Ben Ali, Sacramento, CA

Ben Ali carries its history in its name: the old Ben Ali racetrack once stood in this North Sacramento pocket, near the Auburn Boulevard corridor northeast of downtown. The housing is largely older and modest, a run of early-to-mid-century homes that reflects North Sacramento's long life as one of the city's original streetcar-era suburbs. Practically, it sits close to both the Arden and Del Paso areas, with straightforward freeway access and everyday retail leaning on Auburn Boulevard and the surrounding arterials. That central-north position, combined with genuinely low prices, is the honest draw. The rest of the picture is just as honest. Ben Ali weathered the same long stretch of disinvestment that worked through much of North Sacramento, and upkeep and conditions still vary from one block to the next. This is an area in transition rather than a settled one, which means the specific block you choose does more of the work here than the neighborhood name on its own. Buy with your eyes open and the value is real. Buy on the name alone and you may be surprised.