Yeah, I said it. I love Merced.
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3/14/2012
Merced is located in central California in the San Joaquin Valley, about 280 miles north of L.A. and 130 miles south of San Francisco. Sure, you could live the good life in those two places, but if what you want is a smaller, less-populated city, Merced is the place for you.
It's small-town living in a medium-sized city. If you're small-town folk, in central Merced, you have some small, family-owned drugstores, just like in a small town (like Snelling). If you're big-city folk, the north side of town has everything you need, but don't even bother going in the mall (boring, outdated, etc.). For a shopping mall, I'd go to Modesto (about 45 minutes north of Merced). Downtown Merced is very beautiful, and it features a newly-renovated theater, two pool halls, an ice cream shop, and more.
Don't let anybody tell you that Merced is boring. Downtown Merced has two pool halls, two theaters only one block away from each other, a nickel arcade on the north side of town, and Applegate Zoo on R Street. If you're looking to knock down some pins, in nearby Atwater (7 miles north of Merced), you have Castle Lanes, the closest bowling alley to Merced.
For restaurants, you have Pizza Villa (the best pizza in Merced, possibly the world), Toni's Courtyard Cafe, IHOP, Denny's, and more. They're all pretty good places.
Besides, Merced has an In-N-Out Burger. Any city that has an In-N-Out is worth living in.
The crime rate is high, but the police always do a good job of stopping it right after it happens. Either way, if you want to move here, I'd advise investing in a police scanner (even one of the cheap ones will pick up what Merced police are saying). You'll know about the crime around you, and how to stay away from it.
The only problem that I see with Merced is the south side of town (anywhere south of 13th Street). Out of the whole city, that's the worst area to live in (crime). I currently live in the northwest part of town, and it has crime, too, but not nearly as much as the area mentioned above.
Devin | Merced, CA