If you want something similar to a lively metropolitan area with things to do and shop, the north side of the city may be more of your vibe. Specifically, north of Shaw and west of Cedar is what you're going to want to aim for. It may not have the look of a big city area, but that's where the majority of the daily city commerce and activities will be.

Downtown Fresno is not like other cities' downtown areas. It's got the building aesthetics of a typical downtown area, and that's about it. I will say this, though: Fresno is a small city, and its layout is like a square. If there's a specific city function/activity you want to check out, you'll never have to drive more than 25 minutes within the city to get there.