Sadly, go upscale to stay away from riff=raff. Stay away from Golden State Hwy.
Once while looking for a place to stay for the night in Selma, I cruised Golden State Highway and saw a motel that was painted black and featured a huge, garishly lit sign, purple neon trimming and flashing red lights. I figured they were in some sort of business besides hospitality, so I gave it a pass.