Hillcrest vs Bankers Hill vs North Park vs ??? for young professional couple (San Diego: apartment complex, for rent)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hillcrest vs Bankers Hill vs North Park vs ??? for young professional couple
My husband and I (in our early 30's) currently live in Austin but have both lived in California (me San Francisco and him LA) and have an itch to get back and try something different for a few years. My husband has a job offer in La Jolla. I am a teacher and will look for a job once we decide whether to make the move...know that may be difficult at this time so if that doesn't work out then I will go back to school. Either way, we hope to start a family very soon.
We are in SD now and have spent the better part of the last few days driving around various areas trying to decide where we would like to live (we will rent a 2 bdrm as we aren't sure how long we will stay and we own 2 properties in Austin - willing to spend up to $2500/month for a great place). My husband loves to surf and would like to be near the beach....but we didn't get a great vibe in La Jolla and did like a place in Del Mar but aren't sure we would find much else going on there. I am not a huge beach girl but I love the feel of several of the neighborhoods in the city and now have my husband interested in them as well. Still working to convince him that he will still be able to surf even if we don't live blocks from the beach....thoughts on this?
We fell in love with a place in Hillcrest (quiet street called Cypress just west of Park). However, we are unsure of whether we would find other young couples/families there or if it is primarily a singles and gay area. We love the proximity to the park as well as shops/restaurants. We would prefer a standalone home but would consider a smaller complex for a condo-type place. Is Banker's Hill or North Park a better fit for us? Or are there other areas that we should be considering (inside or outside of the city)? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Not a huge difference between those areas, although North Park is decidedly lower-income. Urban families in San Diego tend to gravitate away from Hillcrest / North Park / Bankers Hill into Mission Hills, Kensington and South Park, which have better schools and a more family-oriented atmosphere - unfortunately those areas are considerably more expensive.
Trying to get a teaching job here is virtually impossible. If you don't know anything about the school districts in CA, they have major budget problems. Right now, teachers are getting pink slips. If they are laid off, they'll be taking all the substitute assignments which will mean less or no work for the substitute teachers. Going back to school and getting another degree in a different field is a better idea.
Not a huge difference between those areas, although North Park is decidedly lower-income.
I actually disagree with Sassberto's comment about North Park. While parts of it are lower income (between El Cajon Boulevard & University Avenue), other parts are middle income (east of the Park) and some parts are high income, just north of the Park between Park Boulevard and SR 163, and the mansions along 28th Street.
Since your children would be at least 6 years away from attending school, don't sweat the schools in any of these areas. There will be plenty of time to sort that out later.
I attended a North Park community meeting, and one of the comments made was that there were a lot more families with kids in the area than people tend to think. So, while North Park will certainly have its share of singles and gays, there are families there as well.
Bankers Hill is more of a career oriented, DINK type area, unless you get west of 2nd Avenue. On 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Avenue, you would most likely end up renting in some kind of tall, apartment complex with lots of onsite amenities. Whether you would get to know your neighbors or not is hard to say. You would probably have to make a special effort to join clubs, groups, or organizations, to meet people who share your interests.
I actually disagree with Sassberto's comment about North Park. While parts of it are lower income (between El Cajon Boulevard & University Avenue), other parts are middle income (east of the Park) and some parts are high income, just north of the Park between Park Boulevard and SR 163, and the mansions along 28th Street.
Since your children would be at least 6 years away from attending school, don't sweat the schools in any of these areas. There will be plenty of time to sort that out later.
I attended a North Park community meeting, and one of the comments made was that there were a lot more families with kids in the area than people tend to think.
I saw plenty of families south of University and west of Boundary when I was looking for a place; those homes are on the expensive side for North Park, especially as you approach Burlingame, South Park.
If you like the city, Little Italy, Hillcrest, Cortez Hill would probably be best, in that order.
On the coast, PB feels somewhat different than La Jolla and is still walkable if you stay within 2-3 blocks of Garnet (on either side) and preferably west of Ingraham. Point Loma is nice too, but generally more expensive and still requires a drive to OB/PB to surf.
I actually disagree with Sassberto's comment about North Park. While parts of it are lower income (between El Cajon Boulevard & University Avenue), other parts are middle income (east of the Park) and some parts are high income, just north of the Park between Park Boulevard and SR 163, and the mansions along 28th Street.
Since your children would be at least 6 years away from attending school, don't sweat the schools in any of these areas. There will be plenty of time to sort that out later.
I attended a North Park community meeting, and one of the comments made was that there were a lot more families with kids in the area than people tend to think. So, while North Park will certainly have its share of singles and gays, there are families there as well.
Bankers Hill is more of a career oriented, DINK type area, unless you get west of 2nd Avenue. On 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Avenue, you would most likely end up renting in some kind of tall, apartment complex with lots of onsite amenities. Whether you would get to know your neighbors or not is hard to say. You would probably have to make a special effort to join clubs, groups, or organizations, to meet people who share your interests.
Right. When I was housing hunting the past couple of years, it seemed the whole Morley Field area north to University was stroller city.
I find the same in South Park as well when I go to the Whistle Stop bar there. They even have a little kids playground, which is pretty bad ass. Take that McDonald's!
Right. When I was housing hunting the past couple of years, it seemed the whole Morley Field area north to University was stroller city.
I find the same in South Park as well when I go to the Whistle Stop bar there. They even have a little kids playground, which is pretty bad ass. Take that McDonald's!
It's the Station Tavern on the opposite end of the block from the Whistle Stop that has a playground. I don't think it would go over real well if you tried to bring your toddler into the bar.
It's the Station Tavern on the opposite end of the block from the Whistle Stop that has a playground. I don't think it would go over real well if you tried to bring your toddler into the bar.
LOL. Thats right! I can be a bit slow so I tend to use words by association....whistle stop and station I associate with trains. Always get those two crossed when mentioning.
JoyRobo:
My husband and I relocated from the East Coast about a year ago. We were looking to buy a home in almost all the same neighborhoods you mentioned and had similar criteria. We're in our early 30s and fall into the "career oriented, DINK type" category. We ultimately bought a craftsman in North Park.
All this to say one of the MAJOR things we learned during our search is NP is HUGE. http://www.sandiego.gov/police/about/media/pdf/2007/2007citywidemap.pdf (broken link)
It's in varying stages of gentrification/renovation/neighborhood rejuvenation, etc. So it's hard to generalize income levels, residential neighborhoods, etc.
For example, we live in North Park - a couple of blocks from Hillcrest and University Heights. My street is almost entirely made up of DINKs, young families, and some older, gay retirees. Two blocks over there are a lot of singles living in apartments. Two blocks in a different direction it's all families, and two blocks from there it's decidedly low-income. Basically what I'm saying is you may want to check out the exact street before you cross it off your list. NP is really an amalgamation of cultures, income levels, and family situations.
Also, you may want to add University Heights to your list. There seem to be more single family homes for rent in that area than in Banker's Hill.
For example, we live in North Park - a couple of blocks from Hillcrest and University Heights. My street is almost entirely made up of DINKs, young families, and some older, gay retirees. Two blocks over there are a lot of singles living in apartments. Two blocks in a different direction it's all families, and two blocks from there it's decidedly low-income. Basically what I'm saying is you may want to check out the exact street before you cross it off your list. NP is really an amalgamation of cultures, income levels, and family situations.
Also, you may want to add University Heights to your list. There seem to be more single family homes for rent in that area than in Banker's Hill.
Great post! Spoken like a true North Park Resident.
Might I add in addition to U-Heights, the OP might want to look into Adams North (aka Normal Heights, north of Adams Ave) and my neighborhood of Kensington. Good luck in your search, you can't go wrong with any of the areas that have been mentioned!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $53,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
