San Diego, Hawaii or Marin County ... Which is the best "paradise"? (Santa Cruz: real estate)

[dawneel]

A quick profile ... we love nature, specifically the warm ocean, but also mountains... Would like to live in "paradise" again (which isn't as easy to come by anymore, we realize.) Spent 14 years in Hawaii, left 8 years ago... went back once and came back due to financial reasons (house on mainland, job didn't pan out).

We have a one year old daughter and want to show her the good life too! We're professionals (late 30's me, 40's DH) but will have to work any where we go...

Thinking of making a change from Marin, CA to either beach community north of San Diego or back, yet again, to Hawaii (3rd time a charm?) Another option is to just stay where we are and try to take vacations... although I don't think that's going to be enough for us, honestly, given how much time/energy we spend thinking about moving to warmer climate, closer to the ocean.

Any perspective on the comparison between the three versions of "paradise" would be appreciated.

[Sassberto]

Well I live in San Diego, depending on where you live it could be heaven or hell.

Hawaii is gorgeous and a nice place to visit but I would never want to live there, it is too isolated physically and culturally

Marin is great too, if you can afford it. Personally I would probably pick it over SD just for access to SF and the redwoods.

[sav858]

Well Marin County would be the best place for the "good life" in terms of having the most amenities and luxuries considering it's one of the richest places in the nation. But it's also a bubble of limousine liberalism, which some people prefer and others don't really like. While sheltered parts of Marin County have a nice climate the coast is cold and foggy and it rains the most in the North Bay than anywhere in the Bay Area during winter.

So if weather and a warm climate and ocean are big priorities then San Diego and Hawaii are better. But Hawaii's weather and ocean are much warmer than San Diego's overall. The ocean is only warm enough from mid/late May at the earliest to mid October at the latest to swim in w/o a wetsuit. While it is warmer here along the coast than Northern CA it's 60's and 70's year round usually, so more mild than warm.

If Hawaii wasn't so isolated I'd go with that, so if you can deal with the isolation then it might be better to give it another try but that of course depends on a job. I would assume jobs in SD are a little easier to come by.

[abcde]

Originally Posted by dawneel

Spent 14 years in Hawaii, left 8 years ago... went back once and came back due to financial reasons (house on mainland, job didn't pan out).

We have a one year old daughter and want to show her the good life too! We're professionals (late 30's me, 40's DH) but will have to work any where we go...

About Hawaii...

Sounds like you been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

I don't get it. Why would you EVEN consider doing it again?

(Rhetorical question, you don't have to answer).

[norcalmom101]

I'm not sure what you mean about the good life? I lived on the Big Island, work in Marin, have only visited San Diego. The Big Island is awesome, depending on whether you could really support yourselves in Hawaii, I'd say go to Hawaii while your child is young, that way you don't have to deal with the bad schools there and could come back to the mainland when you get Island Fever! Another question would be where in Marin are you? Some areas are better than others for schools, cancer clusters, etc.

We are about to move ourselves, and I've been really looking at an abrupt change towards Hawaii instead of our destination. The schools, however, are very substandard, unless you can pay for private school, and the cost of living, that wasn't an issue before I had kids (like who needs groceries?) is now a big negative in my assessment.

Make a list of what you really are looking for in a place and go from there!

[skywalker400]

Tough choice, I lived in Petaluma (just north of Marin), lived on Kauai for a couple years and went to UCSD in La Jolla for a while as well. Kauai is a bit more rural and isolated than Maui, but if access to nature and the ocean is a priority, Hawaii cant be beat. I loved my time in San Diego too, fun city with fun people, but the beaches just felt subpar and too crowded after hawaii. Outside the ocean, I feel outdoor activity is lacking too. Im back in the bay area now and am awestruck still driving down the 1 in Marin, seeing such untouched scenery close to a major urban area. In my experience hawaii laid back is 3x as laid back as SD, which is a bit more laid back than here in the bay. Having gone to public school in both CA suburbs and Kauai, I have to say there is a significant difference in the education system and students between the two. hard choice, i guess pick two of the three, (beach/weather, nature/mtns, access to citylife). maybe consider Northshore Oahu for a good mix.

[dawneel]

Originally Posted by sav858

Well Marin County would be the best place for the "good life" in terms of having the most amenities and luxuries considering it's one of the richest places in the nation. But it's also a bubble of limousine liberalism, which some people prefer and others don't really like.

Thanks for the comments and yes, although Marin has its share of "limo liberalism" (that's a new one for me ) in places like Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiberon, Belevedere ... there are other zip codes in Marin that are rural, headed further out west, where people are laid back and not at all pretentious... Woodacre, San Geronimo, Point Reyes are amazing... and Fairfax is down right funky (think Santa Cruz).

We never feel comfortable in the ultra-rich parts of Marin, but instead love the nature and down to earth feel of west Marin. From what I have been reading on other California postings, real estate is sky high in most desirable areas, so I feel we're paying here what we would have to pay in most places these days!

[j760]

I say San Diego, but I'm partial to my hometown.

[dawneel]

Originally Posted by abcde

About Hawaii...

Sounds like you been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

I don't get it. Why would you EVEN consider doing it again?

(Rhetorical question, you don't have to answer).

I did, in fact, get the Aloha shirt ... you are SO right! So why would we consider going back? The natural beauty of the islands and Hawaiian culture -- we love both immensely. Unfortunately, living there is not what it used to be. I wish I'd known "back then" when I lived there in the 90's that those would turn out to be the "good ol' days" in Hawaii. I think I would have appreciated more than I did! Oh well, everything has its time... I have to face the facts that the life I'd like to have there isn't really possible anymore. Reality is people work two and three jobs just to maybe, if they're lucky, get by. Forget about getting ahead. Oh, and the schools? -- oh man, add another $700-1,000k per month... it doesn't add up!

[norcalmom101]

What island were you on? Would you have to sell here to move?