If you're considering a move to Bakersfield...

[tangodoodles]

Even with the DA's office running the show, I'd still pick Bako over Fresno any day. Let's just say that they're both armpits, people have two armpits you know!

[Presley Pugston]

When it comes to the armpit scale, the towns in the Mojave Desert have the Valley towns beat. That desert holds the true armpits of California.

[MWJamesLDS]

So if Bako and Fresno are the armpits, does that make Visalia Tulare the attractive chest? lol, sorry, couldn't resist.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

i was there during july 2002, not 120, but record high of 109 recorded on 8/12/02. from there i went to vegas which was around 112 and even hotter driving in between. 8 straight days of 100+ weather. terrible.

Just last month it was 100 in Anaheim and only 90 in Fresno. It depends upon the weather patterns. Fresno does get over 100 for about 35 days a year but that is only a fraction of Vegas or Phoenix heat.

Since 2002 there has been a lot of development and improvement.

Even in downtown Fresno. A New York developer just opened a new hotel downtown, several new office buildings went up, artists lofts have been built, a few luxury condos opened in an old building, the same developer who did Victoria Gardens out in the Inland Empire is now planning a downtown Fresno project, etc.

We may not have the beach but there are things like canoeing the San Joaquin River right in the city
http://www.riverparkway.org/images/eduRecCanoe.jpg (broken link)

nice way to cool off in the summer.

[tangodoodles]

I forgot some info. Ed Jagels, the current DA, is extremely rich and he wants to retire in 2010. While you might think that would be a good thing, the situation in the DA's office won't change much. His protege, Lisa Green, will be poised to run for the office and most likely win and she is just as bad as Jagels is. I would, however, like to point out that in our recent superior court judge's race, Holly Mitchell, a black, female prosecutor won the most votes. Although there will be a run-off in the fall I'm confident that she will win. And, seeing as there are only three females currently on the bench, this is definitely a good thing.

[YankeeTom]

Originally Posted by tangodoodles

There are some things you should know. I just want to start by saying that I was born and raised in this town and though some people consider it to be the "armpit of the state" (see video:
YouTube - The Armpit Of The State - Bakersfield, California BAKO), it really is a good town for the right type of person. This person is usually conservative or at the very least apathetic, is religious, and wants to raise children in an affordable California city with decent schools (depending on the part of town). However, there is one aspect of this city that makes me cringe and want to cry...the criminal justice system. It would be hard to describe exactly what they do so I have decided to post a link to an article that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine a few years back. After you read this article, you may wonder if it's just a gross exaggeration or whether the person who wrote it had a deep-seated hatred for Ed Jagels, our District Attorney since 1983 and the focus of the article. I can assure you that this is not the case. Some of the things that happen in this town at his behest are chilling. And the worst part is, most of the people here don't care because if someone is accused of a crime, well then, they must be guilty and regardless of their reasons or lack of a previous criminal record we must throw the book at them...

You can read the article here: Mean Justice - Dirty Secrets

Nicholas L. Bissell Jr., the tough-talking former prosecutor from Somerset County, N.J., who fled his home to escape a prison sentence for corruption and fraud, shot himself to death this morning as a Federal marshal tried to coax him from a casino hotel room in this small town in the southernmost corner of Nevada.

With Mr. Bissell sitting on the floor of the room clutching a .380-caliber handgun, Deputy Marshal Tim Williams asked him to think of the people who would be sorry if he died. Mr. Williams spoke of the former prosecutor's wife, Barbara, who was convicted with him, of Mr. Bissell's college-age son and his two teen-age daughters.

''I can't do 10 years,'' Mr. Bissell was quoted as finally saying.
Then, the officials said, he put the gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger.

He was still alive when paramedics lifted him into an ambulance, but he died on the way to the hospital in Bullhead City, Ariz., just across the Colorado River from Laughlin.
How he spent the last week of his life may never be known. His dark green Jeep Cherokee was found in the west parking lot of the big faux steamboat that serves as the main building of the Colorado Belle. The vehicle's New Jersey license plates had been replaced by a set of Kentucky plates that officials said had been stolen.
Early this morning the marshals began driving through hotel parking lots, looking for the green Jeep. They found it at the Colorado Belle, one of the largest resorts in Laughlin. Checking inside, they found that Mr. Bissell was in room 374, registered under his own name.
By taking his own life, Mr. Bissell avoided a prison term of at least six and a half to eight years under Federal guidelines. He was convicted on May 31 on 30 counts of mail fraud, income-tax evasion, embezzlement, abuse of power and failure of his sworn duty to uphold the law. Before he fled, Ms. Hochberg's office had asked the judge in the case, Alfred L. Lechner Jr., to impose a penalty of at least 10 years' imprisonment.
Barbara Bissell was convicted of 13 fraud charges and is to be sentenced on Dec. 6.
The husband and wife were found guilty of skimming $146,000 from the receipts of a gas station that they owned with a another man. They did it, the authorities charged, to finance a grand life style that included frequent dining out, gambling and vacation trips.

But beyond simple greed, Mr. Bissell was accused -- and found guilty -- of the most naked abuses of power. They included telling his underlings to destroy a drug suspect's written request for a lawyer and threatening to plant cocaine in the car of a gasoline wholesaler who had complained about a lack of cleanliness at the Bissells' gas station.
scumb.Trapped, Fugitive Ex-Prosecutor Kills Himself in a Nevada Hotel - New York Times

[tangodoodles]

Originally Posted by YankeeTom

Nicholas L. Bissell Jr., the tough-talking former prosecutor from Somerset County, N.J., who fled his home to escape a prison sentence for corruption and fraud, shot himself to death this morning as a Federal marshal tried to coax him from a casino hotel room in this small town in the southernmost corner of Nevada.

With Mr. Bissell sitting on the floor of the room clutching a .380-caliber handgun, Deputy Marshal Tim Williams asked him to think of the people who would be sorry if he died. Mr. Williams spoke of the former prosecutor's wife, Barbara, who was convicted with him, of Mr. Bissell's college-age son and his two teen-age daughters.

''I can't do 10 years,'' Mr. Bissell was quoted as finally saying.
Then, the officials said, he put the gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger.

He was still alive when paramedics lifted him into an ambulance, but he died on the way to the hospital in Bullhead City, Ariz., just across the Colorado River from Laughlin.
How he spent the last week of his life may never be known. His dark green Jeep Cherokee was found in the west parking lot of the big faux steamboat that serves as the main building of the Colorado Belle. The vehicle's New Jersey license plates had been replaced by a set of Kentucky plates that officials said had been stolen.
Early this morning the marshals began driving through hotel parking lots, looking for the green Jeep. They found it at the Colorado Belle, one of the largest resorts in Laughlin. Checking inside, they found that Mr. Bissell was in room 374, registered under his own name.
By taking his own life, Mr. Bissell avoided a prison term of at least six and a half to eight years under Federal guidelines. He was convicted on May 31 on 30 counts of mail fraud, income-tax evasion, embezzlement, abuse of power and failure of his sworn duty to uphold the law. Before he fled, Ms. Hochberg's office had asked the judge in the case, Alfred L. Lechner Jr., to impose a penalty of at least 10 years' imprisonment.
Barbara Bissell was convicted of 13 fraud charges and is to be sentenced on Dec. 6.
The husband and wife were found guilty of skimming $146,000 from the receipts of a gas station that they owned with a another man. They did it, the authorities charged, to finance a grand life style that included frequent dining out, gambling and vacation trips.

But beyond simple greed, Mr. Bissell was accused -- and found guilty -- of the most naked abuses of power. They included telling his underlings to destroy a drug suspect's written request for a lawyer and threatening to plant cocaine in the car of a gasoline wholesaler who had complained about a lack of cleanliness at the Bissells' gas station.
scumb.Trapped, Fugitive Ex-Prosecutor Kills Himself in a Nevada Hotel - New York Times

Wow! That's so sad. There is no way that ten years (less with good behavior) in prison is worse than death. However, I find it interesting that prosecutors can dish it out but they can't take it.

[CaliNative63]

Im currently living in Denver CO and offered a job promotion but would have to relocate to Bakersfield. Born in OC 45+ yrs ago, moved to Sacramento 20+ yrs ago & Denver 4 yrs ago but really I know nothing of Bakersfield. Why should I move to Bakersfield and where is the best area to live in Bakerfield? I've read blogs that NW Bako is best??
What do you like about it, clearly the heat is on but tell me more please.

[Roaddog]

For me it's just a place where I found a very good job, I was able to buy a house and afford the life I enjoy, I feel the people are friendly and it's not crowded, I can jump on the freeway and be across town in 15 minutes.
It has everything I need and is close to National parks and the coast which i enjoy visiting. I'm sure it's not for everyone but then no place is perfect.
The best thing I can tell you is to come here and visit for yourself before making a decision of moving, everybody is different in what they want and where they want to live.

[Californiaguy2007]

Here are a few things I like about Bakersfield

1) It's not very crowded and their isn't much traffic.

2) Lots of Nice New and Old Communities and Nice Parks too.

3) Surprisingly Green despite it's Arid Climate.

4) Summers are Hot with Low Humidity,but we periodically get relief when cooler marine air flows in,so in other words our summers are tolerable.

5) Love the views of the Mountains and Agriculture Fields.

6) Friendly Folks.

7) Doesn't take too long to get from one part of town to another,and we also have a good variety of Shopping,Dining and Entertainment and something new tends to open in town every year it seems.

8) Conveniently located so were not too far from the Mountains,Deserts,Beaches,Rivers,Lakes and L.A is just 2 1/2 hours away.

9) One of the most affordable places in California to live in.

Bakersfield is not for everyone,but honestly it's just like any other mid-sized city in the country,but I guess this town gets a bad rep because of our climate and location I guess