heylovie

Stockdale Highway has got it all, commercially speaking. There's an amazing practically brand spanking new park on the west side called The Park at Riverwalk that has a big man-made pond, two actually, with a stream connecting them, and a nice outdoor amphitheater. The Park is next to a developing new commercial center with some upscale food chains (P.F. Chang's & BJ's)

Further east you get the top part of Cal State, home of the Bakersfield Roadrunners. Even further east you get the Stockdale Country Club which is probably the oldest, snooty (refined) population.

This is another Bakersfield street that it's great to live near, but not on. Too much traffic and noise all the time. It's a major artery with many shopping centers.

The best part about this street is that there is actually a McDonald's on it. Unfortunately, there isn't much else. Mostly rentals, not that great of a neighborhood because it's often noisy and people will speed down the road. It's not very pedestrian friendly either.

At least once a day some huge truck would go by or some kids with their bass turned trying to get people's car alarms to go off.

I think there's a lot of rental turnover with a few people who have been there for twenty years. There aren't any parks nearby and there is almost no street life.

Rent is cheap, which is great, but that's about it.

Oleander is one of the oldest areas of Bakersfield and has some of the most character. I've driven down this street numerous times just looking at all the beautiful houses. Beale Park is also quite wonderful. This feels like a street that would be awesome to grow up on, let alone just to live on.

Bakersfield High School, the oldest high school in town, is right at the end, so it's easy to get a some Driller football spirit going.

This street seems nice and calm, right in the heart of Bakersfield's finest neighborhood.

On the west side of Ming there is the wonderful Marketplace, home of the nicer/newer Edwards Movie Cineplex. The Marketplace is the main hang out for the teens of Bakersfield on Friday nights. It seems like parents just drop their kids off and hope for the best. There's a Von's, Applebee's, Tahoe Joe's, a couple of fast-food chains, Starbucks, and local retailers. My favorite, locally-owned Japanese grill restaurant, Wasabi Express is located here as well as Bakersfield best book store, Russo's. The Marketplace also has some nice family oriented events and sometimes live music. It's Bakersfield's River Park (Fresno), but much smaller.

On the east side of Ming is Bakersfield biggest mall, Valley Plaza, which has the second nicest/newest movie theater. Also a huge teen hangout, but very family friendly too.

Ming Avenue is also one of the main east / west arteries, until they finish the 58 extension (2025?).

As far as living conditions go, I imaging living on Ming as being similar to living on Stockdale. There's quite a bit of traffic, but you're close to things. I don't think it would be that great to live directly on the street, but a couple of blocks off would be great.

19th street is home to the most up and coming area of downtown Bakersfield. It's a great mix of old neighborhood with wonderful gems downtown. There's the Stars Theater Restaurant, the new 1612 City Lofts project, the Downtown First Friday highlighting local artists, and numerous art galleries.

The 1612 City Lofts project is the first mixed-use development in the downtown revitalization projects and looks like a winner. The intersection of 19th and Eye has recently finished reconstruction and looks wonderful. It's the epicenter of the Downtown First Fridays which are the best way to enjoy the night life downtown with the family and friends.

From Rabobank Arena where the local minor league hockey and basketball teams play to the county courthouse and Beale Memorial Library, Truxton is where all the major events in Bakersfield happen. It's the most recently updated street in downtown and has most of the commercial business. It's also the main civic center for Bakersfield.

Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center brings in the biggest shows and talent and is the primary venue for major events in Bakersfield. Everything from Cal State Basketball to Neil Diamond to Disney on Ice shows up at the Arena.

Beale Memorial Library is the largest library in Bakersfield and houses two stories, each with it's own mezzanine, of books, magazines, periodicals, CDs, DVDs, and computers. It's the hub library for the county and connects to Fresno and Tulare county libraries.

N Stine, not to be confused with New Stine, or Stine, is a nice housing development from what seems like the sixties an seventies. The houses have a little bit more charm than the new developments, but come up a little short compared to the character of the Oleander or Westchester neighborhoods.

There are lots of kids that walk home from school and it seems there are plenty of families enjoying the area. It's a great location pretty central in Bakersfield with easy access to the freeway (Highway 99) which is nice for friends that stop by on their way to Los Angeles or if you travel a lot. Yet, it's a couple of streets away from the noise of the freeway which is nice. It's also relatively close to the downtown as well as the major arteries that connect the east and west sides of Bakersfield.

It's about halfway between Bakersfield College and Cal State, which is great for students or families with kids wanting to stay in town for their post high school years.

20th has Dagny's Coffee shop, one of the best independent coffee shops in Kern County. It also has the Fox Theater, a beautiful gem from the old town, home to Flics movies and Gabriel Iglesias' HBO special. There's a locally owned and operated Yoga gym and one of Bakersfield's best hamburger joints, Happy Jack's burger and pie.

This is one of the more kept up streets of downtown and as you head west you see some of the nicest houses in the Westchester area.

B Street above 18th to about 24th is super. I absolutely love this area. My wife and I love to walk around the neighborhood in the evenings. People are outside and friendly and walking their dogs. The houses in this part of town are quite beautiful an unique. It's a great break from the urban sprawl that makes up most of Bakersfield. There's a huge park just a couple of blocks away.

Brookside is nice and safe, but it's pretty bland. It's close to the Market Place, which is great, and there are plenty of dentists and doctors. It's right in the middle of the sprawl of Bakersfield, and there isn't that much green space around. It's quiet and close to a lot, but there isn't much character. Mostly apartment buildings and condos and retirement homes.