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What he said is so wrong on so many levels. I'll just take the hate everyone who wasn't born in the United States. Uh huh. Because a border city, where so many people have Mexican heritage, is going to be like that.
But I'm glad he's out of here. One less negative person to ruin our day.
It was the "... little outdoor opportunities unless you're a surfer or into beach ... " that made me wonder, "WT..."!!!
Imo i think the original poster just misses Southern California
If So Cal is so bad,what took so long to move?
After 6 years,why are you still dwelling on it?
My guess is that you miss living here!
Eh, MovingAloha, if you read my posts, yes, I do miss living there -- I miss the ocean. And I miss the way it was 50 years ago. And that's it. As for taking so long to move, I didn't get fed up until the last five years. It was a difficult decision to make. I had lived there for many years, and plus, I had and have family and friends there. BUT those last five years were a deal breaker. LOL So I retired, and I took my very healthy government retirement and moved to a place without much traffic and humdity and people, and no fog, smog, marine layer, and oily greasy dust. And my cost of living now allows me to go back to San Diego and visit -- once -- sometimes twice -- a year, which is good enough for me. If you think San Diego is the good life, that's fine with me. I said before that if anyone really wants to live there, he/she will find a way. For me, the qualify of life went more and more downhill with each passing year. Too many people moving in looking for 'the good life' really destroyed it. I am going to assume you aren't nearly 50 years old, so you have no idea how good San Diego really was, up until about 20 years ago. [I sometimes think the increase in earthquakes is the earth's way of saying there are too many people squeezed into a too-small area. :-)] And, by the way, yes, The Sylamar Earthquake caused a lot of damage in San Diego. I remember. I was there. :-)
I'm sorry, but if you miss the San Diego from 50 years ago then the only place left for you is a small town in the middle of no where. I don't know of any place with 3+ million people that still feels like it's 1961.
At least you did something about it and moved, so I will give you that.
Last edited by sdurbanite; 12-13-2011 at 04:43 PM..
I moved to SD because of the over-hyped "jewel" reputation and I did have a good paying job... run from there like from hell, the place is suffocating, overpriced, full of stuck up people who hate anyone who wasn't born in the US, conservative, nothing to do, no nature really or forests, little outdoor opportunities unless you're a surfer or into beach, impossible to meet interesting people, uniform-looking boring stucco houses, strip malls, endless, extreme sun. Beach is the only activity. Portland was such a pleasant contrast, like a cup of fresh water after SD.
Stucco houses and strip malls, except in the area that I live in and the areas surrounding it. You lived in the wrong part of town or you didn't care enough to find what you were looking for.
As for the outdoor stuff, I don't surf. Somehow I'm outdoors during 90% of daylight hours when I'm not working- hiking, riding my bike, reading in the park, etc.
If you are looking to live in/around a city of signficant size, on the coast, in a warm/mild year round climate, you options are woefully limited in the continental US. On the West Coast, it's LA or SD. Otherwise, I invite you to try someplace like Jacksonville or Tampa and see how they compare to SD.
SD is expensive because it is a fantastic place to live and people are willing to throw down big money to live here. Many people cannot live the type of life they want here because they do not have the assets or income to get it done, and that's why there are places like Phoenix...or for that matter the Inland "Empire". The best areas to live in the country and the world for that matter are just plain expensive. Now some may say SD is not worth it, but sorry the numbers disagree. If a place is dirt cheap to live, there is a reason for it - and if expensive, a reason for that as well.
Nevertheless I am friends with numerous people who never outgrew the So Cal beach life and continue to rent down by the beach and keep things simple on modest incomes and they love their life - I think that's great and you can indeed enjoy a fantastic simple beach lifestyle here without a doctor's income.
SD has alot of different faces depending upon where you are in the city and county. It has something for everyone.
If you are looking to live in/around a city of signficant size, on the coast, in a warm/mild year round climate, you options are woefully limited in the continental US. On the West Coast, it's LA or SD. Otherwise, I invite you to try someplace like Jacksonville or Tampa and see how they compare to SD.
SD is expensive because it is a fantastic place to live and people are willing to throw down big money to live here. Many people cannot live the type of life they want here because they do not have the assets or income to get it done, and that's why there are places like Phoenix...or for that matter the Inland "Empire". The best areas to live in the country and the world for that matter are just plain expensive. Now some may say SD is not worth it, but sorry the numbers disagree. If a place is dirt cheap to live, there is a reason for it - and if expensive, a reason for that as well.
Nevertheless I am friends with numerous people who never outgrew the So Cal beach life and continue to rent down by the beach and keep things simple on modest incomes and they love their life - I think that's great and you can indeed enjoy a fantastic simple beach lifestyle here without a doctor's income.
SD has alot of different faces depending upon where you are in the city and county. It has something for everyone.
GREAT post. I totally agree with it. I've found that most people that complain about San Diego are those that can't live as good of a quality of life they would like to live here so they get down on the city.
I've posted this before but I had many former classmates that previously lived in San Diego and LOVED it and raved about it while times were good. They were able to use their homes as virtual ATM machines and keep taking equity out and living beyond their means.
But when they figured out they couldn't really afford to live here at the lifestyle they wanted to live...all of a sudden they were complaining quite a bit about San Diego.
I think those that can't really afford to live a good quality of life here get down on the city or complain about it.
I think those that can't really afford to live a good quality of life here get down on the city or complain about it.
I have to laugh. Why are people who don't like SD being 'psyched out'? Why can't it be that those who don't like SD don't like for the reasons we stated? Because I could say that those of you who make out SD to be The City of Gold "The poster doth protest too much" LOL -- what are you hiding? I think you just like SD. I don't think you MUST have a hidden agenda.
Perhaps age does have something to do with it, as I said before. I went to a party the other night and met a California retiree transplant who moved away from SD about 10 years ago. He had a great home, with a view of the ocean, and he just couldn't take all the people, cars, traffic, earthquakes -- and TAXES -- anymore.
I couldn't afford a home with an ocean view, but I could live quite well in SD. I chose and still choose not to live there for the reasons I stated. It's a great place to visit for a short while. I just don't want to live like a sardine, trapped in traffic and waiting for the next earthquake. LOLOLOLOLOL
And what about all the San Diego people I know who would move from SD in a heartbeat if they could? Oh, I know -- they are just figments of my imagination.
People who love SD are allowed to state their opinons, but so are the people who don't. And people who are thinking of moving there should hear from the people who don't like it. There are pros and cons to everything.
I have to admit I'm a little confused about the earthquake claim. Wasn't the strongest earthquake to have any impact on San Diego the one we had a few years ago on Easter? The one that, in most places, just caused minor shaking?
How did you get "sick" of earthquakes living here? We rarely feel any...
I have to admit I'm a little confused about the earthquake claim. Wasn't the strongest earthquake to have any impact on San Diego the one we had a few years ago on Easter? The one that, in most places, just caused minor shaking?
How did you get "sick" of earthquakes living here? We rarely feel any...
As I said, there have been more earthquakes in the DC area than in the San Diego area since I moved here a year ago.
I guess people in DC should sit around cowering, waiting for the next one.
The major gripes of the original poster were that San Diego wasn't like it was in the 1950s. Name one major metropolitan area that is. They also complained about traffic, which any major city will have. And pollution, which again, any major city will have.
Also, I find it very ironic and troubling that the original poster complained about taxes but then talked about their hefty government retirement package. Who do you think funded that, the tooth fairy?
If you want to avoid these things, you've got to move out into the sticks. That may work for some people, but not too many. Something like 90 percent of the country lives within 50 miles of a major metropolitan area. I could be off on the exact number, but I believe it's that high.
Also, I find it very ironic and troubling that the original poster said that taxes were too high but then turned around and bragged about their big government retirement checks. Who do you think funded that, the tooth fairy?
I have to admit I'm a little confused about the earthquake claim. Wasn't the strongest earthquake to have any impact on San Diego the one we had a few years ago on Easter? The one that, in most places, just caused minor shaking?
How did you get "sick" of earthquakes living here? We rarely feel any...
With you on this one!
@Fran66
When was the last major earthquake you were a part of when you were here?
I have to agree that the OP loses some credibility right off the bat by complaining of "all the earthquakes" in San Diego. I have lived here over 20 years and have never sustained any damage whatsoever or even been inconvenienced in any way by an earthquake.
As for there being alot of people, cars and traffic, well now isn't that an observation that would apply to any major US city? Nothing really unique about San Diego in that regard, in fact San Diego isn't even on the radar as far as density of population goes. You want to talk traffic? Please go take a drive around DC, NYC, SF or LA and then come back and tell me how bad SD is.
For people that want to be out in the sticks, it's not just San Diego that won't work for them, it's any major or even mid-level city. So when I hear somebody complaining about San Diego in the manner in which the OP has, it rings as a criticism of cities in general, not just SD.
Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion but it's pretty hard to argue that San Diego isn't a very highly desireable place to live, which is clearly evidenced by high real estate values. SoCal coastal real estate is some of the most prime real estate in the world, and we have arguably the one of the finest climates in the world here in SD.
I have actually watched many friends pack it up and move out of SD over the years, and the reason has always been financial. Not everyone can get it done here, not everyone can make it happen to their satisfaction, and the reason is there is tremendous competition for the same real estate, jobs and resources in this relatively small corner of the country with near perfect weather, beaches, desert, forest, etc etc. In fact you can get out into the sticks pretty quick as well.
If you don't like cities, than of course SD is not going to work for you. If you want to live in a city, and you want to live in a very mild climate on the coast, than there is no better choice than SD in my opinion. But I would be happy to debate the virtues of Jacksonville, which is one of the few alternatives.....
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