Phoenix or San Diego? (I live in Phx) (rent, gated)

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

El Cajon is a pretty poor excuse for West Coast living. If you're going to come out here, sacrifice the big living space and live within three miles of the ocean.

Agreed but it's not like EC is far from the water either. Jump on 8 and you can be in OB or MB in 15 minutes. The cost of living difference, and not being a dangerous area, makes El Cajon one of the best options for someone who is looking to relocated here and doesn't have a large income start out. Personally I stay here because I prefer how much more laid back people are here. I noticed a lot of Southern Californians have this false sense of entitlement that doesn't seem to exist here in East County.

[sschibuola]

That's cuz us EC'ers cain't SPELL entytle . . entittle . . . entitlemint . .

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by sschibuola

That's cuz us EC'ers cain't SPELL entytle . . entittle . . . entitlemint . .

lol

[shmoov_groovzsd]

I dont know about coastal living or neighborhoods, but we bought a house out here in East County and have had ZERO complaints. As a matter of fact we like it way more than we anticipated. Its laid back, simple and quiet. It doesnt win any awards for coolest this or that (maybe the big lemon lol) but for right now in our lives, fits the bill.
We go out often to the other great SD neighborhoods and La Mesa, El Cajon etc etc and its great to be so close to all.
It would be a tough call for us to think about a next move around the county, but East County has its own charm and I hope it stays that way.

There are other cities around the world that have it far worse in terms of access and getting around. Places where 20 miles from a city center is truly disconnected and vastly different.
I dont feel its like this with the same effect in San Diego. Perhaps this is why SD feels like a big town to me. Everything is pretty accessible.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

I dont know about coastal living or neighborhoods, but we bought a house out here in East County and have had ZERO complaints. As a matter of fact we like it way more than we anticipated. Its laid back, simple and quiet. It doesnt win any awards for coolest this or that (maybe the big lemon lol) but for right now in our lives, fits the bill.
We go out often to the other great SD neighborhoods and La Mesa and its great to be so close to all.
It would be a tough call for us to think about a next move around the county, but East County has its own charm and I hope it stays that way.

There are other cities around the world that have it far worse in terms of access and getting around. Places where 20 miles from a city center is truly disconnected and vastly different.
I dont feel its like this with the same effect in San Diego. Perhaps this is why SD feels like a big town to me. Everything is pretty accessible.

Hey Lemon Grove not only has a giant lemon but also the yummiest Little Ceasers around. For a buck extra they slather your pie in garlic butter parmesan sauce stuff. Yummy cheap artery clogger..... Havn't done anything else in Lemon Grove unfortunately but it seems like a nice town for sure.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by elcajones

Hey Lemon Grove not only has a giant lemon but also the yummiest Little Ceasers around. For a buck extra they slather your pie in garlic butter parmesan sauce stuff. Yummy cheap artery clogger..... Havn't done anything else in Lemon Grove unfortunately but it seems like a nice town for sure.

If you make your way over these parts, it will be worth your while to get some BBQ at Coops.

Welcome to Coops West Texas Barbeque; The Best Barbeque in San Diego! Event Catering available. Yelp #1 Ranked Barbecue.

[sgfernandez]

Hello again everyone. This topic hasn't died yet I see, which is awesome.

So I am thinking about heading to San Diego again... but it's such a difficult decision. There are a few things that are presently hindering me:

1) I have a lot of financial obligations. I have nearly $400 a month in student loans and will for the next 15 years or so. I don't currently have a car payment because I bought a used car outright two years ago and it runs well and is fairly good on gas. I am also paying down over $3000 of credit card debt. I just got a balance transfer to a new credit card without interest until Jan 2014 to help with that.
2) I have several pets that I am not willing to give up and any roommate I might find would need to be OK with that
3) I am not willing to live in a studio apartment with pets, so a 1 bedroom apt (2 if with a roommate) would be a must. The cost of housing/apartments in San Diego is more than double what it is in Phoenix.
4) I am a college graduate but still don't have any professional work experience, although I've been through a couple formal interviews so far (no dice, though). I currently make $30k/year before taxes on a server/waiter income. I can do the same work in SD, but I still want and need to pursue some kind of career (I can never figure out what I want to do, but I can see myself in an office-type environment I think)

Despite all that, I want to live there so badly! It's been where I've wanted to live since I was around 12 years old. I have a potential roommate in mind right now who is moving back to SD around the time that my current lease ends in May 2013, but circumstances can change in six months time. I also worry with having a roommate because they come and go, and I am not prepared to live in SD alone, financially speaking. But, on the other hand, this could perhaps be my ticket to making a somewhat smooth transition to SD and then I can make my own connections from there. On a positive note, one of my aunts her kids/my little cousins are moving to San Diego next month from NJ, so I will have family in the area. However, I would not be relying on her in any way financially nor will I be living with her.

I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. I am willing to put in the work needed and am very flexible, but I also want to be realistic about the situation. I feel like moving to SD would also have the added benefit of pushing me to work harder for what I want and to better myself. I've kind of reached a stalemate here in Phoenix because I don't have any "reason" to have a drive to work harder, because I have already attained most of the things that I need/want thanks to the low cost of living.

To conclude, this is something I want badly, but there would be roadblocks along the way. I am currently 24, single (gay, not that it matters), and have a lot I want to achieve. I have a bachelor's degree, as mentioned, and I am also bilingual in English and Spanish. I loathe school and am not planning on getting a master's or anything. But when there's a will, there's a way, right?

Any comments or further advice would be appreciated!

[elcajones]

Honestly in you situation I think you should stay in az for now. Live somewhere cool (Mill ave maybe.) and work toward being able to move later on. I am at my parents house in Mesa right now. We had a family emergency pop up so I drove on out. I haven't been back to town since moving back to San Diego and must say I kind of missed it. If I could do it all again I likely would have stayed here in Phoenix. I miss the days of $500 rent and most of the Valley looks so clean. Not hitting a million potholes on the freeways is also a nice perk lol. Not to bag on San Diego but our roads are awful. That being said, aside from traffic rivaling LA and terrible temps 8 months out of the year this isn't a bad place. I appreciate living in San Diego and can't adapt to the desert but hey at least you don't live in El Centro . That drive out tonight wasn't bad. Utilize your massive rent savings on frequent Sd trips to enjoy everything we have without the $$$$$$.

[oddstray]

I agree, it doesn't sound like a good time (financially) for you to try to move here. Having friends and relatives here is good social support, but you sound like you want to *not* depend on them financially.

When you have negligible debt and a good cushion of savings to hold you over until you find a job, that would be a better time.

[sgfernandez]

You have a really good point elcajones! That's why I'm so unsure haha. And yes, Phoenix is sparkling clean compared to SoCal, probably because it's much newer lol. As for me, I can adapt to the desert or the coastal climate. I enjoy Phoenix's summer (to an extent), but also enjoy San Diego's summer. and oddstray, what you said makes a lot of sense too. I do indeed want to be as independent as possible. Here in Phoenix I take care of myself and no one in my family supports me financially; I also don't have a roommate (but I would save even more if I did). I would be making really big lifestyle changes and sacrifices to live in SD.. yet I do love it there. But I also love it here, I just wish there was an ocean I guess. San Diego is also a lot more green (even though it's still an arid climate). But, I like Phoenix's brown-ness too.

I guess we'll see.. my conscious kind of seems to be telling me not to move. I've ignored it in the past and realized I made a wrong decision. Maybe I should listen to it this time. I've also considered possibly moving to the inland empire, like to Riverside. However I am not sure what the job market is like there. The rent seems to be a little more affordable.