Merced, CA

[Logan's Dad]

My opinion:

The Central Valley SUCKS. Gangs, drugs, idiots with big trucks, ridiculously loud stereos, overcrowded, way to hot in summer.

This place has lost it's sense of community.

I cannot wait to move.

[Lovin Life]

I grew up in Atwater and still living here with my family I would not recommend moving in this area or the central valley really there is way to many gangs and crime!! its ridiculous & no one is really doing anything about it the schools are not that great there is a lot of kids that don't speak English so the teachers have to spend a lot more time with those students & the students that do speak English aren't getting the education they need Yes rent and housing are cheap and they are building a lot more restaurants etc. but it's just not worth it to me to live around here seeing the gang population growing this town use to feel like home to me but not anymore I'm a 24 year old mother & have a 18mo old son and i don't want him growing up over here so my family and I are seriously thinking about moving out of state well at least not living in the central valley anymore there's so many KIDS getting pregnant on welfare and doing drugs and my tax dollars are supporting these gang baggers drug addicts on welfare NO THANK YOU!

[TMUhlmann]

I originally moved to Merced in 2001 because of two things: I had friends in town that I had visited for eight years, frequently in summer for a romp in the pool (I lived at the time in Mokelumne Hill in the Sierra Foothills), and because the next UC campus was destined for this town. My decision was in general a good one, except for the part where my job...network engineer in Santa Clara...got canned with the rest of the office two weeks after I bought my house. Merced in 2001 still had 20% unemployment. I do not know what the stats are currently, but I would hope that unemployment is heading downward even with the current poor economy because of the presence of the new University. I cannot imagine that in the long run the UC Merced will be a source of diversity and prosperity in this city.

One reason for writing is to respond to posts suggesting that Merced and the Central Valley are not pleasant places to live. I have to differ on this opinion. I was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, and went to college and grad school in Minnesota. Merced is neither as hot in summer nor cold in winter as either of those locales. it has maybe 6-8 weeks of cold, often foggy wet weather after Thanksgiving, but by the beginning of February the almond orchards are in full bloom, followed by wave after wave of flowering fruit trees, and roses follow soon afterwards with gorgeous springs through May. There are three months with typically 14-21 days over 100 degrees, often with much cooler nights, and then a very long autumn lasting until mid-November. I love to garden and find the climate suitable for almost anything and anyone.

I lived on 21st Street, which extended from the old County Courthouse east and along which the old politicos built some beautiful home and mansions. I lived further along in the MCM (mid-century modern) section. My friends lived north near Yosemite and G St., which in the 90's was the northern end of town. As far as I can remember I had no complaints about the town except for the rate of unemployment. There are several neighborhoods that are desirable and most of them affordable. When I first moved there I particularly noticed a lack of anything but beautiful green lawns with no cars parked on them. Recently I drove through again and this time did see the sign of repossession: dry brown lawns. But I would not imagine this to be anything more that the transient state of the the economy. It woud be better of course if lenders, realtors, owners, and politicians learned to control themselves in the midst of a boom and not deliver the bust that always seems to follow (this observation after living 28 years in all parts of California).

But all of this is to say that I would have no difficulty recommending Merced as a city to move to (assuming that you aren't born and raised in NYC, Chicago, etc.). I think it's a great place and often wish I did not have to move away because of employment difficulties in 2004.

[1claim]

Marisa Ruiz.....she and her husband are crooked Nothing but bad news. Just a warning.

[jschek]

Originally Posted by awin1

Hi,
We currently live in San Jose and would like to relocate not too far away.

Wouldn't consider Merced that "close".

We're politically liberal (don't quite know if we have "san francisco values or not - but close <g>) and appreciate "multi-culturalism."

If you think you fit into SF, then you won't fit into Merced. Don't let the "college town" fool you. It is conservative in a lot of ways and there are a lot of folks who move to the Central Valley due to cost and to get away from the "san francisco values". If you don't call folks on their nonsense like I do, then you'll be fine.

Also, it's multi-cultural, but there's a lot of animosity towards "illegal immigrants" (i.e. hispanics, legal and illegal) since folks need a scape goat for their problems. It's nothing bad, but you'll hear a lot of stupid and ignorant things from otherwise well-meaning folks.

Cooking's also a hobby and we appreciate a good selection of "ethnic foods."

Personally, I think that whole region is awful in terms of ethnic food variety (aside from Hispanic food). I believe Merced has a sizable Asyrian community. Modesto has a decent variety including some Asian foods, but it's terribly disapointing even compared to Sacramento (which is disapointing compared to the Bay Area). Plan on going to Modesto go get any cooking supplies or ingredients.

due to my phobias about global warming in years in come, I don't care to relocate to the Sacramento/Delta area.

Live up stream, you'll be fine. Folsom, Orangeville, El Dorado Hills, etc are all above the flood zone. Davis, I think, is also above the flood zone. It's a better choice than Merced IMHO. Better economy too in case you need to re-enter the workforce.

We have 3 large dogs and I have an interest in gardening so a condo or apartment is not an option.

Hmmm... That never stopped my neighbors. What is it with people with large dogs and apartments?! If you moved into a 1 bedroom apartment with 3 Saint Benards, you'd fit right in.

From afar, Merced seems appealing because it's not too far from the bay area, Sacramento, Yosemite, etc.,

I strongly disagree with you here. It's a 2+ hour drive to almost anything of interest. You are on the 99-side of the central valley which means your access to everything is either through Highway 99 or crossing over to I-5. Plan an entire day and staying up real late if you want to go anyway. SR-120 and I-205 are awful if you ever have to go towards the bay. Plan and parking on those highways when you travel.

It seems that it has all of the major stores and is pretty "self-sufficient."

You'll find yourself going to Modesto for a lot of stuff or buying online. Otherwise, it's got all of the other, day-to-day stuff even supermarkets (yes, there are some overpopulated towns in the CV that don't even have a decent supermarket!)

I know it gets really hot in the summer and that there's tule fog in the winter, but I'm wondering if anyone can fill me in on other drawbacks and things I should look out for.

Lots of commuter-families so depending on your neighborhood, you may not see your neighbors much. Rumors of gangs are highly exagerated--especially when compared to a REAL gang like you would find in the Bay Area, LA, or even Sacramento these days. Meth and other drugs are a problem (central valley is a little worse than Bay Area based on stats) and is a major problem in the middle-class.

Don't get me wrong, I've focused on the negative a lot... but it is a good place to live. Neighborhoods are safe. Excellent college in the area. Decent location. Continued growth into the forseeable future. Smallish-town feel (for California).

[jschek]

Originally Posted by Logan's Dad

My opinion:

The Central Valley SUCKS. Gangs, drugs, idiots with big trucks, ridiculously loud stereos, overcrowded, way to hot in summer.

This place has lost it's sense of community.

I cannot wait to move.

Hmm. I've been to NYC, upstate New York, rural Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri, Las Vegas, SF, Bay Area, East Bay, LA, Orange County, Inland Empire, Central Valley, Sacramento, Seattle, and a number of other places.

Other than the hot summers, I've haven't seen much of a difference between all of these areas... well, ok, the rural areas weren't that overcrowded.

Gangs, drugs, idiots, big trucks, loud stereos, etc all seem to be common. Sometimes, you get a bonus and you'll get obnoxious sports fans combined with loud stereos or big-trucks with shotgun racks playing a loud stereo or upper-middle class druggies.

Where you planning on moving to? Alaska?

[Yeah buddy!]

I lived in Merced from march 2006 to june 2006 i did not like it at all. very run down. poor whites, and too many ghetto minorities. you can tell there was alot of drug use going on. but there was a huge upside to it that i never got here. i lived in the SFV outside of LA all my life and returned here afterwards, just moved to a more ghetto area now. the girls were very forward which shocked me. one girl kept coming into my face and nearly kissed me and we just met 2 minutes before in the store i was shopping (she was the cashier). i dont usually get THAT much of attention here. it helps that i'm a good looking guy but i just think that i was one of the few and far between because most of the guys there are ghetto, etc. despite that i felt it was ghetto, i would much rather live there than live here in this exact location. i only payed $625 for a big 1 bedroom apt. now i pay $800 for a tiny studio in a more run down area...

[cocoy95]

I visited Merced many times, when I used to live in Fresno. We have families and friends in the area, near Merced College, Atwater and Chowchilla. Not a bad place to live, except you have to travel to Fresno/San Jose/Sacramento for fun, shopping or flying out of town. Summer is hot. Winter is foggy. Dangerous driving on HWY99, HWY59 or HWY140. Lots of driving advisories from patchy to dense fogs. California Highway Patrol will have pace units working on HWY99 during fog season when driving is dangerous or zero visibility.

[Bluesbabe]

What you want makes Merced a great fit for you. There's a lot of good feedback on here. I was raised in the San Joaquin Valley and have always said that, if I return, I want to live in Merced.

Yes, winters can be surprisingly chilly there. BUT ~ the winter is short and the valley has TERRIFIC springs! If you're outdoorsy, it's a stone's throw from hiking and even Yosemite. If you like to gamble once in awhile, there Chuckchansi. Short drive to the coast, and all kinds of interesting cultural events there (Mexican, Portuguese). There used to be air shows at Castle Air Force Base but I don't know if it still does.

I go "home" almost every year and always end up in Merced to shop. Shopping does seem below the needs of the city, but like someone else said, Modesto isn't far.

Do pay attention to where the worst gang activity is. There ARE a lot of gangs in the valley. However, there are a lot of them where I live here in Oregon, too.