MOVING SOON TO STOCKTON, CA

[Nix and Poppy 0]

Hello, my fiance and i will be leaving late this year to get married and settle down. We're moving to his place in Stockton, CA. During my interview i was repeatedly told by the CO that Stockton is the worst place in America in terms of crime, government, neighborhood which i didn't consider something very serious. I've been with my fiance for 3 years and i'm aware of his financial status and lifestyle so i don't expect anything above average as soon as we get married and settle down.

But if course it got me so curious about the new life waiting for me there. I did a little research online and looks like it really is a bad city, being number 1 in this year's Forbes' top 10 most miserable cities in the US. I also came across different websites that conduct social research/review and Stockton is always included in the top 5 list.

I was wondering if there's anyone here living in the same city? Or near that city? It's not my first time to get to the US but i've never been to Stockton and nobody in my family in CA knows a thing about it. In fact my cousins haven't heard of Stockton yet. I'm just a kind of curious on what to expect.. How is a "bad neighborhood" in the US like? Is it still safe to walk around, make friends and do normal stuffs outside? What about having kids and raising them?

Thanks for any input.

Edited November 15, 2009 by Nix and Poppy

[GregwedsAngel 0]

I know Stockton fairly well since my Aunt lived there for a few years. Stockton right now is fifth in the rank of the most dangerous cities in the UNITED STATES and 2nd in rank to the most violent of crimes in California. You may want to consider NOT settling there.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Stockton is far enough away from major cities that you aren't getting the high paying companies living there. A lot o the population works low,mid paying jobs. It did get swept up in the housing craziness of a few year ago and houses were being sold for a lot more than they should have. So when the market died it was hit very hard. There are lots of abandoned homes. These homes attract homeless, kids doing drugs. These people tend not to respect others and don't feel bad about violent crime.

That being said not all neighborhoods are that bad. Just remember you are young and don't have to live there forever.

[Nix and Poppy 0]

Eeeekk thanks for the tip Greg! Will have someone look for a better place to settle in asap.

[Jasman0717 8]

This was an interesting link: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bp...2009/index.html

[Nix and Poppy 0]

Thanks for the link! Louisville and Keller look sooo promising! But, wth is that? LOL. Isn't there any place in CA that looks so peaceful as that? I prefer to live in CA, lot of family on my father's side is there. Now i'm starting to do my own research because my fiance doesn't know a thing in choosing the right place..

Edited November 15, 2009 by Nix and Poppy

[kaffy 2]

If you prefer to live on the west coast you should consider the pacific northwest - oregon and washington state. a lot of people move up here from California every year so I would imagine it's a better standard of living up here

[SuperDuper! 230]

Hello, my fiance and i will be leaving late this year to get married and settle down. We're moving to his place in Stockton, CA. During my interview i was repeatedly told by the CO that Stockton is the worst place in America in terms of crime, government, neighborhood which i didn't consider something very serious. I've been with my fiance for 3 years and i'm aware of his financial status and lifestyle so i don't expect anything above average as soon as we get married and settle down.

But if course it got me so curious about the new life waiting for me there. I did a little research online and looks like it really is a bad city, being number 1 in this year's Forbes' top 10 most miserable cities in the US. I also came across different websites that conduct social research/review and Stockton is always included in the top 5 list.

I was wondering if there's anyone here living in the same city? Or near that city? It's not my first time to get to the US but i've never been to Stockton and nobody in my family in CA knows a thing about it. In fact my cousins haven't heard of Stockton yet. I'm just a kind of curious on what to expect.. How is a "bad neighborhood" in the US like? Is it still safe to walk around, make friends and do normal stuffs outside? What about having kids and raising them?

Thanks for any input.

Living in a high-crime and violent area is no place to start a family. You may not survive long enough to start one. There is no sugar coating it. Stockton is a really messed up place, and no fun to live there. Hope you make the right decision and live somewhere more safe and peaceful.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I spent a bit of time in Rancho Cucamonga back in 2001, and it was a ready-made "nice" city. Fairly cheap living, very low crime rate, near a large airport (Ontario, CA), and good climate.

It's also about an hour away from Los Angeles and less than an hour from coastal areas like Newport Beach. I'd live there (or one of the smaller cities in the area like Montclair, Covina or Claremont) if I was to be living in California.

[Golden Gate 530]

I lived in the Bay Area in Alameda. A nice little town where the cost of living is now very high.

What about Sacramento? It is just up highway 5 from Stockton. I've heard nice things about it.

[What Happened? 4]

I live 45 minutes north of stockton in sacramento. Stockton has been a problem area for as long as I can remember. I moved to northern cali in 1985. Stockton has a crime problem and there is a particular area there that is well known for its drug addicts and homeless. I would suggest not living in stockton. Sacramento is only 45 minutes north and it is a good place to raise a family. It is close to san francisco if you like excursions to the city. It is close to skiing and the mountains. It is a nice location with a relatively reasonable cost of living (compared to southern california and the bay area of california).

Good luck and best wishes

[Señor Bonito 2]

Stockton is paradise compared to 3 other towns in the Bay Area, i.e. Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo. But, if you care to settle down in that vicinity, try Pleasanton, San Ramon or Danville, all in the East Bay.

[pseith 0]

Stockton is paradise compared to 3 other towns in the Bay Area, i.e. Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo. But, if you care to settle down in that vicinity, try Pleasanton, San Ramon or Danville, all in the East Bay.

OK, I've got to defend my hood here. Oakland's got a bad rap that is deserved in some respects, and seriously off-base in others. Are there bad parts of Oakland? Oh, yeah! East Oakland...not a place to settle down with your SO. Same with West Oakland, but it's a little better. North Oakland? That's where I am and where my Filipina wife will be arriving in a week. I wouldn't call it a GOOD neighborhood. But I feel safe on the streets walking around. I know my neighbors. We're always friendly when we meet in the store or on the street. We are close to the Berkeley border, and the neighborhood gets much better as you go north from here. Is this ideally where I want to be living with my wife when she arrives? No, but it's not dangerous, it's just not ideal. We take the cards life deals us. It's not a BAD neighborhood, it could just be better, that's all.

Are there good neighborhoods in Oakland? Oh yeah! Claremont, Rockridge, Piedmont, anywhere up in the hills...along with the bad neighborhoods, there are some fabulous neighborhoods that are wonderful areas to settle down and raise a family in.

Same goes for Richmond. If you live in the Iron Triangle area there, you take your life in your own hands every time you walk out the door. But not much more than a mile away is the area of Point Richmond, which is an idyllic little community snuggled against the bay. And the Richmond hills are also a nice place to live there.

All I know of Vallejo is where my friend Trudy used to live in a condo overlooking the Carquinez strait there. Our bluegrass band used to rehearse looking out over that vista...it was pretty nice and secluded.

Many towns that have bad reps are known just for that, but there are usually good spots to be found in them. I'm not too familiar with Stockton, but there's probably nice areas there, too.

[Nix and Poppy 0]

hi guys thanks so much for the tip! was finally able to convince my fiance, thank god.. the only thing he pointed out is if we could settle in the bay area or near bay area for the sake of his job. my father initially suggested sacramento but it's too far from my fiance's job.

i called a real estate person as referred to me by my father and told her our preference. she suggested RICHMOND. my fiance is okay with it. the problem is my father who won't get us a house there because 3 filipino friends of his were mugged and murdered in that area.. so i went back to the real estate person and she suggested some places near richmond called BERKELEY, EL CERRITOS and ALBANY. okay with dad, okay with fiance. the real estate will send me pictures of the available houses once i confirmed.

any personal thoughts about these places? which of the 3 should we consider? our preference is peaceful neighborhood and accessibility. and of course my fiance's safety when he walks at night.

..by the way i asked some residents in a forum called city-data.com and all they say is stay away from california if we want to have a peaceful life. i don't know why they're so upset..

[tallcoolone 102]

California has some wierd rules and laws.

That why they are known as the land of Fruits and Nuts. I don't think you can carry a handgun in California.

Overall I have always been told and heard for the last 20 years that the worst city in the USA is Detroit Michigan