05-04-2025
10 things to love about Fresno and its ‘small-town spirit,' readers say
Uniquely is a Fresno Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Fresno area so special.
There's a lot to love about the city of Fresno and its surroundings, according to dozens of Fresno Bee readers.
Last month, The Bee announced our 'Flip the script' initiative to challenge negative stereotypes that Fresno faces and perhaps uncover some workable solutions to changing the narrative.
One business owner said it simply, 'Overall, Fresno has it all.'
One local described the city as 'the best kept secret in California.'
Others said they love Fresno because they have roots here.
'Fresno will always be my hometown, no matter where I go,' said Janay E. Conley, a Fresno resident, business owner and business advocate. 'I've traveled to many places, yet I always find myself yearning to return home. It's like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz — 'There's no place like home.' '
'We may be a big city, but we have a small-town spirit that makes everyone feel like family,' Conley said. 'The diversity here, both socially and economically, is what makes us strong. Where else can you find such a blend of generational businesses, deep community investments, and a spirit that's been tested and proven time and time again?'
As of the end of March, 55 Bee readers completed an online survey asking them what they love about Fresno. The respondents included a mix of Fresno residents and transplants, Clovis residents, and those born and raised in Fresno but since moved away.
A few respondents focused on the negatives — such as career politicians, public safety concerns, homelessness and 'crack houses.'
But most said they loved Fresno because of its central location in California that allows for easy day trips to the coast and the mountains, small town feel and diversity. Others said they enjoy the city's local music and arts scene and robust civic life. The relatively affordable housing, compared to other large California cities, and relatively little traffic, were also listed as Fresno perks.
The opportunity to have an impact on one's community also stood out.
'Fresno is small enough for an individual to make a positive impact in, while big enough to matter to a lot of folks locally and across the state,' said Nasreen Johnson, a community relations professional and trustee for the State Center Community College District. 'I also love how everyone is connected to each other in a variety of ways. It has a big little town feel.'
But what do we mean when we say Fresno? The city, the county, or the metropolitan statistical area, which includes parts of Madera County?
'First of all, it's not just Fresno — it's the whole of the county and immediate environs,' said former Bee reporter and editor Lanny Larson, who filled out the survey as a reader and retired Clovis resident.
'We're big enough to have great amenities and small enough to comfortably explore new things and meet new people,' Larson said. 'We're poorer than we'd like to be, but richer in things that count, such as natural beauty, mostly fair weather, and a unique ability to feed the world.
'Our big issue, for me, is that we compare ourselves to other places without accepting that we're unique in what we have already and in people willing to make it even better.'
It's not just lifelong residents who have pride for the central San Joaquin Valley's de facto capital.
'As a transplant, I'm brimming with pride for this city. Fresno is overflowing with authenticity. Be it regional foods, languages, art, music, or culture, we've got real people who know their stuff,' said Matt Weir, a project manager from the Bay Area.
We broke down the responses into a top ten list of reasons readers said they love California's fifth largest city, in no particular order. Some of these responses have been edited for clarity.
Several readers pointed to the city's climate, central location and easy access to either the beach or Sierra Nevada mountains as a major reason they love the city.
Others said there's easy biking, fishing, hiking and skiing nearby.
'A person could ski in the morning and watch the sunset over the ocean in the same day without much effort,' Weir said.
One reader said the lack of hurricanes, massive floods, tornadoes or deadly freezes was another perk of living here.
Several readers said they loved Fresno's 'small town feel.'
Respondents loved the way Fresno lends itself to building and finding community. Others appreciated how family-oriented the city can be.
Similarly, several respondents gave shout outs to the community feel of specific neighborhoods, such as downtown, the Tower District, Fig Garden and Fresno High.
'There is a functionality and lifestyle about Fresno that values and allows quality time for friends, family, and neighbors, if one chooses,' said Susan Lea, 69, a retired healthcare provider born and raised in Fresno.
'You can find your people here. We're all no more than 20 minutes away,' said Scott Kramer, president of Fresno Ideaworks, a membership-based community workshop and maker space with welding, woodworking, pottery and electronic classes.
According to an analysis by Lyft, the ridesharing app, Fresno came in fourth place out of a list of the 35 of the largest cities nationwide for shortest commute times.
In Fresno County, the average travel time to work is 23 minutes, according to the Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey.
Several readers cited the relatively short drive-times as a reason they love Fresno.
Still, being a car-oriented city has its drawbacks. The city regularly tops nationwide lists for pedestrian deaths due to its dangerous roads. Not to mention environmental concerns.
Locals loved the independent art, music and theater scene in Fresno. The Tower District, Fresno's arts and culture neighborhood, got several shout outs in the survey responses.
Sam Golden, a gymnastics professional and musician, grew up in Clovis and considers the metropolitan area one in the same. She loves Fresno's local music scene.
'I'm not talking about bar cover bands, but those are great too. I mean the weird little punk and hardcore bands playing at Great Room and Tioga Brewing and Ragin' Records and Sour Milk, and in backyards,' she said.
'It's so important for and healthy for teenagers and young adults, and offers musicians in our area a chance to succeed,' Golden said. 'You don't need to go to LA to rise to stardom, you can do it in Fresno. Our scene is safe, our scene is professional, our scene is supportive.'
A huge reason Fresno readers love this community is for its diversity. According to U.S. Census data, more than half of the city is Hispanic or Latino, followed by 38% White, 14.% Asians, 22.4% mixed race, and 6.7% Black. More than 20% of the city's residents are foreign born.
'Fresno is unique in that it hosts many immigrants from ethnic minority backgrounds, such as Hmongs, Punjabi Sikhs, and indigenous Mexicans. These people come from farming cultures in their home countries, and are often marginalized,' said Carlos Cisneros, a Fresno County native who now teaches in the United Arab Emirates.
Among other contributions, this diversity means the city has a great multicultural food scene, another reason locals love this city.
'Food from Fresno is out of this world,' responded a self-described chef.
Several Bee readers talked about the social fabric of community, nonprofit and civic life as a reason they love Fresno.
This included several nods to the city's faith-based community.
Jameson White, executive director of Youth for Christ Fresno/Madera, said the connectivity in Fresno's faith-based organizations was something he loves about the city.
'It's all about the people! There is a lot of unity and connectedness between local churches. A lot of amazing work comes out of these relationships like serve days, feeding people, local missions, agencies, help for the homeless,' White said.
'There is so much more we could do for the city itself to reflect the beauty of its people, and I would love to see people take pride in each other in this place,' White said.
According to Cause IQ, a website that used tax-exempt records to analyze the nonprofit sector, there are more than 975 religious organizations and churches in the greater Fresno metro area. Another data scraping site estimates there are 500 houses of worship in Fresno. World Atlas online geography site lists Fresno as one of America's top ten most religious cities.
The region's billion-dollar agriculture industry received several shout outs in survey responses. Fresno residents love having access to fresh fruits and produce.
Despite the proximity to agriculture, access to quality, affordable fresh food is still a struggle in some Fresno communities.
Miss Clovis 2025 Rachel Axt said one of the many reasons she loves Fresno is because of the 'scholarly academics' who teach at Fresno City College and Fresno State.
'Fresno is such a vibrant, lively place full of diverse and passionate individuals,' she said.
As of Spring 2025, there were 22,759 students enrolled at Fresno State. The university's football program will join the Pac-12 Conference in 2026.
The university, like other California State University institutions, is important for elevating the economic status of low and moderate income students.
In a recent study conducted by the College Futures Foundation, Fresno State came in fifth place on a list of 25 California colleges for having the best return on investment for socioeconomic mobility.
One of the main themes in reader responses was the idea of opportunity.
'Fresno is a community that wants to support neat local businesses and activities, and I think the size of Fresno and how creative our community facilitates opportunities of businesses, activities and community events that make a great place,' Bryan Feil said.
Finally, the 'raw,' resilient spirit of Fresno is one of its most special qualities, readers said.
Melissa Macías Rioseco, an assistant professor and veterinary pathologist, said an experience during the COVID-19 pandemic encapsulates her love of Fresno.
Macías Rioseco and her then-boyfriend, now husband, were eating takeout in their Tower District apartment around 1:00 p.m. during the first week of the lock down. The streets were empty.
'Everything was uncertain,' she said.
Then, a guy on a beach cruiser bike passed by their building singing Linkin Park's 'In The End' at full volume.
He yelled out the lyrics: 'But in the end, it doesn't even matter. I had to fall to lose it all. But in the end, it doesn't even matter.'
'That is Fresno, a bittersweet contradiction,' Macías Rioseco said. 'A place full of enthusiastic, dark (humored) people.
