What are the best reasons to live in Fresno? (Bakersfield: real estate, housing)

[sailorkate]

Hi - I am a travel nurse with a job opportunity at St Agnes Hospital. I would like to know if it is in a safe area. I would work M-F 6:30 am to 3 pm. Thanks for you help.

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by sailorkate

Hi - I am a travel nurse with a job opportunity at St Agnes Hospital. I would like to know if it is in a safe area. I would work M-F 6:30 am to 3 pm. Thanks for you help.

St Agnes is on the north side of town on Herndon ave. South of Herndon directly behind the hospital is ok - older, smaller homes. North of Herndon is newer, nicer. Overall, yes, it is a safe area. My kids were both born there, not that that has anything to do with your question

[iamman]

I grew up in Clovis and felt like I grew up in a perfect, typical suburban setting. I went camping in the Sierra's as a boy scout, hiked half dome, played on a great football team with nice facilities and a stadium named after a former super bowl winning QB from the area and spent my senior year, and the summer afterwards, camping and hanging out at the beach 2 and 1/2 hours away. I thought it was great. It's hot, and I'm glad I've lived other places, I personally am not going to spend my life there but feel that the area can be great. I also realize if you grew up poor in Easton your perspective is a lot different.

A side note, the central valley always has higher unemployment than the nationwide rates and is slightly economically depressed. There are arguments about why, (agricultural nature of jobs, seasonal) but it can be felt.

It's funny everyone mentions affordable housing. I have friends that just began working as firemen and teachers and are hopelessly locked out of the housing market for now. A house worth $240,000 in 1998 is now worth over $425,000. Two years ago it could of sold for $500,000. Just saying that affordability is changing......most people my age plan to leave just for that reason. If rent is $1100 a month, why don't I live in SF where they will pay me more and there is more to do?

[iamman]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

St Agnes is on the north side of town on Herndon ave. South of Herndon directly behind the hospital is ok - older, smaller homes. North of Herndon is newer, nicer. Overall, yes, it is a safe area. My kids were both born there, not that that has anything to do with your question

Everywhere around St Agnes is safe, although some areas are really nice and some are just average middle class areas. If you have children though Herndon will be the dividing line between fresno unified and clovis unified in that area.

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by sailorkate

Hi - I am a travel nurse with a job opportunity at St Agnes Hospital. I would like to know if it is in a safe area. I would work M-F 6:30 am to 3 pm. Thanks for you help.

Yes, as others have stated St. Agnes is located in a safe area of town. If nothing has changed, there's also plenty of places nearby for grocery shopping, banking, cleaners, gas stations and restaurants.

It's also a hospital that throughout the years I've had tons of experience with from the nursing staff in Oncology and elsewhere in the ER and other floors as well with various family members. I have no complaints about how they handled anything they tend to have an awesome staff.

[CalBerkeley2002]

I grew up in Fresno - the rule of thumb is go as far north and east as possible. This will either place you in the nice part of Fresno or the nice part of Clovis. Clovis is generally nicer and is not separated from Fresno by any stretch of land - they are connected but the education in Clovis is top notch and the homes are generally more well maintained and Clovis (north Clovis) has fewer apartment complexes - which seem to breed trouble. You will be closer to the Sierra Nevada foothills the further NE you go. Have to warn you - the weather is not that great, the jobs do not pay well, and south of Shaw you run the risk of getting beat up. Don't mean to sound negative but I go back to visit my family a few times a year and my time away really highlights the differences between Fresno and other cities its size. Good luck, if you do decide to move it appears that the home prices have gone down dramatically over the last 6-8 months so it may be a good time to buy.

[fizzlekins]

Originally Posted by ruthian3

I grew up in the Fresno area, and am currently back here again after stints in some other cities. Fresno is hardly perfect (but which city is?), but it does offer some attractive features:

1) Affordability (within CA)

2) Abundance and quality of locally grown/raised fresh food and wine

3) Proximity to so many of CA's great resources, from the biggest cities, to the coast, mountains, and all the outdoor activities one could want, year-round. There is so much good stuff to do within a 4-hour radius of Fresno, I doubt it could all be explored in one's lifetime.

4) Traffic is better than in any similarly sized or larger city I've spent time in. Even the "heaviest" traffic of the day is a joke compared to what one goes through in most large metro areas.

5) As much as some people might complain about summer heat or winter fog, the weather in general is generally very nice. No snow, ice is rare, rain is fairly infrequent, and generally nonexistent from May through October. The heat is easier to combat/tolerate due to low humidity. And it is just about as sunny as anywhere in CA north of Tejon Pass.

Thank you ruthian3 for what seems to me to be a very fair and positive view of life in Fresno. I am considering moving there from the UK, and am scouring all these posters for information. More positives about Fresno, please! The tickets are booked and my (British) husband is seriously considering making the move of his life! This time will be a visit, coinciding with the county fair as luck would have it. I am looking forward to the sun and getting away from the rain here in England. And viewing lots of pool homes...

[CalBerkeley2002]

Originally Posted by fizzlekins

Thank you ruthian3 for what seems to me to be a very fair and positive view of life in Fresno. I am considering moving there from the UK, and am scouring all these posters for information. More positives about Fresno, please! The tickets are booked and my (British) husband is seriously considering making the move of his life! This time will be a visit, coinciding with the county fair as luck would have it. I am looking forward to the sun and getting away from the rain here in England. And viewing lots of pool homes...

If you are looking to get out of the rain you are going to the right place - in Fresno you can go from May until September without a single drop some years! It is hot, but like they say, it is a dry heat - the coast ranges eliminate most of the moisture coming from the west. Just stick to the northeast side or north clovis and you'll be fine.

[fizzlekins]

Originally Posted by CalBerkeley2002

If you are looking to get out of the rain you are going to the right place - in Fresno you can go from May until September without a single drop some years! It is hot, but like they say, it is a dry heat - the coast ranges eliminate most of the moisture coming from the west. Just stick to the northeast side or north clovis and you'll be fine.

Hey there, you sound like you know the area, what about Sanger? I have seen some gorgeous properties there (Wonder Valley for example!) please give me your take on that area.

[CalBerkeley2002]

Originally Posted by fizzlekins

Hey there, you sound like you know the area, what about Sanger? I have seen some gorgeous properties there (Wonder Valley for example!) please give me your take on that area.

Sanger: same weather, smaller town, few jobs though. Not a rough commute to Fresno as it is a few miles from SE Fresno. The good thing about Sanger is it is right off of hwy 180 which you can jump on and head East to beautiful Kings Canyon. It is an ag-based town like most towns in the valley, but closer to the hills than Fresno proper. If you are looking for a small town to live in it may be a good fit for you.