Would you recommend Bakersfield for a recent college grad? (Los Angeles: employment, living in)

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by TimC2462

1. Warm. Check.

2. Low cost of living. Check.

3. Decent amount of people your age. Check.

But you need to do more research. Those three criteria alone aren't good enough reasons to relocate to anywhere, IMO. There's a question of job market for your occupation, certain lifestyle, etc. Keep asking more questions. You may find that Bakersfield might be the best match for you... or not.

Tim C.

I agree with what Tim C. said. Bakersfield meets the criteria listed to a tee, but it might not be your cup of "tee." There are widely varying opinions on Bakersfield that are found on this forum, but from what I've seen, people either tend to love it or hate it. There aren't many who are in between on the matter. I don't live in Bakersfield, but I do live near it, and I go there regularly for shopping, dining, and other things. It is one of my favorite cities in California, mainly because it's friendly and still fairly small. To me it feels more like a small town than a big city, even though it has about 300,000 people in it. I grew up in L.A. (and still work there), so this may be why it feels that way to me. Bakersfield gets hot in the summer, as do most of California's inland valley areas. It gets chilly in the winter, especially when the fog settles in, but only occasionally dips below about 30 degrees farenheit. It gets a lot of sunshine, so if that's important, it can be a plus. There are lots of recreational opportunities nearby if you're into outdoor activities. For cultural events, it is much more limited than places like L.A., but those things are only a couple hours away, which is generally okay if you only want them occasionally. I'd suggest that you check out some of the Bakersfield threads on this forum to get a better idea of what you're looking for, and to read people's opinions about it.

[TimC2462]

I also agree with jdavid's additional input about Bakersfield.

I'm not sure why people are so quick to dismiss Bakersfield as one of the worse towns to avoid in California.

Labeling it as cowtown or a hick town really shows how little people know about Bakersfield. Prior to my moving out of Monterey in 2001, my friends said "Bakersfield??? You're moving to Bakersfield? What's out there?" Well, it's now 2008 and the opportunities here in Bakersfield have allowed me and my family to open up a very successful business and take advantage of low cost of housing.

Tim C.

[rkb0305]

I wonder if, coming from NYC, most of California might have a relatively low cost of living. What is expensive to me, might not be for the OP. If that is the case, look in the SF bay area and along the coast. if the beach is not your thing, maybe the Sacramento area. The weather varies A LOT between the coast and someplace inland like Sac or Bakersfield, so research that.

[pistola916]

I would recommend Sacramento. It has very thing you are asking for.

[Caliguy2007]

Bakersfield is warm during the Summer,and it has a relatively lower cost of living compared to other parts of CA,and yeah their are lots of young people there too,but you honestly need to provide more detail on what your looking for

If your seeking a more laid back,slower paced,friendly atmosphere,less crowded area with lots of sunny dry days and are into outdoor activities,then you'll enjoy Bakersfield.

I live near Bakersfield and before I moved down to Kern County,I heard so many negative things about the place,but I was so surprised when I finally got to tour the city and found it rather nice,so i've learned to be more open-minded and not just rely on other people's negative comments about any place,especially since negativity seems very popular in the California forums

Visit Bakersfield so you'll get a better idea of what it's like,but please don't judge it from what you see while passing through on the freeway,because the charms of Bakersfield is not viewable from that vantage point

Originally Posted by Grass4

Right now I live in New York, work in NYC, and I hate it.

I'm looking for a place that's

1. Warm
2. Low cost of living
3. Decent amount of people my age (22)

Would you say that Bakersfield matches this criteria?

Thanks.

[Idunn]

I haven't been through Bakersfield, CA in a long time. For a reason. Perhaps it is just the kind of place you are looking for. But personally I'd choose Death Valley in a second: a. It is quite warm. b. Likely a low cost of living. c. Well, not exactly crowded.

As someone else mentioned, someplace such as Sacramento, CA seems far more plausible. Really depends what you are looking for, beyond your listed criteria. At a minimum you might be well advised to look at Bakersfield, or anywhere else, in person first before making a solid commitment.

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by Idunn

I haven't been through Bakersfield, CA in a long time. For a reason. Perhaps it is just the kind of place you are looking for. But personally I'd choose Death Valley in a second: a. It is quite warm. b. Likely a low cost of living. c. Well, not exactly crowded.

As someone else mentioned, someplace such as Sacramento, CA seems far more plausible. Really depends what you are looking for, beyond your listed criteria. At a minimum you might be well advised to look at Bakersfield, or anywhere else, in person first before making a solid commitment.

I hope you are kidding. Death Valley can be 125 F in the summer.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

I hope you are kidding. Death Valley can be 125 F in the summer.

Well, that meets the 'warm' criteria in spades!

But it may fall short on criteria item #3. I just don't know how many young people live there at least by choice.

[JakeDog]

Not exactly a place for college graduates in my opinion. More hot than warm, it is more similar to Odessa Texas than anything you would probably associate with Califronia. If you like the bible and meth, it could be the place for you.

[jenndslp]

I wouldn't live in Bakersfield if someone paid me. Sorry.