Fresno, California

Many California cities have threads of their own but Fresno does not. This thread corrects the omission.

Also, I wanted to post this story

The now shuttered Smithsonian-affiliate, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, was already in trouble with Ansel Adams' family for trying to auction off his donated work to help pay off their bankruptcy debt, and now the museum is at the center of another complaint, this time against the town's government. The county's Grand Jury has lashed out at the City of Fresno for their spending of $15 million to try and save the museum six months ago, when it first hit serious sink-or-swim problems. While it's certainly a noble and valued thing for a city to try and save a local museum, the court officials say they way the local government handled the effort was an absolute mess

Other threads with Fresno content:

What is the most rubbish California county?
Main Street of California
socal vs. norcal

Used to stay here when my mom participated in some 3-day equestrian thing, all I remember is being able to get an okay breakfast and that's about it. I think it's slightly better these days?

i think the only good things i can say are:

maybe the only place in north america to find Hmong restaurants?

also, a couple decent rustic basque eateries.

supposedly raisin capital of the world courtesy of high-volume, low quality Sunmaid.

95% (my guess) of boxed/jug wine in america comes from "Fro-town".

that's all i got, other than this place is a miserable den of desperation and bad times. the best part of Fresno is getting the fuck out of it.

http://www.goldpanners.com/Scrapbook/s/s/seaver/seaver-tom_1972-topps_347.jpg

I went to Fresno on business last August.

Highly not recommended.

Prompted by discussion of Fresno on other threads. What people said above.

It's a deeply depressing place, from what I've seen. I'm sure there may be other cities in the US like it, but it seems so strange and forgotten, out there between the railroad and the farmland. I made a short film about it's Chinatown and people mostly left me alone (I was shooting alone in what was an area where 85% of businesses and residences were derelict) but I did not always feel safe and was told that someone else taking photographs in that area had recently been shot and had their camera stolen.

its Chinatown

There is one strip that is like a mile or more of crumbling art deco motels populated by apparent zombies. It was bizarre and very very sad.

one of the highest crime rates and unsolved murder rates in the USA!

i never knew there was a Chinatown there, i know there are huge pockets of Hmong and Basque immigrant populations.

raisins though... Sunmaid is based there still?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txlfj1q97q4

There WAS a Chinatown there, as there was in most other West Coast cities along the railroad. Now it's just kind of a slum with a few leftover Chinese businesses
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2043/2037795559_4e27fb7a94.jpg?v=0

Don't know about Sunmaid

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70549634@N00/1377026478/in/pool-370136@N20/lightbox/

i think the only good things i can say are:

maybe the only place in north america to find Hmong restaurants?

also, a couple decent rustic basque eateries.

supposedly raisin capital of the world courtesy of high-volume, low quality Sunmaid.

95% (my guess) of boxed/jug wine in america comes from "Fro-town".

that's all i got, other than this place is a miserable den of desperation and bad times. the best part of Fresno is getting the fuck out of it.

― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, March 22, 2010 11:12 PM (4 months ago)

good armenian food too?

not compared to glendale/burbank imho.

Isn't there a Hmong population in MPLS too?

I lived in Merced (about an hour up the 99) when I was 10, and that was a decent place to be a kid. And it's got a UC now, which should make it even better. We went to the "big city" Sears once to buy our TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU4gpTsJbDk

maybe the only place in north america to find Hmong restaurants?

i think i found one or two in Stockton.

can anyone (shasta?) recommend some places to get dinner in fresno? i'll be there for work for a couple days in september, and i'd like to at least look forward to a decent meal or two.

It's been a while, checking with some folx who have been rather recently. Will report back.

thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy7qSQDirKc

Hahahaha, I think Shakey Mo will enjoy that.

I have a friend who is German and enjoys beer, he recommended this place unsurprisingly:
http://thesilverdollarhofbrau.com/

no offense to your friend but the beer menu there looks pretty terrible/boring:

Domestics: Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, MGD

Micro: Samuel Adams, Widmer, Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon

Shepherd's Inn (Basque)
Parma (Italian)
La Paella (Spanish/Basque)
Watts Family Grill (BBQ) http://www.wattsfamilygrill.com/

As mentioned above, there is a massive Thai/Lao/Cambodian/Hmong community in Fresno, so I imagine those cuisines are good as well, I've never eaten anywhere recommendable unfortunately.

Yeah, he is not picky! Fresno is a bit more "heartland"/country than you may imagine...

That said, Sierra Nevada is somewhat local (the other side of the SJV) and is easily one of the better ubiquitous beers imho.

Hahahaha, I think Shakey Mo will enjoy that.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWm_YcuCpBGAB2ayYriONueX8nLzGBB4sbtW5Vd8S-kTmAt5vVCw

cool, thanks

haha, i was wondering if that was the Brian Kenney song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL5bYdAlmUw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno_(TV_miniseries)

The miniseries starred Carol Burnett and Dabney Coleman, with Charles Grodin, Terri Garr, Valerie Mahaffey, Bill Paxton, Anthony Heald, Gregory Harrison, Luis Avalos, Jerry Van Dyke, Charles Keating, Pat Corley, and Jeffrey Jones.[1]

Fresno was run twice. The 1989 showing had an altered soundtrack, with canned laughter added so that the audience would know Fresno was supposed to be funny.

this place is a miserable den of desperation and bad times. the best part of Fresno is getting the fuck out of it.

shasta otm

Lord help me, I saw that miniseries.