My Name is Fred Herrman, and I am a native of Los Angeles. Specifically, I grew up in the Hollywood Hills, then in Studio City, and as I struck out on my own in my early adulthood, I lived in West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, and for a long time, in one of my favorite cities, namely Burbank.
Previously, I worked in the entertainment industry at both Walt Disney Feature Animation, and DreamWorks Animation and well as various live-action television and feature film projects. I have been a real estate agent since 2006 and currently reside in northwest Bakersfield.
If you are considering moving to Bakersfield, I’m sure that you have a lot of questions. Maybe you are moving for a job change, to enjoy retirement, or to be closer to some family members, as was the reason for my move. I have been traveling in and out of Bakersfield since 1996, and so I know the area and it’s growth patterns very well.
When considering making a big move from a large city such as Los Angeles to a smaller city, though, these days, Bakersfield is definitely not small, one has to wonder, “What is life like up there?” Is the stuff that I read online mostly inaccurate? Is it safe? Are there good schools for my kids? What about recreation? Is there enough to do? Are there shops and restaurants? Is there electricity or plumbing of any kind?”
The answer is, a big yes to all. Bakersfield has been growing for the past few decades, and especially in the past ten years. There is lots of shopping, eateries, parks, an enormously long, unbroken bike path that runs along the Kern River, baseball and soccer fields, and there is much less traffic than in L.A., though there is some at rush hour. What they call “traffic” here makes me giggle to myself as I think of life on the 405, the 101, or the 110 at about 5:30pm any afternoon of the week.
A lot of people have been moving to Bakersfield from the Los Angeles area, so you are not alone. With less expensive cost of living, yet plenty of growth and new stores popping up all over the place up here, it’s easy to see why one would voluntarily move out of the congestion and expense of Los Angeles, and yet, be close enough to make a day of it at the beaches or to go see a show in L.A.
The cost of living up here is also much lower than in Los Angeles. Home prices can be close to one third the prices in the L.A. area for comparable sized home, many of which are much newer than many homes in Los Angeles.
It definitely gets hotter up here in the summers and colder in the winters, and there is much more open space surrounding you up here outside of the city proper. Bakersfield has been expanding to the northwest at a rapid rate, and there is a lot of housing to choose from. When you live up here, you have much quicker access to the Sierra Nevada mountains, which I love. Popping into Bass Lake, Pismo Beach, or Sequoia National Park for the day is just heavenly, and is just a few of hours drive away, unlike when you are in L.A.
When you do need to do the drive to Los Angeles, (I regularly go to Burbank and Manhattan Beach), it’s really not so bad. The approximately ninety miles between the two metropolitan areas is normally traffic free except for when you arrive into Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley, where you’ll find some slowing. So most of my drives are spent at high speed and enjoying various podcasts that I like listening to.
If you need or want to start searching for a home up here, contact me, because unlike most agents in either location, I have lengthy experience living in both Los Angeles and in Bakersfield, so I can answer your questions with accuracy. It’s a lot easier to talk with someone who is from your own area about a new city than with someone who doesn’t know one of the two areas very well.
Please peruse my website to search for housing ideas, and contact me if you see a home that you’re curious about, or if you want to get some of your questions answered. I’ll give you the best knowledge that I can. And when you drive up here, I can show you some really great homes and prices that you in particular will appreciate coming from the Los Angeles’ prices.
I know that the proposition of relocating can create a great amounts of anxiety. But it doesn’t have to if you know someone to whom you can always ask questions, and who can happily show you around. That’s me.