Relocating to SD from Bakersfield (San Diego, Chula Vista: rental, buying a house, neighborhoods)

[ChangeIsHard]

I have recently got a job in SD (Downtown) and am looking into areas to move my family (wife, 3 kids) in the surrounding areas. While I have no problem working downtown, I prefer to live as far away as possible and reasonable. The areas outside of the city/beach are where I am focusing my search.

Most conversations with fellow employees and natives seem to point to Poway, and it looks good. Santee seems an alternative with what -- sounds like, more of a "Bakersfield" feel to it. However, some strong opinions exist on it's culture -- but is seems to be less expensive.

However, since I am just moving here I would like to rent before purchasing anything. What are some good options? I am looking for, honestly, at least a 4 BD house at this point. Budget would be around $2500-$3000/month.

Also, commute times/options (public transport) would also be a consideration.

With all that being said -- any ideas other than these two locations?
Or any other general advice?

This forum is great, and still reading a lot of existing posts -- thanks for anyone who responds!

[mongozx]

Far away from downtown as possible? I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned Poway. The surrounding areas (Rancho Penasquitos,Rancho Bernardo) are also quite ideal for your family & budget. Commute times may be a pain. You're talking about a 30 minute+ commute one way with average traffic.

I'm not too familiar with Santee but it does have one of those negative reputations that it can't seem to shake off.

[oddstray]

If you live in Poway, you can make your way to the transportation station along I-15 at Ted Williams Parkway and take a commuter bus downtown. It won't save you much time, but you can relax part of the way.

Transit.511sd.com

[cruitr]

Torrey Highlands is a nice family area of single family homes with good schools. You'd have a 30-45 minute commute to downtown SD.

Two advantages of Torrey Highlands over Poway are you're a little closer to the beaches and the air temps are about 10 degrees cooler in the summertime.

You are very wise to rent before buying a house. Here's a sample rental in Torrey Highlands:
4br/ 2.5 bath Spacious Torrey Highlands Home (PUSD)

[tstieber]

Poway is definitely a nice area, but yes, that commute could be somewhat hefty. Santee is very Bakersfield -- sprawling, a little country music, lots of strip malls. It's got that dusty highway sort of feel. And it has a reputation for being a little redneck. But it's not terrible. You can also look into El Cajon, La Mesa, or Spring Valley, all of which connect much more quickly to downtown than Poway, especially if you can use the 94. There happen to be some large newer developments of beautiful homes off of the 94, near Lemon Grove, north of the freeway and between Massachusetts and Spring, up on the ridge. Also, look into Del Cerro (a neighborhood of San Diego), off of College Ave on the 8. A traditionally nicer family neighborhood with now slightly older (1970s and 80s) homes but better schools, and very close to town compared to the other areas.

Lastly, you may also look into Eastlake, east of Chula Vista, off of the 805 south of downtown. Developed mostly in the last ten to fifteen years, there are TONS of affordable, nicer, newer homes and a ton of infrastructure. However, the relatively manageable commute can be marred by bad traffic on that stretch of freeway, and you're far from the "cool" parts of town including the North County. But it's a tradeoff for better value.

Good luck!

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by ChangeIsHard

I have recently got a job in SD (Downtown) and am looking into areas to move my family (wife, 3 kids) in the surrounding areas. While I have no problem working downtown, I prefer to live as far away as possible and reasonable. The areas outside of the city/beach are where I am focusing my search.

Is this really what you want? Enormous commute times adding hours to each one of your workdays? Sounds like hell.

Plus the cost, enormous. If public transportation is a no-go, you are going to be throwing money away on gas and transportation -- money that, if saved over time, could go a very long way to funding your retirement, or a college fund for your kids. Ten years of an unnecessarily extensive commute could easily translate into $100k of wasted money, which if saved, could be useful to you or the kids. And it will have been wasted on California's sky-high gas tax plus increased costs for our "special blend" of gasoline. That's something I'm not throwing my money away on.

Commutes and transportation are one of the most underestimated costs in living expense. Too many Americans work to support cars they can't afford, instead of building financial assets. And living within walking or biking distance is one way to help build financial independence.

Anyway, if you want a good read, see what the MoneyMustache website has to say about car and commuting costs. It will be an eye-opener and guarantee it will have you rethinking "as far away as possible."

[ChangeIsHard]

Sorry for my wording, I really wasn't looking for the longest commute time, but I am certainly sure about living in an outlying family-oriented community with reasonable to perhaps a little more affordable housing. With no familiarity with the area (outside of visiting the Beach/Sea World/Zoo once or twice) I just want to see what's out there -- thank you to everyone who has posted a response -- everything is so very helpful! I appreciate all the comments and information -- it is invaluable to me.

[tonyinsd]

Why don't you try La Mesa? It's not too far away from downtown and housing is reasonably priced. I know a number of people with kids who live there.

And don't write off the city itself. If you look hard enough, you can find good housing at a reasonable price even in neighborhoods that most people write off right away.

The idea of driving back and forth an hour a day just so that you can have a yard you never use because you're too tired or it's already dark is ridiculous to me.

[ChangeIsHard]

I can certainly widen my search to include the city-proper. It is all different to me, since here a "commute" from the other side of town can be 20-30 minutes. No freeways involved only surface streets, but we are the picture of urban sprawl so I suppose that's to be expected.
Everything is far away from our central downtown district. And, housing anywhere near it is much, much older and less desirable (for the most part) over newer, but established, neighborhoods closer to shopping and other things.

Again, thanks for all the comments -- very helpful!