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Old 05-22-2011, 10:12 PM
 
10 posts, read 40,034 times
Reputation: 13

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Hello. I'm at a big crossroads in my life, and I am in need of some honest feedback about the schools in the San Diego area. I have several job offers on my plate. One is in San Diego. (The salary is 56k/yr & I would be renting) I'm currently in Nashville, TN and I make 40k a year at my current job. If I make this move it will be myself, my 2 children, my sister, & niece. I would appreciate help since I do not know anyone in CA except a relative in LA and he is struggling! I do have some money saved and my ex pays child support, but I know the cost of living on the West coast is much more expensive then here in the South. I generally get along well with most people and I am not afraid of change, but my biggest fears are uprooting my kids and having them stuck in a crappy school. They are doing really well in their school and activities here. So my questions are..

1. Isn't it cheaper to reside in a city nearby SD and commute to work? If so what areas have the best public schools? My children and niece are elementary school aged.
2.Which areas have lowest crime?
3.How is public transportation (since we have 1 vehicle and I'm not sure if I want to take a chunk of my savings to buy another vehicle yet)? Is the traffic as bad as LA?
4. Are there areas where you can rent a 3BR+ for under $2500/mo?

I would appreciate any help from someone who lives or has lived recently in the SD area, thanks!
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Old 05-23-2011, 01:29 AM
 
1,180 posts, read 3,127,660 times
Reputation: 1791
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amordelsol View Post
Hello. I'm at a big crossroads in my life, and I am in need of some honest feedback about the schools in the San Diego area. I have several job offers on my plate. One is in San Diego. (The salary is 56k/yr & I would be renting) I'm currently in Nashville, TN and I make 40k a year at my current job. If I make this move it will be myself, my 2 children, my sister, & niece. I would appreciate help since I do not know anyone in CA except a relative in LA and he is struggling! I do have some money saved and my ex pays child support, but I know the cost of living on the West coast is much more expensive then here in the South. I generally get along well with most people and I am not afraid of change, but my biggest fears are uprooting my kids and having them stuck in a crappy school. They are doing really well in their school and activities here. So my questions are..

1. Isn't it cheaper to reside in a city nearby SD and commute to work? If so what areas have the best public schools? My children and niece are elementary school aged.

San Diego is a very spread out city so what you would think of as communities near by are probably actually part of the City. I'm thinking of areas such as Point Loma, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Clairmont, etc.
2.Which areas have lowest crime?

Probably La Jolla, Point Loma, Coronado, Scripps Ranch, and University City areas.
3.How is public transportation (since we have 1 vehicle and I'm not sure if I want to take a chunk of my savings to buy another vehicle yet)? Is the traffic as bad as LA?

The traffic is bad but not generally as bad as LA. Public transportation is not the best especially if someone has to travel anywhere for work. If you'll have to rely on public transportation I would look for something close to where you'll be working that is close to trolley and bus lines. san Diego is pretty much a car community and taking public transportation can be very inconvenient. That said, I've done it in the past so I know it's a pain but doable.
4. Are there areas where you can rent a 3BR+ for under $2500/mo?

Rental Properties in San Diego, in California, in San Diego

I would appreciate any help from someone who lives or has lived recently in the SD area, thanks!
Best of luck with your decision. If you come west, yes, the cost of living will be much higher. And it'll be a different culture than you're used to so give yourself enough time to adjust.
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Old 05-23-2011, 10:09 AM
 
Location: 92037
4,630 posts, read 10,276,114 times
Reputation: 1955
amerdelsol,

San Diego City proper is large and made up of many many neighborhoods. It would help if you had the zip code of where the position is in SD to give you a more accurate snapshot.
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Old 05-25-2011, 07:11 PM
 
10 posts, read 40,034 times
Reputation: 13
92103. Thanks.
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Old 05-25-2011, 07:37 PM
 
10 posts, read 40,034 times
Reputation: 13
Thank you for that info Skelaki. I know La Jolla is way out of my price range. We were checking out Chula Vista. But I have not like what I heard about it so far. I still have much research to do and I have been looking at other threads. Many people have been asking the same questions as I have! So reading those replies have been really helpful. My potential employer is located in 92103 area.
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Old 05-25-2011, 08:45 PM
 
745 posts, read 1,568,503 times
Reputation: 331
Poway has excellent schools. The district includes Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos. Poway is also a very safe area. It's north county inland so you would have a commute to 92103.
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Old 05-25-2011, 08:52 PM
 
10 posts, read 40,034 times
Reputation: 13
Thanks. I have been notified that I may be able to telecommute 1-2 days a week, so I would not mind a commute the other 3 or 4 days (5 day work week). I have been hearing good things about Poway, and I'm in the process of researching rentals now. I may be mistaken if I can get more for my budget in Chula Vista.
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Old 05-27-2011, 02:24 AM
 
1,180 posts, read 3,127,660 times
Reputation: 1791
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amordelsol View Post
Thanks. I have been notified that I may be able to telecommute 1-2 days a week, so I would not mind a commute the other 3 or 4 days (5 day work week). I have been hearing good things about Poway, and I'm in the process of researching rentals now. I may be mistaken if I can get more for my budget in Chula Vista.
You might want to check out Mission Hills since you'll be working in North Park. Also check out the North and South Park areas. Your kids would be going to San Diego City Schools so you'd want to check out the schools in those particular areas as the city schools naturally vary in quality.
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Old 10-06-2011, 06:55 PM
 
Location: Imperial Beach
24 posts, read 43,478 times
Reputation: 21
Quote:
The salary is 56k/yr
That salary won't qualify you for much in Poway - I suggest looking at Chula Vista east of I805, the schools are pretty good there and the commute is probably easier than Poway. Look also at the 92119, 92120, and 92124 zipcodes in SD City, the schools are still pretty good there. For schools you need to be primarily concerned with safety.
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Old 10-07-2011, 08:56 AM
 
Location: San Diego
50,297 posts, read 47,056,299 times
Reputation: 34080
Serra Mesa. Note, certain busing just stopped so many of these schools are going to have marked improvements.
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