is anyone here from bakersfield, ca or know anything about it? if so, i have a few questions for you. thanks.?

Question

my husband could potentially get hired out there, in which case we would have to move. can you tell me what the areas are like, good or bad? what is the cost of living is like out there? what is there to do for fun? is it a good place to raise children? what's the weather like? what is your overall opinion of the town? i'm sure i could look at the official bakersfield website, but i would like an unbiased opinion, so if anyone could answer one, some or all of these questions, i'd greatly appreciate it.

Answer 1

As California cities go, it's pretty good. Except, like most California cities, it is overrun with non-english-speaking citizens of Mexico. There are some very nice parts of town, most of it is modern, it has been growing steadily for decades.

California prices are high but compared to most of the State, Bakersfield is reasonable. Being based in agriculture and oil, the economy is relatively recession-proof, it's pretty stable. Politically conservative like most inland cities, not far left like on the coast.

4+ hours to San Francisco Bay area by car, 2 to LA over the grapevine(pass, which can get snow a couple days a year). Very hot and mostly dry in summer, sometimes killer fogs in fall/winter.

If you have the money to keep your kids away from the poor, they will be OK. I do not know what there is for them to do there. To get out of town you need a car.

All things considered ('m mostly from Los Angeles) it is a pretty good place. Did I mention you might have to learn Spanish as a second language? But the whole State is getting that way. They're good people mostly. Every town has gangs, no getting away from that.

Suggest before moving you come out and take a look.

Answer 2

Like any town, there are good and bad areas. The cost of living is reasonable. There's plenty of stuff to do for fun. It's a good place to raise children. Not a huge city. The weather is HOT in the summer. Overall, it's a nice town.

Answer 3

1) Who buys the bridesmaids dresses? Me or the bridesmaids? Typically the bridesmaids buy their own dresses. In rare occasions where the bride can afford it, shell pick up the tab.. but no one expects this. 2) who buys the tuxes for the groomsmen? The groomsmen typically RENT the tuxes and its pretty inexpensive. and then they return them in the next day or two. 3) who buys the flower girl dresses? Usually the parents of the Flower girl/Ring bearer take care of these... i was a junior bridesmaid in a wedding once and i was about 14 and my parents footed the bill on all of my expenses. 4) who is supposed to plan the bridal shower? This is not up to you, im finding i get NO say in my shower. My mom and my bridesmaids are planning it for me. This is a gift for you, dont worry about it, just appreciate it! 5) Is a potluck type theme okay for a reception? (his family is PR and mine is irish so I thought it would be nice to have both families see the difference in food and also his mother is an AMAZING COOK!) This is entirely up to the bride and groom. There are many different kinds of non traditional weddings these days, and catering IS expensive... (im shelling out close to 5 grand...) BUT i do however think it would be rude to expect your guests to do work for your wedding... they are bringing gifts, i wouldnt ask them to cook too.. Unless its just family.. I do like the idea of blending ethnicities. :) 6) Is it okay to have a formal reception for family and then a more informal reception for friends? no no no no no no! I WOULD NOT do this... you can never re-create the party... you can never "bring it twice". Plus its twice the food, drinks, and everything else. You dont want people feeling left out do you? if you do this, they will. I would stay away from this idea. 7) ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF THANK YOU!!!! ENJOY your wedding, dont get hung up on all of the litte snags that ARE bound to happen. Its more about your life after, then a few hours... it will be a hell of a party as long as you and your husband are in love, and your family and friends are there to celebrate. In planning a budget, i would definately prioritize... pick whats most important to you and spend the most there. and work your way down... so if you cant get something ... its not something that youre going to dwell over. RELAX.. and dont be afraid to ask for help or opinions... people love to talk about weddings. make the best of it, and enjoy planning. my best advice would be to shop around. get all the deals you can. The earlier you start the luckier you will get. hope any of this helps.. congrats on the engagement!!! happy planning!

Answer 4

well i live in watsonville ca its like a few minutes from there u can go to santa cruz wich is close to it and theres the boardwalk wich is a park u know with rides its perty cool but small wat i like about it it in the shore of the beach even if the water in almost froze lol but u get use to it and the weathers sunny it gets hot but not to much u got any more ? messege me at [e-mail] wen u moving

Answer 5

Don't move there! My brother had a class once where they talked about that city and its very industialized, ugly and just an all around bad city. I have been there and at first its okay, but after about 30 seconds you know that you want to get out of this city!! It's ugly, industrialized, ugly and industrialized! Did I mention that its ugly? Good luck!

Answer 6

my sister and her husband moved to Bakerfield a year ago and claim there is alot of gang activity and not very much english speaking population. they are currently looking to relocate for the longterm safety of their children.

Answer 7

i'm not from there, nor never been there