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Salmanal, you've gotten some good advice about food. I would just add that there are several farmers markets each week in different parts of the city. So lots of choices that way too.
Besides the stores you have already seen listed visit Charlottes Bakery in the Tower District for vegan-friendly baked goods like bread and cookies.
Also check out India Sweets and Spices near Ashlan/West for some vegan goods.
For restaurants for the times you want to eat out try Au Lac Cafe in the Tower District and New Stars Vegetarian in North Fresno.
If you are currently in Rochester then crime in Fresno is a non-issue. Fresno has a much lower crime rate citywide than Rochester. CQ Press in the 2009 rankings had Rochester as the 33rd highest crime rate in the US out of 393 cities, Fresno was #161. http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2009...9_Rank_Rev.pdf
Gee; thanks FresnoFacts,
Fresno is safer than a lot of other places I've either lived or considered.
I've not seen the CQpress crime report before, that report shed a lot of light on my "vision" of Urban Safety. I'll share this link with others interested in the same issue. One evening, I was far from my home, and didn't know the bus Sunday schedule for that area, so I walked home, and dared anyone to mess with me. Yes, I do have M.S., but I'm good with Kung-Fu as well. I'm no Bruce Lee, but I do know the moves to protect myself, if needed. I lived in a "good" area of San Francisco, but the muggings or shootings were just a few blocks away. I moved here only to get the feeling of a city that understands deafness; again, the shootings are only a few blocks away.
I am much more relaxed about Fresno after reading the Crime Report. I will not deliberately put myself in danger, but I do feel my options for a neighborhood have opened. I'll look for a decently-rated complex in a "decent" postal code.
I never thought I'd return to CA, East Coast culture will do this to a person. CA rocked, Mexico was very dangerous, but the East Coast is in another mental dimension.
Gee; thanks FresnoFacts, Fresno is safer than a lot of other places I've either lived or considered.
In the 1990s there was definitely high crime in Fresno but it has seen a huge drop in the last decade. There are still rough areas, but Fresno itself is a city of over 500,000 and you find the same problem with some bad areas in many other cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmanal
I've not seen the CQpress crime report before, that report shed a lot of light on my "vision" of Urban Safety. I'll share this link with others interested in the same issue.
The CQPress rankings use the data reported to the FBI by various law enforcement agencies. CQPress looks at per capita crime in 8 major categories such as homicide, rape, burglary, etc.
People should always dig deeper for crime info about individual neighborhoods, trends, individual types of crime, etc. A city might have low violent crime but high property crime. But as a quick and dirty look at crime in cities that list usually is a decent starting point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmanal
I never thought I'd return to CA, East Coast culture will do this to a person. CA rocked, Mexico was very dangerous, but the East Coast is in another mental dimension.
I've done business travel all over the US, many times living in corporate housing while on temporary assignments in other cities. There is a lot to like on the east coast but I learned early on I am definitely a west coast person.
In the 1990s there was definitely high crime in Fresno but it has seen a huge drop in the last decade. There are still rough areas, but Fresno itself is a city of over 500,000 and you find the same problem with some bad areas in many other cities.
The CQPress rankings use the data reported to the FBI by various law enforcement agencies. CQPress looks at per capita crime in 8 major categories such as homicide, rape, burglary, etc.
People should always dig deeper for crime info about individual neighborhoods, trends, individual types of crime, etc. A city might have low violent crime but high property crime. But as a quick and dirty look at crime in cities that list usually is a decent starting point.
I've done business travel all over the US, many times living in corporate housing while on temporary assignments in other cities. There is a lot to like on the east coast but I learned early on I am definitely a west coast person.
I was educated in Philadelphia, and hated that city; I still don't like it over 20 years later. Boston was nice to a point; again, the culture pushed me out. Many there never left the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or New England. In my short "stint" in El Paso, which is very safe, I noticed a lot of used cars that appeared to be "pieced back together" with parts from Pablo's garage in PoDunk, Mexico. Non-Violent crimes are high there. Chihuahua, Mexico is a very clean city, but the Drug Lords invaded it, and use that area for some of their battles; the city to the north, Juarez, is all out War. This place is across a creek (Rio Grande) from El Paso. The Rio Grande ain't grande any more, irrigation, and other technology shrank it.
Overall, I also feel the CQPress data is pretty much a good start. I live on the border of Greece, NY and Rochester. If I walk north a few blocks, I'm very safe; walk south, and who knows?
SpotCrime - Know Your Neighborhood also gives one a picture of a city's crime. The results look more frightening than reality for some areas.
The West and Mexico were both good locales for me, my personality doesn't jibe with the ones on the East. I tried Boston a few years, then left the U.S. I'll give Fresno a chance. I feel just being in California will make me happier; I could catch the train/bus to Tijuana should it wear on me. I am prepared to live in a hot climate again, all I'll need to do is find my exterminator if in a complex with a large percentage of Mexican Americans. Mexicans are very nice people, but can be slobs, especially with children at home. La Cucaracha......
I saw the Fresno Bee's Crime Index Map, and gee, lots of robberies and thefts before 8 PM. The map also show Clovis has being very safe, as others in this forum stated earlier. If need be, I can protect my own body, but this information almost makes one stay indoors at all times if living in Fresno; Clovis is the answer for the area. I wish the YMCA was still operating; run down, but I like Ys anyway, they do a lot of good for different communities.
My choices were Fresno, Bakersfield, Reno, and las Las Vegas. Why Fresno? It is in California, and I'd love to return. Bako is too conservative for me, and most responders there seem bored. After leaving San Francisco, I settled in Mexico; loved it, but the increasing violence pushed me out. Now in Upstate New York; the "East Coast" culture pushes me away, not my cup of tea. I am aware about the summer heat and dust in the Central Valley, Mexico ain't cool either and is dusty too, so I am used to it.
Is there a Healthy or Natural Grocery in Fresno? To keep Cholesterol at bay, I must shop markets that won't push meat or cheese in my face, they also carry tofu and soy milk. Yes, a tree hugger store. These markets will also carry the best produce, I'm a Vegan vegetarian.
I'll look for a place in far north Fresno as an attempt to be as safe as possible. But is Fresno bike-friendly? I was a moving target in ciudad juarez, Mexico. I rode my bike almost daily there. To better fit the "tree hugger" profile, I do carry my own canvas shopping bags or backpack when I shop for groceries. And would love to be on a bike again.
My current lease ends in the sumer of 2010, so I'll have plenty of time to plan, as I did when I moved to New York.
BTW: Safety; Fresno is twice the size of Rochester, NY; yet, slightly safer when one compares the population of each city. Burglary is higher, but I have insurance.
I love San Francisco, but Fresno is one of the worst cities I've been to. It's boring, ugly, and a bit redneck(ish). Why wouldn't you choose Las Vegas out of those cities? There are some beautiful residential areas such as Summerlin or Green Valley, especially Summerlin. The houses are dirt cheap, large, and new. Summerlin has an extensive bike trail system. There are numerous Whole Food Markets etc. Your view on politics is even more similar to Vegas than Fresno.
VISIT FRESNO BEFORE YOU MOVE! IT WILL BE NOTHING LIKE YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN CALIFORNIA!
Someone who enjoyed living in San Francisco, would not enjoy Fresno.
I lived in Fresno from 1993 to 1996. (Some apartments on north Fresno avenue just south of Bullard.) It was better than I expected, and I used my bicyle there more than I have in subsequent cities. I would choose it over Vegas. Fresno may be working class, but it is enough of a family town that I don't think it has the "grifter" vibe of Vegas.
What I think many newcomers are not prepared for in Fresno is the winter fog. You can't safely drive at night for two months of the year. Yes, it's sunny and hot for several months, but when the Tule fog sets in you will feel very confined.
I am wanting to start travel nursing in a yr or so and want to come to Calif. I have always wanted to come there. I have heard good things from other nurses about Fresno, I want to go to a low crime area, rural but still plenty of things to do and close to ocean. Calif seems to have very good labor laws for nurses and anything over 8hr is time and 1/2?? Not like that here. Any suggestions?
Also looking for some places with some big and awesome gyms.
I saw the Fresno Bee's Crime Index Map, and gee, lots of robberies and thefts before 8 PM. The map also show Clovis has being very safe, as others in this forum stated earlier. If need be, I can protect my own body, but this information almost makes one stay indoors at all times if living in Fresno; Clovis is the answer for the area.
I can tell you my wife is only 5'2", 105 pounds and is not concerned about her personal safety in most of Fresno, even alone at night. As I said there are areas that are a concern but that is true in most cities. But everyone has to decide about their own situation.
Fresno is more suburban, it grew north over the last few decades so most middle and upper class residents are in areas to the north. The city extends all the way to the San Joaquin River, the areas listed on the map as Hoover, Woodward, Figgarden, etc are all part of Fresno and are generally safe.
Clovis IS one of the safest cities in the state per capita, but the Fresno Bee map does not display any crime there which is wrong. I don't think their database covers Clovis, even though the Clovis zip codes are an option.
Much of the higher crime areas in the region are immediately north, east and west of the downtown core and in areas near Cedar/Shields and Shields/99. There is also a small area just west of the Fresno State stadium that should be avoided. Those are all very poor areas with concentrated poverty and gangs.
I am wanting to start travel nursing in a yr or so and want to come to Calif. I have always wanted to come there. I have heard good things from other nurses about Fresno, I want to go to a low crime area, rural but still plenty of things to do and close to ocean. Calif seems to have very good labor laws for nurses and anything over 8hr is time and 1/2?? Not like that here. Any suggestions?
Also looking for some places with some big and awesome gyms.
I can't tell if you are thinking about a hospital setting or something else. So I'll just mention some of the hospital situations. There are a number of different hospitals in the Fresno area, so it really depends upon the specialty which would be the best to recommend.
Something related to Pediatrics? without a doubt Childrens Hospital, its also one of the largest Childrens Hospitals in the US. It treats kids from all over the center part of the state, a 45,000 sq mile service area ranging from the ocean to Nevada. Children's Hospital Central California
Larger teaching type hospital? That would be Community Regional. It is home to a medical residency program from UCSF.
Community Regional (http://www.communitymedical.org/crmc.htm - broken link) UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research
Over at Clovis Community they have a good birthing center and fertility center, it also ranks near the top in California for some surgical procedures. Clovis Community is in the midst of construction to triple the size of the hospital.
Clovis Community (http://www.communitymedical.org/cloviscommunity.htm - broken link)
There is also a large Veterans Administration Hospital, several small surgical centers, etc.
Gyms? The GB3 gyms (4 locations) are what I belong to as do most of my friends, but there are other gyms around the area. George Brown Sports Club - GB3
The ocean is not nearby, its about a 3 hour drive from Fresno separated from here by the Coast Range mountains. But you can easily drive there, or to SF or LA, Yosemite is only 2 hours away, Kings Canyon National Park only 1 hour drive, etc.
I love San Francisco, but Fresno is one of the worst cities I've been to. It's boring, ugly, and a bit redneck(ish). Why wouldn't you choose Las Vegas out of those cities? There are some beautiful residential areas such as Summerlin or Green Valley, especially Summerlin. The houses are dirt cheap, large, and new. Summerlin has an extensive bike trail system. There are numerous Whole Food Markets etc. Your view on politics is even more similar to Vegas than Fresno.
VISIT FRESNO BEFORE YOU MOVE! IT WILL BE NOTHING LIKE YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN CALIFORNIA!
Someone who enjoyed living in San Francisco, would not enjoy Fresno.
I really did not enjoy living in SF, I worked in Berkeley, then Oakland. I liked East Bay much better; but, I cannot afford it at this time. If this were not an issue, I'd choose the Lake Merritt area or Berkeley.
Do you know Reno? Reno was my first search and I know the down town area is improving. I picked Fresno in my quest to return to California. Sac is too conservative for my blood. I would not be comfortable there. I won't leave until, at least, the ending of summer, so I do have time to change my mind. I have a friend in Vegas, but she is thinking of leaving. All I really need for a decent life is a bike, healthy food, and a relatively flat terrain for walking or cycling.
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I lived in a "good" area of San Francisco, but the muggings or shootings were just a few blocks away. I moved here only to get the feeling of a city that understands deafness; again, the shootings are only a few blocks away.
Eh Gads!
These markets will also carry the best produce, I'm a Vegan vegetarian. 
To better fit the "tree hugger" profile, I do carry my own canvas shopping bags or backpack when I shop for groceries. And would love to be on a bike again.
