[ikarcuaso]

If I was to move to the Sac area, I'd consider places like Roseville, Rocklin, and for more $$$, Folsom or Granite Bay. Closer to Sacramento, Fair Oaks and Orangevale are nice, more developed areas. If you have to be in Sacramento proper, maybe North Highlands or near Cal Expo/Arden Mall (I'm sure there are many other OK areas). The summers do get hot (hotter than Hawaii on the thermometer), but it's usually very dry.

This is very much a generalization, but too far west of downtown or too far south of the greater Sac area, and I personally wouldn't consider living there.

Is San Francisco a possibility at all? If my wife and I were starting out, it's the first place we'd consider, again. Just my 2 cents. Nothing wrong with Sac, though. We've lived in both places as a young couple w/o kids. Good luck.