San Diego or Carmel?? (best city, rent, homes)

[lexi]

I'm not rich... but can afford the rent in either place... so which place would
be the best to live in? I'm not a big night life person. I like to go to the beach, eat out and ride my bike (bicycle). Any advice?

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

Originally Posted by lexi

I'm not rich... but can afford the rent in either place... so which place would
be the best to live in? I'm not a big night life person. I like to go to the beach, eat out and ride my bike (bicycle). Any advice?

You just spelled, "C-A-R-M-E-L" in code lettering. Home of wonderful restaurants, quiet beaches, and coastal bike rides.


natural green vs. watered green, no traffic vs. traffic, small city vs. big city, rocky coast vs. sandy coast, 60 degrees vs. 70 degrees, and fog vs. smog.

[tande1n5]

I'd have to agree. San Diego may be too big and crowded for your taste. Many beaches in San Diego are quite crowded from both tourists, and locals. Carmel will get a little touristy on some of the major holidays, though. The nicest part is you can wave goodbye to your air conditioner, and let the natural air conditioning in Carmel do the work. Definately one of the most beautiful places in the country.

[sunnymom]

I agree with the above posters except San Diego is not smoggy!!!

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by lexi

I'm not rich... but can afford the rent in either place... so which place would
be the best to live in? I'm not a big night life person. I like to go to the beach, eat out and ride my bike (bicycle). Any advice?

Do you need to work? I will agree with others that tiny Carmel certainly has plenty of charm over big-city San Diego, but Carmel is quite exclusive. San Diego would offer you 100 times more in terms of jobs.

[lexi]

Hey, thanks everyone!! I was pretty much leaning towards Carmel but
since I've only been to both San Diego and Carmel a couple of times, and
I know San Diego locals love their area I was torn. However, after reading
your posts I believe Carmel will suit me best. It sounds like a more relaxed
traffic area and the beach isn't very fun if it's really crowded.

So... Carmel of Bust!! Thanks again

[Angel Bear]

We're thinking of retiring in Carmel one day We're going to live in So. Cal. first

[slackerboys]

Sorry but most days now you can see a brown layer of smog in San Diego and when you get to the East County it is really bad, and the water is polluted too. San Diego has a history of taking the cheapest route possible so for the fifth largest city in the country it still dumps raw sewage in the ocean with only a one stage treatment (they remove the solids and dump the rest). But most residents live in kind of a la la land where they vote down improving the fire fighting facilities after the huge Cedar fire and just go on their merry way. The traffic is terrible because they don't use or believe in mass transit, but just keep making the freeways wider so they bottleneck somewhere else down the road. I grew up there and saw the writing on the wall in the seventies when developers control everything and they would build huge tracts of homes and worry about schools and sewers later.

[lexi]

Originally Posted by slackerboys

Sorry but most days now you can see a brown layer of smog in San Diego and when you get to the East County it is really bad, and the water is polluted too. San Diego has a history of taking the cheapest route possible so for the fifth largest city in the country it still dumps raw sewage in the ocean with only a one stage treatment (they remove the solids and dump the rest). But most residents live in kind of a la la land where they vote down improving the fire fighting facilities after the huge Cedar fire and just go on their merry way. The traffic is terrible because they don't use or believe in mass transit, but just keep making the freeways wider so they bottleneck somewhere else down the road. I grew up there and saw the writing on the wall in the seventies when developers control everything and they would build huge tracts of homes and worry about schools and sewers later.

You're making Carmel sound that much better. Truly, San Diego has some
great things going for it... sunny weather, sandy beaches, job opportunities,
lots and lot's of things to do.. but I really don't like traffic and the poluted
water is definitly a turn off.. I'm probably going to pick Carmel though
mostly due to lighther traffic. San Diego is beautiful ... they really
need to work on mass transit it sounds like though. Thanks for the input!

[Pointer]

Originally Posted by slackerboys

Sorry but most days now you can see a brown layer of smog in San Diego and when you get to the East County it is really bad, and the water is polluted too. San Diego has a history of taking the cheapest route possible so for the fifth largest city in the country it still dumps raw sewage in the ocean with only a one stage treatment (they remove the solids and dump the rest). But most residents live in kind of a la la land where they vote down improving the fire fighting facilities after the huge Cedar fire and just go on their merry way. The traffic is terrible because they don't use or believe in mass transit, but just keep making the freeways wider so they bottleneck somewhere else down the road. I grew up there and saw the writing on the wall in the seventies when developers control everything and they would build huge tracts of homes and worry about schools and sewers later.

Some of what you say is true, However the water pollution is not because of the Stage one treatment plant, that plant sent the effluent two miles out to sea. The pollution comes from storm runnoff and plugged up sewr lines ( common occurence here). San Diego has to have the dumbest City Council in the nation, spned money on worthless projects, like the salary ordinance, giving illegals a 50% pay increase. The roads are terrible, money is spent on sports teams instead of infrastructure. Most voters vote down tax increases because they know the money will go into a big black hole. The city recently spent 450,000$ on a consulting firm to tell us the roads were substandard.