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Old 11-21-2006, 07:05 PM
 
207 posts, read 797,295 times
Reputation: 119

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I am considering moving to the Fresno area and would like input on the top pros and cons for Fresno/Madera.

Since I am moving from Brooklyn, NY, I may not be as jolted by imperfections, but would choose not to consider the area if high crime or gang-related influence is present.

Thanks to all.

 
Old 11-23-2006, 09:27 AM
 
5,322 posts, read 18,202,866 times
Reputation: 3850
I lived in Fresno from 1970 to 1991 and hope to never have to live there again!

So as not to make it look all bad, I'll give you the positive; geographically you're not far from the coast, the mountains or the larger cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles. You also have more of an array of shopping than you would in a smaller city like Madera, Chowchilla, Fowler, Selma and the like.

My view of the negative; high crime area, fog, smog, gangs, heck you have security guards at most grocery stores! The high schools by now I'm certain have metal detectors (not 100% on this having been out of the area for 15 years).

You can take a gander at the crime and other issues by going and reading the online newspaper, The Fresno Bee.

In this forum, if you go to the General US forum and look up the thread titled The Crummiest Cities in the US, you'll find Fresno listed there and not only by me.

Don't get me wrong, not everyone who lives there is evil, but I chose to move to a lesser populated area with more family values.
 
Old 11-27-2006, 01:13 PM
 
13 posts, read 150,611 times
Reputation: 21
I lived in Fresno for about 15 years and now live in a small town about 45 miles south. Fresno is full of gangs from Mexican and Hmongs, crime, crime, crime. Nearly everyday the news reports another murder or drive-by shooting. Fresno ranked among the highest for car thefts in the entire U.S. Summers hover around 108, and Winters are cold and foggy for weeks at a time. I wouldn't move back there.
 
Old 11-27-2006, 02:10 PM
 
Location: Fresno
2 posts, read 65,123 times
Reputation: 23
Default Fresno is a nice place

I am originally from the Bronx. So go Yankees, probably Mets for you.

I currently live in the Fresno area and can say that it is a totally different place than what people are describing 15 plus years ago. A recent crime report has Fresno’s crime rate decreasing as the States has increased slightly. That has pretty much been the trend over the last 5-7 year. In the early 90’s (when I moved here) there were some crime issues but they have really cracked down. No, it is not Mayberry and like any medium to large city there are going to be areas that you are not going to be safe in. Unfortunately, for Fresno it is near Freeway 99 were most people get their first impression of Fresno.

I moved here in the early 90’s to attend Fresno State and have enjoyed living here since. I have had several opportunities to relocate and have chosen to remain in Fresno. Fresno’s central location and genuine nice people are keys for me. Fresno is about a hour from 3 National Parks, 2 hours from the coast, 3 from the Bay area, and 3 ½ from S. Cal. If you don’t mind the heat (about 15-20 days generally in July) then it’s a great place to raise a family.

I currently live in Northeast Fresno (which is the newer area) which is in the Clovis school district. Clovis schools are some of the best in the state. There is over ½ a million people in the metro area.

Good luck.
 
Old 12-04-2006, 08:43 PM
 
22 posts, read 207,109 times
Reputation: 28
Thumbs down Majority rules- Fresno is a terrible place to live!!!

I also live in Northeast Fresno and can't wait to get out of here!!! For every one person you meet that may be nice, ten more are the most rude, ignorant people you could meet. No one knows their neighbors or practices common decency and respect.

The Clovis schools are a joke!! Yes, many people say they are the best in the state, but the state of California is listed anywhere from 43rd to 49th in the country for education. The schools are shiny on the outside, but lack true academic foundation. School administrators here are trying to avoid the high school exit exam because so many students are failing the test. Actual minutes of instruction is half of what we had in Ohio. I have four children and my husband has a decent job with a prominent employer. We have lived in the bay area, texas, and northeast Ohio. Of all the places, the people are the rudest here. The police are ineffective, security guards patrol neighborhoods, grocery stores and many other public places. Every where you look wealthy side of town and poor side of town, gang "tagging" is everywhere you look.

The schools are overcrowded and are consistently behind the rest of the country. My children attended Clovis schools and had up to 47 kids in their classes. They now attend private school and it is only minimally better. There are many academic areas that are lacking here. One of my sons had his laptop broken to bits by an older student who claimed to be a gang member. The school refused to address it. The school is in the wealthiest area of Fresno. The enrichment programs are lacking and kids are "dating" as early as 6th grade. When we arrived here 3 years ago from Ohio our children were two years ahead of the other kids at school. I am consistently amazed that many have little aspirations for their children or themselves here. You too could pay 400,000 to a million dollars so your kids can be subjected to a substandard education.

I have a close friend who is from Brooklyn, NY originally and she and her family are also desperate to leave. She has lived all over the country and has never faced the problems we are experiencing here.

My husband was born and raised here and when he brought us back 3 years ago, he said he remembered why he left. People here have provided many illusions for themselves. Many will defend Fresno as a great place to live, however, many of them, if not all have never lived anywhere else. Some have lived in LA or the bay area. Compared to those 2 places there is less traffic, but that's about it.

Let's not forget about the Meth problem. Fresno is in the top 5 meth producers and users in the country. Many problems with drugs are impacting our social services here.

I am also attending Fresno State and have found it to be so easy that it is embarassing. I have had conversations with many younger students who have told me first hand what is happening in the high schools and on campus. Not good news. The water and air quality is terrible, the heat in the summers is always over 100 (dry heat or not, it's hot!!). It starts to get really hot in May and doesn't stop until October. The previous poster must be affected by the heat!! It is so hot in the summer, unless you have a pool, even the kids don't want to play outside. The housing is overpriced.

Oh, in order to be accepted into the group here, make sure you get a mercedes. I didn't know it was a prerequisite in Northeast Fresno to own a Mercedes!

The crime stats I saw showed serious crime is still a problem here.

There isn't any real shopping either. In order to see a "real" shopping district or mall, you have to drive to the bay area. They close the one halfway decent mall early (7pm) because of the gang problems.
 
Old 12-05-2006, 01:30 AM
 
19 posts, read 167,449 times
Reputation: 18
I also live in Fresno. I'd love to get out of here. I moved back to the Madera/Fresno area in 95' and wish I'd stayed in San Diego.
 
Old 12-07-2006, 06:00 PM
 
1 posts, read 62,603 times
Reputation: 16
I moved to California from Pennsylvania 20 years ago. Landed in Fresno. Yes, it was a culture shock. A lot of pavement and hispanics. I finally made my way south 45 miles to Visalia, California which is where I am right now.

I would suggest you try this city if you want to land here. Population about 200,000, quaint downtown area. Cost of living is lower comparatively speaking.

Remember that state taxes are high here. Wages are also. California has a lot to offer. I can drive to the beach (Pismo) in about 3 hours, the mountains for skiing are an hour away (Sequoia Nat Forest). Yosemite 3 hours away. San Fran is 4 hours away and L.A. 3 hours away.

The point of living here is to be close to the most beautiful places in the world and to visit them without having to take a two week vacation to do so. There is no subzero weather with snow banks to deal with. Yes, it is hotter than hell at times but the mornings are great. We do have AC!! It is hot everywhere.

To live here is to be a drive away from beautiful scenes. Ideally, one would prefer living in Santa Barbara or San Diego or San Raphael but my God, it would take a 200,000 a year income to be able to meet just the general overhead expenses.

So do check out Visalia. Housing is booming as a lot of Californias are moving here. I have lived in a lot of places and this is the best so far if you want to be close to the ocean, the mountains, large cities and Hawaii is just a short hop to the west which I have been to over a dozen times.
 
Old 12-23-2006, 01:44 PM
 
3 posts, read 130,652 times
Reputation: 34
Default Beautiful Fresno

I moved to Fresno in August after 24 years in San Diego County. I think it's hilarious that when many people hear that, they sympathize -- as if I've had a death in the family. Fresno isn't utopia, but neither is San Diego -- despite what those who have bought into the San Diego Chamber of Commerce myths would have you believe. Parts of San Diego are beautiful, as are parts of Fresno. In terms of its constituent ethnic cultures, Fresno seems a more international city than San Diego -- a bit ironic, considering the locations of the two cities.

I've also lived in South Dakota (18 years) and upstate New York (five years), so I have some diversity in my comparisons. As far as crime, it depends on the specific neighborhood, of course, but overall Fresno is probably about as safe as Los Angeles -- more dangerous than San Diego, not as dangerous as Oakland. Clovis is probably safer than Sioux Falls.

My neighbors in Northeast Fresno are kind and quiet. I feel no pressure to run out and buy a Mercedes. My kids attend Clovis schools, where the strict rules sometimes border on absurdity, but we deal with it, just as we deal with the weather that seems to freak some folks out. There are plenty of out-of-school activites (sports, ballet, etc.) here and it seems like a great place to raise kids. We just need to solve the pesky, horrible-air-quality problem.

Oh, and the academic quality of Fresno State's programs seem to be on par with other Cal State campuses -- very strong in some areas while facing the challenges presented by a changing student population and by limited funding.

The person who disparaged Fresnans as the "most rude, ignorant people you can meet," etc. will either get over her culture shock with time and begin to appreciate the deeper workings of the culture here -- or will move happily back to the paradise that is Ohio.
 
Old 12-23-2006, 02:33 PM
 
Location: Beautiful California
253 posts, read 1,127,757 times
Reputation: 194
You may want to rent in Fresno first before buying. (Just a suggestion)

On the one hand its great to be so close to Yosemite. We would always stay at the Sheraton there when traveling to Yosemite. There is a Thrift Shop near the old downtown where I bought an old-fashioned waffle iron. Wonderful fruit orchards too. The IRS is there as is the State Franchise Tax Board.

On the other hand, recently (past 5 years) an attorney friend told me that methamphetamine use is up on the Central Valley towns (not just Fresno). He used to work there and does not recommend that people move there.

You may want to read a book by a Cal State Fresno prof called: Mexifornia - A State of Becoming. The author's name is Victor D. Hanson. eBay or Amazon.

All the best to you.

~Cali-girl
 
Old 12-23-2006, 05:10 PM
 
3 posts, read 130,652 times
Reputation: 34
Default Mexifornia and Fresno State

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cali-girl View Post

You may want to read a book by a Cal State Fresno prof called: Mexifornia - A State of Becoming. The author's name is Victor D. Hanson. eBay or Amazon.

~Cali-girl
Here's an unfavorable review of Mexifornia:
http://www.ailf.org/ipc/Mexifornia.asp (broken link)

and here's a pretty clear-eyed view of Fresno, problems and all:
http://www.fresnostatenews.com/2006/09/chaconQ&A.htm (broken link)
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