SACRAMENTO, CA – Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood is one the best kept secrets in all of Sacramento. It is a neighborhood that is quickly becoming one of best places to live, especially for young families and first-time homeowners. The neighborhood used to have a reputation as an area with significant challenges, but in recent years investment activity by major institutions, homeowners, investors, and community groups have had a profound impact for the better.

“Oak Park is still perceived the way it used to be 10 years ago. The new UC Davis Medical School in the area and all of the recent favorable media stories about how young families are excited to move into the area there is shows that Oak Park has really changed in a positive way,” said Manny Fernandez, a local Hispanic real estate developer who grew up in the area.

“Kevin Johnson and the St. Hope Academy faculty and students have also had a wonderful impact here in Oak Park,” added Fernandez.

The positive changes in the area are many and we compiled a Top 10 List to showcase the great things happening in Oak Park

1. Central Location and Access

Oak Park is one of the most accessible and centrally located areas of greater Sacramento, one of the fastest growing regions in California. Freeway access to Highway 99, Highway 50, Business 80, and Interstate 5 are within a half a mile of any location within the Oak Park area. And, Oak Park is located within 2 miles of the State Capitol and the central city.

2. Northern California’s Major Medical Complex

The University of California at Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) and Shriner’s Hospital for Children are two of the most important major institutions in Oak Park. UCDMC serves as the major medical center and trauma center for Northern California. Shriner’s Hospital for Children is the largest Shriner’s Hospital in the west combining burn specialties, spinal cord specialties, and other medical treatment in the new facility.

3. History

Oak Park was formerly ‘the’ commercial area for Sacramento at the turn of the century. Broadway and 5th Ave. are tree canopied boulevards along which the historic trolleys once served this area. Still today, elegant Victorian houses line the streets, and a complete public bus system runs on major streets. Stockton Boulevard is a high transit corridor connecting the UCD Medical Center and the Central City with the growing Elk Grove area. The historic prominence of this area is evident in recently renovated buildings such as the US Bank Building at 34th and Broadway and the Maddox Building across from McGeorge School of Law on 5th Ave.

4. Service Area

Oak Park (1 mile radius from center) includes 25,743 residents with a total income (1990 Census) of $212,912,967. The 5-mile radius includes a total population of 335,938 and a total aggregate income (1990 Census) of $4,439,402,730. The service area includes many of Sacramento’s finest older neighborhoods including Land Park, Curtis Park and East Sacramento, as well as the major State government center surrounding the State Capitol.

5. Affordable prices

Let’s put it this way…you can own commercial property in Oak Park for the same or even less monthly outlay as you can lease in many areas of the Central City. And, there are a variety of affordable lending programs to help property owners fix facades or make major physical improvements.

6. Safety

Latest police statistics reported in the Sacramento Bee state that crime is down 25% in Oak Park – a level of reduction greater than any other sector of the City.

7. Out of the Flood Zone

Nearly all of South Sacramento lies within the 100 year flood zone except major portions of Oak Park. Save on flood insurance!

8. Daytime Population

McGeorge School of Law, UCDMC and Shriner’s Hospital, along with other major offices in the area bring nearly 9,000 employees to Oak Park daily. Of these over 6,500 are employees of the medical center.

9. Active, Engaged Community Leadership

The Oak Park Business Association and affiliated community groups are active, coordinated, and hard at work to make Oak Park great place to live and do business.

10. Vision for the Future

Check out the recently completed Stockton and Broadway Urban Design Plan,
and see our vision for the future!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE Oak Park Neighborhood Association: www.oakparkna.org

The American dream could be just around the corner for Sacramento residents thanks to an urban project by Manny Fernández, a young real estate investor who has taken on the task of remodeling homes in Oak Park to then offer them to first-time home buyers and low income families with help from government programs.María Gutiérrez was fortunate to begin the process to own the home she currently lives in on 39th Street in the Oak Park area in Sacramento.

“I am happy I qualified as a first time buyer for a beautiful home like the one I live in, the house is great and nobody bothers me,” says Gutiérrez, a homemaker. “I have a six-month-old son and I want him to grow up in a comfortable place and for him to feel happy. Life is peaceful here, I take the bus on the corner or you can walk to the stores, it’s very safe.”

She also said that this was a good option for low income Latinos and that paying $1,100 per month for a property that would increase in value in the near future was well worth it. Her home, as well as the other four on the same block, got a fresh coat of paint, new doors, plumbing and flooring among other things to make living there more comfortable.

Fernández stated that the requirements to qualify for one of these government programs are mainly to be a first-time homebuyer and to have a job that pays less than $45,000 per year.

He also said that his job is to educate the community about these programs so they can buy their own home at a lower price.

“It all started five years ago when I presented a project to the City Council to work in conjunction with various housing programs to benefit the community and low income families. These programs offer $40,000 toward the purchase of a home without having to give a down payment,” Fernández pointed out.

Fernández invested an initial $600,000 to purchase five homes, approximately 1,800 square feet each, on the 2700 block of 39th Street in Sacramento and nearly $200,000 in their renovation. These home will be sold for $199,000 minus the $40,000 granted by the government, bringing their price down to $159,000 with a monthly payment of $1,100 over 30 years.

“The homes needed some maintenance and now they are ready to be sold,” stated Fernández. “I think when people invest in their home it’s good for the neighborhood because they worry about keeping them up and in turn want a cleaner and safer street.”

Susan DeMarois, from the UC Davis Office of Government and Community Relations, said that Oak Park was known for being a high crime and dangerous area but in time it has improved its infrastructure and the police have brought order back to the streets. She also commented that the Medical Center and the new School of Medicine at UC Davis are a sign of prosperity and have brought new vitality and security to area residents.

“Fernández’s idea serves as an example to other investors so they carry out similar projects that benefit the community,” said DeMarois.

During a press conference, investors such as Richard Green, executive director of the Stockton Boulevard Partnership stated that what used to be a street full of closed and deteriorated buildings in a neighborhood surrounded by poverty is now a vibrant and attractive real estate business in the Oak Park area.

Fernández, who was an amateur boxer, said he is also working with people who offer financing for working families like the Hispanic community who come from other countries to achieve the American dream.

Hundreds of Sacramento residents marched today from the Oak Park Community Center to the downtown Convention Center to honor the memory and dreams of our America’s most enduring symbol of racial harmony and civil rights, the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite the cold weather people marched and witnessed the procession to honor Dr. King and to show their support for continuing his work to create a more just society that works for citizens of all racial backgrounds.

“Sacramento City Councilwoman Lauren Hammond was thrilled people of all races took part. But she says the struggle for justice continues. She continued, “when you look at how many people are homeless, when you see how people fight about undocumented immigrants and they’re not getting paid what they’re worth - so it’s not over, and we should keep marching.”

Oak Park real estate developer Manny Fernandez was also on the scene today to show his support for the improvements that he has seen in the area. “Councilmember Hammond has been very instrumental in helping create the conditions that have allowed Oak Park to become a better place to live. She and the UC Davis Med Center are the two most powerful forces that have led the way to a better future for Oak Park’s residents.”

Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 in the prime of his life, but his message of nonviolence lives on today in the minds of millions of his countrymen. Deborah Randall, a resident of Oak Park for 10 years said, “I’m glad that I came out here today with my son and daughter to support Martin Luther King’s vision and to show my children that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.”

The Oak Park area of Sacramento has had an unfortunate reputation as a place plagued by violence, gangs, and drugs, but it has been improving. Property values in the area have risen in the past few years thanks to young families, first-time homebuyers, and businesses who have chosen to locate in the area. This rise in values mirrors the overall rise in the Sacramento region’s real estate values, but according to real estate experts, the area is still poised for greater growth than the rest of the region which has been stuck in a downward spiral.