Today, the New York Times “California Today” section noted a recent survey that cited Fresno as one of the most affordable places to live in California, which: duh. We all know that.
The article’s writer goes on to list a few reasons why one might choose to relocate to Fresno from a more expensive California city and, like most of these “Fresno’s not so bad” type of articles, spends as much time talking about its faults as its strengths. (Yes, it can get hot here. I don’t know about you, but thanks to AC, I’m colder in the summer than at any other time of year.)
The strengths listed are, of course, affordability, as well as Fresno’s proximity to other places. The “lively arts scene” is briefly mentioned, as is Fresno’s easygoing nature … and that’s about it.
Okay. So, it’s not this guy’s job to sell Fresno, but I mean. Is that it? “It’s cheap and close to other things.” Yawn.
As it turns out, selling Fresno is totally the job of FresYes.com, so I’m going to point out a couple of things that’s great about Fresno and then you guys take over.
The Food
There’s a reason Fresno calls itself the Taco Capital of the World. And tacos are just one small part of the rich culinary landscape here. Mexican food in general is top-level here, as is the pho, Mediterranean and Armenian food, tri-tip, sushi, burgers… If you can’t find something good to eat in Fresno, it’s you. You’re the problem.
The Outdoor Activities
Yes, it gets hot here, but that doesn’t stop people from going outside and running/walking the miles of paths in the city. Or biking, doing outside yoga, hiking nearby trails, swimming, or joining adult soccer, pickleball, frisbee golf, football, or kickball leagues. Fresno is an extremely active city — weather be damned.
Community Events
You might not know this, but there are community events happening pretty much every single day in Fresno. From yearly large-scale events like FresYes or Grizzly Fest to monthly gatherings like Motown Night at Fulton 55 to daily offerings like food trucks and music at one of the local breweries, I challenge you to go a week without finding something cool to do here. On this site, I write about local events happening every week and even I am amazed by the sheer volume and increasing quality of stuff going on. All you have to do is glance at the homepage of FresYes.com to see this is true.
Whenever one of these Fresno-focused articles comes out, some will say, “Who cares? What does this yahoo know about our city?” and they’re right. He doesn’t know. Heck, a lot of people who live here don’t even know half of what Fresno has to offer.
But we know. And if you’re reading this site, you know, too. And that’s good for now.
Add your reasons to love Fresno to the comments below.
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kqs says
more nice people in fresno than in the bay area!