Where to live downtown? 23, <$1800/mo (San Diego: apartments, rentals, loft)

[anon5647984651]

I work online, so commute is a nonissue. I'd like somewhere very walkable and transitable. Bonus points for being near fun places to walk, beaches, or biking trails. Ideally, I'd like a 900-1200 sqft loft/studio. I've looked at areas surrounding Balboa mostly so far, and that seems fun and in budget.

[kettlepot]

And the areas around Balboa are the most walkable, transit friendly places. However, to expand your choices beyond Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, South Park and Golden Hill, you may also wish to look at Little Italy which has the best access to the Trollley Line of all of these places. Additionally, you might want to look at Normal Heights, which is probably the most affordable of all of these neighborhoods.

All of the these neighborhoods have restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bars, and unique stores. None of these are near the beach. For that you, your best best would be Ocean Beach. Since all of these are urban areas, biking trails are problematic. The city is developing more of them, but they are still in their infancy.

[anon5647984651]

Thanks, Kettlepot. Any thoughts on how to chose between the Balboa adjacent neighborhoods?

[kettlepot]

Start with budget. Your budget may rule out some areas.

Where do you think you will most likely want to take transit to, and how long are you willing to spend on it to get to your destination? How high of a priority is transit on your list?

Walkability? Please describe in greater detail what you think makes an area walkable?

Bikeability - how important is that on your list?

Vibe/atmosphere - describe in greater detail what vibe you want?

Older or new buildings? Either your own, or those around you? If you want newer buildings, Bankers Hill, Little Italy. If you want to be in an older neighborhood and live in an older building, University Heights or South Park, maybe Golden Hill. Hillcrest, North Park, and Normal Heights mean you will probably live in a "newer" 1960s - 1980s apartment building but within a mix of older houses and low rise newish apartment buildings. However, there are some older apartment buildings as well.

My personal favorites right now are University Heights, South Park, and Normal Heights.

[anon5647984651]

I don't super know what I'm looking for. I've been here from six months, prior to which I was in college in Boston, prior to which I grew up in the suburban Southeast. Truth be told, I've been something of a hermit, and am not even sure what I'll do if/when I start going out more. Perhaps join a musical group, or something science or education related.

To me, a walkable area is one where most basic needs can be walked to inside of fifteen or so minutes. And recreation. I internet most of my needs, between Amazon and grocery delivery. Biking isn't particularly important, since it sounds like that is hard.

No strong feelings on age of buildings. The thing I care the most about is finding an apartment/etc that I love. Loft style, open floor plan, ~1000sqft, more if its in the budget (~1500-1800/mo before utilities).

As to vibe, somewhere I can meet other young people would be neat. Socially liberal, science oriented folks would be ideal.

Thoughts on how to find a loft/apt? Zillow has been my main resource so far, and it's only so useful.

[kettlepot]

Given what you have added, I think you should focus on Little Italy. Little Italy has many higher quality modern buildings and a good walkable area with lots of various services. I would follow this recommendation with Normal Heights which has a full complement of services, and several many opportunities for social interaction if you used them. However, a modern apartment will be difficult. Along with Normal Heights, you might find Ocean Beach provides good social opportunities within a complete community, but again the modern apartment will be more difficult to find.

All of these communities have street fairs, farmers markets, and other, athletic groups to get you out of the house, and away from the hermit lifestyle. You just need to get out there and join them.

No ideas on how to actually search for housing these days. It's been awhile since I went on an apartment hunt.

[CNYC]

Little Italy would be noisy with the trains trolley airport and construction projects don't you think ? Any chance of finding anything in the area on a quiet street ?

It seems like you don't know when the next building is going to pop up.

True or False ?

[Mugsy]

Originally Posted by CNYC

Little Italy would be noisy with the trains trolley airport and construction projects don't you think ? Any chance of finding anything in the area on a quiet street ?

It seems like you don't know when the next building is going to pop up.

True or False ?

Great Point!

Has anybody mentioned Hillcrest? The buses are plentiful around and there are lots of places right there to walk to. Not sure about budget. Check out this open floor pad:

1090 University Avenue #201A, San Diego, CA 92103 - HotPads

[The Flying Dutchman]

Hi, OP, and welcome to San Diego!

First off, as others have stated before me, start with a budget and work from there. Surprisingly, $1,200/mo. will get you a place in almost any neighborhood you seek, albeit the quality/size will vary. For instance, I was incredibly fortunate to pay $1,100/mo. for a beachfront studio in Mission Beach, but it was only 400 sq. ft., plus it included parking. Good deals can be found if you are lucky/look hard enough. Where I lived it was not uncommon for people to be renting for over 10 years (There were only 12 or so units). Speaking of which, do you have a car? Parking can be horrible in certain areas (downtown, the beach areas) If you don't, then consider yourself blessed.

What I do when I look for apartments is to go on craigslist, enter map mode based on the area that I'm interested in, and search by price. I've rented for five years here and have lived in numerous places ranging from downtown to the beaches, and I've seen it all. I'd be happy to PM you personally for advice/coaching as a local.

Lastly, it's really about lifestyle here. Find a lifestyle you want, and pick a place accordingly.

The beach areas are about surfing, partying, etc. for better or for worse. It can be a distraction for someone who wants to take a more productive approach. You can bike around the beach areas fairly well, but most people are on cruisers and relaxing. If you're more into a hardcore biking stance, areas around Balboa park are better suited to your tastes, since Balboa park has miles of biking trails. The neighborhoods surrounding the park (University Heights, Hillcrest, North Park, South Park, Normal Heights) are also great areas to bike in, since they are relatively low density and offer lots of hills and scenic views for bike commuters. The culture is also much more conducive to bikers in general, in my opinion. These areas are also well served by the bus lines, but none of them are easily accessible by trolley.

Personally, I would choose downtown, namely the East Village area. It is downtown's last frontier, meaning that everything else has been developed for the most part, but EV has plenty more to go, which lends to its somewhat gritty character. It's a warehouse district, but if your into that industrial/creative vibe, EV is home. Being downtown, it is easily walkable to anywhere, and you can hop on the trolley with ease. Balboa park is right next door, as is Golden Hill (my favorite neighborhood outside of Downtown).

If you want a more semi-urban feel, try Bankers Hill or University Heights, North Park, or pretty much any area close to Balboa Park.

PM if you like.

[The Flying Dutchman]

Oh, also try Golden Hill in your search for apartments.