Life in Chula Vista (Surrounding areas) (Los Angeles, San Diego: wood floors, apartment complex, to rent)

[JorgeZ]

Hi everyone!! Well I posted before that I was considering taking a position at UTC Goodrich in Chula Vista... Well they made me a an offer which was significantly lower then I expected.. so I'll be taking a $10k pay cut.. However... Right now I am in Waco Texas which is SUPER boring and not at all like home (I'm from Los Angles)..
Well from what I can tell the cost of rent is significantly higher then I expected...

Being that I do the following.. what advice can locals give me?:
32 year old latino... young professional (engineer)...
Lives alone.. BUT may have a GF who currently lives in LA moving with her son from LA to CV and/or SD..
I dont mind areas with latinos... or minorities... just NO gang areas or "hoods".. In LA there were parts of town that were just UGLY and Bad... So please nothing like that...

1. I would like to rent an affordable place that has a washer/dryer in unit
2. Close to E and the 5 fwy (within driving distance, less than 30 minutes away)
2. Close to a 24 Hour fitness (Sport if possible)
3. Close to shopping
4. Movies
5. The beach

Also, what kind of lifestyle can I expect in CV (or surrounding area)? I ask because here in Waco I expected a college town (Baylor is here)... BUT its NOT like that.. Its the bible belt and very quiet and not at all like USC.. Will CV be like living in Ventura or Santa Barbara??

[oddstray]

What do you consider "affordable"?
What is "E"? CV close to the 5 freeway is the older, sketchier part of CV. Going eastward towards Eastlake it gets newer and nicer.
Google maps should be able to show you where 24 Hour fitness, shopping and movies are located.
You'll pay a premium for living near the beach. And be aware, it's not a warm beach like the Gulf Coast - it's too cold for swimming without a wetsuit or drysuit for a good part of the year.

CV is nothing like Santa Barbara. I haven't been to Ventura so I can't speak to that.

[JorgeZ]

LOL.. What I meant by "E" was E Street and the 5 freeway... Well I've lived in Los Angeles and know that the CA beach isnt the warmest on earth.. LOL..

I have done some Google searches.. But google doesnt tell me what the locals know... Is there another more affordable part of SD...

I am taking a huge pay cut to come home to CA.. so I'd like to find something $1200 or so...

[Capricorn_Resiliency]

Originally Posted by JorgeZ

LOL.. What I meant by "E" was E Street and the 5 freeway... Well I've lived in Los Angeles and know that the CA beach isnt the warmest on earth.. LOL..

I have done some Google searches.. But google doesnt tell me what the locals know... Is there another more affordable part of SD...

I am taking a huge pay cut to come home to CA.. so I'd like to find something $1200 or so...

I don't know much about Chula Vista...but its flanked by some what rough areas *National City* to the north which has alot of gang activity, drug dealing, prostitution & a lot of auto theft. To the immediate south you have San Ysidro & Imperial Beach which can flare up at a moments notice.. But from what I gather Chula Vista is generally much safer & the police force there don't fool around they have zero tolerance for B.S.

[MovingAloha]

Chula Vista is a lovely town and has many nice areas. I live in Otay Ranch/Eastlake, which is part of Chula Vista, just east of 805. It would take you approx 15 minutes to get to E and Hwy 5.

We are currently in a very nice apartment complex that has 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms, wood floors, granite counters, stainless applicances and washer/dryers in the unit. It has a beautiful clubhouse, pool, gym and sauna.

You would be very close to the Otay Ranch Town Center and other shopping. The complex is called Rosina Vista, you should look them up and see if there are openings. If not, all along East Palomar in Eastlake are plenty of nice apartments and if you prefer older, then you should look around the downtown areas of Chula Vista for some decent apartments.

The comment about National City, I can't confirm, since I have only driven through the area a couple of times, but it does not appear to have any affect on the lifestyle in CV.

Good luck to ya.

[Capricorn_Resiliency]

Crime has an uncanny reputation for not staying put in one area...National City's over all crime index is higher then the national average...National City borders Chula Vista & crime does certainly over flow into areas of Chula Vista. The eastern part of Chula Vista is safer then the western end or areas near the trolly line.

[mricu]

You being single and starting off in town, I would personally recommend Mission Valley. It's not in CV, but it would be 15 minutes to your workplace in the morning and evening. It would also be against traffic so you won't be stuck in the gridlock.

Mission Valley is central to everything so you can get to pretty much anywhere in the city within 15 minutes. There are plenty of 24 hour fitnesses in the area as well.

I lived in Mission valley before moving to Otay Ranch. Although Otay Ranch is a great area, it's a bit far from the happenings of San Diego.

[MovingAloha]

Originally Posted by mricu

You being single and starting off in town, I would personally recommend Mission Valley. It's not in CV, but it would be 15 minutes to your workplace in the morning and evening. It would also be against traffic so you won't be stuck in the gridlock.

Mission Valley is central to everything so you can get to pretty much anywhere in the city within 15 minutes. There are plenty of 24 hour fitnesses in the area as well.

I lived in Mission valley before moving to Otay Ranch. Although Otay Ranch is a great area, it's a bit far from the happenings of San Diego.

Actually, I agree with you. We looked at a couple of apartment complexes in Mission Valley, one of which has a trolley stop within it's facility. I think it's name is Promenade. Nice complex and I believe fairly reasonable rates. it is also near other activities, eateries, bars, etc.

[djxpress]

MovingAloha - how is Otay Ranch area? I am also looking into buying a home, though I've grown up in North County my entire life. We always called CV "Chula Juana" and I've never been inclined to consider anything south of the 8. However, the houses are newer and since I'll be buying on my own, I'd rather have a 21st century single-family home in CV than a 1980s condo in Carmel Mountain.

Is the makeup of CV primarily Hispanic and Filipino? Do you feel safe in that neck of the woods?

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by djxpress

MovingAloha - how is Otay Ranch area? I am also looking into buying a home, though I've grown up in North County my entire life. We always called CV "Chula Juana" and I've never been inclined to consider anything south of the 8. However, the houses are newer and since I'll be buying on my own, I'd rather have a 21st century single-family home in CV than a 1980s condo in Carmel Mountain.

Is the makeup of CV primarily Hispanic and Filipino? Do you feel safe in that neck of the woods?

Its perfectly safe and brand new, there are also plenty of non-filipinos and latino's if that makes you feel better about the area. Even some of the older neighborhoods are quite peacefull and nice.

I am always amazed of what a bad reputation South County has in the eyes of many North County people. Sometimes its not even a bad reputation, sometimes it is just not known at all.

My wife grew up in Mira Mesa, went to the beach in La Jolla, shopped in North County Fair, she really knew nothing about South Bay before we got married or anything south of the Gaslamp quarter. The only reason she ever went down there was to go to the sandcastle exhibits in IB. I believe that growing up in North County really "shelters" many people from whats actually going on in the world around them.

Even my wife's older sister, when I mentioned we were looking at a couple of houses in Bonita as possibilities when we were in the market, she was like "Bonita? where's that?"