An essay about life/living in San Diego... (San Francisco, Huntington Beach: for sale, house)

[LaVieQ]

...by Richard Farrell from the online magazine numerocinq. Good writing and a good read, if reading is your thing.

Much like the discussions here, his feelings are conflicted with appreciation on the one hand (for the perfect weather for instance) an misgivings on the other (such as the monotony from the lack of seasons).

[Hawaii4evr]

Thanks for posting. Interesting read.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

That was an interesting read. Thank for sharing.

I agree. Conflicted is the right word to describe it. Perspective is an interesting thing

[Pedro2000]

Interesting article. Very true in many ways. But it also seems to get back to the heart of how many people, even those who live here, view San Diego's. It's about the Great weather and Sunshine. When you start to go into deeper conversations, suddenly it becomes apparent people don't have much outside of that though. This could also be the reason why many people seem to move here and then leave. If it's just the weather that drives you here and keeps you here, well, that gets old fast if everything else isn't what you expected.

I always wonder about this. When you live in other places, the weather might be mentioned, but people usually move or live in places because of various reasons. Family. Jobs. Activities. Schools. Clubs. Hobbies. Interests. People. Nightlife. So on and so forth. San Diego people like to mention the beaches and surf, but half the people who live here never even go to the beach or surf. The big joke is the "surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon" comment that nobody actually does unless it's some bet or challenge. And many places you probably could do the same damn thing in the summer.

But that is the odd part about San diego. So many people just seem to move here because of the weather. Nothing deeper ever comes to mind but vague marketing type of responses.

I love San Diego, love Southern california and California in general. But I'd probably be just as happy in Santa Barbara as I would be in Del Mar or Encinitas or downtown. I spend as little time as I can at home, so the nice year round weather is a benefit. But the "would love to move to san diego because of..." is the odd non answered question.

We have people on this forum who love living in Temecula. Nobody would ever say thats San diego. And that brings me back to the biggest issue. If I lived in Dana Point or Huntington Beach or Ocean Beach or La Jolla or Del Mar or Newport Beach or Encinitas, what's really the difference? The weather isn't all that different, the beaches are all nice, each community has it's own feel and culture. And price wise, well La Jolla and Del Mar are going to be more expensive than HB, while NB is up there with most expensive places in the world. OC is closer to LA and has more jobs.

This is the part I never understand really. Somebody who lives up in Oceanside or Carlsbad compared to somebody living in Dana Point or Newport Beach aren't all that far apart. So when somebody says they love living in San Diego and live in Carlsbad, would they really hate living in Dana Point and Orange County? I mean it's practically the same weather. And if you wanted to visit San diego, it's not that far away. And vice versa.

[LaVieQ]

Shmoov & Hawaii4ever,

Glad you guys liked it.

Pedro,

You got a lot more out of that article than I did

You're right that when considering a place, we get psyched about things we seldom practice after getting there. I suppose one gets busy with the daily chores and all those alluring things are put aside to address these necessities. Still, it seems that many (even if a sizable minority) in SD do a lot of the things that are talked about here, even if not to the extent of "surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon." Everyone agrees that life is more laid back and people do indulge in what SD has to offer. Should we self flagellate when we can't do everything that one can do? Perhaps getting even half the hype is enough.

Does it make a huge difference that one is living right in the thick and center of these potential activities and facilities vs someplace a bit further off? In reality, I don't think it makes a huge difference, and, is not cause enough for seeking endless advice and therapy in on-line forums about one place vs another. As long as one is within striking distance (say 1-2 hours) of those things and provided there isn't degradation in the essential qualities one is aiming for where they end up, it is not worth wracking one's brains about. At least that's the way it has been for me in my life. And it is consistent with the advice that many give here that the best way to select where to live it is to try out SD for a year or two before choosing to buy.

The monkey wrench in achieving this sort of flexibility is the daily commute from A vs B (lots of discussion about that here), suburban vs urban life styles, job opportunities, schools, etc. Sometimes that can make life really hard if one were to choose one option among many, all of which are of reasonbly close quality.

[nmguy]

I lived in the San Diego area during my formative years (12-20). Because I was bored with the weather and the slow-paced life style, I moved to the Bay Area and spent 40 years there, raising two kids, soaking in the fast-paced life of Silicon Valley and the culture of San Francisco. Life was active yet stressful, interesting, yet expensive. I retired 10 years ago and sought a more a more placid, affordable existence in north-central New Mexico with its beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and COLD winters.

Now, at age 69, I have my NM house for sale and am have my sights set on returning to San Diego with its warm, boring weather and its laid-back pace. I'd like to mow the lawn in December, instead of shoveling snow. Age has a way of putting things in perspective, and San Diego has a way of calling some of its people back.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by nmguy

I lived in the San Diego area during my formative years (12-20). Because I was bored with the weather and the slow-paced life style, I moved to the Bay Area and spent 40 years there, raising two kids, soaking in the fast-paced life of Silicon Valley and the culture of San Francisco. Life was active yet stressful, interesting, yet expensive. I retired 10 years ago left a more a more placid, affordable life in north-central New Mexico with its beautiful landscape, rich culture, and COLD winters.

Now, at age 69, I have my NM house for sale and am have my sights set on returning to San Diego with its warm, boring weather and its laid-back pace. Age has a way of putting things in perspective, and San Diego has a way of calling people back. At least in my case.

Nmguy,

I've spoken to more and more people in your situation that are planning to come back to San Diego. I totally agree with that philosophy.

My philosophy on retirement is I worked so hard for so long all my life so my golden years will be in a place that I really love and will enjoy. Not a place I had to "settle". I realize that not everyone is in that position but I think people that choose to return to San Diego do so for good reason. Good luck.