The Marketplace

I love coming to the market place when the weather is nice, they’re are a variety of apps and restaurants to choose from. Love that I can have a drink, watch a movie, have a meal, and maybe do a little shopping all in one place and it’s not inside a mall. Loved bringing the kids there when they were younger. Loved the little events they hold, from chalk street art, to the tree lighting ceremonies.
It gets crowded at times, and some times the crowd isn’t the kind of crowd you want to be around. No fault of The Make Place. Security is getting better with dealing people and/​or kids that wasn’t too act like fools.
Come when they have music at the fountain! it’s really cool to see people and socialize. Again, always better when it’s cooler… It’s a great place to have here in Bako! I hope it stays that way…

Theaters, restaurants, smoothies and coffee, upscale shopping, and even summer concerts by the fountain make for a four star experience most of the time.
If you want to take a date out for dinner and a movie this is the most convenient spot in town. There are a wide variety of food options from sitdown restaurants (Tahoe Joe’s, Mama Tosca’s, Johnny Garlic, Lengthwise, Just Wing It, Johnny Rockets, Que Pasa, Toro Sushi, and Applebee’s) to more casual order at the counter and sit indoors or at the tables out by the fountain options (Baja Fresh, Camille’s, Me & Ed’s Pizza, China Bistro, Carl’s Jr., and Miyosh) you’ll find something to suit everyone’s taste, budget, and time constraints. Don’t forget to finish off your meal with dessert at Coldstone Creamery, Yogurt Zone, or Rite Aid for frozen treats or go to Me & Ed’s and order their HUGE fresh baked cookie. This is seriously the size of an individual pizza and comes steaming hot fresh from their ovens.
There are a number of upscale clothing and accessory boutiques including, but not limited to Talbot’s, Charming Charlie’s, Victoria’s, Bella, Chico’s, White House Black Market, and Soma’s Intimates. Even the fellas can get in on the action at Kaur Boutique and Jos. A Bank. I could happily wander around in Williams Sonoma all day, though I’d probably have to take out a second mortgage to purchase anything.
Feel like spoiling yourself? You can get your nails done at Royal nails or let the people at Massage Envy or Essentiels Spa et Beaute spoil you, and spoil you they will.
Don’t forget Edwards Cinema. It’s part of the Regal Cinema Family so get your Regal Rewards card and start earning free movies, popcorn, and other rewards. All the COOL kids are doing it.
During the summer (June, July, and August) The Marketplace sponsors live music concerts by the fountain every Thursday night starting at 7:00 for your listening and dancing pleasure. They feature a variety of popular local bands playing all different types of music (pop, blues, jazz, funk, top 40, soul, Motown — you name it).
On the practical side, you can go grocery shopping at Vons or pick of a variety of cosmetics and over the counter medications at Rite Aid.
So HOW could I possibly not rate this amazing little shopping center five stars with all of these amazing attributes. Well, unfortunately it has become a hangout on Friday and Saturday nights for teenagers who are walking, running, and giggling everywhere. I have seen an increased security presence on these nights, yet my friend’s 14 year old daughter was jumped and attacked by three teenagers she had never even met. Yes, the mom was not thrilled to receive a call from the police telling her that her daughter had been beat up while hanging out there with her friends. This mall is probably pretty safe for ADULTS to frequent, but I wouldn’t let your teenager go there unaccompanied.
All in all — a great shopping experience here in Bakersfield.
PS — Feeling guilty I left out the store I frequent the most — ULTA has a great selection of cosmetics and hair, bath, and body products and their sales associates are helpful and knowledgeable. See my review of them for more deets.

Great hangout for both high school and college students alike. Love the music concerts in the summer.

Restaurants, shopping, movies, activities for the kids, farmers market, what more could you ask for? They even have an outdoor concert series during the summer.
The really should have taken parking into consideration when they were building all of these shops though. A lot of times I find myself circling around looking for a place to park.

I’ve been here so many times as a teenager and now as an adult. Most of the times I’m either going to Jamba Juice or the theater. I don’t visit the restaurants here cause to be honest I tend to forget them. The environment is nice majority of the time except when it’s jammed packed with the teeny boppers hanging out and some doing things they shouldn’t.
There are some good restaurants here like: Tahoe Joes, Johnny Garlics, Miyoshi and a few others. Behind the theater you also have Toro and Lengthwise. Besides that you also have nice stores to check out and be a window shopper if you’re killing time waiting for your movie.
This place is a great venue for a nice family evening especially is you have family from out of town. I would like to see some improvements like a small bowling alley.

One of the nicer shopping areas in Bake-​town. Lots of eateries to choose from, and there’s a movie theater here! We come to the Marketplace at least once a month, if not more since there’s a movie theater and we enjoy the chicken wings at Just Wing It! :) Plenty of seating available outdoors, and just a great place for families and date nights.

A nice place to go for a night out, grab lunch or even dinner.
Landscaping is nice. Probably the nicest shopping center in Bakersfield really. The fountain, the flowers and greenery make it very beautiful,
Teenybopper hangout on Friday and Saturday nights. They seem to walk around aimlessly back and forth with their $ 2 rite aid ice creams Trying not to get a curfew vio from the security who is just waiting for 10pm.
Movie theatre, a few nice restaurants, salon, a couple clothing stores, sportswear place, cleaners, fast food etc… Has a lot to offer here dining wise and entertainment wise.
The Marketplace, 4 stars.

I believe if more retailers interacted with the public, it would’ve been deliciously a better experience. No aromatic taste from anyone. A lost opportunity.

The market place is a great place for friends and safe for families… there’s lots to choose from for eating and decent shopping… it’s great for a movie date or dinner and ice cream… always like coming here for a relaxing time by the fountain with some frozen yogurt or a nice hot coffee.

Great center with a little bit of everything. Not sure why they have a Cold Stone Creamery AND a yogurt shop side by side but Cold Stone is a definite must after a movie. My wife loves the shopping, the staff at apricot lane really goes beyond your average boutique.

As far as Bakersfield goes. The Marketplace is pretty cool. There are not many shopping options, but has a theater and some great places for lunch. I enjoy the ambiance most of the time when the hormone raged teens are not left to roam without their leashes.

Cute little place to have lunch, watch movies, shop, and there’s the beautiful fountain that everyone always takes pix in front of. I like this place a lot :)

I love the Marketplace but the sidewalks and windows around the closed up Baskin-​Robins look filthy and run down. Who is supposed to clean?

This review is for their free concerts by the fountain at the Marketplace that they have every Thursday night between 7 and 9 p.m. during the months of June, July and August. Yes it is hot but we went tonight to hear The Fat Daddy Blues Band. While it started out warm a nice cool breeze came up around 9 or so. There were lots of people there either sitting on available benches or even bringing their own folding chairs. The age range ran the complete gamut from babies to the elderly. Some even exhibited their dancing skills for the enjoyment of all there. And of course there was plenty of food from surrounding restaurants. We went for a couple of great root beer floats from Johnny Rocket. Free entertainment is worth it’s weight in gold around Bakersfield.

This is a review from an outsider’s P.O.V. My friend and I were looking for a nice place to walk around and do a little shopping, noting that Bakersfield appears a bit wanting for such places. The Marketplace is a very pretty mega-​mini-​mall-​type complex. It is a standard mini-​mall on one side, complete with Vons and a dry cleaners; and higher-​end shop complex on the other side, with an Edwards Theater and some eateries in the middle. The meh comes from the shopping choices. They are, for the most part, geared toward a more mature audience; and save for White House Black Market, I felt very out-​of-​place as a 36-​year-​old. There aren’t many shops, either – so I’d say our visit was pretty much done in an hour. I understand that there is a place nearby called the Valley Plaza Mall – it may be that we would have had more shopping options there. But The Marketplace sorta reminds me of a really pretty cupcake that’s ends up being dry on the inside. It appears a lot more satisfying than it ends up being, and you leave empty (–handed).

As most people in Bakersfield know, the Marketplace is an outdoor shopping center in Bakersfield. It’s located on the corner of Ming Ave. and Haggin Oaks Boulevard.
This is a nice place to hangout when the temperature is not too hot. Of course, you can always cool off with ice cream from Coldstone Creamery or Rite Aid. I believe their is also a new Yogurt Zone, but no more Baskin Robbins. After strolling and browsing the shopping center, it’s cool to spend some time by the fountains at the center of the Marketplace.
There are plenty of restaurants and shops. The places we frequent the most would be Tahoe Joes, Jamba Juice, Coldstone Creamery, and Applebees.
Edwards Cinema seems to be the spot that attracts the most people. It’s not the best movie theater in town, but it’s not the worst either.
Overall, I am a fan of the Marketplace. When the outside temperature is not overbearingly hot and the air not so polluted, the Marketplace is an awesome place to visit in Bakersfield.

Best place to bring visitors. The outside tables by Baja Fresh, Starbucks and Jamba juice have a European Square feel with the classical music playing. The central fountain at the Marketplace is a gathering place for the outdoor higher end shopping center. In the summer there are concerts by the fountain. Many restaurants.

How does this place only have two reviews? This is an interesting blend of businesses in one shopping center: groceries, pharmacy, clothing, jenny craig, book store, movies, and food. Its kept up pretty well and is usually pretty relaxed on weekdays. Weekends aer full: of a. regular people b. dumb high school kids or c. People drunk from the bars. The people on the weekend give this place three stars. As a side note i hate their speed bumps they are really big and will scrap the bottom of your car if its low like mine…