A Letter to San Diego
Hello San Diego! I visited you for a long weekend recently, from Seattle. Seattle is the sort of place people hop to during our gorgeous summers; you are the inverse, I suspect. First time I've seen you as an adult. Thoughts, and observations to follow. I've read a couple extensive threads about SD, and SoCal in-general, pros and cons. An outsider may have a different take that may be of-interest.
I lived in the SF Bay Area seven years, 1990s, and understand CA politics reasonably well. And, found most of it despicable, though that didn't stop me from enjoying life those years. I realize San Diego is stereotypically rather Conservative, which sits with me just fine. Still, that's a bit unusual for California, yes?
I hadn't been to San Diego since visiting Sea World in the mid-70s. I remembered not a thing. Thus, essentially this was first time. I've been to LA frequently, and know NorCal north of Monterrey inside and out.
When I land in a new-to-me city, I try not to rent cars if-possible: mass transit and walking the streets tells me plenty. Smells, tastes, sounds, and sights up close and personal. I am a motorcyclist and sometimes ride to places, which adds yet another set of insights.
Couple observations, all of which are based on very little on the ground (1.5 days). I'm not knocking you with negatives: instead, view them as opportunities. When people come to Seattle and do the tourist thing, I'm pleased when they too (on C-D) wing off some first-impressions, pro and con.
So, the good and not-so-much:
- Zillow lists a couple downtown markets, mostly condos, as "very cold". Looking into it, that's new since this summer? Prices for condos in Gaslamp and Marina, e.g., were comparable or less than nicer parts of Seattle. While I'm not moving anywhere in the near-term, I love to compare/contrast real estate city to city. Where I live, specifically (near Kirkland, WA) has gone from "Very Hot" to "Warm" this year. Gas Lamp and Marina seem like my kind of places, over the long haul.
- Given the above, "expensive" is subjective! I've been in a hot field several decades...IT...and am deep in Seattle real estate. Nothing I saw in SD surprised or shocked me in that way.
- Same as Bay Area, one big megopolis from Marin County south through Santa Clara. But go outside that, and it thins out fast. Definitely a concentration of people. No big surprise there.
- The S-D Trolley looks like a bum taxi. Loved the low fares. They're not enforced? Great experience, overall, but was surprised by all the vagrants riding from (nowhere) to (less than nowhere). Couple of cops per trolley and metered entry will up your revenues 25%, and reduce ridership from winos proportionately.
- Petco Field is breathtaking. Wish I'd shown up during game season. Never mind the team stats, yours or Seattle's. Our park, Safeco, is equally breaktaking but I give complements where-due. I like baseball in-general.
- The Midway exhibit is well done. Boy was that a great tour, best four hours I've spent on something like that in years. My late father was a Navy man, aviator (radioman) and private pilot later in life. He'd have loved the Midway tour. He was well-traveled in his retirement and I do not know if he ever got around to that exhibit. I know for sure he and my mom were there in 1990 for a wedding.
- Seafood from the waterfront restaurants that I sampled was outstanding. Expensive, both in S-D and Seattle.
- Was amused that walking into Tijuana (Bum Trolley to San Ysidro, then taking a stroll) involved zero security other than Federales on the Mexico side...who were not checking documents. Did the tourist thing, took cabs to various places, came back later Friday, spent 1.5 hrs in line and Homeland/ICE six feet deep to get through to our side. That, too, was fun because it was new to me and I met some cool guys in line to talk with. If I'd been in a rush, wouldn't have been fun.
- I assume anyone driving in to Mexico probably needs their head examined. The car line in was non-existent on a Friday morning. Later that day, I did notice a massive jam-up of people trying to drive OUT, into the United States. That looked like a big recipe for trouble, offhand, including shakedowns and other Third World nonsense.
- Fair number of bums and vagrants walking the streets, but they don't give me trouble. I'm a big man and generally rather purposeful. SD has a reputation for being more-tolerant of all that, yes? That won't change until the citizenry wakes up to larger social-ills, I'm certain.
- Neighborhoods from San Diego south to San Ysidro looked a bit bleak, socially speaking. Maybe it's just the desert painting everything that way, under a relentless sun. It mostly looked hopeless and bleak.
- Harbor tours, both north and south of downtown, were a great use of two hours of my time. Surprised how close up they came on front-line warships: within a couple thousand feet of state-of-the-art stealth ships, Ticonderoga Class destroyers/cruisers, a 688-class (Los Angeles) hunter killer sub, other brand-new weird looking ships fielding God knows what technology.
- Using my basic Spanish, I listened to a LOT of conversations in that line back into the U.S. A lot of younger Mexican nationals who are obviously middle class/intelligentsia are casually passing back and forth, bringing commerce and ideas both ways. Most of the goods people carried were going south, I saw very little heading north. I've worked closely with upper class Mexican nationals here in Seattle (in software), as an aside, but our company recruits world-over for bright people. Interesting discussions, though.
Didn't get to the world-famous zoo. I'll do that next time. Ours is good, too, and that was second priority.
I'm no beachcomber but clearly that's a major draw. I've seen enough beaches in WA and OR, at the moment.
If that weather is mellow year round, no wonder many people do whatever they can to stay there. That definitely draws a certain kind of personality. Hence why the place is a bum-magnet, no doubt.
Seattle traffic is waaaaaay worse than SD, looking into a bit. As a motorcycle rider, none of that affected me much in San Francisco, either, back in the day. Trouble? Lane split, leave it in the rear-view. I definitely miss that: do-so in WA, the police will have you on the sidewalk in cuffs within the hour.
When I retire, hopefully at 60, I'll "consider" San Diego if the finances can handle it, and the state hasn't imploded (or appears like it might) due to pension problems and other rampant taxation, illegal alien uprisings, etc. Should that seem like a good idea in the future, many more trips forthcoming.
Yes, I get that there is nowhere near the same vibrant tech economy as Seattle. In fact that is why I am where I am, with no plans whatsoever to move BEFORE retirement: if you've got the chops, there is tons of opportunity here that pays quite well. I gather that is a much tougher prospect in SD: moving at-par (salary) would be one, perilous; and two, a money-loser due to taxation (given that housing is comparable in cost).
Astounded to see that most of the major employers are military and other government. That does not sound like a "growth" industry; the government is a cost center, not profit. No wonder the S-D job market is a bit stagnant/dicey?
I lived in the SF Bay Area seven years, 1990s, and understand CA politics reasonably well. And, found most of it despicable, though that didn't stop me from enjoying life those years. I realize San Diego is stereotypically rather Conservative, which sits with me just fine. Still, that's a bit unusual for California, yes?
I hadn't been to San Diego since visiting Sea World in the mid-70s. I remembered not a thing. Thus, essentially this was first time. I've been to LA frequently, and know NorCal north of Monterrey inside and out.
When I land in a new-to-me city, I try not to rent cars if-possible: mass transit and walking the streets tells me plenty. Smells, tastes, sounds, and sights up close and personal. I am a motorcyclist and sometimes ride to places, which adds yet another set of insights.
Couple observations, all of which are based on very little on the ground (1.5 days). I'm not knocking you with negatives: instead, view them as opportunities. When people come to Seattle and do the tourist thing, I'm pleased when they too (on C-D) wing off some first-impressions, pro and con.
So, the good and not-so-much:
- Zillow lists a couple downtown markets, mostly condos, as "very cold". Looking into it, that's new since this summer? Prices for condos in Gaslamp and Marina, e.g., were comparable or less than nicer parts of Seattle. While I'm not moving anywhere in the near-term, I love to compare/contrast real estate city to city. Where I live, specifically (near Kirkland, WA) has gone from "Very Hot" to "Warm" this year. Gas Lamp and Marina seem like my kind of places, over the long haul.
- Given the above, "expensive" is subjective! I've been in a hot field several decades...IT...and am deep in Seattle real estate. Nothing I saw in SD surprised or shocked me in that way.
- Same as Bay Area, one big megopolis from Marin County south through Santa Clara. But go outside that, and it thins out fast. Definitely a concentration of people. No big surprise there.
- The S-D Trolley looks like a bum taxi. Loved the low fares. They're not enforced? Great experience, overall, but was surprised by all the vagrants riding from (nowhere) to (less than nowhere). Couple of cops per trolley and metered entry will up your revenues 25%, and reduce ridership from winos proportionately.
- Petco Field is breathtaking. Wish I'd shown up during game season. Never mind the team stats, yours or Seattle's. Our park, Safeco, is equally breaktaking but I give complements where-due. I like baseball in-general.
- The Midway exhibit is well done. Boy was that a great tour, best four hours I've spent on something like that in years. My late father was a Navy man, aviator (radioman) and private pilot later in life. He'd have loved the Midway tour. He was well-traveled in his retirement and I do not know if he ever got around to that exhibit. I know for sure he and my mom were there in 1990 for a wedding.
- Seafood from the waterfront restaurants that I sampled was outstanding. Expensive, both in S-D and Seattle.
- Was amused that walking into Tijuana (Bum Trolley to San Ysidro, then taking a stroll) involved zero security other than Federales on the Mexico side...who were not checking documents. Did the tourist thing, took cabs to various places, came back later Friday, spent 1.5 hrs in line and Homeland/ICE six feet deep to get through to our side. That, too, was fun because it was new to me and I met some cool guys in line to talk with. If I'd been in a rush, wouldn't have been fun.
- I assume anyone driving in to Mexico probably needs their head examined. The car line in was non-existent on a Friday morning. Later that day, I did notice a massive jam-up of people trying to drive OUT, into the United States. That looked like a big recipe for trouble, offhand, including shakedowns and other Third World nonsense.
- Fair number of bums and vagrants walking the streets, but they don't give me trouble. I'm a big man and generally rather purposeful. SD has a reputation for being more-tolerant of all that, yes? That won't change until the citizenry wakes up to larger social-ills, I'm certain.
- Neighborhoods from San Diego south to San Ysidro looked a bit bleak, socially speaking. Maybe it's just the desert painting everything that way, under a relentless sun. It mostly looked hopeless and bleak.
- Harbor tours, both north and south of downtown, were a great use of two hours of my time. Surprised how close up they came on front-line warships: within a couple thousand feet of state-of-the-art stealth ships, Ticonderoga Class destroyers/cruisers, a 688-class (Los Angeles) hunter killer sub, other brand-new weird looking ships fielding God knows what technology.
- Using my basic Spanish, I listened to a LOT of conversations in that line back into the U.S. A lot of younger Mexican nationals who are obviously middle class/intelligentsia are casually passing back and forth, bringing commerce and ideas both ways. Most of the goods people carried were going south, I saw very little heading north. I've worked closely with upper class Mexican nationals here in Seattle (in software), as an aside, but our company recruits world-over for bright people. Interesting discussions, though.
Didn't get to the world-famous zoo. I'll do that next time. Ours is good, too, and that was second priority.
I'm no beachcomber but clearly that's a major draw. I've seen enough beaches in WA and OR, at the moment.
If that weather is mellow year round, no wonder many people do whatever they can to stay there. That definitely draws a certain kind of personality. Hence why the place is a bum-magnet, no doubt.
Seattle traffic is waaaaaay worse than SD, looking into a bit. As a motorcycle rider, none of that affected me much in San Francisco, either, back in the day. Trouble? Lane split, leave it in the rear-view. I definitely miss that: do-so in WA, the police will have you on the sidewalk in cuffs within the hour.
When I retire, hopefully at 60, I'll "consider" San Diego if the finances can handle it, and the state hasn't imploded (or appears like it might) due to pension problems and other rampant taxation, illegal alien uprisings, etc. Should that seem like a good idea in the future, many more trips forthcoming.
Yes, I get that there is nowhere near the same vibrant tech economy as Seattle. In fact that is why I am where I am, with no plans whatsoever to move BEFORE retirement: if you've got the chops, there is tons of opportunity here that pays quite well. I gather that is a much tougher prospect in SD: moving at-par (salary) would be one, perilous; and two, a money-loser due to taxation (given that housing is comparable in cost).
Astounded to see that most of the major employers are military and other government. That does not sound like a "growth" industry; the government is a cost center, not profit. No wonder the S-D job market is a bit stagnant/dicey?
