In The Hood: Shopping in Oildale
In The Hood: Shopping in Oildale
By: Greg Goodsell
Description: Take some time to discover the hidden gems north of the river. Part two in an ongoing Bakotopia series!
Topics: oildale, Bakersfield, Shopping, In The Hood, Bakotopia, blog, california
Posted by Bakontributor Mon Jan 7, 2008 14:19:51 PST
Viewed 1161 times
0 responses 1 comment Location: 1215 Olive Dr., Bakersfield, CA 93308
In The Hood: Shopping in Oildale
Take some time to discover the hidden gems north of the river
By Greg Goodsell, Bakotopia.com contributor
When this writer lived north of the river, I was amazed to find a wide variety of antique stores as well as shops specializing in new and second-hand furniture in my immediate neighborhood. I have received many compliments on how my home is furnished, and most people are astonished to learn that the vast majority of my furnishings came straight from Oildale.
Not too long ago lamps, wall sculptures and other accoutrement offered in trendy L.A. stores or at Internet auction sites were all to be had for pennies on the dollar in out-of-the-way stores on North Chester Avenue.
Sadly, those days appear to be long gone Oildale has recently been notorious for a different kind of retail, allowed by the state and frowned upon by the federal government. But never fear - there are still a few quirky stores in the area that makes a trip “up north” worthwhile.
A health food store in this traditionally meat-and-potatoes part of town would seem very unlikely. But the Apple Tree Health Foods Store - 1910 N. Chester Ave., is one of Bakersfield’s oldest suppliers of quality vitamins and natural products. Shoppers can buy exotic herbal teas, aromatherapy candles and natural and alternative food and beverages.
When I lived in Oildale, I always went to the Apple Tree to stock up on Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, a frothy, fragrant liquid soap able to clean everything. Bronner’s soap is now the subject of controversy: a new documentary film exposes the soap’s eccentric creator as a deluded hippie genius (the long-winded, brain damaged tirades printed on the bottles are hilarious) who allegedly neglected his children while building his organic cleansing empire.
At one time, big bottles of the soap could be had on the cheap - until they increased in popularity. This writer highly recommends that the reader pick up a bottle today for new bath time fun!
Techno-geeks in search of retro gaming fun are directed to Extreme Games - 1703 N. Chester Ave. This modest storefront is keenly aware that there are still lots of Atari, Nintendo and Super Nintendo enthusiasts out there still clutching their joysticks. Extreme Games has these games as well as the newest versions of current favorites. There are lots of new and used DVDs for sale or rent, and the shop offers a very reasonable CD and DVD repair service. And since this is an under-the radar type place, the shop can offer such yet-unreleased hot ticket items such as Halo 3 a full four days before they hit shelves in local chain stores. They also just so happen to carry Bakotopia magazine…
And speaking of geeks, the perennial one-stop pop culture store that’s been humming along in Oildale longer than most of our readership has been living,
Midnight Music - 1215 Olive Drive, is still going strong. Back in the day, Midnight Music was one of the few Bakersfield stores in the early ‘80s that offered fresh-from-England punk, reggae and ska import records. Today, Midnight offers a dazzling array of CDs, buttons, T-shirts, dolls, comic books, toys … you name it. Everything from the most popular to the most obscure, Midnight probably has it tucked away in a dusty corner. Longtime proprietor Don Curran can find anything you might want, and if not he can share a folksy tale or two.
A lot of the restaurants, bars and stores this writer enjoyed in Oildale a mere three years ago have since closed. Local businessmen and entrepreneurs still continue to find the area along North Chester Avenue an attractive place for their wares. If you have a few idle hours this weekend, why don’t you mosey on over the bridge on Chester Avenue and see what the ‘Dale has to offer?
*Wanna talk about your hood? Send Matt a shout: matt@bakotopia.com
Originally printed in Bakotopia Magazine, Issue 19, 1-10-08
| Send to a Friend | Report a Violation |
Sun Jan 13, 2008 15:36:30 PST
Also in OILDAE, Rev. Jimmi's "Old School" Tattoo. Located at 1806 N. Chester Ave, between Norris Rd & China Grade Loop. Come see us for your all of your Body Art Needs. I am 1 of 4 Tattoo Artists on staff. Please remember us when your talking about "The Dale".
Bakotopia helps people in Bakersfield, California find cool events, meet up, buy and sell stuff, find jobs and more. Learn more about us.
| Peeps to Meet | ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meet More People
|
||
|
|
||
|
Who Knows Who?
Dizzyfingers
- 1469 friends
captainmorgan
- 990 friends
firebrats
- 921 friends
thenovelist
- 887 friends
matt
- 867 friends
>> Invite friends
to move up!
|
||
|
|
||
|
Meet People Who Like ...
Fishlips, sleeping, Wine, cars, Shopping, good food, camping, Classic Rock, Travel, Tattoos, reading, live music, mento buru, movies, comedy, walking, Computers, Beer, I love music in general. I range from outlaw country to Hip-hop , talking, music, local bands, writing, laughing, chewing gum, The Beatles, piercings, mexican food, hiking, local music, bakersfieldbands, beaches, concerts, art, family, friends, Poetry, cooking, Bakotopia, shoes, the beach, Dancing, painting, Guitar, Photography, traveling, singing, sex, funk, Football.
|
||
| View Them All | Add Yours! | ||
Local time is currently Tue Dec 2, 2008 2:58:34 am PST
Bakotopia is 100% local to Bakersfield, CA, USA
