Poss moving to Bakersfield

[00Classic]

Anyone from Bakersfield? Any input you may have would be appreciated. The wife has a possible job opportunity there. My life is on hold since I returned to school to finish my degree in physics. Anything you guys could tell me about the area would be great. I have never spent anytime in CA. We lived in Oregon for two years before moving to hell. Job moved us or we would have stayed.

Jeremy

 

[Tenny]

It's very hot outside.

Think Terminator 2 where they go back to Sarah's families place to stock up on weapons...

Nah it's not THAT horrible, but if I had a choice I wouldn't go there... but I hate the heat.

 

[FordGuy]

Bakersfield, what did you do wrong in you prior life?

 

[scottmcneal]

It's a dry heat....:flamemad: You will have some GREAT places to off road...:laugh3: So find a job that only works 4 days a week.. It is only hot for about 3 months, right now we are only at 106 at 9:10 PM.. So it not that hot:attom:

 

[Cornflake]

Bakersfield sucks but it is close to many things to do.

 

[Goatman]

How you'd like it depends on what you're after. It's a reasonably nice city, with four seasons....it can be cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It's relatively compact, you don't usually have to drive far to get whatever you need. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods to live in. A few years ago Bakersfield earned an "All american City" designation. Like has already been said, we are in the middle of a whole lot of things to do and places to go. The LA area is less than 2 hrs, the beach is 2 hrs, the Sierra Nevada mountains are close, Sequoia National Park is 2 hrs away. Real estate prices are CA typical, but we're around the lowest in CA.

What else would you like to know?

 

[Ben H]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYMBaYJOxzs

 

[Tenny]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYMBaYJOxzs

lol, sounds about right.

 

[Kyle Petterson]

Stock up on Buck Owen CD's.

 

[Goatman]

Stock up on Buck Owen CD's.

And Merle Haggard, both have streets named after them. Of course, Buck Owen's Crystal Palace has to be the best place ever to see a country band concert, and have a real good dinner, and dancing, with top name country acts appearing regularly.

 

[00Classic]

How you'd like it depends on what you're after. It's a reasonably nice city, with four seasons....it can be cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It's relatively compact, you don't usually have to drive far to get whatever you need. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods to live in. A few years ago Bakersfield earned an "All american City" designation. Like has already been said, we are in the middle of a whole lot of things to do and places to go. The LA area is less than 2 hrs, the beach is 2 hrs, the Sierra Nevada mountains are close, Sequoia National Park is 2 hrs away. Real estate prices are CA typical, but we're around the lowest in CA.

What else would you like to know?

This is the kinda stuff I was wanting to hear. To be honest we hate South Carolina and would consider anything outside of the southeast. We have lived in many places MI, OR, AZ, NC, WI and this place takes the cake for worst place we have lived. South Carolina is like a different country compared to other places we have live.

 

[XbajajeepX]

I personally can't stand Bakersfield..... I would suggest you make a visit there before you make the move... I have heard it being called the armpit of the nation before:dunno:

 

[scottmcneal]

I personally can't stand Bakersfield..... I would suggest you make a visit there before you make the move... I have heard it being called the armpit of the nation before:dunno:

You said that about desert hot springs... You have good and bad every where.. Just check out the hood before you buy.. You can find real BAD spots in my town...

 

[Goatman]

I personally can't stand Bakersfield..... I would suggest you make a visit there before you make the move... I have heard it being called the armpit of the nation before:dunno:

Based on......??

Johnny Carson used to get good laughs from capping on Bakersfield, which contributed to a sort of stigma. Also, people from LA remember driving through here on their way north or to the Sierra's during the summer when it was hot, and so didn't like it. However, if you discount everyplace that can reach 100* in the summer you cut out quite a few places. We have a surprising number of people who move here for jobs, and then when it comes time to transfer again they stay and find another job. There are plenty of good things.......but it really depends on what you like. No place is for everyone.

Bakersfield is MUCH nicer than places like Fresno, Tuscon, Stockton, or San Bernardino, just to name a few, and let's not even talk about any of the metro areas.

 

[MONSTERxbla]

the best thing about Bakerfield is seeing it in your rearview mirror!

 

[XJ_ranger]

Bakersfield is MUCH nicer than places like Fresno, Tuscon, Stockton, or San Bernardino, just to name a few, and let's not even talk about any of the metro areas.

:huh:

not that i've spent much time in either of the two...

but what makes Bako better than Fresno? both have about the same weather... same agricultural support for the surrounding areas... Bako might be a little 'bigger?'

just one has a goat and one has a farmer... :gag:

 

[Goatman]

:huh:

not that i've spent much time in either of the two...

but what makes Bako better than Fresno? both have about the same weather... same agricultural support for the surrounding areas... Bako might be a little 'bigger?'

just one has a goat and one has a farmer... :gag:

That's easy. The town just looks much nicer as you drive around in it, the downtown area is well defined and pretty nice, there are parks all over the place, and there are well defined neighborhoods. As you drive around Bakersfield you go from one well defined area of town to another, with the streets positioned to define the areas. Not like Fresno, where nearly all the streets are in a straight line grid, and you drive though various types of neighborhoods going straight down any particular street and traveling only a couple of miles. Fresno is a quilted hodge podge grid of a variety of neighborhoods and business districts, not pleasant at all to drive through. You can pass an upscale neighborhood, a run down but decent neighborhood, and a scuzzy area driving down the same street in a few blocks. Bakersfield is layed out much differently, the streets curve around various elements to clearly define neighborhoods, and business areas are much more defined, not at all like Fresno. Our business areas also look nicer, with stricter rules on buildings, set backs, and signage. We also have the river that runs through a bunch of town, with a bike/walk path all along it that runs over 25 miles, with numerous parks along the way.

I'm not trying to say that Bakersfield is the greatest place in the world, which it obviously is not, but it does have a lot going for it, is much nicer than many other places, and is not a bad place to live.