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Old 07-15-2017, 02:20 PM
 
Location: NC
55 posts, read 123,360 times
Reputation: 36

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Hi There -

I'm considering a job transfer to Bakersfield. I was hoping to get some insight from folks on here who have lived in or spent considerable time in Kern County and the Bakersfield area. From what I've already read on here, it appears that Bakersfield is a polarizing topic. I'm not looking to debate, I'm looking for some honest input. Thank you in advance for your information.

I'd be relocating with my family - includes children - elementary school aged. We'd be coming from NC so we are used to the extreme heat and humidity - yes I know CA has a dry heat. As I type this it's 100 degrees here and 60% humidity.

So here are my questions...

Which areas would you recommend looking to find housing in Bakersfield - looking for a safe, family friendly neighborhood that's not totally urban, but not completely rural either. Budget is $300K or so.

Which school systems do you recommend for elementary school? School quality is very important to us. I've done some initial research on greatschools, and know there are a large number of schools in the area both private and public. I always like to get first hand input from folks who's children have attended the schools.

From what I've researched Bakersfield sits in somewhat of a valley, so the heat and air quality is not ideal as there is little air movement. Would folks recommend living higher up the valley - does the temperature/weather/air quality improve as you move out of the city center? We're ok with up to a 40 minute commute.

We enjoy spending time outdoors - fishing, hiking, etc.

Any other insights?

Thanks!
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Old 07-15-2017, 02:45 PM
 
234 posts, read 300,817 times
Reputation: 381
My wife and I moved to the area almost two years ago, the county doesn't have the best reputation and it may take some getting used to, but there are some hidden gems in the area for sure.

Sorry, I can't really speak to the school system in any meaningful way, but...

If you want to get away from most of the heat and pollution, consider Tehachapi. Roughly a 45 min commute into Bakersfield and it's about 4000 elevation. It's always about 10/15 degrees cooler than down in the valley, and the air quality is obviously better as well being so high up. Again, not sure about the schools, but Tehachapi does have a pretty nice high school and a brand new 100 mill dollar hospital opening in the next six months or so.

Kernville was another really cool spot that we liked, beautiful area, but very rural. For my money, Tehachapi and Kernville are the two nicest areas (for different reasons) in Kern Co. But, to each his own. Good luck with your move.
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Old 07-18-2017, 12:32 PM
 
1,995 posts, read 4,853,484 times
Reputation: 2041
Hey there...I just wanted to offer my opinion the best I can.

The Northwest and Southwest parts have newer homes/neighborhoods and it's considered safe.

The Northeast part is more hilly and has some nice older homes and neighborhoods...Safety varies in this area just depending on your location.

Near Downtown also has some nice older homes/neighborhoods...Safety also varies here depending on location.

The Southeast part from what I remember since I haven't been in this area in a while has some rundown looking areas,while some parts may look more decent but everyone has a different perception...Safety here also varies,but can have a higher crime rate in certain areas.

I don't know about the schools,so i'll leave it to the others on that.

Normally it's about 5-6 degrees cooler as you head out of Bakersfield towards the more rural areas and air quality is mostly an issue for sensitive respiratory groups,but air quality does improve when you head up towards the mountains.

Kern County does offer a lot of outdoor activities since the county is made up of Valley,Mountain and Desert regions.
Outdoor Recreation - Kern County, California | Official Tourism Bureau
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Old 07-18-2017, 02:12 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
626 posts, read 622,429 times
Reputation: 941
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlbour View Post
Hi There -

I'm considering a job transfer to Bakersfield. I was hoping to get some insight from folks on here who have lived in or spent considerable time in Kern County and the Bakersfield area. From what I've already read on here, it appears that Bakersfield is a polarizing topic. I'm not looking to debate, I'm looking for some honest input. Thank you in advance for your information.
I'd be relocating with my family - includes children - elementary school aged. We'd be coming from NC so we are used to the extreme heat and humidity - yes I know CA has a dry heat. As I type this it's 100 degrees here and 60% humidity.
So here are my questions...
Which areas would you recommend looking to find housing in Bakersfield - looking for a safe, family friendly neighborhood that's not totally urban, but not completely rural either. Budget is $300K or so.
Which school systems do you recommend for elementary school? School quality is very important to us. I've done some initial research on greatschools, and know there are a large number of schools in the area both private and public. I always like to get first hand input from folks who's children have attended the schools.
From what I've researched Bakersfield sits in somewhat of a valley, so the heat and air quality is not ideal as there is little air movement. Would folks recommend living higher up the valley - does the temperature/weather/air quality improve as you move out of the city center? We're ok with up to a 40 minute commute.
We enjoy spending time outdoors - fishing, hiking, etc.
Any other insights?
Thanks!
Sorry I can't really help you with alot of the details about your move to Bakersfield but I can give you a rough overview of the area as a whole. I moved to LA from NC about 4 1/2 years ago now and we are trying to move back at this point. But with my job I travel to Bakersfield and the surrounding areas quite a bit. Do you plan on living and working in Bakersfield, or living somewhere else and commuting there? If so how long would a commute could you do?

Bakersfield is in THE BIGGEST VALLEY in CA which stretches for hundreds of miles and is referred to as the "Central Valley Region". It does get very hot 100+ in the summer alot and the humidity is something you can deal with coming from NC. The air quality is sometimes pretty bad because the air flows down from Fresno and the Bay area and juts up against mountains. You can live up in the mountains up above Bakersfield but be aware that on some roads it does get impassable sometimes during the winter due to snow, and it is a two lane rd for a fair number of roads.

If you like doing all the outdoor stuff then Bakersfield would be great for you because they are right on the edge of the mountains, you can go hiking and fishing quite a bit up there with no problem at all. Plus you are only 2 hours from LA a few hours to the Bay area, so you are right in the middle of everything.
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Old 07-19-2017, 03:27 PM
 
Location: NC
55 posts, read 123,360 times
Reputation: 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by cyberfx1024 View Post
Sorry I can't really help you with alot of the details about your move to Bakersfield but I can give you a rough overview of the area as a whole. I moved to LA from NC about 4 1/2 years ago now and we are trying to move back at this point. But with my job I travel to Bakersfield and the surrounding areas quite a bit. Do you plan on living and working in Bakersfield, or living somewhere else and commuting there? If so how long would a commute could you do?

Bakersfield is in THE BIGGEST VALLEY in CA which stretches for hundreds of miles and is referred to as the "Central Valley Region". It does get very hot 100+ in the summer alot and the humidity is something you can deal with coming from NC. The air quality is sometimes pretty bad because the air flows down from Fresno and the Bay area and juts up against mountains. You can live up in the mountains up above Bakersfield but be aware that on some roads it does get impassable sometimes during the winter due to snow, and it is a two lane rd for a fair number of roads.

If you like doing all the outdoor stuff then Bakersfield would be great for you because they are right on the edge of the mountains, you can go hiking and fishing quite a bit up there with no problem at all. Plus you are only 2 hours from LA a few hours to the Bay area, so you are right in the middle of everything.
Thanks for the input. We'd be willing to do up to a 45 minute commute to Bakersfield. The job is located in Bakersfield. Ideally, safety and school systems are the primary drivers of location. You mentioned the mountains and snow - how far outside of Bakersfield is that - miles/time? Based on the input I've received so far, if we opt to live in Bakersfield the areas to the NW and SW seem ideal.
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Old 07-19-2017, 11:16 PM
 
Location: CDA
521 posts, read 729,983 times
Reputation: 988
My husband grew up in Bakersfield so I asked him about your post. He also said Tehachapi is a nice area but you will have that commute. Rosedale is a nice area and has the best schools.
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Old 07-20-2017, 03:05 AM
 
Location: Boydton, VA
4,560 posts, read 6,265,123 times
Reputation: 10464
As I recall, Hiway 58, between Tehachapi and Bakersfield is a good divided 4 lane and larger hiway. The elevation at Tehachapi is just shy of 4000', Bakersfield is just over 400'...so the difference of 3600' in 44 miles equates to a few steep grades....no problem for vehicles in good shape...just be aware. According to Mountain Directory West, the ascent/descent is a 22 mile section, containing some 6% grades. This might be a consideration for your commute.

Regards
Gemstone1
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Old 07-21-2017, 07:30 AM
 
Location: North Carolina
626 posts, read 622,429 times
Reputation: 941
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlbour View Post
Thanks for the input. We'd be willing to do up to a 45 minute commute to Bakersfield. The job is located in Bakersfield. Ideally, safety and school systems are the primary drivers of location. You mentioned the mountains and snow - how far outside of Bakersfield is that - miles/time? Based on the input I've received so far, if we opt to live in Bakersfield the areas to the NW and SW seem ideal.
I agree with the other poster as well Tehachapi would probably better for you. It's a nice little town right on 58 with a divided 4 lane highway going into and out of Bakersfield. It is also in the mountains so there is that for you.
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Old 07-21-2017, 06:06 PM
 
1,069 posts, read 1,253,584 times
Reputation: 1521
Tehachapi is also high enough to keep out the San Joaquin Valley smog. Bakersfield air quality is arguably the worst in the country. I drove through there once during September (harvest time) and you couldn't see 200 yards away, it was so bad.

Also, keep in mind that Tehachapi is on an edge of a forest and is quite scenic. Bakersfield is the opposite of scenic. The surrounding mountains can look pretty on a clear day, but you rarely get to see them. And the oil derricks everywhere are a major eyesore.
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Old 08-21-2017, 12:22 PM
 
4 posts, read 2,917 times
Reputation: 13
I very reluctantly moved to Bakersfield 3 years ago. I didn't want to move here and I still don't want to live here long-term, but we've settled in for now and met some nice people (amongst a lot of jerks who think they're so tough and cool). Our area in the NW is OK because it's close to everything you could possibly need on Rosedale and Stockdale and the schools are better in the area. However, it's flat, brown, and ugly.... Most of the city is very ugly like the other poster said - the opposite of scenic and hands down the ugliest city I've ever lived in. However, the slightly more scenic areas are in the NE where you get more hills and neighborhoods with big mature trees and the air almost seems a bit better (past Oildale - that's one of the most ugly and depressing cities I've ever been in my life and driving through it is bad enough). However, on that east side, you'll find it hard to get your kids into a well-performing school. If you go further west, there are some good schools in the Rio Bravo area, I believe it is. I would agree that Tehachapi is a nicer town if you'd do the commute. It's a small mountain town, so that means a different type of people too, but it's at least not ugly with horrible air quality and extreme heat... and after a good rain, the drive from Tehachapi is gorgeous.
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