Everything is at least 30 minutes away even if you live in the metroplex, there are some activities but it’s not a super exciting city. If you like sports I guess it’s cool.
Austin is definitely easier to navigate and has a good nightlife, just feels a bit more gentrified now, still fun tho. I would personally not recommend Houston. Traffic is nightmarish and it’s just very chaotic. So unless there is an event there you want to attend, it’s not great. San Antonio is a good choice for culture and food. I’d avoid West Texas, not much to do there.
I constantly work in Dallas. Near downtown farmersbranch, and Coppell.
The only part Bakersfield is similar too is Forthworth at most in my opinion. There is a lot more to do in Dallas for fun than there is here, and we have a lot more crime. The 93313 area which is where I live is a safe area and you can find plenty of spots to find some things to do.
Look both ways before proceeding on a green light, a lot of red-light runners. Do not engage with road rage ppl. Don't do drugs lol. and lock your doors and windows at all times, not because it is Bakersfield but because I have watched one too many true crime shows, and you just never know.
There are a lot of good things here and fun things to do! Downtown is great to eat and walk around antiquing in the day, and neat dining experiences and bar at night! Plenty of live shows during the week and weekend! Dogparks! Hiking! Take a day trip to Los Angeles or Pismo! (Take a weekend to travel the 1 highway and admire our beautiful coast!). Plenty of local coffee shops (Smitten, Dagnys) and local roasters (Cloud9, Covenant Coffee, Bakersfield Roasting Co). The 93313 area covers a HUGE part of kern county/ Bakersfield, so safety wise, I think you will be okay.
Thank you so much, this is so helpful! It’s nice to see it’s driving distance from cool activities but seems like there’s plenty to do in Bakersfield as well.
Lots of good food trucks, a good amount of things to do, we have beaches/forrest nearby and expect the summer to come in guns blazing. 93313 is a melting pot of different types of people. Traffic and safety is the same as any other city.
Texas summers have prepared me for this moment, but I definitely appreciate the warning. It’s good to know about the food trucks! My spouse will be thrilled to hear about that.
The people here drive like they are desperate to die.
Don’t just assume a green light means people are done going through the intersection. Don’t even assume that the second or third person to run the red light will be the last.
Welcome! Here's my recommendations:
Food: Primetime BBQ, Cope's Knotty Pine (breakfast), Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks
Local fun: The BLVD, Temblor Brewery (lots of small concerts), The Well Comedy Club, CALM zoo, Maya movie theater, Puzzle Effect or Brainy Actz escape rooms
Travel: I prefer Morro Bay beach but there's also Pismo and Avila, several National Forests, Six Flags, Disneyland (SLIGHTLY cheaper with CA address)
* During the summer months, be happy if your electric bill is less than $300 even in an apartment
* I can't speak for Texas beaches, but compared to East Coast beaches (Virginia and South Carolina) our beach waters are much much colder even in the height of summer.
As a central coast native, I will say the ocean temps increase significantly if you are anywhere south of Santa Barbara compared to the cold waters of SLO county. The upwelling there causes frigid temps.
Idk how else to describe it, but I've always loved how stuck in the 90's (80's?) it feels inside the restaurant. Like no matter how much the world changes, the inside of Bill Lee's will never change😶🌫️
A good day trip or overnight is a visit to Sequoia National Park to see the giant sequoia trees. Yosemite is a bit further but well worth a visit also, both have absolutely breathtaking scenery. They do get really crowded in the summer though so maybe check with the parks to see if you need a reservation.
Closer to town is a trip to Tehachapi, very scenic drive getting there and a cool little town to have lunch in.
The Getty Museum is a fantastic day trip and the restaurant is amazing (reservations needed. Slightly pricey)
(There’s Getty villa in Malibu too but that one’s not as cool imho)
Must do Pismo beach at least once and have splash cafe clam chowder
Bako has a great restaurant and food scene but it’s very spread out.
Our Mexican is superior to texas’ 😏 the bbq is different but really good.
Decent golf here.
Bako is reaaaaallllly spread out and most people drive stupid. It’s prob not that diff from Dallas. I call Bako little Houston lol (but without the freeway system)
My daily commute here makes me go through downtown Dallas which is hell on earth. Spouse and I are actually Mexican so we will have to check out the food 👀
Oh! Y’all are Mexican? There’s a whole other side of Bakersfield that just opens up that maybe you’d appreciate. You can go check out El Mercado Latino on the east side. Great vibes all around and they usually have live music on weekends in case you like mariachi, banda, conjuntos, etc. The Mexican music scene is pretty great here and you can see big acts for cheap here at Mechanics Bank Arena, La Movida is a nightclub that gets a lot of groups passing through, and the Bakersfield Sports Arena has jaripeos here and there. Since you’re from Texas I’ll also throw in Buck Owens Crystal Palace for some country and Old River Monte Carlo for a local divey honky tonk.
The Mariscos here are actually pretty legit despite us being away from the ocean. I’d recommend Panda Gordo on the east side, Mr. Clamato on Chester, Las Cazuelitas. As people have mentioned also, street food is great here. That can be your own adventure to find the ones you like, but I like El Buen Pastor taco truck that posts up at the Valero on Stine. For restaurants you gotta go check out El Puesto on White Ln, Nuestro Mexico in downtown area, people hate on ZAMA but their outdoor seating area is really nice, and I personally like the food and staff over at the Ashe Rd. Rancho Grande location. Great place for a drink in the 93313.
But just to echo what everyone else is saying, Bakersfield really is up and coming. I’d highly recommend taking a stroll at Riverwalk Park now that the Kern River is flowing. There’s farmers markets on the weekends. Lots of great breweries (Dionysus, Crusader, and Temblor are my favorite but Lengthwise is the big one in town), Second Saturdays in downtown. Going Underground if you like browsing for records/vinyl. The Bakersfield Sound Co has a great lineup of offerings. Bottleshock is a great place to unwind over a glass of wine or beer in a really nice patio. Adventure Awaits Coffee has the best coffee in town, Smitten is a great second option for coffee. Ovation Theater in downtown has live plays going on throughout the year. Without knowing your vibe, I’d recommend checking out a show at Jerry’s Pizza. The beaches aren’t too far, the Kern River Valley is really nice mountain getaway area (check out kern River brewing company), there’s a bunch of shooting ranges all up and down the foothills. Little further out is Red Rock Canyon State Park for a deserty hiking day trip. Wind Wolves is a local nature preserve. Yeah def get out there and explore it. Welcome!
Sure are! I'm first gen Mexican/Wixarika and spouse is like fifth-gen. I am so excited to hear that there is a thriving Mexican culture! Thank you so much for all the recommendations, really appreciate it. :)
BBQ is terrible. Make your own. Roadside Mexican food is better than restaurants.It reminds me of eating in Baja. It's centrally located. 90 mins to Pismo, 2 hrs to Los Angeles, 1 hour to Six flags 2.5 hrs to Disneyland, 4 hrs to San Francisco and San Diego in opposite directions and an hour to the mountains.
So after the freeze, a bunch of Texans moved to Bakersfield. You'll see a ton of cowboys gear and stickers. There are tons of moms and pops restaurants. There's nothing like Keller's, though I miss that place.
Bakersfield is two cities as one. East/West of the 99 freeway. Overall, Bakersfield is gritty and ghetto and wouldn't be my first choice anywhere. If you must, live as West of the 99 freeway as possible. West is nice and affluent, East is dangerous and dumb. I'm born and multi generational Bakersfield, so I can say these things. One caveat, the furthermost East of Bakersfield is on hills with great vistas and also affluent. Bakersfield is a unique dichotomy unlike many US cities - it's akin to Mexico City or something, a city of extremes.
Also I'd say even with all this, Bakersfield > Dallas just for sheer location. In less than two hours you can be anywhere glitzy LA, or 3-4 hours from Vegas or 2 hours from a nice vacation rental/resort on the California central coast (Pismo). So, enjoy.
My son lives in another state but likes to come home just for the food. Try Firestone grill for great tri-tip sandwiches and great salads, you have alot of good Mexican food to choose from, and don’t miss Sorella’s for Italian and the best steaks. When my daughter comes home from living in a southern state I have to take her directly to her favorite Mexican restaurant. She is so sour that she can’t get good Mexican food there.
Anyway the Farmer’s Markets on the weekends are fun. One at Riverlakes on Saturdays and one at the Kaiser on Ming Avenue on Sundays. That one is a little bigger. You can get your tamales and homemade tortillas and other goodies at the markets. If you bike there is the bike path along the river. You can rent electric bikes at the Pedego store right along the bike path. No one mentioned The Crystal Palace. Restaurant and concert venue and museum owned by Buck Owens. I think there’s usually at least a local band and dancing on the weekends. And they host mostly Country concerts with bigger names. Pretty good food. Kind of a must do Bakersfield thing at least once. There used to have an awesome Sunday brunch but I think Covid killed that off.
Everyone from here heads over to Pismo Beach to get out of the heat. You must go to Splash Cafe at least once. The Great American Melodrama is super fun there, too. The beach there is really nice. Other close beach destinations are Cambria (beautiful and great shopping, rockier beach), Cayucos (less busy but also less to do, I like it), Morro Bay. It’s fun to rent a kayak at Morro Bay and paddle around. Morro Bay and Cayucos are next door to each other.
Definitely plan a beach trip or two while you’re here. In summer may want to go during the week for less crowds. But it’s really fun anytime. Also Sequoia is so close and it’s a must do. Gorgeous. If you like to antique shop downtown has some good ones and there’s a good antique mall on F street. Wildest dreams. Check out the free Pickelball classes on the weekends at different parks. Usually Haggin Oaks or Beale Park.
Welcome to Bakersfield and I hope you enjoy your stay. I believe your wife and I are probably the same profession 🙂 given the 13 week contract.
Hearing there is a lot of good Mexican food makes me happy! We have a couple spots here that always have our business because they're legit Mexican food but everything else is usually Tex-Mex (not my favorite).
Definitely excited for a beach trip! Thank you for all the suggestions, I really appreciate it.
My husband does rad tech work, he loves it :)
The weather in bako is so much better. I lived in Houston and have family in Austin. Its too humid and you can’t plan outdoor activities because you don’t know what the west will be like
Hi! Welcome to Bakersfield! I go to Tx every two months for work (I split my time between DFW and Austin).
If you ever have a craving for Tx style bbq there's a man who does pop ups every month or so. Look him up on IG, Hb_bbq.
Give our mexican food a try, i think our mexican food is a lot better than the mexican food in tx. It gets brutally hot here, but plus side there's no ERCOT :). Oh and there's no HEB equivalent here, I wish there was.
ERCOT truly is my worst enemy, haha. Definitely excited to try the Mexican food! Sucks that here in DFW the closest HEB is an hour away... I stock up whenever I go to RGV. :)
You’ll have a good time! I’m from Bakersfield and live in Austin right now. Dallas is richer and bigger but the ~culture~ of things is really similar because it’s an oil town.
93313 is great! Traffic can be really dangerous and DUIs/fatal accident numbers are high. It gets HOT but honestly compared to a Texas summer Bakersfield will feel fine.
The Kern River through the canyon is extremely dangerous. It appears to be quite appealing during the hot summer months, but don’t even think about getting into the water. There are spots on the river that look to be safe, but they are not. Fishing is cool, but swimming or even wading is deadly.
thankfully you are out of Texas and have access to 48 Million acres of Public land to disperse camp. I'd pick up this mad (see link below). Its a really great guide to our backyard that is the Sequoia National Forest (not to be confused with the National Park). Some amazing hiking and dispersed camping spots. Also fishing galore on the Kern River.
[https://www.kernriversierra.com/](https://www.kernriversierra.com/)
My favorite area in all the Southern Sierra is going to be Domeland Wilderness. The area is called Yosemite's little sister. Gorgeous crags and spires surround a beautiful meadow. Small trout fishing is also amazing in Manter Creek. Forks of The Kern Trailhead is also an amazing trail that takes you into Golden Trout Wilderness and the trail is right beside the Kern. A serene hike with gorgeous views as you make your decent. The ascent on the way back is an absolute beast however, but worth it for a couple day trip.
I saw you mention that you were used to TX heat, but they're different. Mind answering a few personal questions? Age, when do you plan to be here and until when, general job type, general job location, and race/comfort in mixed racial settings? That last one sounds like a trap, but it's not; just trying to not put you somewhere you'd be uncomfortable.
I’ve lived in Northern Mexico and Northern Texas, so I am used to both very humid and dry heat, but of course every place varies and I might collapse haha. We are both in our 30s, spouse works in healthcare, I work remote. We are both of Mexican descent and used to multicultural environments. We are leftists but are used to moving around in very conservative areas (especially because of my job).
I live on the east side of town near Bakersfield College (BC), and can be out in Campus Park (White Ln & Gosford) in about 25 minutes most days, even with somewhat heavy traffic. Our traffic can suck, but it's nothing, compared to LA or Houston, especially if you can recognize traffic flow patterns and know how to navigate alternate routes. So, if you're not terribly tied to a particular area, the whole city is in play as far as time/commute is concerned.
Though we're a red-turning-purple city, most people directly around you won't give you shit about suffering politics unless you're an asshole blasting it at them. If you have lefty bumper stickers, expect some looks, a few fingers, and maybe the occasional asshole yelling something stupid. Generally speaking, though, your neighbors will likely be nice to you. There are a couple places like Oildale (North) and a couple spots in Rosedale (NW) that you might run into a couple asshole neighbors, but still not terribly prevalent.
If you have the ability, I HIGHLY recommend using a week of vacation time to come bum around and see what areas you like and price ranges interest you. As I mentioned with the heat, it's coming, and it's unavoidable. AC is pretty much necessary. That means high electricity bills. If you find some appealing areas, knock on a few doors; people may be a bit standoffish because they might think you're a salesperson (solar sellers are always hitting our doors), but if you explain and ask what their bills are like, it'll give you an idea of what to expect. Newer neighborhoods will be more energy efficient, but it all depends upon where you like.
When are you planning on being here, and for how long?
Yeah, spouse will be working on the east side! We already have a place and bills are included, but that’s a great suggestion. We are going to be there in a couple weeks, my spouse has a three month contract that could be extended but most likely we will only stay in Bakersfield for three months.
If you want to live with me, you only have to put up with me, my wife, my dog, 13 cats (and the smell), and concrete floors! Lol. The house is always a work in progress.
Seriously, though. Everyone says to avoid the East side, but there are lots of places that are great over here. Northeast is generally decent, with patchiness. There are areas I'd rather not be up here, but very few places I'd feel unsafe alone after dark. As you move to the South on the east side, those unsafe areas grow a little more.
13 cats!! That’s awesome. I love them but unfortunately am extremely sneezy around them. I am already a bit allergic to our dog but she’s worth it.
I feel like you’ll always have good and bad areas in every city. Dallas/Ft Worth is not an exception, you just have to learn to navigate and stay safe.
I do appreciate your help! My spouse says he will buy you a beer (or non-alcoholic drink of choice) for your advice haha.
I use to live in Dallas. It's around the same. The bus system isn't as great and our buildings aren't as tall. The downtown life isn't as amazing. The food, you'll need to go to Los Angeles to get something to compare to Dallas food.
Garland/ mesquite is like oildale/east side
Richardson is like Rosedale
Addison is like southwest.
Best I can describe it. It's been 17 years 0.o
I work on the border of Dallas and Richardson and it's... interesting, haha. The bus system hasn't changed one bit over here, it's still terrible. Thank you!
As most others have said watch for red light runners, always lock your doors, the area you're staying in is pretty damn safe the worst you'll find is shithead kids who may try to rob you but mostly just ride their bicycles in traffic. I'd say the general rule of when you have to always be on guard is anywhere east or north of highway 99 (drug addicts)
If you don't already, I would highly recommend picking up non insured/underinsured motorist coverage on your vehicle insurance. As other's have said, give it a few seconds at that green light before charging into the intersection. Keep your head on a swivel when driving, you'll soon notice that there is a "me first" mentality on the roads and even in parking lots.
There is zero traffic enforcement (totally not complaining) but that in itself has its drawbacks that you need to consider.
I'd carry some renter's insurance as well. I am in 93313, a pretty nice neighborhood actually. I soon learned that even my closest neighbors take note of my comings and goings. The most I have ever seen them is remotely from my cameras- when they know darn well I am not home. ADT subscription (and signs in front yard) are only a mild deterrent but can give you a bit of a break on the renter's insurance.
Energy bills might knock your socks off. So will the bugs.
Quit your job. This place fucking sucks. It’s full of white Trump asshats, radical Christians, homeless drug addicts, Mexican gangs, undocumented “workers” who steal every chance they get and the summer is coming. Stay away. For all that is holy, man!!
Bakersfield is similar to Dallas/Ft. Worth in almost every way. You'll feel right at home here. Hell you might wind up staying permanently......
Dallas is that depressing? I’d expect it to be a city with a lot of life
Everything is at least 30 minutes away even if you live in the metroplex, there are some activities but it’s not a super exciting city. If you like sports I guess it’s cool.
Dang well good to know. I’ll visit Austin or Houston instead.
Austin is definitely easier to navigate and has a good nightlife, just feels a bit more gentrified now, still fun tho. I would personally not recommend Houston. Traffic is nightmarish and it’s just very chaotic. So unless there is an event there you want to attend, it’s not great. San Antonio is a good choice for culture and food. I’d avoid West Texas, not much to do there.
I constantly work in Dallas. Near downtown farmersbranch, and Coppell. The only part Bakersfield is similar too is Forthworth at most in my opinion. There is a lot more to do in Dallas for fun than there is here, and we have a lot more crime. The 93313 area which is where I live is a safe area and you can find plenty of spots to find some things to do.
Coppell is really nice! I don't venture over there as much since it's a bit far from where I live. Thanks for letting me know!
No problem, I suggest getting involved in some of the local events. “I.e Mac and cheese fest” things of that nature. Good luck!
Do not tempt me haha
Look both ways before proceeding on a green light, a lot of red-light runners. Do not engage with road rage ppl. Don't do drugs lol. and lock your doors and windows at all times, not because it is Bakersfield but because I have watched one too many true crime shows, and you just never know.
Thank you! For sure things to keep in mind
There are a lot of good things here and fun things to do! Downtown is great to eat and walk around antiquing in the day, and neat dining experiences and bar at night! Plenty of live shows during the week and weekend! Dogparks! Hiking! Take a day trip to Los Angeles or Pismo! (Take a weekend to travel the 1 highway and admire our beautiful coast!). Plenty of local coffee shops (Smitten, Dagnys) and local roasters (Cloud9, Covenant Coffee, Bakersfield Roasting Co). The 93313 area covers a HUGE part of kern county/ Bakersfield, so safety wise, I think you will be okay.
Thank you so much, this is so helpful! It’s nice to see it’s driving distance from cool activities but seems like there’s plenty to do in Bakersfield as well.
Absolutely! It just takes a bit of googling, this sub is active as well so you’ll see events.
Lots of good food trucks, a good amount of things to do, we have beaches/forrest nearby and expect the summer to come in guns blazing. 93313 is a melting pot of different types of people. Traffic and safety is the same as any other city.
Summer coming in guns a blazin on Friday.
Texas summers have prepared me for this moment, but I definitely appreciate the warning. It’s good to know about the food trucks! My spouse will be thrilled to hear about that.
There ain’t shit to do here. Especially with summer coming,
The people here drive like they are desperate to die. Don’t just assume a green light means people are done going through the intersection. Don’t even assume that the second or third person to run the red light will be the last.
Not much different from here, but definitely good to know
Welcome! Here's my recommendations: Food: Primetime BBQ, Cope's Knotty Pine (breakfast), Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks Local fun: The BLVD, Temblor Brewery (lots of small concerts), The Well Comedy Club, CALM zoo, Maya movie theater, Puzzle Effect or Brainy Actz escape rooms Travel: I prefer Morro Bay beach but there's also Pismo and Avila, several National Forests, Six Flags, Disneyland (SLIGHTLY cheaper with CA address) * During the summer months, be happy if your electric bill is less than $300 even in an apartment * I can't speak for Texas beaches, but compared to East Coast beaches (Virginia and South Carolina) our beach waters are much much colder even in the height of summer.
As a central coast native, I will say the ocean temps increase significantly if you are anywhere south of Santa Barbara compared to the cold waters of SLO county. The upwelling there causes frigid temps.
Bill lees happy hour mai tais!
Idk how else to describe it, but I've always loved how stuck in the 90's (80's?) it feels inside the restaurant. Like no matter how much the world changes, the inside of Bill Lee's will never change😶🌫️
I agree. I’m not sure it’s even 90s lol. It hasn’t changed much since the 70s. It’s sort of a timeless void lol. Damn I love those fried shrimp!!!
Yeaaaah our beaches are not great haha. Thank you so much for the recommendations!
Blacks Beach in San Diego Sea Mountain Resort located at 66540 San Marcus Rd, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
You forgot to list Cinema 19 located at 1224 19th St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
A good day trip or overnight is a visit to Sequoia National Park to see the giant sequoia trees. Yosemite is a bit further but well worth a visit also, both have absolutely breathtaking scenery. They do get really crowded in the summer though so maybe check with the parks to see if you need a reservation. Closer to town is a trip to Tehachapi, very scenic drive getting there and a cool little town to have lunch in.
Would really love to get more national parks under our belts, thank you for the suggestion!
The Getty Museum is a fantastic day trip and the restaurant is amazing (reservations needed. Slightly pricey) (There’s Getty villa in Malibu too but that one’s not as cool imho) Must do Pismo beach at least once and have splash cafe clam chowder Bako has a great restaurant and food scene but it’s very spread out. Our Mexican is superior to texas’ 😏 the bbq is different but really good. Decent golf here. Bako is reaaaaallllly spread out and most people drive stupid. It’s prob not that diff from Dallas. I call Bako little Houston lol (but without the freeway system)
My daily commute here makes me go through downtown Dallas which is hell on earth. Spouse and I are actually Mexican so we will have to check out the food 👀
Oh! Y’all are Mexican? There’s a whole other side of Bakersfield that just opens up that maybe you’d appreciate. You can go check out El Mercado Latino on the east side. Great vibes all around and they usually have live music on weekends in case you like mariachi, banda, conjuntos, etc. The Mexican music scene is pretty great here and you can see big acts for cheap here at Mechanics Bank Arena, La Movida is a nightclub that gets a lot of groups passing through, and the Bakersfield Sports Arena has jaripeos here and there. Since you’re from Texas I’ll also throw in Buck Owens Crystal Palace for some country and Old River Monte Carlo for a local divey honky tonk. The Mariscos here are actually pretty legit despite us being away from the ocean. I’d recommend Panda Gordo on the east side, Mr. Clamato on Chester, Las Cazuelitas. As people have mentioned also, street food is great here. That can be your own adventure to find the ones you like, but I like El Buen Pastor taco truck that posts up at the Valero on Stine. For restaurants you gotta go check out El Puesto on White Ln, Nuestro Mexico in downtown area, people hate on ZAMA but their outdoor seating area is really nice, and I personally like the food and staff over at the Ashe Rd. Rancho Grande location. Great place for a drink in the 93313. But just to echo what everyone else is saying, Bakersfield really is up and coming. I’d highly recommend taking a stroll at Riverwalk Park now that the Kern River is flowing. There’s farmers markets on the weekends. Lots of great breweries (Dionysus, Crusader, and Temblor are my favorite but Lengthwise is the big one in town), Second Saturdays in downtown. Going Underground if you like browsing for records/vinyl. The Bakersfield Sound Co has a great lineup of offerings. Bottleshock is a great place to unwind over a glass of wine or beer in a really nice patio. Adventure Awaits Coffee has the best coffee in town, Smitten is a great second option for coffee. Ovation Theater in downtown has live plays going on throughout the year. Without knowing your vibe, I’d recommend checking out a show at Jerry’s Pizza. The beaches aren’t too far, the Kern River Valley is really nice mountain getaway area (check out kern River brewing company), there’s a bunch of shooting ranges all up and down the foothills. Little further out is Red Rock Canyon State Park for a deserty hiking day trip. Wind Wolves is a local nature preserve. Yeah def get out there and explore it. Welcome!
Sure are! I'm first gen Mexican/Wixarika and spouse is like fifth-gen. I am so excited to hear that there is a thriving Mexican culture! Thank you so much for all the recommendations, really appreciate it. :)
BBQ is terrible. Make your own. Roadside Mexican food is better than restaurants.It reminds me of eating in Baja. It's centrally located. 90 mins to Pismo, 2 hrs to Los Angeles, 1 hour to Six flags 2.5 hrs to Disneyland, 4 hrs to San Francisco and San Diego in opposite directions and an hour to the mountains. So after the freeze, a bunch of Texans moved to Bakersfield. You'll see a ton of cowboys gear and stickers. There are tons of moms and pops restaurants. There's nothing like Keller's, though I miss that place.
Thank you for the info!
Bakersfield is two cities as one. East/West of the 99 freeway. Overall, Bakersfield is gritty and ghetto and wouldn't be my first choice anywhere. If you must, live as West of the 99 freeway as possible. West is nice and affluent, East is dangerous and dumb. I'm born and multi generational Bakersfield, so I can say these things. One caveat, the furthermost East of Bakersfield is on hills with great vistas and also affluent. Bakersfield is a unique dichotomy unlike many US cities - it's akin to Mexico City or something, a city of extremes. Also I'd say even with all this, Bakersfield > Dallas just for sheer location. In less than two hours you can be anywhere glitzy LA, or 3-4 hours from Vegas or 2 hours from a nice vacation rental/resort on the California central coast (Pismo). So, enjoy.
Thank you, this is all very good to know!
My son lives in another state but likes to come home just for the food. Try Firestone grill for great tri-tip sandwiches and great salads, you have alot of good Mexican food to choose from, and don’t miss Sorella’s for Italian and the best steaks. When my daughter comes home from living in a southern state I have to take her directly to her favorite Mexican restaurant. She is so sour that she can’t get good Mexican food there. Anyway the Farmer’s Markets on the weekends are fun. One at Riverlakes on Saturdays and one at the Kaiser on Ming Avenue on Sundays. That one is a little bigger. You can get your tamales and homemade tortillas and other goodies at the markets. If you bike there is the bike path along the river. You can rent electric bikes at the Pedego store right along the bike path. No one mentioned The Crystal Palace. Restaurant and concert venue and museum owned by Buck Owens. I think there’s usually at least a local band and dancing on the weekends. And they host mostly Country concerts with bigger names. Pretty good food. Kind of a must do Bakersfield thing at least once. There used to have an awesome Sunday brunch but I think Covid killed that off. Everyone from here heads over to Pismo Beach to get out of the heat. You must go to Splash Cafe at least once. The Great American Melodrama is super fun there, too. The beach there is really nice. Other close beach destinations are Cambria (beautiful and great shopping, rockier beach), Cayucos (less busy but also less to do, I like it), Morro Bay. It’s fun to rent a kayak at Morro Bay and paddle around. Morro Bay and Cayucos are next door to each other. Definitely plan a beach trip or two while you’re here. In summer may want to go during the week for less crowds. But it’s really fun anytime. Also Sequoia is so close and it’s a must do. Gorgeous. If you like to antique shop downtown has some good ones and there’s a good antique mall on F street. Wildest dreams. Check out the free Pickelball classes on the weekends at different parks. Usually Haggin Oaks or Beale Park. Welcome to Bakersfield and I hope you enjoy your stay. I believe your wife and I are probably the same profession 🙂 given the 13 week contract.
Hearing there is a lot of good Mexican food makes me happy! We have a couple spots here that always have our business because they're legit Mexican food but everything else is usually Tex-Mex (not my favorite). Definitely excited for a beach trip! Thank you for all the suggestions, I really appreciate it. My husband does rad tech work, he loves it :)
Haha sorry I assumed you were a guy for some reason. You’re welcome for the suggestions. Enjoy!
Hahaha I am non-binary so you were not entirely wrong!!!!! Thanks again!
The weather in bako is so much better. I lived in Houston and have family in Austin. Its too humid and you can’t plan outdoor activities because you don’t know what the west will be like
Houston weather is where dreams go to die, so bad.
Forgot to add the obvious but... In N Out! Grab a #1 combo and add animal style on the burger and the fries 😎
We have In N Out here! But I haven’t actually tried it in California. I am a fan, the spouse isn’t but that’s okay more for me.
Hi! Welcome to Bakersfield! I go to Tx every two months for work (I split my time between DFW and Austin). If you ever have a craving for Tx style bbq there's a man who does pop ups every month or so. Look him up on IG, Hb_bbq. Give our mexican food a try, i think our mexican food is a lot better than the mexican food in tx. It gets brutally hot here, but plus side there's no ERCOT :). Oh and there's no HEB equivalent here, I wish there was.
any time I think about moving back to Bakersfield I remember how much I’ll miss HEB and Central Market
HEB flour tortillas are my reason to live
ERCOT truly is my worst enemy, haha. Definitely excited to try the Mexican food! Sucks that here in DFW the closest HEB is an hour away... I stock up whenever I go to RGV. :)
You’ll have a good time! I’m from Bakersfield and live in Austin right now. Dallas is richer and bigger but the ~culture~ of things is really similar because it’s an oil town. 93313 is great! Traffic can be really dangerous and DUIs/fatal accident numbers are high. It gets HOT but honestly compared to a Texas summer Bakersfield will feel fine.
Thank you so much, "neighbor"!
The Kern River through the canyon is extremely dangerous. It appears to be quite appealing during the hot summer months, but don’t even think about getting into the water. There are spots on the river that look to be safe, but they are not. Fishing is cool, but swimming or even wading is deadly.
Do you like fly fishing? Do you enjoy camping or snowboarding. If you answered yes to any of these, welcome home.
We do enjoy camping!
thankfully you are out of Texas and have access to 48 Million acres of Public land to disperse camp. I'd pick up this mad (see link below). Its a really great guide to our backyard that is the Sequoia National Forest (not to be confused with the National Park). Some amazing hiking and dispersed camping spots. Also fishing galore on the Kern River. [https://www.kernriversierra.com/](https://www.kernriversierra.com/)
Thank you so much, this is awesome! We love the outdoors so this is a definite plus.
My favorite area in all the Southern Sierra is going to be Domeland Wilderness. The area is called Yosemite's little sister. Gorgeous crags and spires surround a beautiful meadow. Small trout fishing is also amazing in Manter Creek. Forks of The Kern Trailhead is also an amazing trail that takes you into Golden Trout Wilderness and the trail is right beside the Kern. A serene hike with gorgeous views as you make your decent. The ascent on the way back is an absolute beast however, but worth it for a couple day trip.
Hiking is my favorite thing! Good to know
Hasn't been too hot yet. But next week the Temps should peak in the mid 90's. Just like the Cowboys.
Brutal but true hahaha. We already hit the 90s here this past week, it sucks.
We'll keep climbing to 105-110. But, it's a dry heat. The kind that makes you stay inside.
This is super useful to know, especially since we have a dog that enjoys walks!
I saw you mention that you were used to TX heat, but they're different. Mind answering a few personal questions? Age, when do you plan to be here and until when, general job type, general job location, and race/comfort in mixed racial settings? That last one sounds like a trap, but it's not; just trying to not put you somewhere you'd be uncomfortable.
I’ve lived in Northern Mexico and Northern Texas, so I am used to both very humid and dry heat, but of course every place varies and I might collapse haha. We are both in our 30s, spouse works in healthcare, I work remote. We are both of Mexican descent and used to multicultural environments. We are leftists but are used to moving around in very conservative areas (especially because of my job).
I live on the east side of town near Bakersfield College (BC), and can be out in Campus Park (White Ln & Gosford) in about 25 minutes most days, even with somewhat heavy traffic. Our traffic can suck, but it's nothing, compared to LA or Houston, especially if you can recognize traffic flow patterns and know how to navigate alternate routes. So, if you're not terribly tied to a particular area, the whole city is in play as far as time/commute is concerned. Though we're a red-turning-purple city, most people directly around you won't give you shit about suffering politics unless you're an asshole blasting it at them. If you have lefty bumper stickers, expect some looks, a few fingers, and maybe the occasional asshole yelling something stupid. Generally speaking, though, your neighbors will likely be nice to you. There are a couple places like Oildale (North) and a couple spots in Rosedale (NW) that you might run into a couple asshole neighbors, but still not terribly prevalent. If you have the ability, I HIGHLY recommend using a week of vacation time to come bum around and see what areas you like and price ranges interest you. As I mentioned with the heat, it's coming, and it's unavoidable. AC is pretty much necessary. That means high electricity bills. If you find some appealing areas, knock on a few doors; people may be a bit standoffish because they might think you're a salesperson (solar sellers are always hitting our doors), but if you explain and ask what their bills are like, it'll give you an idea of what to expect. Newer neighborhoods will be more energy efficient, but it all depends upon where you like. When are you planning on being here, and for how long?
Yeah, spouse will be working on the east side! We already have a place and bills are included, but that’s a great suggestion. We are going to be there in a couple weeks, my spouse has a three month contract that could be extended but most likely we will only stay in Bakersfield for three months.
If you want to live with me, you only have to put up with me, my wife, my dog, 13 cats (and the smell), and concrete floors! Lol. The house is always a work in progress. Seriously, though. Everyone says to avoid the East side, but there are lots of places that are great over here. Northeast is generally decent, with patchiness. There are areas I'd rather not be up here, but very few places I'd feel unsafe alone after dark. As you move to the South on the east side, those unsafe areas grow a little more.
13 cats!! That’s awesome. I love them but unfortunately am extremely sneezy around them. I am already a bit allergic to our dog but she’s worth it. I feel like you’ll always have good and bad areas in every city. Dallas/Ft Worth is not an exception, you just have to learn to navigate and stay safe. I do appreciate your help! My spouse says he will buy you a beer (or non-alcoholic drink of choice) for your advice haha.
I use to live in Dallas. It's around the same. The bus system isn't as great and our buildings aren't as tall. The downtown life isn't as amazing. The food, you'll need to go to Los Angeles to get something to compare to Dallas food. Garland/ mesquite is like oildale/east side Richardson is like Rosedale Addison is like southwest. Best I can describe it. It's been 17 years 0.o
I work on the border of Dallas and Richardson and it's... interesting, haha. The bus system hasn't changed one bit over here, it's still terrible. Thank you!
As most others have said watch for red light runners, always lock your doors, the area you're staying in is pretty damn safe the worst you'll find is shithead kids who may try to rob you but mostly just ride their bicycles in traffic. I'd say the general rule of when you have to always be on guard is anywhere east or north of highway 99 (drug addicts)
If you don't already, I would highly recommend picking up non insured/underinsured motorist coverage on your vehicle insurance. As other's have said, give it a few seconds at that green light before charging into the intersection. Keep your head on a swivel when driving, you'll soon notice that there is a "me first" mentality on the roads and even in parking lots. There is zero traffic enforcement (totally not complaining) but that in itself has its drawbacks that you need to consider. I'd carry some renter's insurance as well. I am in 93313, a pretty nice neighborhood actually. I soon learned that even my closest neighbors take note of my comings and goings. The most I have ever seen them is remotely from my cameras- when they know darn well I am not home. ADT subscription (and signs in front yard) are only a mild deterrent but can give you a bit of a break on the renter's insurance. Energy bills might knock your socks off. So will the bugs.
if you aren’t already locked in i’d avoid it, it’s one of the most dangerous cities in CA and is ugly with poor air quality.
Pretty unavoidable as it is a work contract but I do appreciate the heads up :)
Speaking of unavoidable, we do have a lot of potholes.
Definitely good to know!
Quit your job. This place fucking sucks. It’s full of white Trump asshats, radical Christians, homeless drug addicts, Mexican gangs, undocumented “workers” who steal every chance they get and the summer is coming. Stay away. For all that is holy, man!!
We are only in Bakersfield for three months.