Need an Introduction to Fresno (Clovis, Barstow: apartment complexes, renters, loft)

[Flying_Hawkeye]

I'm moving to Fresno to begin work soon and I'm in the need of an introduction to the area.

I'm still in need of an apartment so any suggestions on areas to live or avoid would be helpful, looking at most ~$800/month for 1 bed/1 bath.

I do know a few things, such as the heat (I've lived in Houston and Arizona, so this is nothing new) and Shaw Ave. is a line of crime.


Any help would be great!

[heetseeker]

Run forest run. Fresno is the armpit of cali.

[FresnoFacts]

$800/month should work OK in most of the city. The question is the type of area or proximity to work/activities.

If you want a suburban area, look into the apartments in north Fresno along or just off Nees Avenue (east and west of Blackstone). Last time I looked 1/1s were about $700-$800/mo there. That puts you close to the RiverPark area with restaurants, clubs, movies, etc. along with nearby Woodward Park. Some of the apt complex names include Windscape, The Springs, Riverview Garden, Park Ridge, Lakeside, etc.

Another suburban area to consider would include near Freeway 168 in Clovis, off the Fowler or Herndon/Clovis exits. Complex names include Sierra Ridge, Cottonwood Grove, Granite Ridge, Sierra Hills, etc.

While some use Shaw as a boundary line, that leaves out nice areas south of Shaw such as Fig Garden, the Tower District, the Mural District, etc. So it is not a hard fast rule, you have to do your research.

The Tower District is an older neighborhood that is more trendy and eclectic. Some performing arts groups, various festivals, restaurants, etc.
http://www.towerdistrict.org/

If you are looking for more of an urban loft type setting, that is something fairly recent in this area. The Mural District near downtown has seen several hundred new apartments open in the last 5 to 7 years (about 70 or 80 have opened this year). Still a small revitalizing area but it has attracted upscale residents. Some of the rentals are shown at:
http://www.rentgranville.com/community-rentals

What else would you like to know about? Any particular interests/activities you would like info about?

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by heetseeker

Run forest run. Fresno is the armpit of cali.

No, that would be Marysville.

[Flying_Hawkeye]

Thanks for the info!

I'll be working at the international airport, so I've been looking more towards the Clovis area and generally a 10 to 20 minute distance from it.

There was a complex on W 9th street in Clovis that caught my eye, given its distance from the airport but it is hard for me to know anything about an area other than the pretty pictures and description.

[FresnoFacts]

That sounds like one of the apartments north of Barstow in Clovis. Without knowing the specific complex I can't say more, but that is an area with a lot of apartment complexes and some are lower end and some are OK.

Try using something like Streetview on Google Maps to get an idea of areas too. That lets you see the condition of an area along with things that might give more info like the age/condition of cars parked near the complex.

10 to 20 minutes from the airport covers a large part of the urban area except for northwest Fresno. Even RiverPark is roughly 20 minutes from the airport.

[Snort]

Fresno, meet Flying_Hawkeye. Flying_Hawkeye meet Fresno.

Try Apartment Ratings :: The leading source of apartment reviews by renters for renters. and check out the reviews there for apartments.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Flying_Hawkeye

I'm in the need of an introduction to the area.

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[VeronikaW]

All I can think when I see Fresno is that line from Airplane, "Fresno? Nobody goes to Fresno anymore!"

[FresnoFacts]

Just an FYI to all with the holiday coming up on Friday.

Fresno hosts what is called the largest Veterans Day parade on the West Coast (the parade has honored Vets annually for 92 years). Over 10,000 participants, over 25 bands, plus floats, military vehicles, etc.

The Fresno parade will once again be broadcast live worldwide on the Pentagon Channel and streamed at http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/.

One of the parade entries is the US Capitol's Christmas Tree as it starts the roadtrip from the Stanislaus National Forest to D.C. The tree will also stop at Childrens Hospital Central California after the parade (CHCC is one of the 10 largest children's hospitals in the country).

An early thank you to all Veterans.

Originally Posted by Charles

.

You forgot to mention Fresno hosts the original Sweded film festival.
Swede Fest - The only film festival for sweded films
(click the numbers on the website to see entries from each festival)

A Fresno film crew's Swede parody of the Avengers trailer went viral last month. Even some connected with the real movie liked this version.

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

All I can think when I see Fresno is that line from Airplane, "Fresno? Nobody goes to Fresno anymore!"

Singer Chris Isaak just said Fresno is one of his favorite vacation cities.

Chris Isaak's Fresno