Please school me about Bakersfield

[ricmachado]

The company I work for has a job opportunity in Bakersfield, CA and the regional manager called me saying that if I'm interested, he would give his approval on me.

It is not a guarantee that I would have the job, but having both my current regional manager and the possible future one vouching for my qualificationis is a great step.

My main concern is cost of living. I live now in NC and everyone always say how CA is expensive. looking online, Bakersville isn't THAT expensive.

so for the ones that are in the area, what do you think about this area? Is it a good place to live? pros, cons..

let's hear it

[2on2off]

Originally Posted by ricmachado

The company I work for has a job opportunity in Bakersfield, CA and the regional manager called me saying that if I'm interested, he would give his approval on me.

It is not a guarantee that I would have the job, but having both my current regional manager and the possible future one vouching for my qualificationis is a great step.

My main concern is cost of leaving. I live now in NC and everyone always say how CA is expensive. looking online, Bakersville isn't THAT expensive.

so for ones that are in the area, what do you think about this area in A, is it a good place to live? pros, cons..

let's hear it

I have lived in Central California almost all of my life. I grew up in Shafter, a small farming town about 25 miles N/W of Bakersfield and have spent the past 18 years in Reedley, about 95 miles north of Bakersfield.

There are lots of pros/cons no matter where you live in the USA. One of the big PRO's about living in California is that you can ride 12 months of the year.

The most expensive housing in CA is along the Pacific Ocean. Bakersfield is about 130 miles from the ocean and most of the places to live in all of Central CA, from Bakersfield to Redding, are very reasonable, but that depends on your perspective.

Bakersfield is very close to the desert where some of the best off road winter riding is.

From Bakersfield, you can ride to whatever weather you want any time of the year. If you want to go to the snow, head for the mountains. If you are too hot in the summer, head for the ocean where it will be 68 degrees. If you want to see a major league football, basketball or baseball game, just head south to L.A.

If you want want a desert adventure, head east to the Mojave Preserve and the Mojave Trail.

Living in Central California from Bakersfield to the south to Redding to the north is like living in the hub of a wheel. There are great destinations in all directions that are only a short ride away.

I have ridden 60,000 miles all over the the western USA in the past 4 years and have traveled extensively to the east coast in past years and haven't found a better place to live.

There are many pros and cons no matter where you live depending on what is important to you. Decide what your priorities are and make your decision. just my 2 cents........

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by 2on2off

I have lived in Central California almost all of my life. I grew up in Shafter, a small farming town about 25 miles N/W of Bakersfield and have spent the past 18 years in Reedley, about 95 miles north of Bakersfield.

There are lots of pros/cons no matter where you live in the USA. One of the big PRO's about living in California is that you can ride 12 months of the year.

The most expensive housing in CA is along the Pacific Ocean. Bakersfield is about 130 miles from the ocean and most of the places to live in all of Central CA, from Bakersfield to Redding, are very reasonable, but that depends on your perspective.

Bakersfield is very close to the desert where some of the best off road winter riding is.

From Bakersfield, you can ride to whatever weather you want any time of the year. If you want to go to the snow, head for the mountains. If you are too hot in the summer, head for the ocean where it will be 68 degrees. If you want to see a major league football, basketball or baseball game, just head south to L.A.

If you want want a desert adventure, head east to the Mojave Preserve and the Mojave Trail.

Living in Central California from Bakersfield to the south to Redding to the north is like living in the hub of a wheel. There are great destinations in all directions that are only a short ride away.

I have ridden 60,000 miles all over the the western USA in the past 4 years and have traveled extensively to the east coast in past years and haven't found a better place to live.

There are many pros and cons no matter where you live depending on what is important to you. Decide what your priorities are and make your decision. just my 2 cents........

So, what I'm reading is, if you want something/do something go to L.A., but don't live there because its too expensive. So, instead of living there, or the Bay Area, drive hundreds of miles at $4.15 gallon a few times a month to do something that's not related to cow roping, mud bogging or having sex with your sister/cousin/brother/mom.

Bakersfield Sucks! It's a simple choice between living in the crap hole of CA, or paying a slight bit more to be just as close to all of the great riding but actually be able to experience some culture, sports, good food, beaches, etc, without the drive.

[2on2off]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

So, what I'm reading is, if you want something/do something go to L.A., but don't live there because its too expensive. So, instead of living there, or the Bay Area, drive hundreds of miles at $4.15 gallon a few times a month to do something that's not related to cow roping, mud bogging or having sex with your sister/cousin/brother/mom.

Bakersfield Sucks! It's a simple choice between living in the crap hole of CA, or paying a slight bit more to be just as close to all of the great riding but actually be able to experience some culture, sports, good food, beaches, etc, without the drive.

I have lived in Central California most of my life and like the people I have learned to know. Don't know why you hate Bakersfield so much. I guess you have your reasons. I have many friends that live there and they are some of the best people you could ever meet. Went to my 40 year class reunion and most of my former class mates are still married to their first wife.

The air quality in Bakersfield is bad but somehow people survive it. L.A. and the Bay Area used to have much worse smog than Central California but that has changed through the years. I was in Seattle last month and they had very bad smog you could see. When I asked about it they said they hadn't had rain in a while and once they did, it would clear up. Guess we need more rain.

I lived in San Jose for 6 years and there were many things I liked about it. But I liked Central California better so I moved back to raise my kids in a small town. It worked out very well for me but others might want a big city. It's great that we can choose.

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by 2on2off

I have lived in Central California most of my life and like the people I have learned to know. Don't know why you hate Bakersfield so much. I guess you have your reasons. I have many friends that live there and they are some of the best people you could ever meet. Went to my 40 year class reunion and most of my former class mates are still married to their first wife.

The air quality in Bakersfield is bad but somehow people survive it. L.A. and the Bay Area used to have much worse smog than Central California but that has changed through the years. I was in Seattle last month and they had very bad smog you could see. When I asked about it they said they hadn't had rain in a while and once they did, it would clear up. Guess we need more rain.

I lived in San Jose for 6 years and there were many things I liked about it. But I liked Central California better so I moved back to raise my kids in a small town. It worked out very well for me but others might want a big city. It's great that we can choose.

My Grandfather and Father were both born there. My Grandfather lived there up until he died about 10 years ago. Had an uncle who lived there for many years.. I'm not foreign to BF or lacking info or time spent there (unfortunately). My feelings are that it's nothing more than West Texas with all of it's red necks, racism, foul smells, heat, smog (Dallas/Ft Worth areas), lack of culture, lack of good food, and lack of healthy fun. Ask yourself why there seems to be more obese people per capita in BF than in most other major metro areas of CA.

By Connie Tran, KBAK - KBFX - Eyewitness News - BakersfieldNow.com

— A study released Wednesday by the California Center for Public Health and Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that childhood obesity rates are down in California by 1.1 percent. Unfortunately, in Kern County, the rates have grown.

The number of obese children in Kern County is almost alarming, and it seems a similar trend is forming in other Central Valley counties, such as Fresno and Tulare.

Dr. Harold Goldstein, the executive director for CCPHA said, "In Kern County, 44 percent of students are overweight. That's an increase of 5.8 percent over that five-year period. Really, when I saw those numbers I was shocked, because I had seen the numbers statewide were going down, but (that) the numbers continued to climb in Kern County is especially troubling."

Goldstein said he believes the childhood obesity rates in Kern County and Fresno County are so high because those counties have the highest density of unhealthy food outlets in California.


But like you said, at least we are all free to make our own choices.

[wyowillys46]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

So, what I'm reading is, if you want something/do something go to L.A., but don't live there because its too expensive. So, instead of living there, or the Bay Area, drive hundreds of miles at $4.15 gallon a few times a month to do something that's not related to cow roping, mud bogging or having sex with your sister/cousin/brother/mom.

Bakersfield Sucks! It's a simple choice between living in the crap hole of CA, or paying a slight bit more to be just as close to all of the great riding but actually be able to experience some culture, sports, good food, beaches, etc, without the drive.

If only Bakersfield were as great as LA and the Bay Area. Oh the humanity!

[notmybikemodelname]

Ok, let's see.

Motorcycle related, Brandon Cruz of "The Motorcycle Diaries" was born there. ............sorry, that's all I got for pro's and that's only because its motorcycle related.

Con's: you name it.........they got it. . It's the place you pass through to get anywhere else, and I mean, anywhere.

[RocknTroll]

Show up at WARPED and bend Gerg's ear fer a while.

A buddie of mine moved to Bakersfield @ 20 years ago, grew up on the east coast and settled in and has lived in Western California since 1970??. I guess it can't to bad...

[TUCKERS]

Bakersfield is a truck stop

[roundtripping]

Look at it like this...it's a longer drive from NC to LA for some culture than from Bakersfield to LA.

[DesertSurfer]

If you take a trip up to the Kern river outside of Bakersfield you won't think twice about it. You'll enjoy it as long as you like the outdoors. It's a hop skip to Death Valley, or Solvang... pick your poison.

[Entheogen]

It's hot as hell in the summer, but, not near as many people as so. cal. TONS of riding available, and it's CA, there's clinics in every major city, you won't find that in NC. Puff puff pass. That alone tips the scales to Cali.

And since you live in NC, there are a lot less biting insects here. Did I say the humidity doesn't kill you either?

[Hookalatch]

Bakersfield gets a worse reputation than it deserves. It does get hot in the summer but anywhere in the Central Valley does. There are also many winter days you can be comfortable all day in a tee shirt. There is a strong Country Western and Hispanic influence which is +/- depending on your likes. There is any kind of culture or social activity you may want, just not as sophisticated or stuffy as LA or the Bay Area. Its big enough you usually can find anything you need locally.

Driving through Bakersfield on the freeway it doesn't look like much. Get off on explore the area a little and it seems very different. There is fantastic riding both on and off road all around the area. My wife was born and raised in Bakersfield and I worked in Kern County for 12 years. The livestock people I worked with there are some of the nicest people I have ever worked with.

The biggest downsides I see are its reputation- its almost embarrassing to say you are from there (again- undeserved but its been the butt of jokes for so long it will probably always be regarded as a hick town by the really "hip" people). If you considerable yourself a liberal you will be in the minority, again +/- depending on your redneckness. I think the worse thing about the whole area is the air quality. There are mountains really close by and most days you can't even see them.

Chuck

[dman]

I haven't spent much time there but I think Hookalatch is probably right on. Bakersfield has a bad rep in more "sophisticated" parts of California, but Kern County is probably the most topographically diverse county in the State with resulting huge opportunities for outdoor activities and motorcycling. I live a couple of hundred miles away in a beautiful location near the ocean, and I like riding TO Kern County to enjoy the scenery and roads. And, unlike LA and the SF Bay Area, and even Sacramento, Bakersfield is not so huge that it takes 4 hours to get 100 miles out of town on a Friday evening.

-dman

[spafxer]

Bakersfield has a hockey team ! The Condors in the ECHL...


Make sure you take your lady on a "Bakersfield Date"





Take her out to Wasco and Shafter!



Can't be too bad, 'cept for the air