Traveler

How big is the city?

Pat

Avoid Fresno unless your trip is required by your employer. It is a dirty, dull town and the only possible attraction is a burrow dug 50 years ago by a farmer looking for a way to escape the heat. If you must go, look for lodging near Fresno State Univ. I have used the Picadelly Inn on the occasions I was forced to go there.

allen

Fresno is a waste of space and resources.
It's one of the most dismal towns in America (and I've lived all over the midwest, which can be pretty dismal).

lynette

Fresno is smack in the middle of Central California! It's a city of 800,000 people and has good and bad points, just like any other city. What time of the year are you going? As others mentioned, it can get hot... dry heat, like Las Vegas, in the months of May through September. Fresno State University is NOT in a great area, but there is a Picadilly Inn on West Shaw Avenue near Van Ness that would be nice. Anything North of Shaw Avenue would be good. Don't miss eating at the Daily Planet in the Tower District... many good pubs and restaurants. Also, Fig Garden Village is nice. Fresno is an hour and a half from Yosemite National Park or Seqioia/ Kings Canyon National Park. Two hours east is Sierra Summit Ski Resort and it's also just a 3 hour drive to Carmel or to San Francisco. If you have details of what kind of food you like or give precise directions of where you need to be ( I'm guessing your travel is work related) I'd be happy to give more details.

fran

Stay North and not in the downtown area. I think the Marriot near the airport is safe.

elmo

800,000 people in Fresno? I don't THINK so. Great recommendation for a place - it is only a few hours away from where you want to be. The water skier must work for the chamber of commerce. If you are not white - stay away. Fresno is one of the most racist towns in all of Calif.

lynette

Hmmm. Well, 800,000 is what it says on the sign as you drive into town! Maybe they have it wrong. I lived in Fresno for 15 years and I can recommend places to stay and restaurants, as well as the safer neighborhoods. I was trying to be helpful! I didn't want him to stay near the University or near the airport... yuck! It seemed liked most posters weren't really answering his question, so I decided to! Also, I assumed he was needing to be there for work and might want to take adavntage of being just a few hours away from some major California highlights. I hope he posts again with more specific details and questions so I can be of more help.

Never have to go there

First of all, lynette, the United States Census Bureau lists the 2001 population of Fresno "County" as 815,734. The total population figure includes the inmates from the many state prisons in the county. I would think Fresno "city" is around 300-350,000.

Fresno County is a large county, and includes such charming cities as Huron and Five Points, among others.

That said, unless you HAVE to be there on business....forget it! It's in the middle of nowhere and hours to anywhere.

If you do have to stay there, I do recommend the Shearaton on Blackstone. Nice motel and priced very well. Very nice rooms and pretty centrally located.

Never have to go there again

x

Fresno, AKA armpit of California.

lynette

Okay, so it was county, not city, my bad.