Bakersfield Shopping and Districts

(Bakersfield, California - CA, USA)

There are certainly plenty of places to spend your money in the city of Bakersfield, with both traditional out-of-town strip malls and modern shopping centers being found here. A walk along the Promenade, next to the Rosedale Highway (CA-58), is an ideal spot to start your shopping expedition on a sunny day.

Within Bakersfield's downtown core are numerous shops, which are often to be found conveniently close to attractions such as the Fox Theater, the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and the Bakersfield Museum of Art.

Shops in this part of the city are peppered around 18th, 19th and 20th streets, where highlights include the Globe Load Jewelry Company and M. A. Griffin & Sons (both pawnbrokers), as well as the Emporium Western Store. Currently the most historic Western Store branch still operating in Kern County, the Emporium Western Store first opened its doors to shoppers in 1909 and is a good place to buy cowboy hats, boots, belts and jeans (Levi's, Wrangler and many, many more).

Where to Shop

A number of shopping centers and malls are located around downtown Bakersfield, such as the Golden State Mall on F Street, just across from the Sam Lynn Ball Park. Here you will find roughly 80 different stores all under one roof, many of which relate to events planning, such as photography services and bridal shops. Also based at the Golden State Mall is the weekend Farmers' Market, which takes place in the front parking lot each Saturday morning.

Standing on the southern side of downtown Bakersfield and next to the Golden State Highway (CA-99) is the Valley Plaza Mall on Ming Avenue, which ranks amongst the area's largest and most popular indoor shopping complexes. Boasting roughly 140 different stores and services, the Valley Plaza Mall is fully covered and so is ideal for a rainy day. JC Penny, Forever 21, Macy's, Sears and Target serve as the principal anchor stores here, while there is also a cinema complex to hand, with 16 screens showing many of the latest movies. Of note, the Valley Plaza opened back in the late 1960s and has been remodeled several times over the decades that followed.

Also located on Ming Avenue and roughly 4 miles / 6.5 km to the west is the Marketplace, which advertises itself as a shopping and entertainment center. This complex sits close to the campus of the California State University and offers a fairly upmarket shopping experience, opening in the mid-1990s. The stores sell a fairly broad spectrum of goods, ranging from apparel, books and cards, to health and beauty products, homewares and groceries. There is also an Edwards movie theater within the Marketplace mall.

Next to Highway CA-178 and on the northeastern outskirts of Bakersfield is the East Hills Mall, home of a large Home Depot, Walmart Supercenter and Regency Theaters cineplex, as well as branches of Big 5 Sporting Goods, Target Pharmacy and Vision Center at Walmart. For antiques shopping in Bakersfield, take a stroll along 19th Street, where the Central Park Antique Mall, the Five and Dime Antique Mall, the Mill Creek Antique Mall and the 19th Street Antique Mall are all to be found.