Central Bakersfield

The urban core of the Bakersfield metro, centered on downtown and the historic neighborhoods radiating from it. Downtown Bakersfield anchors the civic, cultural, and commercial heart of Kern County, with the Fox Theater, Bakersfield Museum of Art, and the revitalizing Baker Street district. Surrounding neighborhoods include Eastchester, Oleander-Sunset, Old Town Kern, and La Cresta. This is where Bakersfield's country music heritage, Basque culture, and oil-town history converge. The Kern River runs along the northern edge, and CA-99/CA-58/CA-178 intersect here.