A perspective of Ridgecrest
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1/12/2022
For context, I grew up in Ridgecrest and moved away after graduating high school. I have since lived in LA and the Bay Area but I visit RC often.
RC is in the high desert at the intersection of the Kern, Inyo, and San Bernardino counties. The city lies in a valley just east of the Sierra Nevada and serves as the hub of some of the smaller towns in the area. The nearest larger cities (Lancaster, Hesperia, Bakersfield) are about 1.5 hours away. And the nearest airport is Ontario about 2.5 hours away.
Many people complain about there being nothing to do in town, but if you’re a fan of the outdoors there’s quite a bit. The desert activities (hiking, off-roading, hunting) can be accessed immediately outside of town. The closest mountain activities (hiking, fishing, camping) are 30mins to an hour drive. One of the best things about this place is the sky: beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and stargazing. Although many complain about the barren landscape, it’s actually pretty easy on the eyes with mountainous vistas in each direction. I will admit it can take some time to appreciate the harsh beauty of the desert.
As other reviewers mentioned, the Navy base is a main employer. The base pays well compared to the cost of living, which makes it easy for anyone who works on base to own a home and live comfortably. Additionally (and anecdotally), many of the people I know who work retail or food industry get by while renting houses or apartments.
As far as weather goes, the summer can get pretty hot (>115 degrees Fahrenheit) and the winters can get chilly (below freezing). But the spring and autumn has some terrific weather. One thing to note is that it gets quite windy in every season. But generally the wind occurs in the afternoon and settles down around nightfall.
As far as amenities, Ridgecrest has everything you need. There’s a Walmart, a few grocery stores, Home Depot, a Hospital, several restaurants, car dealership, DMV, quite a few hotels, a movie theatre, a few coffee shops, a few bars and increasingly more things as the city grows). RC is remarkably bike-able. It’s probably 5 miles at the widest, and for the most part, flat. You can get anywhere in town on a bike which is why it astounds me that so few people use bicycles for transportation there.
The city is very much a rural small town. It’s hard to go to any store without running into someone you know. The political leanings are majority republican/conservative. The town is also not very diverse, lots of white folks. As another reviewer mentioned, I could see how it would be difficult to be an LGBTQ+ member of the community. And I realize that I am very much writing from a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant cis gender perspective.
In all I’d say Ridgecrest is a great place to live for its cost of living, quality of life, and proximity to the Sierra Nevada. But I’ll caveat that with this anecdote: everyone in ridgecrest talks about how they can’t wait to move out or have plans to move but not many do. As someone who did move away, I look back with fondness and appreciation. I enjoy visiting but don’t see myself ever moving back.
CJ | San Francisco, CA