California's Beautiful Central Valley (Los Angeles, Fresno: house, to buy, living)

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by e_cuyler

The only downside is that they have pushed a lot of the gangs out into the smaller towns, where law enforcement is less equipped to handle them.

And historically Fresno got gangs because they were moving up from Los Angeles. LAPD warned the Fresno PD decades ago but by the time they reacted it was too late. Now Fresno has made it a priority.

Fresno PD has been working with other law enforcement departments in the county to fight gangs regionwide thru the revised MAGEC program. The countywide teams include members from nearly all county PDs plus county, state and federal agencies like ATF.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

Actually crime in the city of Fresno is now at a 45 year low.

Fresno now has a per capita crime rate that is similiar to Omaha, and lower than Des Moines or Spokane. But many people haven't heard about the drop in Fresno crime.

The Fresno PD has been putting a lot of pressure on gangs (sweeps for probation violations, etc) the last few years which has cut crime dramtically. Fresno has been running a lower violent crime rate than Sacramento, San Francisco, and others.

In the 70's gang activity in Fresno was definitely not as widespread as it has been over the past 20 years. In the 80's it picked up steam but was still concentrated in certain neighborhoods on the East side and West side. Now, gangs are everywhere in Fresno, including the nicer areas. The crime rate, might be down but the threat is still there. Fresno has grown which might help to lower the RATE.

Last time I lived there, late 90's there was a homicide every day. There were shootouts and car chases almost daily. Change is good.

[FresnoFacts]

The 90s were bad, I was here then.

But LOL, that is quite an exaggeration, one a day, 365 homicides? Even the worse cities in the state don't reach that.

In 1993 Fresno had 87 homicides (the record high year) and a population of about 385,000.
In 2008 Fresno had 40 homicides in a population of about 485,000.

That is quite a drop given the increase in population.

[Jarndyce]

Originally Posted by canibeyou

Really? You have proof of this? I mean actual proof... not just your opinion posted as a fact on a message board.

If you can't back up the statement you posted as a fact, you need to word your posts more carefully as in, "IMO...." that way you don't come off as a liar when the facts are proven that places like, let's say, Fresno indeed are proven to NOT have the worst quality of life in the nation.

I would think it safe to assume that people living in poverty and squaller, say, in the hills of Appalachian, would GLADLY trade places with people in Fresno. And I'm just using that place as an example because the poverty level in that area, as sad as it is, is widely known about.

I don't have to qualify or "sanitize" my comment. It's the truth. Judging by all the people who quickly jumped to attack that single statement--pretty much ensures that I speak the truth.

Isn't it sad that in order to defend the quality of life attack--some people trot out the ol' standbyes of gangs, crime, or "atleast we're not West Virginia"

FresnoFacts: the SaveMart Center is a giant barn that smothers any kind of crowd energy for any event. The SaveMart Center killed the Fresno Falcons and doesn't do any favors for Fresno State bball.

Who cares about BMX or skateboarding. Seriously. That's kiddie cr*p not serious culture. Not impressive at all.

CSU Summer Arts is medicore at best.

As someone who has lived in high humidity and high dry heat--there is no difference when it gets to a certain level. The misery is the same. So what if you soak quickly in high humidity and your face melts and skin bloats up like a water balloon in dry heat. Misery is misery.

The *nightlife* (bars, coffeehouseses) for 20somethings is a complete joke. Fresno should hang its head in shame. Not a single memorable or worthy bar. I guess some people can be satisfied with the Doghouse. Other people, expect a lot more from "real cities"....

[FresnoFacts]

LOL, have a little dislike about Fresno? That's fine its your opinion, but not everyone feels the same way.

I have been in many of the cities of Fresno's size in the US: Omaha, Dayton, etc. Fresno has many of the same amenities as those. They are what they are. Midsized cities don't work for everyone. Is Fresno perfect, of course not, but its a midsized city that works for me.

Bars or nightclubs for 20-somethings are the definition of a "real city"? Sorry there are a lot of us who are beyond the need for that scene or those who never cared for it.

We can call bar and nightclub scenes kiddie junk too, not culture. I laugh at myself now when I think of the time and money I wasted in bars in my 20s. I wish I had it all back now.

CSU Summer Arts is mediocre? The Oregon Shakespeare Festival participated this year, consider them mediocre?

CSU Summer Arts is not a Fresno-only event, but a California State University system planned event. Summer Arts originally was at Cal Poly and Humboldt State in the 1980s, then Long Beach State in the 1990s and has been in Fresno since 1999. Looks like it will be here for at least several more years.

Then there is Fresno's Rogue Fringe Festival. Fringe festivals are popular in England, Australia, Canada (Edmonton's is huge), and US cities ranging from New York to Boulder. In California they only exist in San Francisco, San Diego, Fresno and now a newer one in Hollywood.
Rogue Performance Festival

The Fresno Grand Opera just formed in 1999. This season included Faust and La Boheme. Not exactly light cultural fare.
The Fresno Grand Opera Presents Faust

Fresno's ArtHop (an evening of gallery and art studio hopping) has grown to the point that they split it into 2 nights, now the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. There were too many venues and people attending for only one night.
Events - FresnoArts.net

More Culture? The new Mural District downtown keeps growing, slow but steady. Live/work lofts and studios for artists. New buildings keep filling with tenants and they keep planning more. A new building opens this summer and plans are nearing approval for the next development in the neighborhood.
The Mural District: Art is Now, This is Neighborhood

SaveMart Center's 16,000 seats are the reason that Fresno is back on many concert tour schedules after dropping off tour bookers view years ago. Upcoming at SaveMart are Il Divo, the Vans Warped Tour, AC/DC, and (heaven help us ) The Jonas Brothers to name a few.

Selland Arena is 11,000 seats and most big name performers wouldn't bother with it because they considered it too small. Smaller tours like Selland, but not the large tours so they were bypassing Fresno.

The Fresno Falcons thought they could increase ticket sales by going to the Save Mart Center, nearer the wealthier north Fresno/Clovis neighborhoods. It was their decision (and mistake) to leave Selland. They moved back downtown to Selland but by then had lost too much support and money. Fresno's new WSHL hockey team will play at Selland this year.

[Hawk J]

Lustrums ago we had much fun fishin& booniedockin' in the Santa Nella area. Caught a lot of Striped Bass & Channel cat,etc in San Luis res forebay & the concrete canals...................

[Jaybee]

For a thread that started out about the "Central Valley" in general; it seemingly been hi-jacked by the "pro and anti" Fresno folks.

Of course, the Central Valley is huge, streching from Shasta to Kern County, with as much variation in demographics and community character as there is in latitude. IMO, aside from the sweltering summer heat, Redding has little in common with Bakersfield (or Fresno for that matter).

In terms of California, parts of the Central Valley are still desireable places to live and raise a family. Are there problems nonetheless; sure-many mentioned in replies above. But, just what region of the country is without negatives? The minute you've identified "Shangri-La"; just check it on this forum-someone will surely burst your bubble. "Portland", yeah right; Corpus Christi, sure; Boca Raton, ppppplease.

Oh, and as for me, I'm retiring out of state in a few years. My decision is not based on geography, nor climate; but "attitude and direction" of this state. Not specifying a place though for fear of generating negative feedback...(LOL)

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

In terms of California, parts of the Central Valley are still desireable places to live and raise a family. Are there problems nonetheless; sure-many mentioned in replies above. But, just what region of the country is without negatives? The minute you've identified "Shangri-La"; just check it on this forum-someone will surely burst your bubble. "Portland", yeah right; Corpus Christi, sure; Boca Raton, ppppplease.

Oh, and as for me, I'm retiring out of state in a few years. My decision is not based on geography, nor climate; but "attitude and direction" of this state. Not specifying a place though for fear of generating negative feedback...(LOL)

Well said.

[Bluesmama]

There is something else I appreciate about the the Central Valley that I forgot to mention earlier. Quick commute ~ although it depends on "where".

My two brothers live in two small towns 17 miles apart, and it always takes around 15 minutes on Highway 152 to get from one to the other. Here, it takes me no less than 40 minutes ~ usually more ~ to travel 10 miles from job to home.

I'm sure it's different in Fresno and Modesto and Bakersfield.

[LZKay1]

Originally Posted by Bluesbabe

I'm told that the Hispanic ratio in Watsonville ~ coastal ~ is even higher than that.

That's weird that there are places with more Hispanics than Stockton. I mean if I didn't know any better, I'd think Stockton was a special legal town for Mexicans, kinda like an Indian reservation. There's next to no diversity in much of Stockton, just Mexicans, Mexicans driving by, etc. It has such lopsided diversity for a large city.