A common thread in many posts on my blogs are strong opinions about the city of Bakersfield.  Like it or not, the city had developed a not-so-positive image in the minds of many Californians and even some of its own residents.  It has been called the armpit of California and other things I cannot repeat here.
The purpose of this blog is not to denegrate the city or its citizens, but to explore why the city has this perception, if it is true and what can be done to change it.  What do you think of Bakersfield?  How does it compare to the rest of the state?  Has Bakersfield improved as its population has increased?  Are there enough diverse shopping opportunities and things to do here?  What still needs to be accomplished to make the city a more desirable place for others to visit or move to?  Do you really care what others think of your city?

P.F. Chang's China Bistro opened today in the Shops at River Walk on Stockdale Highway.  There has been plenty of interest around town in P.F. Chang's bringing its unique blend of Chinese cuisine and casual dining atmosphere to town.  For those of you who have been to a P.F. Chang's before, what makes them so special?  Is this the kind of new restaurant Bakersfield needs more of?  When do you plan to go to visit the new restaurant?

Barber Honda will temporarily sell cars out of the former Robinsons-May store at Valley Plaza mall over the holidays — which is believed to be one of the first such arrangements in U.S. Shopping mall history.  Barber Honda will occupy the vacant space from October through December.  The arrangement is not expected to affect the mall’s ongoing search for a permanent replacement for Robinsons-May, which closed earlier this year (see bakersfield.com news alert for more details).
What do you think?  Is this a good idea?  Shoppers often stop to look at the cars that are raffled off at malls.  Would you buy a car at a mall? 

My wife insisted we rush out after work last night to pick up the newly released T.M.X. Elmo, the new version of Tickle Me Elmo, before it sold out.  After opening the packaging, which instructed us not to peak in Elmo's voice, my almost 2 year old daughter set out jumping up and down in celebration.  After playing with the new toy she yelled "Elmo" about six times in a row. This from a little girl who doesn't even say her own name on command.
The new Tickle Me Elmo now falls to the ground and gets up on his own and moves his arm during laughing fits.  Some have already hailed it the must-have item for the holiday shopping season.  Is this too big of a deal for a little red stuffed animal with a squeaky voice?  Is $40 excessive for a stuffed toy?  What makes Elmo so great and why do kids love him?  Do you know adults who collect Elmo or other stuffed animals?  Does Elmo REALLY love us?

Since the recent completion of the new Thomas Terminal at Meadows Field, the area surrounding the airport has faced an explosion of new retail growth, much of it on Seventh Standard Road just off Highways 99 and 65. There is a new Harley Davidson dealership, two planned auto dealerships, a new hotel and fast food and gas stations sprouting up.  What do you think of the new growth near the airport, the future widening of Seventh Standard and even the eventual beltway highway plan?  Will commercial growth start encroaching on residential neighborhoods?  Is this a good thing?

Should the city build the Bakersfield Blaze minor league baseball team a new home to replace aging Sam Lynn Ball Park? OK, so this is a bit off topic for a retail blog, but new stadiums are usually followed by retail development like new restaurants and shops.  As a baseball fan and a former sports writer at The Californian, who spent way too many afternoon baking in the so-called air conditioned press box at Sam Lynn, I believe it is time Bakersfield built a new minor league stadium. I am still giddy about my hometown Minnesota Twins getting approval (without a public referendum no less) for a new downtown stadium that will help turn a semi-blighted area of town into a mecca for bars, restaurants, shops and condos, connecting it to other nice areas of town and creating many opportunities for walking and shopping.

New parks can often be boons to teams struggling to draw fans and be economically viable and usually help revitalize small areas of town (especially downtowns, like in Stockton and Fresno). The big issues are usually using public tax dollars to pay for the stadiums, finding suitable sites and determining how else they can be paid for beside tax dollars (interest free loans, sale of unused land, etc.) The efforts to build new stadiums often meet with strong resistence from locals who don't want to pay for something they won't use. But it could be argued the positive impact on the economy and the new, better neighborhoods created by the parks and surrounding new development outweigh those fears.

What do you think?

The Shops at River Walk is already home to California Pizza Kitchen and Elephant Bar with P.F. Chang's China Bistro and BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse under construction and slated to open soon.  The Castle & Cooke development is located next to the Park at River Walk and the Kern River Bike Path on Stockdale Highway.
What do you think about the 48-acre development, blending restaurants, shops and offices that could be complete in the next three years?  Does Bakersfield need an upscale shopping center in the western part of town?  Castle & Cooke has said it wants to add higher end retailers like Crate & Barrel and Williams Sonoma (not necessarily those two, but those type of stores).  Will shoppers spend more time shopping in the west with this development, the Marketplace and the Northwest Promenade and less time at Valley Plaza, East Hills Mall or downtown?  Where do you shop and why?