Average rent in San Diego County areas (Needles: apartment complexes, rentals)

[sdlife619]

SD is one big fat leisure town and it doesn't take itself too seriously. So I can imagine why people leave here and move to better cities that are more career oriented.

That's crazy to hear people wanting to badly live in the Marina district in downtown, personally it's a rather bland and generic neighborhood. Obviously they are not moving down their for work.

Just imagine if all the military packed up and left town? SD would be devastated economically and the population would most likely decrease.

[tonyinsd]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

That's crazy to hear people wanting to badly live in the Marina district in downtown, personally it's a rather bland and generic neighborhood. Obviously they are not moving down their for work.

Clearly, you don't live here. Bland and generic? Hardly.

No, what's bland and generic are the cookie cutter places. We don't have too many of those. Seriously, no one building is like another. If you don't believe me, walk around.

And many of us who live here walk to work.

[sdlife619]

Originally Posted by tonyinsd

Clearly, you don't live here. Bland and generic? Hardly.

No, what's bland and generic are the cookie cutter places. We don't have too many of those. Seriously, no one building is like another. If you don't believe me, walk around.

And many of us who live here walk to work.

Yeah dude, I do live here, been here practically since birth. And yeah the Marina District has bland modernized architecture especially on the west side of Market st. It looks like a cookie cutter urban movie set. The Gaslamp and East Village is much better looking with more unique buildings if you ask me.

[tonyinsd]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Yeah dude, I do live here, been here practically since birth. And yeah the Marina District has bland modernized architecture especially on the west side of Market st. It looks like a cookie cutter urban movie set. The Gaslamp and East Village is much better looking with more unique buildings if you ask me.

I live in the Marina. No two buildings look alike. Atria is different than 235 on Market is different than is different than Cityfront. And Cityfront was built using the facade of an old soap factory. My father used to work there back in the 60s.

When was the last time you took a stroll around? Or maybe you didn't, seeing how you are saying there is a western side to an east/west street.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I bike to work Well, as often as possible.

My wife would love to live downtown. Me, no way. I gotta have open space, big back yards and lot's of BBQs!

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Not so sure on the 'bland' architecture in Marina. I lived thre for over 6 years on the border of Marina, Gaslamp and Chinese Districts (1.5 blocks lol) and still go down there quite often. The Marina is by far the most residential in nature and super quiet for being urban.

The Soap Factory which is part of Cityfront is still one of my favorites downtown that I would buy in. What is cool, is that they kept a lot of the character in the units like exposed brick, wood beams etc which is very rare to find anywhere downtown. They did a nice job, although for the past couple of years they have had to dig up all the sewer and water lines due to litigation and flooding issues. That should be near complete and I am eyeing up a potential place in there.

Citywalk is another I would live in with access from the sidewalk.

From a unit perspective, the Marina District IMHO has floor plans that I think are better laid out. Much of that area has pre-housing boom stock and it seems to have held up well and didnt suffer as much turn over as the high rises like Pinnacle, Electra or Horizon.
The newer buildings downtown are ok, but it was the era during the boom when they were calling a "2 bedroom" a 2 br because they took a small office and put up closet door in there to make an instant "2nd' bedroom.

One thing that needs to be taken into account with the urban core is that, people WILL pay for it in rent. Buying has certainly become more appealing since prices have gone down and the would be landlords have been fished out.

In terms of unique. I think the urban core of SD is absolutely one of the best places to buy in for the long term. Has great weather, tons of shops and restaurants all walkable and totally different than anywhere else in Southern California up until LA. No other city has a, active downtown core like SD until you hit LA.

[sdlife619]

The western half of Market st. is very quiet, Cityfront with it's brick construction and Electra using the old SDGE building are the only buildings that really stand out on that side of town.

I will say that downtown SD is one of the better downtown's in the US where you have a crazy packed nightlife scene each weekend. The only thing we are missing are skyscrapers to add to a more big city feel.

I love Bankers Hill architecture, it has a SF feel to it on certain blocks.

So how would some of you compare SD's urban core to many other cities in the US?

Like in feel, the way things are laid out, and realness factor?

[Mugsy]

Don't forget Petco Park, the new bridge to the Hilton near there.

As well as the new downtown library being built. It is going to be so awesome!

I have watched downtown San Diego as it has transformed from a plighted city to something so pretty to view.

We also now have the Silver Line Vintage Trolley that runs through downtown now.

This seems off topic from OP's original post of average rents in SD.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by Mugsy

... This seems off topic from OP's original post of average rents in SD.

That's OK. It's about giving people who are interested in moving here more information about the area. So it's still loosely (and that's enough, IMO) on topic.

[j.m.H]

Housing is a necessity, not a want.