Chevron

What do you like about Greater Bakersfield? What are our strengths?
Low cost of living 13
Short commute 11
Local University 11
Oil industry 9
Geographic advantage - close to everything 9
Small town atmosphere 8
Good municipal water supply 8
Centennial Garden 8
Strong law enforcement 7
Good transportation/communication links (L.A.-S.F.) 6
Good medical facilities 6
Open space 5
Golf - good and cheap 5
Local presences of TV networks 5
Access to air travel 5
Diverse population 4
Downtown redevelopment effort 4
Friendly people 4
River (bed) runs through it 4
No snow or ice - weather 3
Good place to raise a family 3
Transportation hub 3
High educational diversity of populace 3
Symphony and art museums 3
Accessible local elected officials 2
Some excellent examples of well-planned developments 2
Low unemployment 1
Close to agriculture 1
Low cost commercial real estate 1
Flat inexpensive land
What are Greater Bakersfield's key weaknesses? What don't you like?
Air pollution/air quality 15
Poor road planning 12
Local University limited in scope/majors 11
Leapfrog development & urban sprawl 10
Low educational standards and expectations 9
Strip mall development 8
Dangerous roads 8
Airport 7
Lack of trees and poor maintenance 7
Lack of urban renewal - need to focus on E. Bakersfield 7
Water diversion from the Kern River 6
Low median income 6
Limited fine dining & quality shopping 6
Lack of planning for water needs 5
Low paying jobs 5
Zoning for collecting money more than planning 5
Pedestrian difficult 5
Poor mass transit 5
Low rate of post-high school matriculation 4
Lack of economic diversity 4
Concern about dairies 4
Low quality parks 4
Oil facilities within metro area 4
Benchmark of "success" too low 4
No water conservation 4
Excessive speed in Bakersfield 4
"Beautification" not beautiful 4
Multiple names for the same streets 3
Poor sidewalk planning 3
Rosedale Hwy ugly 3
Lack of points of interest for children 3
Lack of emergency medical care in SW and NW 3
Poor process for community involvement in planning process 3
School district boundaries change too often & not reasonable 3
Inequality in distribution of school funding 2
Lack of political cultural diversity 2
"Cowtown" image- Ag influence 2
99 & 58 gateways lack beauty 2
Septic tanks in city limits 1
Public swimming pools close in August 1
Macy's SFO not same merchandise as Macy's Bakersfield
No curbside recycling