Torn between Bakersfield or Fresno!!!!! (Stockton, August: rent, lease, art)

[LuckyJ26]

Both of them are in the middle of nowhere and there's really nothing much to do in those two cities. I'd pick Bakersfield because It's closer to Los Angeles, while Fresno isn't close to any major City.

[pistola916]

Neither. If I had to move to a Central Valley town it would be Sacramento.

[the city]

Fresno is a major city. In 2010 it will be at 500,000 population. they have 2 water parks, and one big water park. clovis has a big mall, fresno has 2 malls. and fresno has bad city infrastructure-downtown, traffic, weather, smog. but fresno is doing their best to fix that.

[LuckyJ26]

I agree with Pistola. Sacramento is by far the best Central Valley city.

[jeffredo]

I actually registered to this forum just to post this reply (the typical knee-jerk "armpit of Calif." crap about Fresno got to me). I have been in and out of Fresno my whole life (family there) on top of living there two years. I love that town. Very nice people - great blend of races and cultures from all over the world, great inexpensive restaurants, a very good Cal State with a top notch sports dept. that the community really gets behind, easy driving - nice wide streets, great freeway system, an art deco district filled with cool restaurants, clubs and shop (Tower Historic District) and very close proximity to three national parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia).

Yes, there is crime. It's a larger city (over 400,000). That comes with the territory almost anywhere in this country. And the summers are hot (I love to swim, so that suited me fine - San Joaquin Valley native). But six months a year the weather is fantastic. Spring and Fall are so mild and beautiful. And the soil is so rich you can raise anything in your garden. It's also very convenient. It has some of the best shopping I've seen in California. Shaw Avenue from Hwy 99 to Clovis has just about anything you'd want - 8 miles of retailing of every kind. And that doesn't include River Park in North Fresno.

I just hate to see Fresno get such a bum rap from so many people who haven't probably never spent any decent amount of time there or have never lived there. I love "Fresburg" and I've live the last 10 years in Monterey two blocks from the bay - so it's not from a lack of not living anywhere else that has colored my opinion. It's a great town with a lot of strengths. O.K., I'll get off my soapbox.

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

I actually registered to this forum just to post this reply (the typical knee-jerk "armpit of Calif." crap about Fresno got to me). I have been in and out of Fresno my whole life (family there) on top of living there two years. I love that town. Very nice people - great blend of races and cultures from all over the world, great inexpensive restaurants, a very good Cal State with a top notch sports dept. that the community really gets behind, easy driving - nice wide streets, great freeway system, an art deco district filled with cool restaurants, clubs and shop (Tower Historic District) and very close proximity to three national parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia).

Yes, there is crime. It's a larger city (over 400,000). That comes with the territory almost anywhere in this country. And the summers are hot (I love to swim, so that suited me fine - San Joaquin Valley native). But six months a year the weather is fantastic. Spring and Fall are so mild and beautiful. And the soil is so rich you can raise anything in your garden. It's also very convenient. It has some of the best shopping I've seen in California. Shaw Avenue from Hwy 99 to Clovis has just about anything you'd want - 8 miles of retailing of every kind. And that doesn't include River Park in North Fresno.

I just hate to see Fresno get such a bum rap from so many people who haven't probably never spent any decent amount of time there or have never lived there. I love "Fresburg" and I've live the last 10 years in Monterey two blocks from the bay - so it's not from a lack of not living anywhere else that has colored my opinion. It's a great town with a lot of strengths. O.K., I'll get off my soapbox.

Oh I've lived there from 1970 to 1991 and I'd elect never to live there again. We could no longer stand the crime, smog or intense heat. But that's what is was for us, someone else for whatever reason might very well like it.

[pistola916]

Fresno a major city??? r u kidding me? Sure, maybe in a regional sense, but in terms of CA and a national sense, no. If the biggest attributes is going to the mall, then it speaks for itself.

[Roaddog]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

I actually registered to this forum just to post this reply (the typical knee-jerk "armpit of Calif." crap about Fresno got to me). I have been in and out of Fresno my whole life (family there) on top of living there two years. I love that town. Very nice people - great blend of races and cultures from all over the world, great inexpensive restaurants, a very good Cal State with a top notch sports dept. that the community really gets behind, easy driving - nice wide streets, great freeway system, an art deco district filled with cool restaurants, clubs and shop (Tower Historic District) and very close proximity to three national parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia).

Yes, there is crime. It's a larger city (over 400,000). That comes with the territory almost anywhere in this country. And the summers are hot (I love to swim, so that suited me fine - San Joaquin Valley native). But six months a year the weather is fantastic. Spring and Fall are so mild and beautiful. And the soil is so rich you can raise anything in your garden. It's also very convenient. It has some of the best shopping I've seen in California. Shaw Avenue from Hwy 99 to Clovis has just about anything you'd want - 8 miles of retailing of every kind. And that doesn't include River Park in North Fresno.

I just hate to see Fresno get such a bum rap from so many people who haven't probably never spent any decent amount of time there or have never lived there. I love "Fresburg" and I've live the last 10 years in Monterey two blocks from the bay - so it's not from a lack of not living anywhere else that has colored my opinion. It's a great town with a lot of strengths. O.K., I'll get off my soapbox.

You stand right on that soapbox I enjoy seeing someone stand up for their city, some people just look at the bad and some just want to throw in their unqualified opinion, Thanks for the breath of fresh air.

[FresnoFacts]

I see a couple of people brought up crime again.

As I said before, Fresno's crime rate on a per capita basis is now lower than San Francisco, actually safer than the city of Sacramento also.

Yes Fresno crime was high in the 1970s and 1980s but it has taken a huge drop. Most people don't realize that.

[Lake Conroe resident]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

I see a lot of old information about Fresno in this thread so I'll post some current info.

Crime? Fresno hit a 41 year low in crime last year. The per capita violent crime rate in Fresno is LOWER than in the city of San Francisco.

Fresno has not been the car theft capital of the nation in years. It currently ranks below Sacramento, Modesto, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas and others.

Asthma? The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks Fresno #30 in the US, behind cities like Nashville, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Dallas, Hartford, and others.

Weather? Fresno has about 35 days a year over 100 degrees and 35 days a year with thick fog. So 10 months of great weather.

I lived in Fresno for 5 years (2000 to 2005) so I am fairly familiar with it as well and I can tell you that one July every single day was over a hundred. Add that to May, June, August & Sept and you certainly have more than 35 days of intense heat. As for car theft it may not be the capital but it's not a place where you want to leave your car outside either. As far as asthma it is very high just ask some of the doctors there or better yet talk to the school nurses or watch the evening news. Oh and last this area IS very smoggy not to mention it has some of the worse fog in the nation for about three months of the year through the winter months (note the multi car pile ups every year on the 99). I would have to say that IMO the good weather days would be around a 100 days a year on average. Unfortunately it's stuck in a geographically dis-advantaged area where it gets the smog blown in from the bay added to all the dust made by the farms along with all the trucks that travel through the area and then it sits in a big bowl unable to escape and it seems like the farther South you go in the Valley the worse it gets.(I think Arvin by Bakersfield is the winner for bad air in the nation including LA). Don't get me wrong it does have some good points also. We lived in the North East portion around Woodward Lake which was a very nice area and my kids attended Clovis schools which are also very good. On weekends we could get to Millerton, Pine or Shaver Lakes or take a drive to Yosemite in less than an hour and in the winter you could go skiing up in Shaver in less than an hour that's why Fresno got the nod for me instead of Bakersfield...