City vs. County

Which is best, city or county?

I now live in the county, just outside the city limit. But I still miss the city. I grew up in East Sacramento, next to East Lawn. By high school, we’d moved to the edge of Carmichael; by college, I’d moved back downtown. I’ve lived city, suburb and rural, in every corner of the county. I still like the city neighborhoods best, but a couple years ago I happened to trip across the perfect house for me in the county, so there I am.

In my dealings with the various bureaucracies, I have to say that the city beats the county every time, in my experience. Overall, I found living in the city much more pleasant and interesting.

Let’s go to the list:

— Fire Department. City Fire becomes the subject of nationwide attention and jokes on Leno and Letterman. Metro Fire stays loyal to their spouses and works on their mustaches.
— Police Department. City: Coolest police dogs ever. I once saw one drop a “perp” in my very own backyard. Five minutes later he was being petted by the neighborhood children. What a pro. As for the human cops … Black-and-whites look like “law enforcement” to me. Green? Phooey. Never called 911 in the city that the cops weren’t there in 10 minutes. County: I called the Sheriff once. I’m still waiting.
— Trees. City: Sycamore and Elms. The corridors of shade on T street and H by the river. Mmmmmm. County: Trees?
— Houses. City: Gorgeous, sturdy Pre-WWII housing stock, and even the ’40s stuff is nice. Laid out for walking, in grids not cul-de-sacs. County: The newer stuff is rotting before your eyes.
— Food. CIty: Everything from quirky dives to authentic ethnic to celebrity chef. County: TGI Fridays and the Cheesecake Factory. ‘Nuff said.
— Garbage. City will rent you a Dumpster. County offers you a free extra recycling bin. And that’s after a 20-minute hold on the phone. How am I supposed to clean out my garage with an extra recycling bin?
— Streets. City: Capitol Avenue. County: Fulton Avenue.
— Hardware: City: Hollywood Hardware, Yankee Hardware. East Sacramento Hardware. They can answer your questions! County: Home Depot. If you don’t know what you want, you’re screwed.
— Movies: City: Tower. People actually watch the movies. County: Century. Cell-phone yakkers and screen talk-backers.
— Elected officials. My city council reps knew me by sight and by name. (Darrell Steinberg, then Dave Jones) Junk car in the neighborhood? They got it removed. County supes? I’m still waiting, and that battered old Lincoln with three flats ain’t getting any better looking.

That’s my starter list. Something to offend every one, I figure. What’s your take on it?

9 thoughts on “City vs. County”

  1. Sounds about right to me; I narrowly missed living on the other side of the city limits when I moved back to Sac. Glad I stayed in town.

    What is it with firemen and mustaches, anyway? That seems to be a universal constant.

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  2. It’s obvious that I would say this, but –
    City: RT, baby!
    County: Pay more than $3/gallon for the privilege of sitting in traffic.

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  3. I’d love a comparison of the parks. I don’t go to many parks in county but I don’t know how you compete with Land, McKinley, East Portal, etc. The maturation of the trees is a major issue…

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  5. Sorry to rain on your City Strokefest, but let’s remember some of the really great things about the county, shall we:
    A) Some of the best schools in the state (El Camino, Rio Americano, Jesuit etc)
    B) Recreation areas abound (Lake Natoma, Folsom lake, bike trail, acquatic center etc)
    C) Non-chain upscale eating (Mandarin, Slocum House, Cafe Vinoteca)
    D) Ample parking
    E) Beautiful postwar neighborhoods (Arden Park, Sierra Oaks, Garden of the Gods)
    F) Beautiful trees: Fair Oaks, Arden Oaks, and many other types of oaks that are near and far from the roadway
    G) And, of course, strip clubs.
    Top that city limits!

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  6. As a homeowner within the City limits, my favorite thing is being able to put the green waste out on the street and have “the claw” come by every Thursday to scoop it up. The piles are the bane of every bicyclists’ existence (especially those who try to ride through a pile of grass and leaves, only to find out there’s a log in there too), but it’s nice for homeowners — or in my case, Adolfo & his crew of skilled workers (at $50/month = can’t beat it.)

    Plus, as a City resident, you can take part in its nationally recognized City Management Academy, as I did in ’99. It’s a great eye-opener to the innerworkings of city governance. Learn more here:

    http://www.cityofsacramento.org/city-management-academy/

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  7. McClatchy’s HISP and Kennedy’s PACE programs stack up pretty well. And, of course, St. Francis in the city is the Jesuit counterpart.

    Bike trail … I figure that to be a push, since it’s in both the city and the county, no? As for biking for commuting/errands … I did it in the city, but it’s tough in the county. In the city, I rode to the bike trail. In the county, I put my bike in the car and drive to the trailhead. Don’t like biking on the big arteries.

    I’ve been to Vinoteca and Mandarin. Not bad, but when I want to eat, I usually go downtown.

    Strip clubs? Oh, I’m sure the county wins that one.

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  8. city has far better church buildings. Cathedral doesn’t do it for me, but Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s, Westminster Pres, etc.

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  9. The bike trail is safer in the county section — don’t go in the city section by yourself. You’re safe past the 6.5 mile mark (near where Northrop dead-ends.)

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