Fresno- Mendota area (San Jose, Santa Barbara, Clovis: homes, transfer, schools)

[WinnaJ]

My husband is looking to possibly transfer for work to Mendota, Ca. We are currently living on the central coast. I was just hoping I could get some good suggestions about the area, like places to live- Fresno? Madera? I'd like his commute to stay under 30 mins if possible. And housing prices under $260,000. Schools aren't a concern yet, but will be, we have a 2 y/o and one on the way. I know about the heat, we've lived in the desert in the past. I just want to live somewhere that I can take my kids for a walk to the park safely, and not have to drive too far for decent shopping.
Thanks for any advice, especially anything positive.

[Capt. Dan]

I would check the Clovis area first. Far enough out of Fresno to escape the junkies. Schools are decent and home prices havent gone thru the roof yet. But if you are from the SLO/Santa Barbara area, you may be in for a big disappointment. Other than its close proximity to the National Parks, I cant think of one redeeming quality of Fresno. Good luck!

[rkb0305]

Northwest Fresno might be good for you. It would be a much shorter drive than Clovis would be, and every bit as nice and safe as Clovis. I'm not sure what $260,000 would get you, though.

[gabriel12]

mendota is a not so safe city. its for low class people. i lived in mendota all my life. if your thinking about moving to the valley move too kerman. located 15 min west of fresno and about 25 min south of madera. kerman has nice parks and gougeuos home. schools are great. local shopping...includes rite-aide and dollar tree. it also has a mcdonalds,burger king,kfc and a taco bell.

[humboldtrat]

Northern or north-west Fresno (anything north of Shaw Ave.) is the nicer part of Fresno. This area has been built up in recent years with newer homes, shopping and schools. There is a Children's hospital near the 41 freeway. Highway 41 from Fresno leads up the Sierra foothills and eventually Yosemite Park. Millerton Lake is about 20 miles from Fresno.

[Luke9686]

Believe it or not, all of Fresno isn't trash like many believe. I have a buddy who lives in Fresno and loves it. He loves it so much, when he got transferred to San Jose, he chose to keep his family in Fresno and commute. He stays in SJ during the week and comes home on weekends.

NW Fresno, north of Herndon is where he lives. Very nice area from what I could see.

[Lake Conroe resident]

If you move to Fresno stay North of Herndon and East of the 41... Clovis schools are very good, far better than Fresno at least. You will probably like the area, good amount of retail establishments, safe parks etc... also Yosemite and Shaver Lake are close for things to do. Know in advance that there are extreme temps both in the summer and winter, it gets cold and very foggy in the winter months, and the air quality is horrible most days of the year.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by Lake Conroe resident

Know in advance that there are extreme temps both in the summer and winter, it gets cold and very foggy in the winter months, and the air quality is horrible most days of the year.

Just to clarify with some details. Fresno sees about 35 days a year when temps exceed 100 degrees. Phoenix and Vegas are 2 to 3 times as many hot days.

On the other end there are about 35 days a year in winter that fog is thick.

So about 9 or 10 months per year of pleasant weather.

In terms of air quality, yes it needs improvement. BUT, the American Lung Association this year also singled out Fresno for some great reductions in smog despite a lot of population growth.

Fresno, California, for example, experienced a remarkable decline in the number of high ozone days since its peak in 2001-2003.
Latest Press - American Lung Association site

And the EPA has certified that Fresno now meets the PM10 particulate standards, the first time a region has cleaned itself up to meet that standard.

Still a ways to go, but to see air quality improvement given the large number of people moving to the region is a promising sign.