Bakersfield Neighborhood, housing advice (San Francisco, Rosedale: apartments, rentals, crime)

[mandom]

hi all. i've read all the threads on bako so i'm not really looking for the pros/cons of living here.

what i hope to get are recommendations on finding housing (i've tried craigslist already; are there other good sites?), and preferrable neighborhoods (i've narrowed it down to the NW, SW and NE).

what i'm looking for is a short-term place (2-4bedrooms) as i will only stay a year. also, i want a quiet, safe, and possibly central/convenient location to grocery stores/restaurants. are there gated communities where i could find such a rental?

thanks for any help.

[Roaddog]

I think your on the right track with the locations you have, the NW is a large area with tons of new housing as is the SW but with the SW you need to be sure you are not a block away from a rough area. The NE is nice as long as you stay very north. All areas have plenty of shopping close by.
Welcome.

[Caliguy2007]

The Northwest and Southwest tends to be the more desirable locations and also much newer than other parts of Bakersfield,but the Northeast is also poised for alot of growth as well.

The Southeast has lower income neighborhoods and a higher crime rate.

Their are gated communities in Bakersfield,but i'm not sure which ones have rentals,but here's a link that may be able to help you on your search :-)

http://www.bakersfieldrentals.net/

[mandom]

thanks for the link and thoughts.

another question: i'll be working at Kern Medical Center so I was wondering what type of commute I will be facing if i lived in the NW. i've dealt with both SF and LA traffic and i can safely say that i hate traffic.

how does the traffic in bako compare? is there typical rush-hour traffic? any secret routes i should know about?

[Roaddog]

Traffic will be very light, you can cross town in any direction in less than 30 minutes with heavy traffic and most of the time in 15 minutes.

[Caliguy2007]

Traffic in Bakersfield is much better than the traffic you've experienced in L.A or San Francisco.

[jana]

I live in the NE and always have. So, I am partial to it.
If you are going to work at KMC (I used to work there too) and want to live short term, there are some nice apartments on Fairfax for rent. Right near the crosstown fwy (178). You would get on the fwy, get off at Mt Vernon and be to work in 5-7 minutes.
A lot of homeowners rent these apts while their house is being built. I have no idea how much rent is, but I know it is not extremely high.
The Rosedale Hwy, coming from the NW, gets really busy during rush hour, but nothing compared to LA traffic.
As for the SW, I would drive by and look around before renting there. Like another posted stated, you can cross the street and be in a bad neighborhood.
For working at KMC, I would live in the NE.

[mandom]

jana,

thank you for the advice. i am looking into it. my commute is cut in half if i were to live in the NE...not bad at all.

is this what you are talking about?
http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/apa/275823858.html

i may have a roommate and prefer a garage so a small home/townhome isn't out of the question.

how is crime/car theft in the NE? would one feel safe going for a walk in the evening? thanks

[dusesean1986]

Don't know much about Bakersfield, but the summer's are very nice in my opinion, easily hit a 100 with a very comfortable dry heat.

[Caliguy2007]

Bakersfield's Summers are Hot and Dry,but it is much more tolerable than the Summers in Las Vegas or Phoenix.

Bakersfield also occasionally get's some relief when cooler marine air spills into the valley.

Originally Posted by dusesean1986

Don't know much about Bakersfield, but the summer's are very nice in my opinion, easily hit a 100 with a very comfortable dry heat.