want to be. I would like to get some comparisons maybe from people who have lived both in North and South California. I wanted to stay South mainly because of the beaches, so is there any beach life within an hour or so of Sacramento? I know San Francisco is not too far, do people hang out at the beach in San Fran.? Any advice or information about Sacramento would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, i live in Oakley, Ca, which is not too far from Sacramento, about an hour or so. I would recomend Sacramento rather than San Diego because of the atmosphere around the Bay Area. There is so much to do around here and it's also a great place to live. San Diego is a great place to visit and all, but as far as ilving I would say the Bay area. Well, hope you consider the Bay, see ya.

If warm beaches are a priority with you, go with Southern California. I live in Northern California and love it for many reasons, but our beaches tend to be cold. In nice weather, people do hang out at at the beach in San Francisco, but not in bikinis.

I would agree with both of the previous reponses. Bodega bay, and the beaches over there are about 2 hours away, but really only usable in the summer time. However, Tahoe is about 1 hour from Sacramento and has some great beaches.

You might want to consider cost of living and traffice as you look at Southern Calif and Northern Calif. Sacramento is situated very nicely between the coast, SF, Lake Tahoe, etc.

What other things are you looking for in a city besides beaches?

What orlandomtz replied is probably put best. Sacramento is a better place to live but the beaches are summer only beaches. San Diego is a very beautiful city, but is equally expensive to live in. What type of a job are you getting?

What is nice about Sacramento is it is two hours from anything--to the north, Redwood forests, scenic areas, and Napa Valley vineyards; to the east, Lake Tahoe, snow, and the rocky mountains; to the South, a ways further, Los Angeles, San Diego, and their attractions like Universal Studios, Disneyland, Magic Mountain, etc.; to the west, San Francisco, the Bay Area, and, yes, ocean beaches. But also, Sacramento itself is home to Folsom Lake--a very popular place for beach hangouts, boats, jet skiis, and all things water. Anyways, if you want more specific information about Sacramento--nightlife, things to do, living cost, house prices, local attractions, nearby attractions--I’d be more than happy to get more information about those for you.

If your planning a trip out to Sacramento (for the job), I am a real estate agent in Sacramento. I can show you around the town and since you might possibly be living here, I could gather information about where you might like to relocate.

Good luck on your decision!
MarcusPerez.com

Hello. My opinion is, if you want a beach life and if you can afford San Diego, go for it. The weather is better, the air is cleaner, the water is warmer, there is miles of beaches and the traffic is probably no worse than Sacramento. It is a two hour (or more, depending on traffic)drive to an ocean beach from Sacramento. The water is very cold here in Northern California and if you are a surfer, the best places are three hours away around Santa Cruz. Our northern beaches are beautiful but very rugged cliffs and limited access in many areas. Sacramento is closer to good snow sports than San Diego would be, if that is a factor for you. Sacramento is a good central location to get to some beautiful areas (Sierra Nevadas, Napa Wine region, Coastal Redwoods, San Francisco) but then so is San Diego (Southern Wine regions, Los Angeles/Hollywood, San Gabriel Mountains, warm sandy beaches, deserts, Mexico). By the way, I live 20 minutes out of Sacramento........right now I have been fogged in all day, it's bloody cold and I wish I were in San Diego. :c)