For movies  we like the large 1.50$ theatre with twelve movies to choose from , and the Circuit city in palmdale is our favorite for it's great music selection, However for restraunts we prefer Bakersfield for the Macaroni grill , Chuey's , John's burgers, Mimi's , Elephant bar, California fresh choice, {I" m getting hungry} and the list goes on.  The shopping on Rosedale hwy is good , our favorite stores are close together.

P.S. when possible we shop local

Go west young man, go west.  LOL     We shop locally as much as possible but when it's time for Costco or Sam's it's Bakersfield.  We usually  head out early afternoon,  do any running around that's needed and head toward Hungry Hunter's next to Costco for their early bird dinner special.  Good food and service at a reasonable price.  Then it's off to Costco or Sam's to walk it off and do our volume shopping.   I catch some awesome sunsets in my rear view mirror on the way home.   See the pic to the left.   (Of course, I pulled over to take it. ha! ha!)

I like the Antique mall and stores in Bake but I like the convenience of Palmdale. I usually do my big shopping in Simi Valley. I am always running down there for a week end.

I opt for going down to palmdale. To me, I think it's got more shopping and activities all in one place. They've built all these eating places such as olive garden, red lobster, johnny carinos, BJs, etc. around the AV mall down there and they also have target, trader joes, barnes & noble, sport chalet, super walmart, movies and plenty of other places all within two or 3 blocks of the mall. In Bakersfield, if I want to go to valley plaza and then go to a nice place to eat, I have to drive downtown or out to rosedale when I'm done shopping. If I want to go to trader joes, I have to drive back over to stockdale. And to me, it's just more time consuming to drive around all over the place to get where I want. Yeah, the drive to AV isn't quite as nice as the one to bakersfield, but I often go the back way down and it is a prettier drive than the 14. I could do without the wind on the way back, but ya know, ya can't have everything. And it is way better than dealing with the semis coming back up the hill from Bakes!

Almost always go to Bakersfield.  We have family in Newport Beach, so if we are going into "town" we may stop in Palmdale on the way back to Tehachapi. 

As Colitas indicated, drive to Bakersfield is much prettier.  Don't much care for the drive back however.  Damn trucks slipping into my fast lane - and they cut out so quickly my brakes get a work out and forget about the speed control advantage.  Grrrrrr

Mama Toscas is current favorite restaurant in Bakersfield.  Fabulous!

Bakes, it's not LA county...Wool Growers is the best!

I use to always go to Bakes because of the drive.  Going to Lancaster always seem farther because the drive is so boring and flat.  I loved the drive to Bakersfield especially when the flowers were blooming.  And yes Aero, I use to go to Woolgrowers but the neighborhood got a little to scary for me to go alone.  So I only went with other people.  But have a great feast next time and I'll wish I were there.

I prefer to shop in Bakes so my tax dollars stay in Kern County.  Why give L.A. my sales tax?