Anyone living in Bakersfield?

blacksea pebble · May 6, 2010

I lived in Bakersfield for 10 very long years.

Negatives: THE WORST air quality in the nation, valley fever (nasty disease), terribe summers with temperatures in 100s, very dry ( you'll need buckets of lotion to keep your skin on), high crime in some areas, loads of sex offenders,health care is behind, one of the poorest counties in CA, crappy real estate market.

Positives: cheap housing, RN salaries are good, especially in prison, many nice people, easy access to the coastal areas, skiing, hiking, and other recreational activities. With your salary as a prison nurse you'll be very comfortable, it just depends on what you want.

Good luck with your move.

mr.hustle · May 6, 2010

thanks for your reply!

MORE MORE INFO PEOPLE !

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 7, 2010

I lived in Bakersfield from 2003 to 2005 and, while it is not the most cosmopolitan or glamorous city in California, I loved living there. In fact, I was in town last month to visit my parents since they still live there.

A simple rule of thumb is to live west of the 99 freeway, which will cause you to end up in Southwest Bakersfield or Northwest Bakersfield. Many of the neighborhoods located east of the 99 freeway are home to higher crime rates, drugs, poverty, and dirty places to live. There is a beautiful neighborhood in the east side of town off Panorama Drive that offers views of the mountains and bluffs. In general, the areas west of the 99 freeway are flat, while the areas east of the 99 freeway become more hilly and mountainous as you drive further east.

The people in Bakersfield are generally friendly. The city does not feel or look like California. Rather, the people and culture share more similarities to places such as Oklahoma City, Wichita, Little Rock, and other mid-sized Midwest and Southern cities. This is not surprising since many of the city's descendants are "Okies" and "Arkies" who migrated to CA during the 1930s Dust Bowl.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 7, 2010

One more thing. . .

There's not much of a night life in Bakersfield for younger adults under the age of 40. The city had 2 night clubs when I was living there, as well as a handful of bars and shady hangouts. I'm not really into the club scene, but many people in my age range still like that type of thing (I'm 29 years old). If you are into the night life, clubs, dancing, and bar hopping, you will probably have to make a 100-mile drive south to Los Angeles on Interstate 5.

Madhel13 · Feb 8, 2011

Hi, so I just moved to Bakersfield a week ago for a new grad position and I am wondering what you have discovered since moving to this area in May. How is Delano? Have you found any good local restaurants?

mr.hustle · Apr 28, 2011

I figure I work during the week and all i want to do when i get home is rest.

On my days off I like driving out to LA.

ScrippsRN · Apr 29, 2011

Hi there,

I moved to Bakersfield to work at NKSP-RC in Delano. It was the worst experience that I've ever had, and I'm a tough cookie. :crying2: The area is sketchy, ugly,and crime ridden. The job was easy, but the SRN's are very unprofessional, unethical, and try and threaten your licence on a regular basis(at NKSP). The DON was "transferred" because of repeated sexual harassment, and the correctional staff does not like the medical staff because they think we are overpaid. As a result, I was left alone in rooms with inmates on a regular basis...... which is a big no-no. I've also worked at WSP-RC. It wasn't nearly as bad and the SRN's were great, but had to work on the yard with the sex offenders. When you work for the prison system, you have no choice in which days and shift you work, and you are likely to be "held over" which means you work 16 hours with no break. It's all based on seniority, and there is a certain group of nurses that have worked/lived in Delano for years. If you are not one of them, you will be alienated, and screwed with on a regular basis. To give you an example, my work schedule was three overnight shifts and two morning shifts. I had Mondays off, but had to sleep from working the night before. My other day off was Thursday. There is a union rule that requires that your days off are consecutive, but somehow they were allowed to schedule me that way. If you want to know the whole story, you are welcome to contact me at my private email address. The money and benefits are great, but it isn't worth it.

Sorry to be such a downer. Good luck in your endeavers.

tssalgado · Oct 26, 2015

Do you still feel the same about working in prison now? and NKSP?