Natomas Crossing - Sacramento, CA

Sleep Train Arena, just north of the neighborhood, hosts events throughout the year. In addition to being the home of the Sacramento Kings, rodeos and monster truck shows take place at the arena. Proximity to downtown means residents of Natomas Crossing have access to its museums and festivals. The Crocker Art Museum houses collections of art from cultures worldwide. Visitors can also see rotating art exhibitions, view film screenings and see live performances.

Pacific Rim Street Fest in Old Sacramento celebrates cultures from the Pacific with performances of cultural dances and martial arts demonstrations. People also enjoy sampling ethnic food from vendors and taking home free souvenirs from booths. Food trucks from surrounding areas converge on Tahoe Park in Sacramento for the annual SactoMoFo. In addition to sampling from the food trucks, visitors can sample brews from the beer garden, listen to live music and browse local arts.

Natomas Crossing features restaurants that serve many types of cuisine, most of them found along Truxel Road. Locals satisfy cravings for Indian food with a trip to India Oven. At this buffet, customers load their plates with chicken tandoori and lamb curry. Those with more specialized tastes can choose to order from the menu. Mango ice cream or chai and rice pudding make the perfect sweet notes to end the meal. The restaurant also caters for weddings and parties.

Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge merges Japanese food with a sports bar. Sushi creations such as the kings roll with tempura shrimp and crab remain popular choices, as do side items such as the spicy garlic edamame. People also visit for the drink specials on NFL game days. Upscale decor makes the restaurant an ideal spot for social gatherings, along with sampler platters of sushi that groups can pass around the table to share.

People visit Wayside Noodles to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine such as large bowls of rice noodles with pork and vegetables. The selection of milk tea drinks pair refreshingly with the meal. The small restaurant fills up quickly during lunch, so call ahead to avoid long lines.

Nightlife options consist mainly of a few bars. People enjoy draft beers while watching the game at Cheers Sports Bar. This neighborhood bar is a popular hangout among locals who have fun listening to the jukebox and playing darts. For more nightlife options, locals head to the many clubs and bars of downtown Sacramento.

Residents of Natomas Crossing rely on personal vehicles to get around. Bike lanes on most roads also facilitate biking through the neighborhood. People take advantage of sidewalks to walk around, but the distances between many businesses and housing make walking more of a recreational activity than a reliable mode of transportation. Those who drive enjoy free parking near most businesses, but finding a parking spot can be difficult at malls and shopping centers. Uber services the area and residents can also call a taxi company to arrange a ride. The Sacramento Regional Transit also operates a few bus lines through the neighborhood

The location of the neighborhood near the intersection of Interstates 5 and 80 makes it easy to leave town. To travel using public transportation, residents can take a bus to the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento. From there, trains provide service to the Bay area and to many major cities including Seattle, Portland and Denver.

Since most of the area has been developed for housing, few natural areas remain within the neighborhood. Residents enjoy opportunities for recreation at Linden Park, the only park in the community. The open areas allow ample room for games and sports while children enjoy playing on the swings and playground. Trees throughout the park provide shade, which many parks in the area lack.

The neighborhood also house Tanzanite Skate Park, where people practice stunts on the rails and bowls. For more outdoor activities, residents visit North Natomas Regional Park, which offers many amenities. Visitors play sports on the baseball diamonds and many open spaces. Children can cool off in the water park during the summer. Separate fenced-off areas give people the chance to walk dogs, and people also enjoy walking along the trails that surround the park's lake.

Residents of Natomas Crossing enjoy a relatively low cost of living for California, with living expenses 3 percent lower than the Sacramento average. Gas prices sit 17 percent above the national average and a pint of beer typically costs around $6 in a local pub. Median monthly rent for a one-bedroom residence runs around $800. Getting from Natomas Crossing to downtown Sacramento costs $2.50 on a Sacramento Regional Transit Bus.

Natomas Marketplace contains many shopping opportunities, but high-value and chain retailers vastly outnumber high-end stores. The hub of shopping in the neighborhood can be found in the southeast corner at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Truxel Road. Sacramento Gateway and Natomas Marketplace are located at this location and feature stores including Walmart, Home Depot and Best Buy. Locals shop for groceries at Bel Air, Raley's and Safeway. A farmers market takes place every week in the parking lot of Sacramento Gateway and features local produce, flowers and live music.

Before heading out to hit the slopes, stop by Ground Zero for snowboarding gear. The staff also rents out snowboards and performs repairs. In the summer, people shop at the store for swimsuits and sandals.