She’s a fan. MANDRIN ORIENTAL THE HOTEL GROUP SM To find out why Helen Mirren is a fan visit www.mandarinoriental.com BANGKOK • CHIANG MAI • GENEVA • HONG KONG • JAKARTA • KUALA LUMPUR • LONDON • MACU • MANILA • MIAMI • MUNICH NEW YORK • PRAGUE • RIVERIA MAYA • SAN FRANCISCO • SANYA • SINGAPORE • SURABAYA • TOKYO • WASHINGTON D.C. NEWMARKET SERVICES Publishers of 95 U.S. and 32 International Relocation Guides, NewMarket Services, Inc., is proud to introduce our online version. Now you may easily access the same information you find in each one of our 127 Relocation Guides at www.NewMarketServices.com. In addition to the content of our 127 professional written City Relocation Guides, the NewMarket Web Site allows us to assist movers in more than 20 countries by encouraging you and your family to share your moving experiences in our NewMarket Web Site Forums. You may share numerous moving tips and information of interest to help others settle into their new location and ease the entire transition process. We invite everyone to visit and add helpful information through our many www.NewMarketServices.com available forums. Share with others your knowledge of your new location or perhaps your former location. If you ever need to research a city for any reason, from considering a move to just checking where somebody you know is staying, this is the site for you. NewMarket Services looks forward to cooperating with everyone to continually add to our base of City Specific Information along with our various moving topics to help many of the 40 million people who have the opportunity to relocate each year. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department to speak to a live representative if we can provide any assistance. Our toll free number is (866) 595-3792. Bakersfield Information Guide [ 5 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE The NewMarket Services Information Guide is designed as a valuable resource tool for you, the newcomer to Bakersfield. It is our intent in producing this publication to standardize important and helpful information on your new community in a format that is most useful to you. Stores and services are listed by category Bakersfield Welcomes You! in the business directory. Important telephone numbers, mortgage loans, and much, much more useful information is found throughout the Guide pages. Selected area businesses, many offering significant savings are found in the listing, sorted by category. Also in this Guide you will find a sampling of demographics and price ranges of real estate in Bakersfield. and the surrounding suburbs, along with several condominiums and new construction single family home developments. The Guide can save you both time and money while providing you a continuous resource tool as you become more familiar with the metroplex. We do hope you find our Relocation Guide to be of assistance to you. If you do not find something you need, or if you have any suggestions for future issues of the Guide, please give us a call. We will be happy to assist in any way. (866) 595-3792 Toll Free From everyone at NewMarket Services Welcome to Bakersfield! 6 ] Bakersfield Information Guide www.newmarketservices.com Bakersfield Information Guide [ Volume 7 [ Number 12 LOCAL INFORMATION Important Phone Numbers 13 Voter Registration 13 Travel Information 14-15 Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration 16 About Bakersfield 9 Publisher: NewMarket Services, Inc. Bakersfield History 10 Local Hotels 17 President: Patrick Morgan Thing To Do 18-19 Managing Editor: Rebecca Wallace Media 20 Executive Editor: Jason Gerali MOVING Contributing Writer: Amy Tennant Smooth Transitions 22-23 Executive VP Sales & Marketing: Robert Fischer Choosing a Moving Company 22 Regional Sales Manager: Beth Hurley Packing Tips 22-23 Staying Organized 23 Art Department: Sprague Design Co. Settling Into Your New Home 23 Graphic Designer: Dean Sprague What’s All The Talk About? 24 NewMarket On-Line: Total Web Design, Inc. Pre-Move Checklist 26-27 IT and Web Development: Larry Bongiovi MOVING WITH CHILDREN & PETS Research Assistant: Stephanie Cooper, Lora Price Reinforce the Positives 29-30 Circulation: Little Drummer Boy Dist., Inc. Choosing a School 29-30 Selecting Child Care 30-31 Phoenix Office: Education 32-34 1814 East Bell Road, Suite 2113 Relocating Your Pet 35 Phoenix, AZ 85022 Phone: (602) 923-3415 FITNESS & HEALTH Fax: (602) 923-0774 In the Kitchen 37 Toll Free: (866) 595-3791 Physical and Mental Well Being 38-40 Volunteering 41 Chicago Office: 902 North Ashland HOUSING Chicago, IL 60622 Making the Right Choice 43-44 Phone: (312) 226-6288 Choosing the Right Home 45 Fax: (312) 226-6290 Housing Options For Growing Senior Demographics 46-47 Toll Free: (866) 595-3792 Home Inspection Checklist 48 Homecare Basics for New Homeowners 49 NewMarket currently publishes Information Take Control of Your Energy Costs 50 Guides for 95 North American and 32 International Markets. To order your Security 51 NewMarket Information Guides for $3.50 Home Buyer’s Glossary 52-53 each, please contact NewMarket Services Who’s Who in Building 54 toll free at (866) 595-3792. Selecting a Contractor 55 In preparing this publication, every effort Selecting a Builder 56 has been made to assure the accuracy of Mortgage Information 57-59 the information contained herein, but authenticity cannot be guaranteed. Listings BUSINESS DIRECTORY are subject to omission, error or change without notice. Business Directory Listings 60-61 All material in this publication is copyright protected and can only be reprinted with permission of the publisher. Bakersfield Information Guide [ 7 THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA European explorers first began contacting the region in the 16th century; the area was inhabited by a variety of Native American tribes. The coastal areas of the state were colonized by Spain beginning in 1769, but became a part of the Mexico in 1821 because of the Mexican War of Independence. It was part of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and then was ceded to the United States in the Mexican-American War, which ended in 1848. Reno The California Gold Rush of 1848-1849 brought about 90,000 Sacramento additional U.S. migrants to the state, and California became the Oakland 31st state of the Union in 1850. San Francisco Stockton NV The state’s major predominant industries include agriculture, Modesto entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also Silicon Valley the home of several significant economic regions such as Monterey Salinas Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Fresno Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine). California’s economy is the largest in the United States, and CA at $1.55 trillion, is larger than all but 7 countries. Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking it 12th in the nation. San Luis Obispo Las Vegas Bakersfield Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The climate along the coast is mild; cooler along Santa Barbara the central and northern coast. Southeastern California is arid Ventura County desert. Along the cost, the rainy season runs from October to April San Bernardino AZ in the north and from November to March or April in the south. Los Angeles Pacific Ocean Record temperaturs of a high 134 °F (56.6 °C at Death Valley on Orange County Riverside July 10, 1913 and a record low of -45° at Boca on January 20, 1937. Average yearly precipitation ranges from under 5 inches in south-east to 120+ in parts of the north-west. San Diego California levies a 9.3% maximum variable rate income tax, with Mexico 6 tax brackets and a 7.25% sales tax. he State of California covers the southern portion of the United States’ west coast. With a population of 37 million and an area of 158,402 square miles, California is the largest Fast Facts T ESTIMATED POPULATION: 37,172,015 U.S. state in population and the third largest in area. LAND AREA: 158,302 sq mi California borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of COASTLINE: 840 miles Baja California to the south. The state has incredible geographic CAPITAL: Sacramento diversity. It has both the highest and lowest elevations in the STATE MOTTO: Eureka Continental US (within 100 miles of each other), an expansive central valley, tall mountains, arid deserts, and hundreds of miles of STATE NICKNAME: The Golden State coastline. Most major cities are at or near the Pacific coastline, LARGEST CITIES: Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Santa STATE SALES TAX: 7.5% Ana/Orange County, Riverside/Moreno Valley, San Bernardino and San Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento, is in the Central Valley, and there are other significant cities on the interior. 8 ] Bakersfield Information Guide ABOUT BAKERSFIELD OVERVIEW Bakersfield is a thriving community nestled among three mountain ranges at the southern end of California’s vast and gorgeous San Joaquin Valley. Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern, and lies approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles (about a 1.5 hour drive). It is California's third largest inland city. The area is known for its native beauty, with the Tehachapi’s, Temblor and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges serving as background for rolling hills scattered with signature California chaparral and the beautiful Kern River flowing through the valley. The area’s climate is warm and dry. The face of Bakersfield is changing. While maintaining its homespun hospitality Bakersfield is emerging as a leader of industry and a center for arts and entertainment. The city’s economy thrives on agriculture, petroleum extraction, and refining.