Single, young professional relocating to SD! Where to live? (San Diego: neighborhood, income)

[krambis]

Another bit of info for the OP - I'm a tenant of Sunset Pacific Realty here in OB and they are great. I've only had to call once for a small maintenance repair and they were able to resolve the issue that day before I even got home from work. I'd recommend checking their listings when you narrow your search - they've been straightforward and don't cut corners with maintenance.

Clevelandgal - I'm on Cable and Santa Cruz, just a short walk to the bus! Sadly, I've been driving to work most days (and gas prices are insane), but I've been able to just take Harbor Drive and have avoided the 8 and 5! You were right - it's tough leaving the beach every morning, but it's awesome to drive back to the ocean every afternoon. Everyday is a vacation - my blood pressure has probably dropped quite a bit!

[Clevelandgal]

I might have to talk you into a scooter for your commute. 100 mpg and free parking, plus lane splitting to the front of traffic lights, it cuts an urban commute in 1/2. If you were remotely interested you could try mine in an empty parking lot. Anyway, the OB lifestyle has been amazing for us. Honestly as soon as we cross sunset cliffs blvd (me from pt Loma, the spouse via Sea World Dr from the 5) we find ourselves taking a natural, long deep sigh of relief and calm knowing we are almost home to our tiny oasis. our stress level has toned down a lot. For the most part (but not always) when someone is jacked up at work I give them this long gaze of PEACE TO YOU, JUST CHILL...instead of getting jacked up in their nonsense.

[sdfrombos]

OP I work in a field that probably makes a salary comparable to yours (I do engineering work for a defense/aero company, I think that probably gets paid close to IT?), and I'm doing just fine here. Don't worry about it. You get what you pay for, honestly. Yes it's expensive. But you know what? I make the same salary here as I did in Boston and can afford much more than I could back east (if I wanted to stay in say, Boston or Cambridge). The city of Boston itself is cool and all, and it wouldn't break my heart to live there again...but I prefer it in San Diego so far.

The people are nice here. I don't know how people here would say they're not...they mustn't have been to any cities on the East Coast if they think people in San Diego aren't friendly. I'm honestly shocked when I see people say complain about the people here. I wouldn't say they're SUPER outgoing or anything, but...fair. If you're an *******, they'll treat you as such. But if you're nice, they'll be nice. Simple as that.

Also I'd avoid PB if you're over the frat party scene. Go with OB or North Park (or anything near Balboa Park)...that's where I'm going next, I have to get out of the PB scene. PB is the one neighborhood I've been to so far that went against everything I said about the people above...it's overrun by douchey college kids, and it's unfortunate because otherwise it would be a beautiful place to be. Obviously that's a generalization and I've met some great people in PB, but...just a warning.

Good luck with the move!

[jwblue]

PB.

Just because someone is past the years of binge drinking, PB is the place to be when in your 20's.

Life is all about meeting people and making friendships. PB is the best place for that for someone in there
20s.

[locationanomaly]

PB is the worst of the desirable/livable areas in my book, aside from the slums down south. The only thing it has going for it is the name and the fact the residents are young. There is no parking anywhere and everyone that lives there is from somewhere in the midwest or northeast. From those I've known that lived there, it's like a cross between Three's Company (which I'm too young to remember) and a drunken party town.

SD has some great things going for it. If you love the sun, you will see a lot of it and the temperatures are always mild. If you don't like snow, rain, or seasons, this is definitely the place. The traffic isn't bad unless you work downtown, live in the suburbs, and commute with the direction of traffic. The ocean is here, provided you like related sports. There are many hiking and biking opportunities. We also have possibly the best zoo in the country (actually 2, but the park is out in Escondido) that almost no locals ever visit. It is also, apparently, a great place for golf. It's a great place to live if you have the spare time to enjoy it, that's for sure.

If you're looking for people your age, aside from the universities, PB is about the only place with a high concentration of younger people. Unless you're intensely driven to live in SD specifically, I'd recommend visiting for the attractions and if you still want to be in CA you should also visit and strongly consider somewhere in Orange County (great beach cities, similar COL, a strong local tech sector, and better pay) or north of Los Angeles like the SLO area (mostly younger people, nice, and lower COL) or even Santa Barbara. At least consider North County (SD), where you'll find a lot more jobs in the tech sector.

When I rented my first place down here my landlady interrogated me before showing me the place, since she had never met anyone under 50 that could afford the rent on an SFH. Even after 6 years here (in an industry where 3 years is a long time with any company), I'm still the youngest employee where I work. If you do find something, expect to hear a lot of war stories about times before you were born.

If you're hoping to find a job out here, good luck. The market is beyond saturated unless you have an advanced degree and an exceptional local network. Your competition will be at least 55 years old with 2-3 decades in the industry and own homes they bought in the 80s (therefore their monthly costs are less than your rent), so they'll take almost anything you offer. I should know, considering I interviewed tens of them for an opening at my company (no joke - every one had a work history that stretched at least into the 80s and they were fiercely competitive with each-other) for a job that we could have filled with someone straight out of college. Oddly, there wasn't anyone straight out of college to be found.

Personally, I'm looking outside CA at this point. Love SD for the good, but I know it's not sustainable in the long run. My expenses just keep going up faster than my income and if the tax hikes on the ballot pass it will become unaffordable. That's the harsh reality down here...

[HotRodJayhawk]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!



Well not everything in life is about money and quality of life is something that should be considered as well. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the quality of life in San Diego is definitely much much better than it is in Kansas. Not only is the weather much better, but there is much more to do here than there is in the midwest. It is probably why so many midwesterners move out here even though it is more expensive here. And if you are a Jayhawk basketball fan ...... as most Jayhawkers are ..... nearly all games are shown at either the Kansas City Barbeque in downtown San Diego or at the Boardwalk Cafe in Mission Beach. Both are owned by Kansas alums. Come to either of those places and you will be in friendly company!

[divagotstyle07]

Originally Posted by jayhawkAM

USDefault - Thanks for the response. I completely understand that this may not be the most 'financially responsible' decision. A little background info on myself: I've lived in Kansas City my entire life, and am ready for a change. It's like this.. I'm 24 years old, and I'm fortunate enough to have a great job that I genuinely enjoy doing, while still having the flexibility to work/live wherever. Will I have to buckle down my spending a bit more? Sure. That's expected. I can afford to have a little less money in my pocket, but be just as happy (if not happier) in SD. Kansas City has an extremely low cost of living, and while it would be 'smart' to stick around and save, I'm just not interested in that. I can afford to take a risk like this at this age, but not so much 5-6 years down the road. I have no interest in getting married, buying a house, and having kids ANYTIME soon unlike the rest of my Midwest counterparts. California offers a completely different lifestyle that I really enjoy. Doesn't mean I'll be spending my entire life here, but I would like to get out and experience things from a different angle. Again, I really appreciate your insight and concern, but I have not overlooked the financial side of this move.

Wow-- This is EXACTLY how I feel too! I'm looking into moving to SD in 6 months, from YOUNGSTOWN OHIO. The cost of living is so dramatically different, but i feel the same way you do!! I'd rather do it now, than have something to hold me back in a few years.

The only difference between us is I'm still trying to get a job there!

[crunchymama192]

PB and OB are very hipster and actually very disgusting in my opinion. That is where the homeless people live. There are very few places in San Diego I would consider good places to move to. I am doing everything I can to get myself out of here, but the prices are making it extremely difficult. If you come here and get settled and decide you hate it, you might have the same struggle. But if you are set on coming here I would suggest Coronado. It is beautiful here. You will probably only get a studio apartment with that budget but unless you like the view of homeless people on your porch that is what you will have to pay. If clean is important to you Coronado is probably the only place you will like. Maybe La jolla. But definitely Not OB or PB. I was there the other day and wanted to boil my hands when I got home. This is what you will see. Google Image Result for http://cdn.obrag.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/tentcitysactonew.jpg

[jayhawkAM]

It's been awhile, but I thought I'd update everyone on my decision. I'll be moving to Ocean Beach somewhere in the October '13 - December '13 time frame. Now the search for property rentals begins!

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone who contributed helpful feedback!

[Tchud Diego]

Good to hear from you after all that time! Good luck on your move!