Your Guide to Buying a Home in Bakersfield, CA

Buying a Home in Bakersfield, California

(Bakersfield has been a 'Tree City USA' for several years running and understands the importance of its urban foliage)

Bakersfield is located in Kern County

The city of Bakersfield has 8,000 years worth of heritage coloring its current cityscape. The community's location in the San Joaquin Valley was important to the earliest Indian settlers who found this land to be rich in lakes, rivers, and great hunting. Thousands of years later, settlers from Spain and Mexico came to the area. In 1851, an important precursor to Bakersfield's development was found in the bed of the Kern River: gold. Nearly two decades later oil was also found. Cultural diversity began to grow as the area's natural fertility brought in French, Chinese, Greeks and Italians, each group attracted to a specific resource.

Today, Bakersfield is committed to maintaining the cultural and economic diversity upon which the city was founded. Numerous festivals and parades honor the pioneers who blazed trails for Bakersfield's development, while year-round community events are held to bring residents together. On the economic front, the city's Economic Development mission has enacted several initiatives to further diversify and strengthen an already stable economy. One such example of this dedication is the "TeamBakersfield" program, which seeks to provide a single point of contact for any dealings with the City of Bakersfield and eliminate a lot of red tape for new businesses relocating here. Also, the KEEP program (Keeping Existing Employers Profitable) aims to assist and promote businesses who call Bakersfield home.

The San Joaquin Valley provides a scenic backdrop for Bakersfield. Several area mountain ranges, such as the Greenhorn, Tehachapi, and Temblor, actually form a horseshoe around the city that helps to maintain a temperate climate. Recreational activities are plentiful all year-round. Nearby Kern River is the setting for whitewater rafting, barbecues and the enchanting wilderness surrounding this important river. Guided tours of the river are offered for the less adventurous. Several local sporting venues and parks give residents the opportunity to spend a relaxing afternoon with their families. The Bakersfield Fog Professional Ice Hockey team is a member of the West Coast Hockey League and is a joy to watch. For speed demons there is Mesa Marin Raceway, which hosts the NASCAR October Classic and other high-speed stock car races.

The richness of Bakersfield's heritage is easily seen in the delectable eateries lining the downtown and nearby commercial districts. Residents enjoy a taste of the 1950's at Andre's Drive In, complete with covered parking and some of America's staple foods. French, Mexican, and Chinese restaurants (among many others) are located throughout town in both its newer sections and in its more historic areas.

Speaking of historic areas, Bakersfield has dozens of buildings, residences and other structures that are listed on the Register of Historic Places. The city's Historic Preservation Commission approves which artifacts from the past should be protected and showcased as important remnants of the city's earliest residents.

Bakersfield is located on Highway 99, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles and the same distance south of Fresno. As mentioned above, the surrounding mountain ranges provide Bakersfield with a unique isolation that only helps to strengthen the already stable foundation of the city.