How about the Target from Riverwalk?

In all honesty, when WalMart was given the go ahead to build the new Supercenter store between White Lane and Panama Lane on Gosford, adjacent to Sam's Club, and informed Bakersfield it would be closing the old store on White Lane, that was the end of Von's. So now we have two big empty boxes sitting on White Lane, and no prospects. But we've got a huge Target going in at Riverwalk, which will be about 3 miles from their big store at the Northwest Promenade. City planning, does such a concept even exist in this town?

" City planning, does such a concept even exist in this town?" Adam..

It does exist, by the new editions to the BPatch you can envision the bank acounts of certain officals growing as our village grows and stagnates 

Ebartley, from your post above you might want to work on your delivery if you are trying for a laugh line.

I shop at the Von's on Stockdale, and sometimes I spend enough to get the gas discount, which requires me to drive to White Lane to get it. Now where will I go?

As for the newly vacant building: Laser Tag.

Ebartley's right.  That neighborhood has really gone to hell over the past 7 years.  I lived down there for about 10 years, just south of Pacheco, off of Hughes Ln.  You couldn't pay me to live there now.  In fact, I don't much like to even drive through that area any more.

Too bad.

I agree with etbartly.  I also used to live in that neighborhood.  We bough a new home on Garfield Ave. when they were built, lived there for years and raised our family there. It was a great middle class neighborhood.  Kids are gone,  wife passed away and I looked around me.  Cars parked bumper to bumper along the street every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.  LOUD salsa music until 3:00 A.M.  Empty beer cans in my front yard and dirty diapers in the street.  Shopping carts left in yards and on the sidewalk.  I sold and got out at once.  Do not go to stores on White Lane anymore.

The next Vons to go will probably be the one at Olive and 99.  It's ALWAYS empty. 

As long as they keep one in town so I can buy my meat there.  That's all I buy there any more. I use to buy their gasoline but it got higher than I could get it at Arco, even with a Von's card.

Vons doesn't do well in poor parts of town. I was bummed a few years ago when the east Bakersfield store closed. The White Lane store is victim of the same dynamics.

If they close the Marketplace Vons, I will consider leaving this town. The reason I like Vons is its frozen food section. Best in town.

As a side note, I too am disturbed at the gang inflitration in the south and southwest parts of town near Pacheco Road. They didn't used to be rough parts of town, but they are now.

Let's guess what opens up after Von's leaves White Lane. It will be a vallarta or ranch Market. Just another store that caters to illegals and low-lifes.

I don't buy a lot of meat these days but when I do, I like buying it at a local butcher shop.  I use Copes because it's closer but Roy, you should give Wood Dale a try if you haven't already.  I love being able to choose just the ones I want and not get stuck with whatever they package.

I use Vons or Winco if I'm there but still prefer individual packaging.  The price is very close to all chain store meat counters too.  (at least Copes is).  AND they gave me a BIG bone for my pooch.

Steve's right.  When the demographics change in a neighborhood, stores have to adjust.  If they aren't making money, they can't stay open.  Having WM anchor that strip mall means customers are already in the area.  Once WM is gone, the customers for Vons will be as well.

To those who may be having a fit about it...do you believe Vons should stay open in a neighborhood where they're losing money?

The White Lane store has been known for losing money.  I think they had someone to lease the property but the deal fell though (probably considering the Wal-Mart moving nearby).  I wouldn't worry about the Marketplace shutting down; they do an extremely high amount of business in that area.