Fresno Famous

ummmmm...

I'm busy doing housework, paperwork, work-work, and still trying to get out the door to do more work... (two loads in the dryer at the moment...)

WHOLE lotta thoughts come up with '...Jarah flipped the site solely to get into business school.'

Wow... that's a definition I've not heard from a stable mind before,
(plenty of ravenous '...Jarah, don't go, or Fresno will suck, we'll not post on this site, boo-hoo, boo-hoo...')

I'm not saying this is where Tommy is coming from,
I'm just flashing on the comment,
(as I've heard it in various forms before)

There is a religion called
'...In Fresno, Support Fresno, Stay in Fresno, Fresno-Fresno-Fresno do or die...'
-And there are various little sub-religions called 'I live in X neighborhood, and if you don't you suck, and if you move from my neighborhood to ANYWHERE ELSE you suck...'
-Like all bad religions?
the kids get sacrificed to that particular idol...
-and it's a bit twisted.

(Personally?)
I think Jarah is exempt from judgement, (aka damnation.)

The girl was raised here
She's from here
Her family's from here
--She goes away (initially) to an excellent school to get an edumacation, and see the world (okay NYC.)
--Then comes back, says
'...hmmm, this town needs this, I'm gonna build it,'
-does so.
Gets it to run on it's own
(pretty much, we're all still here....)

--And then takes her noodle and her hard earned sheckles and goes back for more edumacation, ---so she can do more stuff businesswise...

While she was here (back from undergrad school,)
it was not like 'a few weeks,' ---and then she bounced.
She built and gave to her community.

THEN got on with her life, which lead her to another area to further grow.

--How is this NOT contributing to the community?
How is this a bad thing???

What's with this 'Fatal Attraction,' quality
'gonna get me some Fresno Branded on my arse and DIE freakin' here...
- and never never never never go anywhere just to prove how worthy of Fresno I am...'
-horseshit?
(oh wait, clovis has the horseshit...
-but, there's not many cows and bulls in Fresno...
-How 'bout 'Fruit-Rat-Shit.' ???

All personal feelings of he woman aside:
(I actually think she's cool.)

This is a human being who is maximizing their skills, their mind, their gifts,
---and wants to grow and do something
---and is not 'I NEED TO STAY IN THIS CLEAR LUCITE BOX CALLED FRESNO.... FOREVER.'

I just don't see any logic to that line of thought, other than to be a 'true Fresnan, who really contributes,'
(equals)
being raised as a bird, or some other critter that needs to learn to fly and do their own thing,
-then have the freedoms to do such and make good decisions (which means other areas sometimes...
-but instead clip those wings so that 'Fresno,' goes on no matter what.

Jarah is of an age group (actually a wee bit older,) that is going after schooling, building the place up after schooling, maybe looking to settle down,
---but at least go somewhere (even here,) and build and accomplish things.

NOBODY wants to get within ten miles of a situation where, not matter how much 'good,' you do,
---you'll always be hated for 'leaving.'

No wonder so many folks who are smart and creative, -who could contribute to anywhere, ---are a little leery of staying here, ---and push so hard sometimes to get away.
That's not making friends and cultivating anything,
-that's taking hostages.

It is not the sign of a healthy mindset to ever take (the young, feign
'educate, grow on, do better than us (the old,)'
-and then get all pissed and weird when they do what is positive and healthy...

I'm thinking 'Graduate,' here.
When Fresno says
'...Today I'm not loosing a daughter (or son,)'
--and then repeats the comment and shows how:
-by plugging the kid before they can leave...?!

-right on, way to go, that's one way to keep them here.

You're right. What Fresno

You're right. What Fresno needs is more people who think that the community doesn't deserve the entreprenuer's skills.

attitude

Entrepreneurs are risk takers; it takes an entrepreneurial spirit of purpose and innovation to create change. The lack of community support and participation deserves nothing.

uh... Fresno needs more

uh...

Fresno needs more people like Jarah?

People who flip a business solely to get into business school?

She left, remember?

If anything, I would think that Fresno needs less people like her and more people who are invested long-term in this community.

But I could be wrong...

What Fresno needs is...

more high-tech industries. It took me well over a year to find a job as a technical writer, and in the meantime I saw dozens of jobs in Phoenix. Surely some companies must be looking for a cheaper place in California to run a software company/assembly plant.

I was talking to somebody at

I was talking to somebody at FAX and they are planning to run the buses to 1 AM in the near future and 15 minute-service is planned for either route 32 or 41. If the buses start running that late it might help with downtown revitalization.

the endorphin rush tends to kick in before the pain receptors

diced habanero peppers that takes over its victims' bodies like an Ebola infection. The sensation isn't anguish, exactly — the endorphin rush tends to kick in before the pain receptors realize something has gone terribly, terribly wrong — as much as it is a total, irrevocable loss of control.

we need this joint in Fresno

Babita

Something close to the platonic ideal of a Southern California Mexican restaurant, Babita is a comfortable place that just happens to have great food, a rough-edged Eastside joint whose service is burnished to a white-tablecloth sheen.
Chef-owner Roberto Berrelleza
His shrimp Topolobampo, named after a seaport just outside of Los Mochis, may still be the single fieriest invention in the history of Los Angeles cuisine, a citrusy sauté of white wine, tomatoes and diced habanero peppers that takes over its victims' bodies like an Ebola infection. The sensation isn't anguish, exactly — the endorphin rush tends to kick in before the pain receptors realize something has gone terribly, terribly wrong — as much as it is a total, irrevocable loss of control.
1823 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel

link needs pasting into URL
http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/dining/99-essential-restaurants-the-me...

Sobriety

I agree wholeheartedly about the "No more booze, NOW GET OUT!" issue. Overall this area seems to be a bit over-enthusiastic about being drunk off its rear end. It would be absolutely wonderful if more bars would serve coffee or soft drinks as something other than a way to keep designated drivers from getting parched.

Who knows, maybe coffee bars would make Fresno more interesting and attract more people to our venues. After all, why crash at a hotel after a concert when you can wind down with a jukebox and a latte?

Bar closing time...

>2AM, same as everyplace else

Actually, all bars must stop serving alcohol at 2am, but do not necessarily have to close. I have never understood why Fresno has to be this way. For instance, if I go to just about any reggae show in San Francisco, be it a DJ show or a live band, the headliner usually gets on stage at 1:30am-2:00am, and though the bar is not serving, music will go to 4am, if not later. A few years back I attended a sound clash in Oakland that didn't even start until 3am, and finished at 5am (and then I drove all the way back to the 'no')! I hear LA has many spots the same way, but I don't go that direction very often.

I remember back in the day Not-Yo-Mama's Soul Food (in Fresno) used to do a gig on Saturdays with DJ Dollar (spinning GREAT hip hop) that went to 4am. I was driving around somewhere with DJ Jordan and we drove by around 3am, saw about 250 cars outside, and HAD to stop and see what was going on. The bar was shut down, but the dance floor was RAMMED! I went weekly after that. Sure was a crappy day when they closed that spot down...

What does Fresno need? Venues, and more creative people...

-s

Cooperation and Modernization

From what (admittedly little) I've seen of some of the artistic endeavors, a major issue is the effective age of the material that the organizations seem to prefer.

Fresno has a lot of young people, and they're your best bet for a real cultural revolution. Thing is, that means to appeal to them you have to appeal to whatever's "hip" at the moment, and then turn it into something awesome.

Similarly, it means anything that is less "hip" and more "old," is going to scare people off, unless the "old" is highly stylized and works with the current version of hip (see: the 80s cartoon revival, fantasy revival, etc.).

The only real way to get around this is to come up with something entirely new that turns into a huge fad, which is simply not a likely enough event to depend on. So, you need to focus on the available audience's interests.

I'm not strictly tuned in to modern youth, but overall the leaning seems to be towards "urban" music, (alternative) rock, various branches of punk, and pop. Emotional and relationship stress seems to be rather big right now, probably due to the much less casual nature of modern dating compared to a few decades ago.

Any cultural movement Fresno has needs to speak to that. All things considered, cultural media that express frustration AT Fresno should do very well, in particular.

Thing is, when I pass by art hops and the like, I mostly see fairly mundane, generic art that is most likely to be seen on a wall in a gated community on the furthest reaches of the city limits. The music? It seems to range between soft folk music and new age.

You're just not going to gather the community around a cultural reflection inspired by Leaves of Grass.

Has anyone tried getting, say, Stoneshiver to attend an art hop?

Fresno needs

Fresno needs a lifestyle that people will go out of their way to live. It really doesn't have that.
yet

as people have said before, Fresno has potential, it seems it was poised in the 30's to become the 3rd California metropolis after SF & LA

here's what I see, several diff forces, orgs not working (enough)together

artists
poets
young professionals
old professionals (Rotary, Optimists)
college students
museum & zoo boards
Tree Fresno
1000 Friends of Fresno
Chambers of Commerce
DTA
City Hall
Convention & Visitors Bureau
schools
old Fresno wealth
nouveau rich
Valley orgs (hobbies, interests)

to paraphrase Ben Franklin's intent, "if we don't hang together, we'll hang separately"

I thinik that 4 forces will change Fresno soon;

1) more people (another housing boom & we'll hit a million)
2) more momentum (Reza, Trump)
3) hunger for change (Jarah & most posters on FF)
4) talent; yp, artists, poets, etc... (that wants to stay home)

Lifestyle

Thanks for the info, Andy.

--

As far as caring, I think most people have simply given up on Fresno, and have set their sights elsewhere. Having come from the Monterey Bay Area, I feel unable to blame them. There's an overall feeling that Fresno lacks. Though I hear, very often, people talking about their recent trips to "The Coast," I've never heard someone talk about going to "The Central Valley" unless they were looking for cheap land. Fresno would do well to simply steal some ideas from the coastal cities. Plazas and tall buildings would be a great start. We need more four-story malls with spacious areas free of cart traffic and fewer warehouses next to intersections. Riverpark seems to be moving towards this, but it's still mostly warehouses. Downtown, I'm sure, has some of this, but I haven't really gotten around to wandering around since when I have been there I felt less safe than when I wandered around LA on foot for a week.

Education is definately a huge issue. Fresno, even though it's a college town, isn't an educated town, being the 4th least educated metropolitan city in the nation. There's just not much to attract most highly-educated people. Cheap housing, while a wonderful thing in itself, tends to attract people who NEED cheap housing, and, while education isn't as fiscally powerful as it used to be, the people with the money are still usually the more educated ones. There's simply not enough to draw them here in large numbers.

Fresno needs something truly unique, visible, and enjoyable, that can only be found here. People who want vineyards can go to Napa. Cowboys are still plentiful enough in the Salinas rodeo. The resivoir can't really compete with the ocean. Yosemite attracts tourists and retirees more than anything else. Garage bands can only alter so many decisions. So on and so forth.

Fresno needs a lifestyle that people will go out of their way to live. It really doesn't have that.

What Fresno really needs...

Is more people like you, actively interested in the future of the city. Those who responded to the original question are a minority in Fresno. Most people are so caught up in their daily lives, they don't notice what's happening around them, and don't care about what's happening in other parts of town. Fresno needs a better educated and more actively involved residents.

A couple of city wide council seats would be a nice addition too.

Event Info

Hi Jona and everyone else,
Have you tried signing up on MindHub? http://www.mindhub.org/ They post lots of events as does the event page here at FF. Restaurant reviews can be found at TasteFresno http://tastefresno.com/ ArtHop is once a month http://www.fresnoarthop.org/ The Rogue Festival is every Spring http://roguefestival.com/prerogue.htm Creative Fresno http://www.creativefresno.com/ FLYP http://www.flypinfo.com/ The Fresno Bee's Calendar http://dwb.fresnobee.com/calendar/v-calendar/index.html
Mike Oz's "Post No Fliers" http://www.fresnobeehive.com/archives/2007/06/post_no_bills_f_7.html#mor...

I have found out about events the day after the show in reading about it in The Bee. It would have been great to get a preview a few days before and then the follow up the next day, but, hopefully the above will give you at least an idea before the event is over.

Access

As with many things, communication and transportation are the primary issues. It's all about access.

Personally, I'm relatively new to "scenes" in general, and from the coast originally. I've only been able to explore this area for about a year now, with absolutely no background to help me. I don't have friends here, I don't have information sources, I don't know any secrets, I don't know where things are, I don't know what kind of people can be found where. I don't know what's garbage or what's awesome.

Most of this shouldn't even be POSSIBLE in a city this size in the internet age.

I should not be able to walk in a shopping area without finding out about at least five different events.

I should not be able to do a casual search for Fresno clubs only to find short reviews that can be counted on a single hand.

I should not be able to find out about something only after it has concluded. Heck, there is a minor event literally next door to me and I only found out because I went for a walk.

There's just not nearly enough event advertising going on in this area. You should be tripping over information, not being forced to dig for it.

There needs to be a city-wide, active attempt to spread the word for what's going on. And it needs to not be regional; the whole Downtown-centric thing is really harmful to Fresno.

Transportation is equally vital. Many of Fresno's older areas are absolute hell to drive through, and you run a huge risk of damaging your car in some areas. And, cripes, if there's parking down town, it could sure use some Advertisement. As such, good transportation, especially transportation that is considerate of CLUB hours (before I got a car, I had to -walk- to and from the club. Refreshing, but not as safe as it could be). Now, I've seen a party bus or two, but again, advertisement of it is sorely lacking. Where and when? No idea.

Yay

Another vote for Frys =)

San Diegan Perspective

transportation options?

The 99 needs to be recognized as an Interstate Freeway (such as I-905, the last 05 part indicates that it is an Interstate branch of the I-5). It saddens me to see this Freeway have less lanes in Fresno than Bakersfield, and it is poorly maintained. This is the gateway in and out of Fresno for everyone that travels through or visits. It needs the recognition and federal funding it deserves for being attatched to such a large city (What other large city in CA does NOT have an Interstate running through it?).

revitalized Downtown?

Before I left Fresno, I always viewed the word "downtown" with a negative connotation as a part of town that is run down with old buildings. That all changed when I moved to San Diego, where it is safe and bustling at night with many people walking the streets to fine dining, bars, clubs, and shopping. It's one of 'the' places to be at night.

more chain franchises?

In moderation, chain franchises add to the city culture, but definately should not take over or replace small business culture (say NO to new Riverparks). Fresno could use places like Dave & Busters, Fry's, IKEA, and Ranch 99 which is a full sized asian supermarket. I haven't been around too much to know which other chains would benefit the area.

That's what I figured.

That's what I figured. Seems like if they had the busses or whatever available at that hour you'd have less dui's...I'm sure they studied all that though.

2AM, same as everyplace else

they aren't that special

light rail or rail trolley system

I'd like to see a rail system run down the middle of Blackstone. It would terminate downtown at Chuckchansi Park and terminate uptown at Riverpark (to be extended to Woodward Park eventually). This rail system would eventually spur to places like CSUF and the Tower District and beyond (I was in Tucson this last weekend and took a trolley from the University to the arts district--reminded me of how nice it was in SF to be able to take the muni). Another line would eventually run east to the new Sunnyside shopping area.

I would love to take public trans here like I did in SF (a bus comes every 3 minutes on Geary at times). But when I can drive to CSUF in 12 minutes as opposed to the 1.5 hr bus ride (if I walk a half mile to the nearest Blackstone stop), I am always going to choose the drive.

tcm

My answers

All of the above plus some.

And I offer no solutions as to how. I ain't running for City Council yet.

Better/more transportation options. Expanding the bus system would be a start. This includes completely revamping the Handi-Ride service which was abysmal 5 years ago and still is to my knowledge.

Better/more crime enforcement. The gang task force is a start and kudos to those who serve on our police force. I'd love to see something similar done to really turn the screws on drug use and trade in the city. That includes pot, sorry guys. I'm not a smoker, not only that I've got an asthmatic daughter that doesn't need to breathe that. I'm all for legalizing it within reason, but if I can't roll a stop sign at 1:00 a.m. why should you get to roll a joint? Gimme some cash for my next ticket and I'll reconsider.

Better incentives for small business owners (tax breaks for long standing businesses) and for new ones (tax breaks for opening a new business). I ain't saying how or how much because I don't know. I do know that my father left town with his small business that had operated 30+ years in downtown Fresno because he was harrassed by City gov't over a fence around his property that was grandfathered into the current zoning. They were wrong, they lost every time it came before a judge, but be darned if they weren't out writing a new ticket a week after for the same thing. Wasn't just him either, the guy across the street had the same issue. When the city has nothing better to do than regulate signage, fencing, or what's in a lot in an industrial area (various citations my father received...I wonder if Cornerstone's now being fined for the building's 80 year old zoned-in rooftop billboard)...it doesn't do much for making businesses feel welcome. Especially when councilmembers don't return calls. The city's working so hard to attract new business, it should work just as hard to retain those that are here.

More family-oriented events. The arts and culture district and those in Tower have led the way, but more can be done. A community of this size ought to have something nearly every weekend that's family-friendly to both the sensibilities and the pocketbook. Rogue festivals and Mardi Gras parades are great, but do they really serve the entire community?

What time do the bars close

What time do the bars close in LA?

I know

I came from Canoga Park to Fresno in 2000. I used the bus to get around all the time. It was not perfect there either. The strike really sucked. Easily accessible always available transportation would ensure Fresnos' vitality for decades. Jobs can not grow without people to work there or customers that can get there. Not everyone drives a car. The higher things like gas insurance dmv fees car maintenance gets the less people there are that can legally afford to drive a car.

Here is an example. I need to take my daughter to school daily. I am not able to walk 4 miles the pain to my shins is nutty. (shin splints since I was 20) So I take the city bus. I am literally one mile from her school. That is still two buses and MINIMUM 1.5 hour round trip. That's fine not as if I have something better to do. If on the other hand I had to get to work and get Audrey to school then come pick her up? That's 1.5 hours of travel time not including how many buses it is to work. I would go from a 10 hour work day to possibly 12.

That is weekday schedule weekends you can double everything because most buses go from 30-40 minutes to 1 hour. That makes no sense to me at all. The days where you may want people shopping and spending money you increase the time it takes to get places to spend money and give you additional sales tax revenue? Why are the business leaders not complaining? They would simply make more sales and would have to hire more workers that could actually get there in a reasonable fashion if buses simply ran 24 hours every 15-20 minutes.

We read and see it all the time invest in the infrastructure. We have growing land prices and a growing population we need to be able to transport them everywhere in a timely fashion. hell do even better provide tax breaks to business that prove employees are riding the bus to work regardless of if they have a car. Public transportation is a good thing and I am not even talking about the air. You have to see and meet other people you end up with a sense of community just by getting out of that stupid little box.

*Gets off his soapbox, folds it up. Looks vaguely embarrassed and walks away.

not even LA has that

LA has 20 hr bus system,
closed from 1AM to 5AM

not sure about its subways though

Transportation

24 hour bus system that runs a bus every 15 minutes. As the work force was able to get back and forth at all times the jobs would grow as well. Hard to afford to a car on 7.25 an hour. Not saying its impossible its just hard.

jobs

more jobs that pay a living wage that a family of four can live on that is above the poverty level, including heath care and retirement.

affordable or free education at all levels.