Where to live late 30's? (Oakland, Berkeley: apartments, rentals, condo)

[Trails]

So I am in SD right now looking for housing. Even with the clouds it is still so beautiful. I wore shorts all day (I am from the Bay Area) and wasn't cold at all.

My question is I am finding it hard to decide on where to live. Originally I thought Encinitas, and while I do really like it I sat in a heck of a lot of traffic getting to Point Loma the other day where I am staying.

So I am considering downtown areas Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and also OB and Point Loma if I found the right place. I wanted to stay here to see how I found the plane noise. It's not that bad if you are further south. Although sometimes in the day there are a couple of REALLY loud planes.

I drove around PB today and the Birdrock area. It's ok and all, but I am looking for charming I guess. As nice as La Jollas beaches are for some reason I don't want to live there.

I'd like to find an old Spanish cottage wherever I rent. Walkability is really important and I have seen that in some areas downtown and even Point Loma/OB. But I would give up a tiny bit of that if I could bike places in 5 minutes. So basically I am just curious if anyone has any pointers, maybe specific streets and such where I could find some charming homes within walking distance to stuff (10-15 minutes is fine). If it matters I am 38 and single, so don't want to be in a far off suburb.

If I couldn't find the Spanish Cottage I'd like to find a place like where I am staying. It's Humphreys Half Moon Inn and Suites. This place is really awesome. It reminds me of a place I stayed in Waikiki years ago. If they ever converted this place into rentals I would be here in a second!!!

[Clevelandgal]

when I was looking for rentals it seemed like there were spanish style cottages in the University Heights area, and Northpark. Both areas have charm and walkability. I think craiglist is a great resource. We rented a condo in the Cortez Hill area of downtown (although this was through a realtor). There is great walking around there and it is a little cleaner and quieter than some of the other downtown areas. Love it there.

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by Clevelandgal

when I was looking for rentals it seemed like there were spanish style cottages in the University Heights area, and Northpark. Both areas have charm and walkability. I think craiglist is a great resource. We rented a condo in the Cortez Hill area of downtown (although this was through a realtor). There is great walking around there and it is a little cleaner and quieter than some of the other downtown areas. Love it there.

I would agree with University Heights - charming, near shopping, restaurants, clubs etc... Normal Heights also has many older-type homes, but less charm. Kensington is a lovely neighborhood, but may not be "active" enough for you. Same with Mission Hills. Good luck in your search!

[Trails]

Great info, thanks. What about the Bankers Hill / Hillcrest area? I see some great homes and a walkable area in between Robinson Ave south to Laurel St. Plus the park is only a block away.

[Trails]

A quick update...thanks for all the tips but I am pretty sure I have found what I am looking for. I realized that there is no perfect place in SD. You either have to drive to the beach (downtown), deal with plane noise, hard access (Northern PB), etc. But there are so many other benefits that for me the positives far outweigh the negatives.

I spent all day checking out southern Ocean Beach from around Del Monte Ave to Point Loma Ave (thanks for the heads up from earlier City Data posts). Just a great area. Totally underrated. The plane noise wasn't that bad, and from most of these areas I could walk to Newport Ave in about 15 minutes. I saw plenty of great places (although very few for rent). What's also great is just a few blocks south is Sunset cliffs park which will be nice to go for a run or walk along the ocean. Balmy sea breezes, palm trees, and most people seem really friendly. Had great conversations with store owners.

Maybe I am missing something, but I really thought OB had a great mix of people, from older, to my age, to college. Plus there was a lot of unique stores that I would actually use, not to mention the great food places. It actually had the sense of community in the air. I saw people volunteering to pick up trash on the beach. They had bags to separate trash from bottles and cans. And the streets didn't seem THAT dirty like people say. I guess being from Northern California and spending many days in Berkeley/Oakland I have a thick skin, but OB almost seemed docile in a way. Granted this was the day, and I don't rage or party all night, but I do plan on being in OB in the early evenings, so I'll check that out also.

Plus I can still quickly access all the great things about downtown and the places I want to go in PB (vs somewhere like Encinitas). It's also a quick jump on the 8 freeway which starts right there to take me to Mission Trails Regional Park. I also went to Del Mar today and made the huge mistake of coming back at 4:30 pm. I went to a health food store east of the freeway and coming back to Point Loma took me about 45 minutes. I'll definitely avoid that again.

Hopefully this can help people who feel like certain areas don't really fit them. That's how I felt, but this 8 block area seems like the best bet for me.

[Just1Lion]

Trails,

How you do feel about hippies? just asking.

[sdurbanite]

If you moved here from SF, then OB won't shock you at all. Given the right street, I'd think living in OB would be cool. Strong sense of community there, which can be good and bad. It's the closest thing to the Haight that we have.

Another nieghborhood you might want to check out is South Park (along 30th St, between Kalmia and Fern), next to Balboa Park. Some charming Spanish-style courtyard apartments built in the 30's can be found along with a great little commercial district. Good luck!

[Trails]

just1Lion,

I don't care if anyone is a hippie, Nouveau riche, hipster, preppy or whatever.

As long as your friendly, positive and a good person that's the basics of what I seek.

sdurbanite-

Thanks for the info. I had friends living on Kalmia Pl, so I am somewhat familiar with that area. Good suggestion, thanks.

[Summertime]

Trails, I was emailing someone I know in Ocean Beach and he
says to be wary of the area as there is a darkness there,
drugs, and an element of which some people are not aware.

That is all I know. I think that doing a surveillance at night
would be necessary, as they 'only come out at night.'

[Trails]

Thanks for the heads up, I am sure there is some of that, but after living in Oakland I can't imagine anything being more unsafe.