Davis, California

jmtb02
3mo ago
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I lived in Orange County for seven years, also grew up around where you lived. Here's some of my thoughts:

• Car culture exists here, but way less than Southern California. If you lived in OC you're used to driving to everything. Here you can use a bike/scooter/etc to get around fairly easily, and Davis has some of the best bike infrastructure in the US. You'll probably want a car if you want to get out of Davis or have hobbies/family/etc to visit elsewhere. Traffic is predictable, I-80 is the artery of our area and gets busy during rush hour

• Restaurant/bars close earlier, but there is a pretty good selection of food options for a city our size. You might be missing certain genres and favorites moving here (OC has a pretty kickass food scene) but Sacramento is not far, or the Bay Area at large for that matter depending on what you're looking for

• Davisites are kind as fuck. It is a much less free-for-all energy than I was used to in OC. People care about each other differently here, not to say OC people don't but everyone seems just genuinely nice here. It's a community for sure.

• Sacramento is nearby. If you need city energy it's there, they have shows/sports teams/nightlife that Davis has less of.

• It gets cold here, like 30-40F. You need warmer clothes in the winter months.

• It gets hot here, like 100F+ often. Southern California gets hot but not this hot.

• It's a whole different vibe. I love it here, I miss so many things in OC (restaurants, beach access, Disneyland) but you're a one hour flight away (also SMF is awesome, easy to get to) if you ever need to go back.

FishAreSpiffy
3mo ago
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I moved here from Miami once upon a time, so that was a bit of an adjustment! I think it's exactly what you expect it will be -- it's technically a small city but feels like a town. There's a lot of people here, but many are students so the summer is much more quiet and low-key than the school year (personally, I like having the students around but not all residents do). It's a quiet, pleasant place to live. Very walk- and bikeable, great downtown. Summers are much hotter than you're used to, but it cools off most nights. The town itself is a bit of a quiet oasis, but there's plenty of commerce, food, and nightlife a short drive away (15-20 min) in Sac and you can easily get to SF, the coast, or the mountains. It's a great place to live and work if it suits your personality, but if you are a hardcore city person, you'll hate it.

Oswaldofuss6
3mo ago
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I lived in Orange County for a bit. Went to JuCo at saddleback. The biggest changes from that place are:

People are ACTUALLY nice.

You don't have to drive for literally every in town errand.

Weather, having seasons.

Lack of "big box stores" in town minus Target.

Actual community

Other than that, Davis is a quirky college town with a lot of different people from all backgrounds(although, still pretty fucking white 😆) and they take pride in their community. Sacramento is very close and SF is not very far. All easy to get to.

nobinthewoods
1y ago
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As others have said, DJUSD is outstanding. You can’t go wrong. My kids went to North Davis all throughout elementary and loved it. I always felt they were getting the best opportunities and education. My son with special needs had an IEP and I’m so glad he was at North Davis. I feel that the teachers really worked with his strengths and helped him thrive.

Pros & Cons of Living in Davis California