Best Neighborhood for late 20's people? (San Diego, Anderson: apartment, rental, neighborhoods)

[postdoc_cdn]

Hi, my girlfriend and I will be moving to SD this fall.
We're both in our late twenties, and are not interested in suburbia.
We're looking for a 1 bedroom, and are trying to decide on a neighborhood.
Our budget is around 1100 / month.
After some research we've narrowed in on the following neighborhoods:

hillcrest
north park
university heights
little italy

We would like to be somewhere fairly lively with culture, but not rammed with drunken undergrads.
Also walking proximity to things like cafes, restaurants, etc would be a plus.
Finally, it looks like proximity to Balboa park would be nice.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!!
Thank you

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by postdoc_cdn

Hi, my girlfriend and I will be moving to SD this fall.
We're both in our late twenties, and are not interested in suburbia.
We're looking for a 1 bedroom, and are trying to decide on a neighborhood.
Our budget is around 1100 / month.
After some research we've narrowed in on the following neighborhoods:

hillcrest
north park
university heights
little italy

We would like to be somewhere fairly lively with culture, but not rammed with drunken undergrads.
Also walking proximity to things like cafes, restaurants, etc would be a plus.
Finally, it looks like proximity to Balboa park would be nice.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!!
Thank you

Any of those four neighborhoods you've identified would work, it just depends on your personal likes and dislikes and of course the place you find. Spend some time in each one, see which one feels most comfortable to you, and find a place there!

[kettlepot]

For a $1100/month, you may have difficulty finding what you want in an apartment in Little Italy or Hillcrest. A lot of the construction in Little Italy is fairly new (1990 or later), has all the amenities, and is priced accordingly. Rental costs in Hillcrest are forced upward by the proximity of the medical cluster created by Mercy and UCSD hospitals. If you can find what you want in these two areas, that's great, but I think you will have a better chance in North Park and University Heights.

Between North Park and University Heights, I think I prefer University Heights. I don't think $1100 per month in North Park will get you within walking distance of Balboa Park, but in University Heights, $1100 per month will put you withing walking distance of Trolley Barn park, and the small, but surprisingly vibrant commercial district on University Heights' Park Boulevard. And UH will also put you within walking distance, (a long walk admittedly) of the main commercial area of Hillcrest.

[Oerdin]

$1100 won't buy you much.

[T. Damon]

I would add South Park to your list. A little less urban than most of the other neighborhoods, (easier parking) but still walking distance to everything you need (great restaurants, pubs and shops) and easy access to everything else.

The demographics here fit you to a "T"

SOUTH PARK San Diego

[John_Galt]

I'm a big fan of Hillcrest, myself. My wife and moved to San Diego in June of '08 from NYC, and originally moved to what is technically downtown, but was in a pretty residential section just south of Balboa Park. While we liked the area generally, we found that we really missed being able to walk to restaurants, cafes, etc. like we were able to do in NYC.

We were always heading up to Hillcrest for dinners and to socialize, and just fell in love with the area. About 6 months ago we moved to Hillcrest and could not be happier with the decision. The neighborhood has a great, urban feel, excellent restaurants (both variety and quality), good social scene, etc. Plus, we're a very short walk to Balboa Park.

The only limitation might be your budget (North Park or University Heights would be more affordable), but you should take a look. If you find the right place, it could really be worth it.

Good luck with your search!

[djxpress]

My friend had a 1 bedroom on the western edge of Hillcrest which was not too far from Balboa Park and her rent was around $1100. The building is an older one and there are 8 units in the building. It's located right at the corner of 6th and Anderson Pl.