Bakersfield, Once the Butt of Jokes, Is Booming. So Are Many Other Inland California Cities.
By News
Published 5 years ago on
July 22, 2019
Share
[aggregation-styles]
The Washington Post Subscription
The Washington Post Subscription
BAKERSFIELD — For this pass-through city, long a favorite target for jokes from late-night comedians, the small stuff turns out not to be small at all.
Highway 99 races through almond groves and oil fields here, then bends north toward Fresno and the flat croplands of the Central Valley. This high-speed vantage provides the blurry view of bobbing derricks, fuel storage tanks and fast-food billboards that has defined the city for Californians and tourists traveling between the sunny coast and the Sierra.
There’s a relatively new side-of-the-highway sign that now notifies drivers that maybe, just maybe, there is something more here than the freeway vista offers. It reads, “Bakersfield — Next 13 Exits,” a kind of invitation to a large and growing city once shorthand for a place to avoid.
Highway 99 races through almond groves and oil fields here, then bends north toward Fresno and the flat croplands of the Central Valley. This high-speed vantage provides the blurry view of bobbing derricks, fuel storage tanks and fast-food billboards that has defined the city for Californians and tourists traveling between the sunny coast and the Sierra.
There’s a relatively new side-of-the-highway sign that now notifies drivers that maybe, just maybe, there is something more here than the freeway vista offers. It reads, “Bakersfield — Next 13 Exits,” a kind of invitation to a large and growing city once shorthand for a place to avoid.
By Scott Wilson | 19 July 2019
RELATED TOPICS:
Israel Briefs US on Evacuation Plan for Palestinians Ahead of Planned Rafah Assault
World /
5 hours ago
Canadian Police Make 3 Arrests in Sikh Separatist’s Slaying That Sparked a Spat with India
World /
6 hours ago
Three Arrested for Trespassing, Posting Flyers at Fresno Synagogue and Church
Crime /
6 hours ago
Heavy Rains Over Texas Have Led to Water Rescues, School Cancellations and Orders to Evacuate
Weather /
9 hours ago
Google, Justice Department Make Final Arguments About Whether Search Engine is a Monopoly
Business /
9 hours ago
Anchovy Feast Draws the Most Sea Lions to SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 15 Years
Animals /
9 hours ago
Captain Sentenced to 4 Years for Criminal Negligence in Fiery Deaths of 34 Aboard Scuba Boat
Crime /
9 hours ago
Categories
Latest
Videos
Local /
4 hours ago
Gov. Newsom Appoints Judges for Fresno, Merced Counties
World /
5 hours ago
Israel Briefs US on Evacuation Plan for Palestinians Ahead of Planned Rafah Assault
World /
6 hours ago
Canadian Police Make 3 Arrests in Sikh Separatist’s Slaying That Sparked a Spat with India
Crime /
6 hours ago