Some Sound Advice? (San Diego, Costa Mesa, Mesa: apartment, rentals, month-to-month)

[herbie731]

Thanks to all for reading this in advance.

I am currently contemplating moving to the San Diego Area. I originally had planned on moving toward the Newport/Costa Mesa/Huntington area, but was persuaded by a few locals (like yourselves) to seek San Diego.

Well i just found this forum and decided, well, why not ask.

I am a 26 year old professional, i own an online electronics company. So relocation is NOT an issue at all. I will not disclaim my income, for personal reasons, i have a vehicle of my own, inventory, some furniture. I plan to come out this September to find a place to put some money down on (renting) and then make the final move in October. This being said. I want to find the best area for me. Some things that i want are...

Close to the beach (if im going to move there, im going to be close to the beach)
Close to a type of fitness center (24 hour fitness is fine)
Close to a decent night life. I really dont want to fork out 40$ for a cab every night i go out (is that typical?)
Id also like to find an area where there are people in my age group. 21-33.
Im coming from a very small area, so i know this is a huge move for me. But i dont want to find a place, love it and realize that its not in the area i want to be in. And i dont want to find an area i want to be in and be forced to live in a dump.

This is all mostly rambling, but any suggestions can help. You are free to send me messages too, those i will get to faster than these posts.

I should put a range i am looking for, for an apartment. around $1200 for a single person. Preferably a 2 bdrm 1 bath since i need room for the office equipment.

Anything you can offer is more than i have already. So thanks.

[mewzikguy]

Sounds like you got a good head on your shoulders. . .cool I would say Pacific Beach would be good for you. . .lots of shops, restaurants, bars, 24 hr. fitness right there on Garnet Ave. You can walk home from all of that. Look on the streets around Garnet for rentals. Just know this is a big city, there can be some sketchy people around. But most guys/ gals your age who move here love it. Good Luck. . . . . Another area is Little Italy, Gaslamp area, and East Village downtown. Hip, cool trendy areas with everthing you would need, but a bit further from the beach.

[justsomeguy]

Definitely Pacific Beach. Has everything you are looking for. And cheaper than the Gaslamp/downtown areas. Not just rent necessarily, but food and gas and stuff. Gas is like 20 cents cheaper in this neighborhood. And you can find a 1br for 1200 in PB pretty easy. Check out Craigslist.com, that's where I found my rental. You want to try and find a place near Garnet Avenue, that's where all the bars are. You can walk or take a cab for like $5 or less.

[herbie731]

Thanks guys. Ya know i didnt even expect a response. After college i moved to Hawaii. I tried to talk to as many people from there as i could, no one wanted anything to do with me "stay off our rock" is what they really meant!

so its good to have some help.

What do you guys think about Ocean Beach?

[justsomeguy]

I haven't been there much, but I think it is more of a laidback, hippie-ish place though. There are dog beaches there. Supposedly it used to have a high concentration of tattooed, meth-head bikers? There might be a few bars here and there, but the "nightlife" scene is really on Garnet in Pacific Beach and downtown in the Gaslamp. Pacific Beach is more of a college-fraternity/sorority-surf dude scene. Ocean Beach will probably be a little more affordable than Pacific Beach, I think the rents are a little cheaper.

[herbie731]

I guess the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it is.

Rent was decent there and very close to the beach. Maybe i should find someone renting out a 3 bedroom place and i can rent the two bedrooms, one for me and one for my office and other items.

Not sure i can find someone that i can live with right away. Im very easy going an all, but its just hard to move into someones place, when they think its theirs and give you a hard time about everything. (past experiences)

anyway, ill check Pacific Beach. Isnt it close to the military base? not to be rude but im not sure i want to be around all those guys. There are some girls, but im not usually drawn to military ladies (sorry).

Or maybe i was thinking Ocean Beach is right there. How far is Pacific Beach from san Diego? would i ever go there anyway? except to go to the airport? it is like LA as far as the prestigious clubs and such? or am i wrong?

Just rambling again, i hope you all can handle it! i try not to make a habit of it, but some people can relate. they see something that i ramble about and say "i thought that too" so i never delete what i type, as you can see.

Anyway, thanks so much for writing, you guys are great.

[mewzikguy]

Pacific Beach is part of SD, but it's a ways from downtown. Lots of clubs, shops, bars and such. Not near a military base. Ocean Beach is more hippie, funky but has some cool eateries, bars, and shops. Downtown has lots of music venues- - House of Blues, 4th and B, Casbah (Indie). Plus big dance clubs- - - you would go there I'm sure now and then .

[justsomeguy]

Pacific Beach is about 12 miles or so from downtown San Diego. Mostly it's full of dive bars and pizza bars and the like. There are a few dance clubs.

City of San Diego Neighborhoods Map (broken link) this map is useful.

Pacific Beach is more casual. You'll find a lot of ill-dressed surfers and the like there. You'll also find a ton of hot women. It's mostly like a party-central, college type place.

Downtown is more "professional" and a bit of an older crowd (mid 20s-30s). People will be dressing sharp. Downtown bars are also more expensive than PB bars. $10-$20 covers to get in, and beers are like $5 or $6. That was the main thing that turned me off to downtown. I haven't really been back after the first few times. There are also more bums and stuff walking around. Gas and food and stuff is also more expensive downtown. And getting around downtown is a *****, it's all one-way streets and there are a lot of steep hills. The only thing that's downtown that I care for is Petco Park to watch the Pads games, but you don't want to live near there, it's mostly ghetto.

Personally, I'd go with PB or OB. If you don't like it, you can always leave after 6 months and find another place. Or if you're lucky you can find a month-to-month lease. If you like the bar scene, your best option is to look for an apartment close to Garnet Ave in PB. You can walk to the bars or pay a low cab fare. There is also a 24hr fitness on Garnet I think.

I am 26 and what I would call an "intellectual" so the PB crowd is a little too young and too fratty for my tastes, but it's still nice to walk to a bar every now and then and soak a few suds and admire the view. ; )

[NYSD1995]

It all depends on what you are into.

Do you like to party? San Diego is a party town.

MB/PB is like a giant kegger. Bars and girls and beer, beer, beer. Every hot chick in the southland is there every weekend in the summer. They come from OC, LA, Arizona

OB is pretty much the same thing but with hairier women and a joint with your beer (maybe some tweak too). My favorite beach city.

North County Beaches, La Jolla, you better be a damn good surfer if you're driving that car... otherwise... drive a nice car.

Downtown is mostly yuppie, lots of homeless, big bars and clubs, kinda fun kinda lame. Drive a nice car and keep you slacks pressed, you'll be ok down there.

City areas is a hipster / yuppie / gay / ghetto scene, that's how I like it. Fat girls and dive bars. Adams Avenue bar scene is great, the rest is getting better.

I will warn you - a lot of people in the SD nightlife like to get HAMMERED DRUNK. Especially downtown and in PB. watch out for fighters and pukers.

What do you typically do on a Saturday night where you live now?

[justsomeguy]

sassberto, where do people go to party in OB? Someplace safe with interesting people, different mix than the PB crowd.....