Floridian transferring to Bakersfield from Memphis needs help finding good location to move to.... (San Fernando: real estate)

[Jblondie1999]

Please help me.....I've read the different comments on the air quality. I have allergies and have stepson with athsma and 2 toddlers. Is there a city close by that commuting wouldn't be too bad and the air better? I can deal with the heat. I'm from Florida. Heard that dry is better than wet heat. Been living in Memphis the last year and want a safe place to live. Also wondered about earthquakes...are they common? Just went through that really terrible tornado storm here in Memphis and that scared me more than all the hurricanes I've been through in my lifetime. At least you know where the hurricane is going and you prepare or leave. We have a choice to either go to Bakersfield or Chicago and trying to find out as much info as possible. THANKS!!!

[happ]

Tough choice.

The quality of the air in Bakersfield is better than LA [so factor that in & include air quality in Chicago. If you want to live in California, starting off in Bakersfield isn't all that bad.

Keep in mind that Bakersfield is surrounded by huge farms [lots of harvesting stirs up dust. Ironically the worst of the air deposited in the south San Joaquin Valley comes from the Bay Area [200 miles away

Tehachapi would be a commute but air quality is excellent & not as hot as Bakersfield [don't know about Caliente]. Also Lake Isabella is great but the highway is steep & winding

[jdavid93225]

I live in the Frazier Park area, and am about 45 minutes south of Bakersfield. Like Tehachapi and Lake Isabella, my area has much better air quality than Bakersfield. Each of these areas is in the mountains, at elevations of about 2500 feet or more. This gets you well enough above the valley floor that you get above the poor air that settles in the valley. The community of Lebec is at least 10 minutes closer to Bakersfield than where I live, so that might be someplace you would want to look into. Real estate prices in this area have also been traditionally lower than Bakersfield, too. I actually commute to the L.A. area for work (San Fernando Valley). It's a little longer drive than Bakersfield, but it's generally pretty easy. There is some fairly heavy traffic for the last 10 miles or so, but nothing too bad. If you need options on where to work, I think you might want to look in this area, as long as you don't mind commuting.
Pretty much all of California is earthquake country, so the big one could happen here. In fact, there was a huge earthquake here back in 1852. Lots of smaller ones since, but nothing like the '94 Northridge quake in the time I've lived here (though we felt that one pretty strongly).

[visalian]

Originally Posted by Jblondie1999

Please help me.....I've read the different comments on the air quality. I have allergies and have stepson with athsma and 2 toddlers. Is there a city close by that commuting wouldn't be too bad and the air better? I can deal with the heat. I'm from Florida. Heard that dry is better than wet heat. Been living in Memphis the last year and want a safe place to live. Also wondered about earthquakes...are they common? Just went through that really terrible tornado storm here in Memphis and that scared me more than all the hurricanes I've been through in my lifetime. At least you know where the hurricane is going and you prepare or leave. We have a choice to either go to Bakersfield or Chicago and trying to find out as much info as possible. THANKS!!!

I really don't think you would be able to escape the bad air unless you lived up in the mts. (Tehachapi area). The whole Central Valley has bad air and so does L.A. It probably will affect both you and your sons. Most all of my family has allergies that can get really bad in the summer. Some people have to move from here (the Valley) because their allergies get so bad. The skies in FL are very beautiful- very blue and clean. It's very, very sad, but in the summer here, the sky is literally a greyish-brown and rarely even blue. In winter and spring, it's nicer, but blue skies are few and far between in the Valley.

I wouldn't worry too much about earthquakes in Bakersfield though. The Central Valley doesn't really experience direct earthquakes (we aren't on a fault line). The only one I ever felt was in Coalinga (a couple of hours away toward the coast) in 1983. It's the Bay Area and L.A. area where earthquakes are more likely to happen. But it's not like hurricanes. There is no "earthquake season."

Bakersfield and Chicago... and FL are all very different places. That is a tough decision.

[Jblondie1999]

Thanks for the info....My husband has been offered a position in both cities. Both are Railroad positions. He's been in that field for 16 years.
We need to move away from Memphis. I don't like it here but really would rather not put my boys in school here. Very racial, not much to do, weather is horrible, schools are scary, gangs are everywhere, and not a Dunkin Donuts within 100 miles but they play the commercials all the time. My hometown, Jacksonville, FL, has its bad stuff too but I miss the beach and all the festivals and concerts. Chicago seems too cold for this former surfer girl. Right now I'm trying to collect all info on both places. CA feels more my cup of tea. Both are sooo far away from our family and friends. Any more info will be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again.

[athom89]

If you have allergies to pollen etc. check with an allergist regarding central california RAST, which will test the specific allergens found in the central valley. I live in Bakersfield and I have been tested and found not to have any allergies to pollen etc. However, I had 3 episodes of severe bronchitis consecutively and was found to have COPD (I'm in my 40's) The doctor thinks it is the air pollution as he says that my tests reveal my lungs to be that of a smoker (I have never smoked or been around a smoker). We have lived here 7+ years and are looking to move as soon as we find viable options. In the meantime, we are looking to rent in Tehachapi which has very good air and is about a 35-45 minute commute to Bakersfield.

[JesusisLord]

Don't know much other than the weather:

Chicago and Memphis both have humid summers. If you like long, cold, snowy winters go off to Chicago.

Bakersfield has a little milder winters than Memphis. Bakersfield has very warm weather as well, over 100 degrees for about four months. But it's a dry heat, so you can sweat.

Hope that helps friend!

[GosMal]

I moved to Bakersfield about a year and a half ago.
The air quality is pretty bad, in my opinion, and there is often a sewage-like smell in the air. I have also lived in Florida, and as much as I loathed the sea-creatures-rotting smell I prefer it.
But I can stand it.

I went camping around Taft in October and it was GORGEOUS compared to here, and isn't very far away at all. Tehachapi is very nice as well, but will be much more drastically different then where you're from. You might want to stick to the valley and just slowly move up hah. I moved from growing up in FL to the Yosemite National Park area here in Cali, and WOW did that shake my noodle.

I have felt one Earthquake here and it was kind of like a "is it just me or-"
We don't tend to get many, we aren't on a fault line or anything.

If you decide to live in Bakersfield, I suggest the little neighborhood nuggets amongst a sea of Condos and new housing developments, it's got nice feel to it and neighbors act like it's still a reasonably small neighborhood.

[Roaddog]

The NW is a nice area, housing costs are dropping and will continue for a while. earthquakes are no big deal, I've lived here for a long time and never seen a bad one here. the bad heat only last for 2.5 oe 3 monthes and not all 100's. bakersfiekd is close to some great mountians and the coast.
Good luck