Bakersfield, CA: Can one survive living here for a year?

[deejayshakur]

i might have to relocate here for a year. i've read plenty of bad things about the town, and it really isn't my ideal place to be.

i'm currently in the SF bay area (love it), lived in LA for undergrad (didn't really care for it), and spent my childhood in Arlington, TX (it's been 13 years and i only remember that people were really nice and really white).

so knowing this and the fact that bakersfield is a small town with big city problems, would i be able to survive here for a year? assume i'll be working 50-60hr/week and would hide away/go home to the bay area when i have time off.

does anybody that knows the city have advice on the safer/quieter areas to live? i don't mind suburbia; i just don't want to be looking behind my back when i come home at night.

what else should i be expecting from BFE? thanks

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Bakersfield!?? I'm so, so sorry. I'd quit my job before so much as having to DRIVE through that dump. I suppose, though, if you can realistically get away to San Fran on weekends and work a lot, it could be tolerable.

 

[jdoggg12]

Let me put it this way. I grew up in vacaville, moved to san luis obispo for college, and moved to Santa Barbara for work. I was offered a job making 2.5x what I make in SB simply b/c the job was in Bako. Bakersfield is the armpit of CA ( LA being the anus) I'd even take vacaville over bako give 1.5x pay in bako....

One thing you might like though is the dirt cheap living. My best buddy lives there and i visit occassionally. He rents a 3 year old 3 bedroom 2300sq ft. home in a gated community for $1200/month.

 

[ed21x]

http://www.circlinghawk.com/Bakersfield.jpg

 

[deejayshakur]

Originally posted by: jdoggg12
Let me put it this way. I grew up in vacaville, moved to san luis obispo for college, and moved to Santa Barbara for work. I was offered a job making 2.5x what I make in SB simply b/c the job was in Bako. Bakersfield is the armpit of CA ( LA being the anus) I'd even take vacaville over bako give 1.5x pay in bako....

One thing you might like though is the dirt cheap living. My best buddy lives there and i visit occassionally. He rents a 3 year old 3 bedroom 2300sq ft. home in a gated community for $1200/month.

care to say which part of the city/what community he lives in? i really don't know anybody there or anything about the city. my flat in SF (1bed/1bath) costs me $1150/month.

 

[Jittles]

Originally posted by: jdoggg12
Let me put it this way. I grew up in vacaville, moved to san luis obispo for college, and moved to Santa Barbara for work. I was offered a job making 2.5x what I make in SB simply b/c the job was in Bako. Bakersfield is the armpit of CA ( LA being the anus) I'd even take vacaville over bako give 1.5x pay in bako....

One thing you might like though is the dirt cheap living. My best buddy lives there and i visit occassionally. He rents a 3 year old 3 bedroom 2300sq ft. home in a gated community for $1200/month.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
i might have to relocate here for a year. i've read plenty of bad things about the town, and it really isn't my ideal place to be.

i'm currently in the SF bay area (love it), lived in LA for undergrad (didn't really care for it), and spent my childhood in Arlington, TX (it's been 13 years and i only remember that people were really nice and really white).

so knowing this and the fact that bakersfield is a small town with big city problems, would i be able to survive here for a year? assume i'll be working 50-60hr/week and would hide away/go home to the bay area when i have time off.

does anybody that knows the city have advice on the safer/quieter areas to live? i don't mind suburbia; i just don't want to be looking behind my back when i come home at night.

what else should i be expecting from BFE? thanks

Bakersfield isn't that bad a place. I'm sure you could survive living there for a year.

 

[jdoggg12]

I guess i forgot to mention in my post that i turned the job down simply b/c it was in Bako. Anywho, i'll see if i can find the area he lives in, it's been a few months since i've been out there and know how to get there by sight only.

He lives in some of the newly developed area near the stockdale hwy. Check craigslist for rentals - you'll get the best idea going through there.

 

[chambersc]

What's so bad about it. Crime rate?

 

[uberman]

Don't know about the crime. I like Bakersfield. Scuse me, gotta go check the vittles.

 

[moks78]

I have friends in Bakersfield and they like the place more than LA although I don't quite agree because there is nothing to do in there. It's an agricultural area and no exciting place to go to. My friends usually go to LA or SF to entertain themselves.


It is one of the fastest growing community. New housing and commercial constructions going on. Houses there appreciated more than anywhere else in Cali...of course they'll be affected more than the rest when the housing bubble burst or it did already?

Ask this poster some info, I think he lives in the area...Text

 

[chambersc]

Ok, so the general angst towards Bakersfield is that there are no exciting places to go? Does it have the essentials like a grocery store and a gas station? How's the population? You people seem to have your priorities in the wrong places (especially jdoggg12 for turning down double his salary).

 

[jdoggg12]

Originally posted by: chambersc
Ok, so the general angst towards Bakersfield is that there are no exciting places to go? Does it have the essentials like a grocery store and a gas station? How's the population? You people seem to have your priorities in the wrong places (especially jdoggg12 for turning down double his salary).

No.. you want my reasons for not liking the town?

-Nothing to do in a town of 300k says something
-Smog (goes for LA too)
-Rude, ignorant, valley trash population... i'm not saying everyone, but enough to deter me. My buddy who grew up there and moved back after college says the same thing about the people there.
-HOT in the summer, and get ridiclously foggy.
-FLAT... i HATE flat land. I like hills, mountains, beach... gives you something to look at
-Its in the middle of a lot, but close to nothing (except maybe skiing if you consider an hour drive close)
-It smells just like every other Ag town (i went to an Ag school and dont mind the smell too much, but i'd still rather not live in it)
-Few good jobs close to the city - theres a good reason most of the affluent residents commute to LA


I like santa barbara. No, i love it. You can question my priorities all you want, but i LOVE both my job and the city i live in. I live comfortably enough, why live in a crappy town working in a mediocre job just to make more $$? If I wanted more $$ i could move, but i chose to stay here, close to the things i love (location, job, and friends)

Sounds like you're the one who needs to work on your priorities.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: ed21x
http://www.circlinghawk.com/Bakersfield.jpg

How majestic.

 

[Conky]

I lived and worked there for around 9 months and it pretty much sucked although there are worse places to live. Super hot, like 105F in the summer, and ice and snow in the winter but you have the basics like grocery stores, fast food, broadband, and excellent Mexican food. It's not a small town either. Only small compared with something like LA.

If you are into outdoors stuff it's actually a nice place... lots of hiking trails and places to 4 wheel or mountain bike, etc. I guess it's like anywhere else... it has it's ups and downs.

 

[udonoogen]

Originally posted by: jdoggg12

Originally posted by: chambersc
Ok, so the general angst towards Bakersfield is that there are no exciting places to go? Does it have the essentials like a grocery store and a gas station? How's the population? You people seem to have your priorities in the wrong places (especially jdoggg12 for turning down double his salary).

No.. you want my reasons for not liking the town?

-Nothing to do in a town of 300k says something
-Smog (goes for LA too)
-Rude, ignorant, valley trash population... i'm not saying everyone, but enough to deter me. My buddy who grew up there and moved back after college says the same thing about the people there.
-HOT in the summer, and get ridiclously foggy.
-FLAT... i HATE flat land. I like hills, mountains, beach... gives you something to look at
-Its in the middle of a lot, but close to nothing (except maybe skiing if you consider an hour drive close)
-It smells just like every other Ag town (i went to an Ag school and dont mind the smell too much, but i'd still rather not live in it)
-Few good jobs close to the city - theres a good reason most of the affluent residents commute to LA


I like santa barbara. No, i love it. You can question my priorities all you want, but i LOVE both my job and the city i live in. I live comfortably enough, why live in a crappy town working in a mediocre job just to make more $$? If I wanted more $$ i could move, but i chose to stay here, close to the things i love (location, job, and friends)

Sounds like you're the one who needs to work on your priorities.

i agree. work is simply a means to an end.

 

[uberman]

Nothing to do in Bakersfield? Haaa! I am wise in the ways of Bakersfield. It's too hot in the summer, but if you don't stay home and leave your house on the weekends it rocks.

45 minutes from Bakersfield there is a geothermal area with several hot springs in the woods. You can soak in these springs until your body turns to rubber. Don't bring bottles, bring cans. March is the best time when daytime highs do not get too high. Wildflowers are just coming out to.

45 minutes from Bakersfield will put you kayaking or rafting on the Kern River. It's supposedly great. I've kayaked many places, but I really don't trust the Kern. Too many have drowned.

90 minutes from Bakersfield will put you high in the Sierras with melting snows flowing across mammoth slabs of granite. These produce natural slides that you can fly down into icy cold pools during the summer. Be careful, I busted my tailbone there once and drove around sitting on foam cushions for six months. Many of the pools are filled with trout. There are waterfalls from 12 feet to 150 feet.

90 minutes from Bakersfield there are beautiful fire lookouts perched upon needles of granite. These offer a great view of the surrounding wilderness. They are reached by foot bridges suspended on cables.

90 to 120 minutes will place you high in the Sierras where you can listen to the coyotes howl at night. 9,000 feet is a nice place to beat the summer heat. You can hike on jeep trails or you could a dirt bike or jeep.

45 minutes from Bakersfield you can go fishing at Lake Isabella. There's also fishing on the Kern River.

If you're in the mountain wilderness, you can witness the convergence of the timeless past and modern technology. Many times I've had planes silently pass over my head at treetop level. Moments later the sonic boom explodes over my head. This is where the top guns practice. If you see any crashed planes, you are advised to report them to the military. If the crashed planes have X's painted on them, disregard this, it means the military already knows about them.

So I guess Bakersfield is bad. It is too hot in the summer. But if you get out and enjoy it, it is awesome.

 

[her209]

Bakersfield to Vegas weekend trips! Score!

Bakersfield to Los Angeles trips! Score!

 

[jdoggg12]

It may not be the worst place.. but coming from SF, i'm guessing he'll hate it. I lived in the east bay (danville) for a while and a move to bako would be a total culture shock for those not familiar with it to move straight in.

 

[montypythizzle]

as long as you aren't deceased you are technically surviving

 

[apologetic]

I grew up in Tehachapi, about 45 minutes east of Bakes. I would hate to live there, but compared to the surrounding communities (like Arvin, Wasco, Shafter, etc.), it's not bad. There is plenty of outdoors fun in the local mountain areas like Tehachapi and Lake Isabella.

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: apologetic
I grew up in Tehachapi, about 45 minutes east of Bakes. I would hate to live there, but compared to the surrounding communities (like Arvin, Wasco, Shafter, etc.), it's not bad. There is plenty of outdoors fun in the local mountain areas like Tehachapi and Lake Isabella.

I guess I'll scrap my plans to move to Oildale!

 

[sygyzy]

Bakersfield is an embarrassment to CA.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: uberman
Nothing to do in Bakersfield? Haaa! I am wise in the ways of Bakersfield. It's too hot in the summer, but if you don't stay home and leave your house on the weekends it rocks.

45 minutes from Bakersfield there is a geothermal area with several hot springs in the woods. You can soak in these springs until your body turns to rubber. Don't bring bottles, bring cans. March is the best time when daytime highs do not get too high. Wildflowers are just coming out to.

45 minutes from Bakersfield will put you kayaking or rafting on the Kern River. It's supposedly great. I've kayaked many places, but I really don't trust the Kern. Too many have drowned.

90 minutes from Bakersfield will put you high in the Sierras with melting snows flowing across mammoth slabs of granite. These produce natural slides that you can fly down into icy cold pools during the summer. Be careful, I busted my tailbone there once and drove around sitting on foam cushions for six months. Many of the pools are filled with trout. There are waterfalls from 12 feet to 150 feet.

90 minutes from Bakersfield there are beautiful fire lookouts perched upon needles of granite. These offer a great view of the surrounding wilderness. They are reached by foot bridges suspended on cables.

90 to 120 minutes will place you high in the Sierras where you can listen to the coyotes howl at night. 9,000 feet is a nice place to beat the summer heat. You can hike on jeep trails or you could a dirt bike or jeep.

45 minutes from Bakersfield you can go fishing at Lake Isabella. There's also fishing on the Kern River.

If you're in the mountain wilderness, you can witness the convergence of the timeless past and modern technology. Many times I've had planes silently pass over my head at treetop level. Moments later the sonic boom explodes over my head. This is where the top guns practice. If you see any crashed planes, you are advised to report them to the military. If the crashed planes have X's painted on them, disregard this, it means the military already knows about them.

So I guess Bakersfield is bad. It is too hot in the summer. But if you get out and enjoy it, it is awesome.

Following your example:

Death Valley is a great place to live:

100 miles away you have the beautiful town of Las Vegas

300 miles away, you have Los Angeles and Orange County

3000 miles away, you have Times Square in NYC.

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Following your example:

Death Valley is a great place to live:

100 miles away you have the beautiful town of Las Vegas

300 miles away, you have Los Angeles and Orange County

3000 miles away, you have Times Square in NYC.

[/quote]

Study your math. All my examples are less than 100 miles. All yours are over 100 miles. Taking a class in logic could be helpful too.