Here’s the WORST Neighborhood in Bakersfield, California: Oildale

Is this the worst place in the California Central Valley? A lot of people outside of California have never heard of Bakersfield. I mean there really isn’t a lot going on out here outside of a bunch of farming and oil drilling way up here in Kern County. There’s 400,000 people here, and it’s the 9th biggest city in the whole state. But still, this place remains off the radar for the most part. Way out here in no man’s land between Los Angeles and Fresno along the 5, it’s really hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s sort of desert meets agriculture meets meth. The cost of living here is still super low - there aren’t too many places in California where you can get a home for $300,000. And close by are lots of rivers and hiking and hunting and stuff. But we’re not here to sing the praises of Bakersfield. We’re here to check out an interesting place. Bakersfield has been called the worst city in the nation for kids and it has a terrible reputation among Californians. So why would a place that’s doing so badly be growing so fast? What does that say about California as a whole? What’s the deal with Bakersfield anyways? Now a lot of times, when people talk about Bakersfield, they talk about a tiny little corner of this city - a place called Oildale. It has a really bad reputation for being dangerous and poor and filled with drugs. So of course I had to see it. On A bright sunny day in late October, I took the drive up from Las Vegas and stopped in Bakersfield for a bit. The goal was to drive around this part of Bakersfield called Oildale to see what all the chatter was about, and to put into perspective how bad Bakersfield really is. Oildale is a smallish community about three miles north of downtown Bakersfield. Technically, there’s 32,000 people here, which is close to 10% of Bakersfield’s total population. There’s really not a lot up here at this end of town except some beat up strip malls and rundown homes. But we’re going to drive around a bit and show people what it looks like, because even though Oildale is notorious in the central valley, a lot of people haven’t really ever driven up here to actually see it. No wonder a study called Bakersfield the worst city in the nation for kids. Now Bakersfield as a whole is a pretty dangerous place. One recent study called Bakersfield the 10th most dangerous city in the nation per capita, as drug abuse and shootings have increased A LOT. Gangs are also becoming a big problem here. Residents are frustrated because they’re emptying Bakersfield jails and releasing high risk offenders back out into the community, just as they are in lots of other parts of California. And hard working police officers are leaving Bakersfield and the Kern County Sheriffs Department for higher pay and less stress. Now why do they call this place oildale? Because there are oil fields all over the place on the north end of town. Two of the largest oilfields in the state are up here, and Kern County produces 10% of the oil for the whole country. There’s also agriculture all over the place. And all the emissions from the oil refineries and the tractors and trucks make Bakersfield the worst place in the nation for air quality. So it’s dirty, dangerous and ugly. You can see why it has a terrible reputation. And there’s not a lot going on in the economy here, either. If the farms here continue to struggle like they are all over the central valley, and the oil economy falters, this place could be in major trouble. But despite all of this, and even though it’s the butt of many jokes, people are flocking to Bakersfield. Most are drawn by the low cost of living. While the state as a whole has basically stopped growing, Bakersfield grew by more than 1% last year. The average home price for the places we’re driving past are around $170,000. But buyer beware. I don’t even think foregin Chinese investors would want a piece of Oildale. Did you know Korn is from here? Did you know Kevin McCarthy is from here? Kevin McCarthy - The republican congressional minority leader? Bakersfield got its start during the California gold rush days, and has always attracted hard working rough and tumble down on their luck blue collar types. In many parts of this city, there are some great people. But sadly, like many other cities in this state, the a holes ruin it for the good folks. #california #moving Email me: Robikmarketing1@ You can buy my music here: iTunes: More places to get my music: -Google Play: -Amazon Music: This channel is about America! The best video on this topic!