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Analyzing Bakersfield's quality of life
Topics: Bakersfield, Bakersfield Life, bakersfield housing, Bakersfield Real Estate, Bakersfield economy, Bakersfield recreation, Bakersfield entertainment, Bakersfield family
Posted by admin Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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Having bulged to more than 300,000 residents, Bakersfield is now in a league with cities thought to be out of our league no more than a half decade ago.

Just one place in the nation’s 75-most populous cities list separates No. 58 Bakersfield from No. 57 Pittsburgh for example, based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Two from No. 56 Cincinnati. Seeing how Bakersfield is the fastest-growing city among the 50th to 74th largest in the country, we may have already blown by the Steel and Queen cities.

But are we their livable equals? That is, are we experiencing the same quality of life their citizens are? What about folks in St. Louis; Tampa, Fla.; Wichita, Kan.?

It doesn’t seem so, but it’s such a subjective question that it may never be answered with certainty. Many have tried.

Now we take a crack at it.

Instead of taking, for instance, Money Magazine’s word for how livable Bakersfield is — they are usually not impressed, by the way — The Californian conducted its own study to glean some insight into how livable Bakersfield is compared to the rest of America’s lunch pail-toting underbelly.

By comparing Bakersfield to other cities in the 50th through 74th largest group, we’re pitting apples to apples, not apples to incomparably squeaky-clean places like Madison, Wis.

We’re No. 21 with a bullet

The good news is that, yes, we are livable and getting more livable every day, people will tell you. The not-so-good news is that we don’t stack up statistically to most of the others in our comparison group, at least in the 30 areas The Californian surveyed.

We emerged in 21st place. But it’s a 21st with a bullet, within reasonable reach of 17th, if that’s any better.

Nothing a few more bars, restaurants and attractions, an accredited zoo or aquarium, a water park, a botanical garden, a new ballpark, stronger purchasing power, a few fewer bad air days and fewer people with diabetes and high blood pressure can’t turn around.

If, in fact, a turnaround is needed.

“I’m totally satisfied, except for air quality,” said Jill Rodriguez, a Bakersfield lifer and mother of two. “When it comes down to daily living, I think your friends, your work, your church and not a whole lot of other things matter.”

Insurance broker Clay Koerner came to Bakersfield from Carpinteria 22 years ago and hasn’t looked back.

“Bakersfield’s got good people, good restaurants, things to do — I’m never lacking for something to do,” he said. “I think we’re becoming more livable as time goes by.”

Pittsburgh, by the way, emerged as 14th most livable. Cincinnati 15th. Plano, Texas, emerged as the No. 1 most livable city, which is consistent with other studies in which the Dallas suburb does well. And like many other cities surveyed that border big cities, Plano residents benefit from all the things to do and see in neighboring Dallas. Bakersfield has no such coattail on which to hang.

Raleigh, N.C.; Lincoln, Neb.; Tampa, and Lexington, Ky., round out the top five. Stockton, Newark, N.J.; Jersey City, N.J.; and Toledo, Ohio, trailed Bakersfield in our rankings.

Courting Ella

The Californian played like eHarmony.com and measured each city’s attraction to Ella (Extraordinarily Livable and Likable Attributes) over 30 dimensions of compatibility — 14 “socioeconomic” categories and 16 “attractions” deemed important to a city’s ability to satisfy its citizens’ and visitors’ itch to be stimulated and entertained. Is there an accredited zoo or aquarium? A downtown arena or newfangled ballpark? A performing arts center — things of that nature.

Statistics were mined from various reputable sources, individual category rankings were established, upon which values were placed.

The results are unscientific and tempered further by the acknowledgment that 30 dimensions of compatibility probably aren’t enough — that like other ranking efforts ours might include biases, have more holes in it than a box of Cheerios and built-in margins of error that are as inflated as Hef’s girlfriends.

Still, there’s statistical evidence that despite huge strides in the past 15 years, Bakersfield has lots of room for improvement in socio-economic areas, and is a few attractions or amenities shy of matching what other cities are offering their residents and visitors. Bakersfield ranked last in the category.

Good thing you don’t have to go far to find what you can’t get here.

“One of the things I really like about Bakersfield is the location,” said Steve Fleischer, who moved to Bakersfield from the Minneapolis area in the late 1970s. “We’re so near all these other places where you can go and do stuff — pro baseball, hockey, surfing, skiing.”

Too few ‘attractions’

Bakersfield emerged from the socio-economic comparisons — crime, education, air quality, job growth, etc. — in 15th, ahead of Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; St. Louis; Buffalo, N.Y.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Riverside among others.

At 18.11 percent, Bakersfield’s job growth was the fourth best. Air quality, however, was second worst.

Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; Glendale, Ariz.; Anaheim; St. Petersburg; and Tampa made big gains in the rankings just because they have so many things to see and do. Each of those cities received boosts from having major league sports teams, accouterments Bakersfield is unlikely to ever have.

Only four cities besides Bakersfield have neither a zoo nor aquarium accredited by the 8,000-member Association of Zoos & Aquariums, although half-credit was awarded for CALM. Almost equally rare is a city without a major theme or water park or a newer minor league ballpark or a major league facility, none of which Bakersfield has. And you’d think Bakersfield would be at least competitive with 809 restaurants and 69 bars within a 15-mile radius. Nope — 21st for restaurants, dead last for bars.

“That’s probably a good thing,” Rodriguez suggested.

So we didn’t do very well. Doesn’t mean we’re not doing well.

“We’re getting to be more and more a family-committed community,” said Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall. “It’s important that we look at recreation opportunities families can enjoy to improve the quality of life. The big thing you have to have is funding and people who want to be on the front row to make it work.

“You’ve just got to have the right energy and motivation to bring things to fruition and there is a need for that. We’ve got to step it up.”

Nice wide roads, generous people, a terrific bike path, wide open spaces, a beautiful arena and outdoor pavilion, the Fox Theater, minor league sports teams, skyrocketing job growth, ample recreation, reasonably quick access to beaches and mountain activities, affordable housing for California, anyway — all of them we have.

Not that they don’t exist elsewhere.

“Recreation-wise, sometimes I wish I were somewhere else,” Rodriguez said. “But as far as daily living, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.”

Friday, Sep 14 2007

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