Public transportation in Fresno or Bakersfield? (San Francisco, Sacramento: condo, crime, homes)

[TeacherMan]

My wife and I are relocating from Michigan. Among our many options are Bakersfield and Fresno. We are completely unfamiliar with either of these locations. Are there general thoughts from the City-Data Community to share with us? Specifically, what is the status of public transportation in either of these cities??
Looking forward to your great input!

[EscapeCalifornia]

Of all the places you could move to, how are Fresno and Bakersfield on the list?

[mhoang]

Are you moving there because of cheaper housing prices?

My experiences with Fresno and Bakersfield have been stopping there to fill up on gas on road trips to somewhere else. My perceptions of those places are that they are in the middle of nowhere and very hot. This is California, so unless you are living in the middle of San Francisco for example, public transportation is available but not always convenient. Sorry I can't be of further help.

[jdavid93225]

I can't comment on Fresno, but I can give some insight on Bakersfield. There is a public bus system that operates throughout most of Bakersfield, known locally as the "GET Bus," for Golden Empire Transit. I know it covers most of the area, but can't give specifics about the newer parts of town. Bakersfield has grown by about 50 percent in the last ten years (from about 200,000 to 300,000 people). With that growth, has come a lot of new housing, and it's those areas that I don't know about when it comes to public transportation. Besides the "GET Bus," there is also AMTRAK for getting out of town. The trains run north towards Sacramento, but to head towards L.A., they use buses to get people over the mountains. Greyhound is another option for getting into and out of town. I live in a small community about forty miles south of Bakersfield, and we have bus service to Bakersfield, about four times a day. Most of the other outlying communities are similarly served.

As with most of California, it is easiest to get around in Bakersfield by car. If public transportation is a necessity, then I think you would find it easier to use there than in many other areas of California. I can't speak for bus schedules, though, since I haven't used the buses there.

As for other information about Bakersfield, as I mentioned earlier, it has about 300,000 people now. With that, there has been more crime in recent years than there used to be, including gang and drug problems. The are not to the same extent that they are in the L.A. area, but they are there, nonetheless. The one area you probably want to steer clear of the most is the southeast part of town. The southwest is nicer and newer, but also has some pockets of so-so neighborhoods. The newest areas seem to be the northwest and the northeast parts of town. These seem to be the nicest and most desirable neighborhoods, but it shows in the amount of traffic that they generate. Another nice area that is sometimes overlooked is the "Westchester" area that is just to the northwest of downtown. These are mostly older homes, but are well kept.

Bakersfield also has all the amenities that you would expect from a city that size (at least in California). There are stores for nearly everything you could want or need. There are car, boat, motorcycle, and RV dealerships aplenty. There are sporting events, though not major league stuff. Bakersfield is home to the Condors Hockey team, Blaze baseball team, and the Blitz Football team. There are theater productions, though not on the scale of Broadway. For that, there's a two or three hour drive to L.A. Bakersfield also has several museums, and some nice parks. When the Kern River is flowing (not being diverted for farming) through town, it is a neat place to go. There are parks along the banks of the river through most of the town. For nightlife, there is the Crystal Palace (Built by longtime Bakersfield resident Buck Owens). This is a very nice restaurant and "Opry Hall." The food is excellent and reasonably priced, and the entertainment is among the best in the business. There are often concerts by up and coming stars as well as current stars, mostly in the country genre, with a little bit of rock thrown in, too.

If there's anything I've forgotten that you are curious about, let me know and I'll add what I can.

[Californiaguy2007]

I live near Bakersfield,and in my opinion Bakersfield has Good Public Transportation.

Bakersfield is just like any other mid-sized city in America,but the Summers are Hot and Dry and Winters can be Foggy and Chilly at times.

Before I moved to Kern County,i've heard so many Californians say alot of negative things about Bakersfield,but to be honest,Bakersfield is a rather nice city and it continues to grow rapidly.

Bakersfield is also not too far from the Mountains,Beaches,Lakes,Deserts and it's about 2-3 hours to L.A and about 4-5 hours to Las Vegas.

Give Bakersfield a try,and if you don't like it there,you could always relocate somewhere else :-)

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by Caliguy2007

Before I moved to Kern County,i've heard so many Californians say alot of negative things about Bakersfield,but to be honest,Bakersfield is a rather nice city ...

I heard many of the same derogatory statements, and I continue to hear them to this day. I agree with Caliguy about Bakersfield. For a city its size, I think it is one of the friendliest places around. I've been going to Bakersfield for most of my life, but more frequently as an adult. Now that I live between L.A. and Bakersfield, I would have to say that I would much rather go to Bakersfield than L.A. any day. This is not just because the traffic is better.

As far as cities in California go, I would say that Bakersfield is actually pretty nice, and has a lot to offer. There are some cities that are safer and cleaner, such as Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, and Thousand Oaks, but that is because they are the areas that folks moved to when they got out of L.A. Each of those cities is very dependent upon L.A. for its livelihood. Bakersfield is pretty self-sufficient, and instead of being surrounded by cities like those mentioned above, it has neighborhoods that are much like those other cities. They are still part of Bakersfield. There are other parts of Bakersfield that are not too great, but you get that around the L.A. area, too.

I agree with what Caliguy said when he suggested that you give it a try. I think that if you come with an open mind, you will find that there is a lot to like about Bakersfield.

[BearBranch]

In graduate school, I was a broke student at Fresno State on a fellowship, so I took the bus everywhere. Fresno has plenty of charm in the Tower Distict and Old Fig Garden.

[MJF]

We have been in Bakersfield 13 years, and now getting transferred back to Texas. Bakersfield is a well-kept secret in California. It's a great family place, close to mountains and beaches, and doesn't cost as much as the rest of California. I'm sorry to be leaving.

[Californiaguy2007]

Before I moved to Kern County,I honestly thought Bakersfield was just full of Farms from the impression I got when passing through on Interstate 5 as a kid,but boy was I surprised that this area had a population of over 300,000 and was just as Modern and Convenient like any Mid-Sized City in America.

Bakersfield is also surprisingly Green for an area with a Very Dry Climate and much more affordable than most parts of CA...I also loved the views of the Mountains on a clear day during the Summer and Winter :-)

Well You Take Care and I hope you and your family have a Safe Trip to Texas...Bakersfield will definately miss you guys :-)

Originally Posted by MJF

We have been in Bakersfield 13 years, and now getting transferred back to Texas. Bakersfield is a well-kept secret in California. It's a great family place, close to mountains and beaches, and doesn't cost as much as the rest of California. I'm sorry to be leaving.

[Dennis P]

Hmmm.....maybe Bakersfield shouldn't advertise itself as being one of the well-kept secrets in California. Unfortunately, in my limited experience with the area, it was simply one of those places to stop and gas up the car, use the restroom, get a quick bite to eat, etc., before heading off to your ultimate destination (this was when I lived in Sacramento and visited SoCal on occasion).

One of my friends said that Bakersfield shouldn't be defined by what you can see immediately next to the freeway; rather, it's best experienced by getting off the freeway and exploring the area. He said that would tend to dispel any negative hearsay regarding Bakersfield.

So, I'm just wondering if Bakersfield will ever be able to shed its somewhat "negative" image in California?