Davis, CA

[quote]Middle-aged single gay man

WTF? Just tell us how old you all, by not telling us, you're saying your at least 60

41, R1.

Hi there! I’m middle aged and want to move to a place I’ve never been to and know nothing about. Of course I am totally middle class American person. Rather than research it online - real estate websites, Facebook pages, city forums - I’ve decided to ask strangers on American gossip messageboard for the gays. I seek knowledge of neighborhoods, dining establishments, political affiliations and the like, as is normal for someone considering move to unknown place. Oh right don’t forget I am gay, so I can learn about homosexual populations

Bump

Davis is the quintessential college town. And "town" it is. That being said, it is super cute with the corresponding cute college boys to match. It's an easy trek to SF and an even easier one to Sac. Say what you will about Sacramento but it is a thriving city filled with eclectic people, a restaurant scene that would surprise you and a laundry list of events going on on any given weekend. Davis does hot hot in the summer, but is cooled by the Delta breeze and the fog rarely reaches that far inland.

I live in Davis. It's a nice little college town. Lots of amenities as the university is so large (40K students). Plus, they are purportedly the second most educated city in America based on the percentage of residents with graduate degrees. The weather is VERY hot during the summer. It's going to be 106 tomorrow.

Stay paranoid r3

OP, where do you live, currently? California, or somewhere else?

Sacramento is hot. All of CA except the coast is broiling. You are better off in SF, OP. Take advantage of the lower rent right now before it shoots up again. There is no better city for a single, gay, 40 something man than SF.

Like every other city in California, Davis is full of homeless tweakers. Enjoy!

Davis is probably the best Sacramento suburb. It's certainly the most educated and progressive. They have their own pride festival even though the town is quite small. Plus, they are conveniently located between Sacramento and SF. You can easily take Amtrak from Davis to BART and can get to Tahoe in about 90 minutes.

Google says Davis to Tahoe is 2 hrs 12 minutes by quickest driving route, and 3 hrs 32 min by train.

Davis is fine. Yes it is hot in the summer but so are most places. but as a poster said above I think i would just move to San Francisco itself. SF catches a lot of shit on DL but it really is a great city with lots to do and plenty of gay men to date.

OP = I used to live in Sacto (as it is called)...I also worked in Davis and Woodland.....Hotter than hell...You also forgot the wildfires. San Francisco is fun. But you need to go to Zillow and look at the housing prices in Davis....A trailer starts at 200,000 dollars....And the cheapest house is 450,000....Good Luck...I moved back east and have a nice house I could never afford in California...

Hi, OP here. R8, I've been moving around California for a while now, month-to-month via AirBnB. Trying Davis out next month. R14, housing is a sneeze in Davis compared to San Francisco, which is one of the reasons I'm considering it. I guess July will be a good month to be there--I can experience it at its worst, temp-wise. Will be a considered decision.

I was a undergrad 82-86 and currently live in East Sac close to Sac State. I really can't add more to what's been said about Davis. I loved living there. It shocks me how big it's gotten. As you know, the medical center is in Sacramento. You'd likely get more bang for your buck in Sacramento housing market.

It ain't no Chico.

It's really hard to judge Davis based on living here in July. You're not only going to be here during the hottest month of the year you'll also miss out on most of the campus-related events. It's a college town that tends to slow down in the summer. Get a monthly pass from the university gym and you can use the campus recreation pool on the afternoons. It's really nice. They just recently remodeled the area and it now includes a beach volleyball court and areas for sunbathing.

I used to live in the Bay Area (San Jose, not SF) and couldn't afford to buy a house there. I work for the university as a lecturer. I was able to buy a small home here in Davis. I'm very happy here. It has everything I need. I'm in my early 40s, and even though this town is pretty quiet, it has all the amenities I need. It's only 10 miles from Sacramento if I need to go shopping but to be honest I don't travel there that much. I'm taking Amtrak to SF Pride next weekend. I bike to work every day.

Regards to dating, you'll find lots of guys in town. Sacramento is also reportedly one of the gayest cities in the country.

American River (in Sacramento) has some of the best cruising in the United States.. More guys get fucked in the woods in Sacramento than most bath houses. Fact.

R16, any neighborhoods in particular I should look at in Sacramento? R18, I am a big cyclist and it's one of the things that attracts me to Davis. Any particular neighborhoods you like in town? I know it's small but still would appreciate your input.

OP = I just looked it up. You can buy a nice 80,000 trailer to live in and then pay 1095 dollars LOT RENT a month...The "wealth management" companies really have descended on the mobile home communities and made affordable housing a forgotten dream for the middle class. Thank Goodness my low morals and good looks are recession proof.

I live in North Davis. You'll find that any of the neighborhoods in Davis are good options. This isn't really a "rough" area in Davis. Unlike what R10 said, the crime rate is really low here compared to other Sacramento suburbs. The town actually has some nice food options because of its large Asian population (fully 30% of the town is Asian which makes it rather unique compared to other Sac suburbs). If you're looking for a good bike shop I recommend Ken's Bikes and Ski next to the food co-op. Check out the farmer's market on Saturday morning, it's really nice. We just finished our pride festival in town, you'll see the sidewalks are all still painted in rainbow colors downtown.

Thank you, R22!

R6, any thoughts on the huge new shelter they’re building by the train tracks?

I went to college there a LONG time (1970-74) ago so my info is not current, but I can say it's definitely HOT in the summer. And the university-affiliated medical center you mentioned is in Sacramento, not Davis.

The arboretum was a lovely place to take a stroll when I visited.

You could always live in a van down by the river.

Named after me, just like the Oscar was named after my first husband's ass.

Davis strikes me as a rather boring town, or more a suburb of Sacramento which is also an uninspiring city. The heat is incredibly oppressive for 3-4 months a year and yes the fog is a problem throughout California's Central Valley. According to Wikipedia, Davis' population is about 66,000 and only 210 people make up same sex gay households. Not sure how many of the single headed households are gay. I think it's a family town.

Scoot yourself a bit west and check out maybe Fairfield? It's on the very edge of the Bay Area and I know a few people who moved their to buy homes and seem to like it. The population is about 110,000. About 7000 people make up gay households. It's located almost midway between Davis and the San Francisco.

[quote]Davis' population is about 66,000 and only 210 people make up same sex gay households.

R29 Is a same sex gay household different from a single gay person household?

I love people just casually telling the OP to move to San Francisco as if it isn't expensive as hell. Obviously they are looking for more affordable options.

Davis has much to offer if you like small town living in a liberal college town with a medical school, veterinary college, and law school. But, as others have commented, it is relatively expensive BECAUSE of that, and can be blisteringly hot in summer. Fire is also a concern in much of that part of California. I prefer it over Sacto, which has become congested, very expensive and hot. There are homeless, but what else is new?

I have a cousin that just moved to Sebastopol.

R6 Where'd you get that '2nd most educated?'

I might move to Santa Barbara, CA

Don't listen to R29.. Fairfield is NOT it, in any way shape or form.

Fairfield is much more blue-collar and lower-income than Davis. And military (Travis AFB.)

[quote] Sacramento is also reportedly one of the gayest cities in the country.

All the little slutty gay staffers of California politics. I bet.

Hi, OP here, really appreciate that this thread has a second wind. I loved my month in Davis though gay-wise it is *very* dry. Still, I think I may end up there. It’s a very pleasant place, even with the heat.

Good for you, OP. We wish you all the best when you move to Davis!