El Cajon - yea or nay? (San Diego, Oakland: low income, apartment complex, hotels)

[arkhitekton]

I've perused these threads to try and figure out whether or not El Cajon is an okay place to relocate to, at least to start. From what I've read it seems like it can be really hit or miss depending on where you are.

A little background: my girlfriend and I are both originally from SoCal (I'm from Glendale/LA area, and she's from the Coachella Valley), currently out in Boston for school. She's wrapping up her Master's (counselling/psych field) while I'll be transferring out to complete my B.Arch.

Her sister is a manager for some apartments in San Bernardino, and the same landlord owns a complex on Orlando St between Main St and Madison. She could get us a solid deal there.

Can anyone comment on this particular area? It seems to be at least somewhat close to Granite Hills, which I've seen people mention as being decent.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Generally speaking, Granite Hills is quite nice and overall El Cajon is large and pretty diverse so can be tough making general statements about despite some of the more dim views on this board. If you arent the biggest fan of diverse neighborhoods from both a socio eocnomic standpoint or ethnic standpoint, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Where are you living in the Boston area? Based on what I mentioned above, if you are accustomed to living in the Back Bay or Cambridge, then no, El Cajon would probably not be okay for you.
If you are ok with Everett or Dorchester type areas, then it would be about on par with what I know of that part in El Cajon.

What does your friends sister have to say about it? If you dont trust your girlfriends sister, who works there first hand, I dont think you can really get a better beat on it than that.

[lp4hire]

My advice to you would be to stay as far away from that area as possible. Lots of prostitutes, drugs and police activity in that area. Orlando and Main Street is known for prostitutes hanging out. I know because I work for an employer who left that corner because of all the above named reasons.

Do your self a favor and move over to Fashion Valley area. It is a little expensive on the rent, but you will be able to sleep at night. It's also closer to the downtown area were you can go to eat and enjoy the Gas Lamp District.

[arkhitekton]

Her sister doesn't work there first hand, sadly! She manages a set of apartments with the same landlord way up in San Bernardino so she doesn't really know much about EC. I live in Rozzie right now (closer to West Roxbury), go to school in Back Bay, and work in eastern Somerville by McGrath Highway and Washington.

I'm okay with diversity of all kinds. Actually, I rather prefer it as long as there isn't too much overt tension between groups. As far as ethic diversity goes, I'm Latino but grew up in Korean and Armenian neighborhoods so I have no problem living around other groups at all. Totally used to it.

[arkhitekton]

Originally Posted by lp4hire

My advice to you would be to stay as far away from that area as possible. Lots of prostitutes, drugs and police activity in that area. Orlando and Main Street is known for prostitutes hanging out. I know because I work for an employer who left that corner because of all the above named reasons.

Do your self a favor and move over to Fashion Valley area. It is a little expensive on the rent, but you will be able to sleep at night. It's also closer to the downtown area were you can go to eat and enjoy the Gas Lamp District.

Ah I love that area! We always stayed in hotels there when we've gone to visit.

[tonyinsd]

I don't know much about El Cajon, but here's what William Shatner had to say about it.

$#*! My Dad Says: El Cajon is the anus of San Diego! - YouTube

We tend to get in our little bubbles once we settle in. I live downtown, and while I'll pop into the beach cities from time to time, there's never been a reason for me to go to El Cajon. So I don't. I'm sure the people who live there say the same thing about where I live.

As for the advice to live in Mission Valley, I find that place to be so generic suburbs that I just don't like it. It's mall after mall with some office buildings and apartments in between. No thanks.

[bradleyyo]

I am a San Diego Native of 21 years, born in La Mesa and spent some of my younger years in El Cajon so in some ways I take offense to the name calling of El Cajon but in other ways it is true. El Cajon is very diverse racially now as opposed to when I was a little kid in the 90's. It is generally low income-to lower middle class income. Some areas are better than others like Fletcher Hills and Granite Hills, but I would not call it ghetto, just run down. Go to a ghetto area on the East Coast or Midwest then come back here, and you will see that it is mostly just a run down city and not ghetto. It is by no means Compton or Oakland because I don't feel like i'm going to be shot walking down the streets as I would in Oakland or Compton.

[bradleyyo]

Originally Posted by tonyinsd

As for the advice to live in Mission Valley, I find that place to be so generic suburbs that I just don't like it. It's mall after mall with some office buildings and apartments in between. No thanks.

I like the area near the stadium closer to Del Cerro and Grantville.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Main St in El Cajon has undergone thorough renovation these past few years, and it has become a very nice, lively place. No more run-down stores (also no funky little mom-and-pop stores anymore, and no bookstores ), good outdoor restaurants, live music on weekends, cruise night every week (can't remember which night, Wednesday or Friday I think). A small park with weekend activities. The Wieghorst Museum close by with great stuff if you like Western art. But travel another mile east on Main, and all the funkiness is still there...same thing over on Broadway. Areas with good shopping and decent restaurants, surrounded by what seem like pretty rough neighborhoods, that's my impression of El Cajon these days.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Main St in El Cajon has undergone thorough renovation these past few years, and it has become a very nice, lively place. No more run-down stores (also no funky little mom-and-pop stores anymore, and no bookstores ), good outdoor restaurants, live music on weekends, cruise night every week (can't remember which night, Wednesday or Friday I think).

I don't know much at all about El Cajon but like Clark mentioned, the downtown area is all renovated. A few months ago I went to the downtown area and was surprised it was all renovated and looked nice.

The problem was it was completely dead. I'm not sure how those businesses there make it as the street on the main downtown stretch where all the shops/restaurants were looked completely dead.

We ended up eating at Por Favor Mexican Restaurant which was pretty good (I didn't think it could be too bad when I saw the sign that said it had been around like 35 years).

I agree with Shmoov that you should get some solid input from your girlfriend's sister. Even if she doesn't know the area first hand, I'm sure she can get more detailed information on the apartment complex and spend some time around in that area for you.

I could imagine it's not going to be many people's "cup of tea". Far better areas to live in.