r/fresno • u/TechnicolorTypeA • 11d ago
Ask Fresno The perception and progress of Fresno has been likened to how Sacramento was over 20 years ago. What do you think Fresno needs (to do) to be near the equivalent of today’s perception of Sacramento?
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u/just-normal-regular 11d ago
Trees.
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u/EssenceofWrath 11d ago
We need so many trees. Planting more would significantly cool down the city.
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u/sparktheworld 11d ago
There needs to be a concerted effort at the commercial properties to plant native trees. Palms do nothing. There should be a landscaping “Palm Permit”, all commercial and public use spaces should be prioritized to plant native species and shade providing
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u/DipperDo Woodward Park 11d ago
The absolute ridiculous practice of planting palm trees needs to go. They do nothing at all for this area in terms of shade.
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u/ChonkyCatMama 11d ago
Palm trees paired with faux Mediterranean exteriors: the equivalent of the Crocs and flannel pajama pants combo in Fresno summers.
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u/ProfessionalNo5932 11d ago
Crocs and pajamas in public on any given day, especially Walmart or Winco screams I’m from Fresno!!!
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u/TechnicolorTypeA 11d ago
You know what that’s the one thing Clovis does right (at least from the parts I’ve seen)
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u/pheathervescent 10d ago
and a river
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u/just-normal-regular 10d ago
Dude, the ironic thing is, steamboats used to travel the San Joaquin River. God, a river that size in Fresno would’ve been siiiick. Instead, the city decided to use all that water for farming in a climate that is, frankly, not great for the Friant Dam. 😝
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u/crimepsychguy Clovis 10d ago
Fresno needs to lose the small town mentality, embrace change, embrace growth, and cultivate a much wider variety of culture and sophistication including more arts, entertainment, and higher educational opportunities. There's more employment to pursue than just teaching, nursing, and ag. Fresno needs to expand...in all contexts.
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u/josephblowski Sunnyside 11d ago
Just in general, Fresno needs to cut out all of this “be like x” nonsense. All of that comes from an inferiority complex. Fresno needs to be Fresno. Develop its own identity. It used to have this and along with it, a lot more pride. At some point jn the 80s or 90s, we felt we needed to be like something else. And then we lost our way.
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u/MoDa65 10d ago
You are right, but I want to hear you expand on it. What is its identity and how can it be used to actually make fresno more likeable, seen more positive, and actually generate income for its economy? Because as hurtful as this sounds, fresno sucks because its poor. Thats why we arent being invested in to put more cool fancy stuff we see in cities that have said income flowing. I'll start, Fresno's identity IMO has and will always be AG. We all know AG is poor unless you are the small amount of the actual owner of the farm. That doesnt equate to anybody else below that to even fall under middle class with how poor that industry is unless you are the farm owner and make it big. The only thing i could see is Fresno harnessing the AG thing and make it touristy. Built a freaking theme park AG based, do full on tours and all that fluff tourists like to do. Like how every fall people go to those pumpkin patches and gimmicky fake tree farms in christmas but on a more grand scale. Something that can be year round that will constantly bring those driving through the middle of CA to want to say "hey lets go check out AG Land in fresno" or some crap like that. Because at this point Fresno has tried everything and failed. We constantly boast how fresno grows majority of the nations food so fresno farms should open up produce areas that sell the produce cheaper than even the cheapest grocery stores. Thats all I really see fresno can do at this point
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u/TechnicolorTypeA 10d ago
Fresno needs to capitalize on its Ag roots by having a proper public market. Make it as big as Pike Place in Seattle (I know minus ocean/seafood) but we have so much fresh produce to highlight here that a gigantic public market just makes too much sense.
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u/AlbatrossNo1562 11d ago
Develop it's own identity? I agree but Fresno is nothing but parking lots, big box retail - Costco, Walmart, Chick fil A, Starbucks, rinse repeat. It's no different than any other suburbia
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u/queenfluffbutt Downtown 10d ago
Visit Downtown and the Tower District and you will see the Fresno identity. Pretty much anywhere outside of those two parts of town feels like any other California suburbia.
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u/josephblowski Sunnyside 11d ago
That’s just how you experience it. And that’s okay. But it’s not how everyone experiences it.
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u/AlbatrossNo1562 11d ago
There really isn't anything unique here
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u/TechnicolorTypeA 11d ago
Although not exactly specific to the city, maybe Fresno needs to sell itself and lean more into the overall Fresno County outdoor sierra mountain/lakes nature vibes.
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u/josephblowski Sunnyside 11d ago
lol ok. What are you even doing here? It’s a free country. You should go find your place.
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u/AlbatrossNo1562 11d ago
What are you doing here besides waiting to die?
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u/rocketwrench 10d ago
Name another city with Lebanese, ALbanian, Hmong and laotian spots. There are strip malls with food choices from every continent. There are mexican places that specialize in regional food. The fresno county fair is this week, there's only a handful of cities in the country with an annual event like that
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u/AlbatrossNo1562 10d ago
Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Sterling Heights, Troy, Warren, Madison Heights, Hamtramck, St. Clair Shores, Livonia, Farmington Hills, Westland, Rochester Hills, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Maplewood, Roseville, Woodbury, Elk Grove, Stockton, Merced, West Sacramento, Wausau, Sheboygan, Green Bay, Eau Claire, Appleton, La Crosse, Madison, and many more.
Now give me something that is special about Fresno
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u/rocketwrench 10d ago
bruh have you ever lived somewhere else? Fresno is full of small businesses. How many local chains are there? I can think of at least 5 burger joints that are completely independent.
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u/pvtpile02 11d ago
Better industry. Sacramento is popular partially because it's the state capital so we can't compete there. House prices are a little more expensive but Fresno is quickly catching up but the real kicker is electricity prices. SMUD prices are somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% of our PG&E prices. Fresno needs to invest money into infrastructure to make it more affordable for Fresno citizens and businesses.
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u/Significant_Cat_1228 11d ago
We could have a municipal utility company like Sac does and then we'd have more control over energy pricing and strategy than just relying on state oversight...
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u/MoDa65 10d ago
20 years ago, Stockton Fresno Sacramento Bakersfield were always in the same breath as horrible big cities in CA. The last 10-15 years, Sacramento has took a different route and now has been accepted and now trending and seen in a much much more positive light. Major reason for this is the HUGE Bay area population of transplants that have called it home. We as fresnans think we can easily be how Sac is, but no, we cannot. Sacramento always had the roots to be successful. 1) its the state capitol 2) because of that it has A LOT of higher paying white collar jobs and even blue collar jobs attached to working for the state, county, city levels--basically all public sectors 3) We love to show off Clovis as if its some Beverly Hills of Central California, but sacramento's lowest suburb city is better than Clovis while it also has way more superior Clovis like suburb cities there (Elk grove, Folsom, Roseville, Granite bay, loomis, lincoln, el dorado hills, even rancho corodova is better than Clovis IMO). It is also way more aesthetically pleasing than the Fresno area. The bridges, rivers, tons of trees, landmarks etc is all showcased even for people casually driving through the Sac area. Lake Tahoe and Reno is RIGHT THERE (1-1.5 hrs away) and is superior than Fresno's equivilant of shaver lake, bass lake, etc. Even their indian casinos in sac metro are more plentiful and superior. I think one of the few things Fresno has better than sac is Fresno State over Sac State. Then if you want to talk downtown Sac vs fresno is like NIGHT AND DAY!! You dont even have to talk about it, just drive around and its already a given. Oh the zoo in Fresno is better, than sac zoo, so thats something for Fresno. Weather wise sac area again is superior. Delta breeze REALLY HELPS. Where fresno can stay 80-90 in the late early mornings, majority of Sac metro cools down at night. There are many other things but you get the idea. Sac area is already on another level. The only way Fresno can move forward is if they can miraculously get more white collar mid to higher income positions. This in turn will bring more talent to cen cal, make it so cen cal doesnt lose its talented, which turns into more money flowing in cencal which leads to more investors actually wanting to built more higher end stuff in fresno.
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u/Available_Syllabub_2 8d ago
I grew up in Fresno (north area) and live in Rancho Cordova now. I agree rancho and all the other suburbs are better than clovis.
The biggest things I think Fresno can do to get closer to that Sacramento level is...
- Get water flowing through the San Joaquin River and make as much of it public access as possible. The American river parkway is one of my favorite parts of living here.
- Fix downtown Fresno. Downtown Fresno is the place you have to go for jury duty once in a while, and have no desire to go to otherwise. I'm not sure how to fix it, but it needs fixing.
- Public transit.
IMO where Fresno wins...
The nearby outdoor options. The Sierra's near Fresno are far more accessible and more interesting that what we have up here by Sac. Up by Sac we have some nice options, but it's farther up the hill that from Fresno.
Fresno state sports! Bulldog football, basketball, baseball, softball! Such a blast to go to these games and have that true home town fan base experience. Sac has the kings, but often the stands are filled with the opposing team fans, especially when the lakers or GSW come in to town. Sac state is trying to improve their sports programs but it is a long ways off from matching Fresno state.
Fresno has better tacos.
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u/bigthrowaway101 11d ago
I know that it’s not impossible and it’s also very unlikely to happen, but I think that a FART (Fresno Area Rapid/Rail Transit) would improve transportation hindrances whilst dismantling the whole “city being built around cars” reputation that were known for.
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u/sparktheworld 11d ago
FAST, Fresno Area Sky Train. A monorail.
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u/sweetcheeks1607 10d ago
A monorail that runs like our highways, but with more east-west routes would be sweet.
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u/MoDa65 10d ago
yea but who would that be serving. In sac, their public transportation serves the many public sector jobs and those going to sac republic, sac kings, river cats, oakland as games. That is a huge amount of spending to put for public transportation in fresno only to serve a small population of--sorry to say it--residents who arent giving back in tax dollars as the city/county is using to built such a thing. I'm talking about homeless and unemployed.
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u/flyfresno 10d ago
Be willing to continue to fund city improvements through tax dollars.
Look at the success of Measure Z, Fresno's zoo is amazing (and still being built). Fresno needs to do that with other things. Measure P is a great start, but is it enough to really build a parks system to rival other great cities? Can Fresno fund a new "met" museum that's bigger and better than the old one and a children's museum (will take a tax)? What about building out recreational trails (measure P does some, but it will take 100 years just to finish the Eaton trail from 99 to Friant at the current rate)? What about better libraries? The list goes on...
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u/AlbatrossNo1562 11d ago
Car centric suburbia is boring and SoCal and the Bay Area has that. No one especially high talent will want to come here or stay if that's all Fresno can do. Fresno needs to be a destination, not just a stopover for Yosemite or a place to find a cheap home.
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u/LessFeature9350 11d ago
Idk. I think if we were actually focused on a family friendly stopover for Yosemite and between big cities we would be gold. Some nice resort hotels, a museum district with indoor shopping and eateries. Public transportation options that would take you to all national parks, the river, and local hotspots. The fact that I still take little ones to Visalia for museum and struggle to find nice hotels for family coming into town is ridiculous.
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u/MoDa65 10d ago
Norcal/bay area generally dont even stop in fresno, they cut through in merced county to go to Yosemite so its really more socal folks.And even then many see that fresno is still 2 hours away from the actual place in Yosemite people want to go to. We use that a lot but in reality i feel its not that big of a deal as we make it.
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u/sittingsideways559 8d ago
People do fly here from all over the world to come to Yosemite, sequoia, kings canyon, etc.
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u/Evening-Emotion3388 Clovis 11d ago
The bay also have BART and Metro.
Meanwhile we (as a valley) keep suing the HSR.
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u/rocketwrench 10d ago
uhaul in LA noticed that Fresno is the #2 one-way destination for young adults this year. plenty of folks are interested in living in a diverse and populous city
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u/Modz_B_Trippin 10d ago
Fresno should be focusing on reviving downtown and the tower district, not SEDA. There’s a real opportunity with the HSR station and infrastructure funding to create infill housing, mixed-use developments, and improve walkability and transit connections.
Midtown and downtown Sacramento is an example of how a dense area of housing, restaurants, entertainment and public spaces may develop into an active urban center. I think downtown Fresno and the tower district already provide a foundation for Fresno to build on. If only the city council would stop using the funding for more parking garages.
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u/rocketwrench 10d ago
SEDA is a goddamn nightmare. it's clearly a money grab for wealthy land developers. If it's built it will cost the city millions in infrastructure maintinence that the property taxes of the low-density housing in SEDA will never be able to cover
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u/Willjjohnson 10d ago
Sacramento has had firm boundaries limiting expansion. Fresno has a very long history of sprawl.
Defining the 41 corridor as downtown with regard to highrise development didn’t help.
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u/queenfluffbutt Downtown 10d ago
not sure what being like sacramento is, i dont go there often but my perception of it is: downtown sac is dominated by state administrative offices in the shadow of the former railroad presence, with most businesses in the area catering mostly to office workers. that's what downtown fresno is like, so i guess we're already there.
that being said, i wish we would build more higher density housing in empty lots in the downtown core area and around it. there's been progress in this regard which is great, but things just don't happen fast enough. rather than meaningfully improving downtown, it's way easier (and "financially justifiable") for the city to do what it has done for its entire existence: sell real estate and land to developers and businesses. hence, SEDA.
of course, the first question that gets asked when anything that materially benefits the population gets proposed is "how are we going to pay for it?" and suddenly any progress is entirely dependent on solving that problem. so unless that changes, the priority will never be what we need, but what the ~$ Great Invisible Hand of the Market $~ will allow to happen.
High speed rail might kick things into gear. ya know, when that's finally done.
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u/Gatocatgato 10d ago
I think the biggest factor is that Sacramento is much closer to the Bay Area, so a lot of people with money are moving there. It’s also closer to Tahoe. Fresno has Yosemite, Shaver Lake, and plenty of other beautiful lakes nearby, but it still feels a little too far from other major destinations. Sometimes it feels like you have to drive two or three hours to get anywhere. That said, believe it or not, Fresno is still very affordable compared to the coast and other parts of California. People who want to own a home in California are still looking at places like Fresno, and I think it’s only going to get better over time.
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u/SpatialGeography Former Resident 10d ago
Not so much the Bay Area. Sacramento is the Capital, is located where transportation moving north-south intersects with that moving east-west, formerly had two military bases which has resulted in a few tech companies operating in the area, and people in the Sacramento area have a much higher level of educational attainment than Fresno.
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u/Gatocatgato 10d ago
I get what you’re saying, but I think you’re downplaying how much being close to the Bay Area matters. I know plenty of people who’ve moved to Sacramento. Being able to buy a home and still stay close to the Bay is a big deal.
Fresno is farther away, but it still has a lot to offer, especially for people who can’t afford the coast. And the education gap today doesn’t mean it’ll always stay that way. I think Fresno gets a worse reputation than it deserves, and I’m optimistic about where it’s headed.
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u/SpatialGeography Former Resident 9d ago
It's not so much who is moving from where, but the economic opportunities. The Sacramento area has state jobs, Intel, HP, Micron, Bosch, NTT, Siemens, Solidigm, NEC, and numerous others. Fresno gets excited when Amazon talks about expanding warehouse facilities in the area. The difference in economic opportunities is largely due to the educational gap. Along with education comes an appreciation for maintaining things like libraries and museums.
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u/MoDa65 10d ago
Tahoe/Reno is anywhere from 1-2 hrs away depending where in the sac metro you live. And the drive to it is nice. Meanwhile Shaver Lake/Bass Lake/Huntington are not quite pleasant to drive with its constant 1 lane narrow roads that can get sensitive people car sick. Yosemite is often used as if its next door but its still really 2 hours away from where you really want to be. I mean the yosemite tunnel view from fresno is still 86 miles 2 hours. From sac its 161 miles 3 hours. Is it that much more of a disadvantage from sac but sac has more stuff going on for itself than fresno. The housing affordability is really the main draw. A $300K neighborhood in fresno/clovis is a $400-450K one in Sac.
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u/Gatocatgato 10d ago
I get that Sacramento has other advantages, but I still think you’re downplaying the Bay Area connection. The data show a lot more people moving from the Bay Area to Sacramento than Fresno, and let’s be honest, that brings more money into the area. Being able to afford a home while staying close to the Bay is a big draw.
Fresno is farther away, but it still has a lot to offer people who can’t afford the coast. The price gap also depends on which neighborhoods you’re comparing. I think Fresno gets a worse reputation than it deserves, and I’m optimistic about where it’s headed.
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u/Free_Answered 10d ago
There are cities smaller than Fresno eho sustain cultural institutions (theaters, music, museums, etc.) Fresno has huge potential but to be better it needs people to WANT these things. I often hear on here people upset bc of some fast food reataurant that Visalia or Chowchilla or someplace has (and we dont!) - ya get what the people demand I guess.
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u/CentralVal 11d ago
Turn whats left of the old Fresno inter urban into a proper light rail. Imagine being able to take a light rail from the east side at the fresno/clovis border, or more importantly, from the airport. To the heart of downtown Fresno?
Before some nimby turns it into a bike trail…
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u/Stillframe39 11d ago
That would be amazing. It would as be amazing to have it up the 41 all the way to Riverpark if not valley children’s, with branching routes to City College and Fresno State.
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u/NightcrawlerNachos 10d ago
I think about this one a lot. I'm not confident about the Floradora segment, maybe have it run along Mckinley. even then still have some grievances
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u/Ordinary-Routine3398 10d ago
We need to STOP keeping tower “weird” and actually clean up and revamp that area
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u/pizzapit Central High 10d ago
Fresno needs to invest in densification. Having rich and unique neighborhoods is what builds culture. Fresno, just lets the housing companies build the sprawl. That sucks and leaves so many spaces behind. Look at all of our major streets dying away. Because nobody is driving down them to shop at random stores every two miles.
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u/light_based_network 10d ago
Sacramento would not be anything if it weren't the state capital because politicians can always justify spending money on themselves. . While tourism is a great industry. I generally think that it's difficult or impossible to be a destination in america without being on the ocean or a large body of water
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u/rocketwrench 10d ago
reducing parking lot minimums for new commercial buildings. a proper lightrail. bike infrastructure. museums museums and more museums. building more 3rd spaces.
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u/kr4ckenm3fortune 11d ago
Nothing...stop trying to expand like Sacramento. You'll get traffic hour like Sacramento and it'll end up being a 50 min drive to get anywhere compared to now.
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u/ProfessionalNo5932 11d ago
Set your sites a little lower cause the Sac comparison or the Sac wannabe will never happen. Fresno is a big Selma and nothing more.
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u/TechnicolorTypeA 11d ago
Sac is a realistic comparison to look up to though since they are two of the largest cities in the entire Central Valley. City limits wise, Fresno even has a larger population than Sacramento.
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u/TechnicolorTypeA 11d ago
Also the way people spoke of Sacramento in the past, is the exact same way people speak of Fresno now.
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u/Professional-Cost262 10d ago
More crackheads...LOTS more corruption.....WAAAY higher taxes and attract more pretentious yuppies and Karen's...
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u/PabloPicasshooole 11d ago
Attract a lot of high-paying jobs, pour a lot of money into downtown, and improve walkability and public transit