Bakersfield, anyone?

i spent alot of my childhood summers there its a very slow place and crazy hot but its getting more populated as the years go by

The library near the Amtrak station is wonderful.
You are close to Sequoia National Park with the biggest trees in the world.
If you like Basque food there are good restaurants.
I think there is still good live country music.

A friend works at Bakersfield Memorial and likes it.

if you have kids and would like to settle down its wonderful but if your not done hanging out DONT move there thats why im still so far south .

I lived there from 2003 to November 2005.

Bakersfield has evolved from a small hicktown to a mid-sized metro area of over 400,000 residents. The city is expanding so rapidly because people have been priced-out of all other parts of California. The nice, safe neighborhoods tend to be located west of the 99 freeway; however, I loved the hilly areas and panoramic bluffs of East Bakersfield located north on Fairfax Drive. Be prepared for the 110-degree summers and 28-degree winters.

The city still is not the most cosmopolitan place to live, but it is very family-oriented. If you're a young adult who is still interested in a nightlife and socializing, you might become very bored in Bakersfield. But if you're ready to get married and start a family, it is a great place to live.

You can find daycare in Bakersfield for $15 per day if you browse the local advertisements in the local newspaper called The Bakersfield Californian.

If a safe neighborhood is what you're seeking, you need to be sure to live west of the 99 freeway. Most of the crime occurs east of the 99 freeway.