Any Advise on Fresno (Clovis, Rodeo: foreclosures, home, job market)

[oregonn8v]

I am in the process of interviewing for a position in Fresno. I know very little about what that area is like and would appreciate some input. My wife an I would be selling our home in Portland and moving our family of 5.

We would likely be able to invest between $500K and $600K on a home. Will that get us into something reasonable in Fresno? What schools are the best...i.e.: what neighborhoods should we focus on?

Any advise is apreciated. Thanks.

[e_cuyler]

You can get a really nice place for that amount in Fresno. I'll leave it to the others to discuss schools since I have no direct knowledge of that.

[eliptik]

With your price range you can get definitely find something nice in Fresno. The nicer areas in town and also the newest would have to be North Fresno, more specifically neighborhoods in the 93720 zip code. The best schools in the valley is no doubt Clovis Unified schools so it would be ideal to move to a location within their district. Clovis is a small city right next to Fresno and it is also a nice place to live with many good neighborhoods and many of their schools are even located in Fresno, particularly in Northeast Fresno.

[Fontucky]

Check out the Fig Garden neighborhood: FGHA - History

[humboldtrat]

North Fresno (north of about Shaw Ave) and Clovis are all good places.

[oregonn8v]

Thanks for the tips. With a little zillow search it looks like we can find something nice in our range if we end up moving.

Is there anything I should know about Fresno before moving there? What do people love about it? Hate about it?

Thanks

[18Montclair]

I have relatives in the city of Clovis which is right next to Fresno. Its really nice, I think you might like it.

[LASam]

Cue FresnoFacts in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

[mollyblythe]

Originally Posted by oregonn8v

Thanks for the tips. With a little zillow search it looks like we can find something nice in our range if we end up moving.

Is there anything I should know about Fresno before moving there? What do people love about it? Hate about it?

Thanks

Too hot in summer, though the last few summers have been less bad.
Really nice spring this year. Outside of summer, weather generally is relatively mild. Some winter fog.

I dislike the suburban sprawl. Newer cookie cutter subdivisions and strip malls. Not very much past effort at preserving the more historical areas of town. Not a very thriving downtown area but some recent focus in that direction. Not so good air quality. Lots of allergies/asthma. Depressed job market. Lots of foreclosures. As others have posted, your budget will get you a nice house.

Good proximity to mountains. Three hours to the coast. Pretty countryside with orchards and grapevines. Good restaurants. Most amenities offered by a city this size. Commute times generally good. Some bottlenecking at rush hours.

Fig Garden area and north of Shaw is nice in Fresno and Clovis.

Lots more sun and less gray and rain than Portland.

[Adriatica]

Areas to look into: 93720, 93711, 93730 and in Clovis: 93611 and 93619.

Clovis is a very good school district--it's important to know that several areas of Fresno (like 93720) are actually in Clovis Unified and not Fresno Unified (the districts don't follow city limits). Fresno Unified also has a lot of strong schools.

That budget will get a very nice house--lots of options for you. Not sure what part of town you're working in--you might want to consider your commute. Commuting east to west (or vice versa) is not pleasant since it would require a lot of surface streets. Commuting from north to south is a bit easier with the freeways. If you can share what part of town you're working in, that would help.

Fresno is very hot and dry in the summer and cool and foggy in the winter. Spring and fall are very nice. It's easy to be outdoors for most of the year.

Lots of family and kid-oriented stuff to do. A fair amount of sporting events to go to, with Fresno State athletics being popular and fun to attend. The Save Mart center attracts big concerts. Tons of shops and restaurants (both big chains and great local places). Lots of farmers' markets to go to plus the Fresno State Farm Market.

Clovis tends to be family-oriented. Clovis' Old Town has antique shops, good restaurants, and the farmer's market plus lots of events/parades. Fresno's River Park is the trendy place to shop and eat. Fresno's Fashion Fair is another great place to shop. Fresno's Tower District has lots of independent concerts and films, unusual stores, and good restaurants. Fresno's downtown has the Met Museum, Chuckchansi baseball park, Saroyan theatre, Selland arena, and nearby is the Chaffee Zoo and Storyland/Playland for the little kids.

Several large hospitals, plus a great Children's Hospital. Fresno State offers lots of educational opportunities for all ages. Both Clovis and Fresno have good recreation/class programs. Lots of churches in the area with a variety of denominations. Some really great ethnic festivals every year. There's a symphony orchestra, an opera company and a ballet company with regular performances. The Fresno Fair is a big hit and the Clovis Rodeo is fun, too.

Not far away are 3 National Parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. There are numerous lakes with a 1-2 hour drive (Millerton, Shaver, Huntington, etc.) and the Sierra National Forest is close. The coast is 2.5 or more hours away, depending on where you're going.

Ask any other questions you can think of!