What's San Diego like? (Oceanside, Corona: employment, transfer, neighborhoods)

[Luke81]

Hi everyone! I'm probably going to relocate to the US next year, and I am unsure which city to go. I will work as a German teacher there, and until recently I hadn't considered San Diego. After some research on the internet it seems like a nice city, but I don't know if it's what I'm looking for. Are there affordable neighborhoods near trolley stations, how dangerous is the city, how liberal/conservative is the san diego (I consider myself left and wouldn't want to live in a deeply christian town), is downtown nice and atmospheric or is a mixture between business skyscrapers and parking lots? What is the nightlife like? I'm only 26 and single and not yet thinking about building a family, are there a lot of people my age which are fun and outgoing? How good or bad is public transport in general and whre are the nearest beaches, can they be reached by public transport? I know that were a lot f questions, but it's a big move Thank you in advance.

[AFTERSHOCK]

Hi:

Affordable areas near trolley stations: yes
How dangerous: It is one of the safest cities you could choose
Liberal/conservative: A healthy mix I would say
Downtown: very, very nice
Nightlife: very active in certain areas
People your age fun & outgoing: definetly
Public transport: pretty good...its gotten a lot better...the new trolley line is great
Beaches: the city buses go to all the beaches and they run frequently...Pacific Beach and La Jolla are the best ones

Hope this helps

[Over60]

Luke, I suggest you do what I've been doing -- read some of the older San Diego threads. Chances are excellent that others have asked the same questions you have.

It might take a little more time, but you'll get loads of information. Plus, it's kind of fun!

Good luck -- I'm making the "big move" myself sometime in the New Year.

(Meanwhile, what Aftershock posted sure sounds nice!)

[kettlepot]

Politically, San Diego has a lot of variety. Overall it leans a smidge to the right. However, given that you are of the European Left you may find 80% of Americans are politically too your right. Perhaps even 90%, as Left in Europe is quite left by US standards. San Diego is not a particularly religious city, but it is not anti-religious either. There are actually very few parts of the US that are actively anti-religious in the ways Europeans are.

Public transit south of I-8 is decent enough. Yes there are buses to the beach, but getting to the beach on a bus that requires a transfer could be very time consuming.

Overall, the city is a safe large city. A few areas are iffy, but most areas are reasonably safe.

Downtown does have a fair number of tallish buildings and parking lots, but it also has some residential living. However, there are neighborhoods near downtown that are quite atmospheric and which you may find quite appealing. There are other threads out there which discuss these neighborhoods in extensive detail.

Your best bet for beaches would be Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach. These are also the beaches that attract the most young people who are interested in meeting other young people. Other good beaches are La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines and Coronado. But this second grouping would be difficult to reach via public transport. There are even more beaches and towns north of the city of San Diego, but all of these areas would require an automobile to reach.

Originally Posted by Luke81

Hi everyone! I'm probably going to relocate to the US next year, and I am unsure which city to go. I will work as a German teacher there, and until recently I hadn't considered San Diego. After some research on the internet it seems like a nice city, but I don't know if it's what I'm looking for. Are there affordable neighborhoods near trolley stations, how dangerous is the city, how liberal/conservative is the san diego (I consider myself left and wouldn't want to live in a deeply christian town), is downtown nice and atmospheric or is a mixture between business skyscrapers and parking lots? What is the nightlife like? I'm only 26 and single and not yet thinking about building a family, are there a lot of people my age which are fun and outgoing? How good or bad is public transport in general and whre are the nearest beaches, can they be reached by public transport? I know that were a lot f questions, but it's a big move Thank you in advance.

[Woof]

Just a small correction, Kettlepot, the Coaster train goes from San Diego to Oceanside with stops at the villages along the way. A monthly Coaster pass also allows one to travel on all the buses and trolleys.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by Woof

Just a small correction, Kettlepot, the Coaster train goes from San Diego to Oceanside with stops at the villages along the way. A monthly Coaster pass also allows one to travel on all the buses and trolleys.

Good point Woof. I was actually wondering about the Coaster, but wasn't sure if it ran on the weekends with any frequency or even at all, not too mention what the cost would be. Therefore, I decided to err on the side of underpromising

[Radical347]

I think you would like it. Nice climate, trendy nightlife downtown, and a few cute neighborhoods. It's pretty affordable -- I know people say it's expensive, but it's honestly not more expensive than other major cities. San Diego is not a 'deeply christian town.' Politically, moderate, but as kettlepot says, US moderate is probably = to Euro far right. Still, I find people here are pretty accepting of others no matter what their political affiliation. There are plenty of outgoing 20-somethings around here. San Diego is very safe. The nice thing is that as you start to get into the bad areas, each block becomes progressively more sketchy, so there's plenty of time to back out. There aren't really that many bad areas though, it's really just the southeast part of town.

Of the things you mentioned, there is a major drawback: public transport. It's horrible. Actually, most public transport systems in the US are horrible. The only cities with decent ones are NYC, Boston, and possibly DC, SF, and Chicago.

[Woof]

What do you mean by "horrible", Radical? I've heard that about both Seattle and San Diego, but neither of them were very bad in my opinion. If you go to MTA's website you can plan trips, and most places of employment can be reached with a combination of bus and trolley (especially during rush hours, when it's often faster than using a private vehicle), and then beside that there are something like 3 different train systems for the region.

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by Woof

What do you mean by "horrible", Radical? I've heard that about both Seattle and San Diego, but neither of them were very bad in my opinion. If you go to MTA's website you can plan trips, and most places of employment can be reached with a combination of bus and trolley (especially during rush hours, when it's often faster than using a private vehicle), and then beside that there are something like 3 different train systems for the region.

Ideally, public transport would get you to where you want whenever you want, have a decent schedule, and adhere to it. Preferrably quickly, too. It should be useful for more than going to/from work, although that's better than nothing. Even if it shuts off/becomes limited between, say, 11 PM - 4 AM, it could still be decent. Once one of my friends who was fairly new to the city tried to head back from the UTC area at 7 PM and the last bus had already stopped running. You shouldn't need to rely on MTA's website to get to where you need to; you should be able to figure it out from the transportation map provided at the station or stop (A la the big posters plastered at the stations in NYC/Boston, or anywhere in Japan.)

San Diego (and most other cities in the US) rely solely or mostly on bus service. This is a major problem. I have been impressed with the trolley the few times I have taken it; the problem is, unless you are lucky/smart enough to both live and work right on a trolley line, it is useless. A trolley line is not within walking distance from most people (although they've been expanding it and they get major props for that), and I am even using the term 'walking distance' very liberally. I mean, the bus ride to the nearest trolley stop takes about half an hour, whereas driving there only takes a few minutes. It has very good potential, yes, but it's not there yet. Probably won't be for many, many years.

A problem with this is also how San Diego is set up. Aside from the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods, San Diego's very convoluted. (Mission Valley, anyone?) This makes it difficult for centralized stations, and it also makes difficult as the bus driver has to stop in many nook and cranny-type bus stops to pick people up.

I am familiar with Seattle's too. It's better than San Diego's, in fact it is probably better than average US transport systems, so I wouldn't call it 'horrible'. Overall 'bad', but you could get by comfortably if you live/work/play in specific areas of the city, as I did. I guess that's the thing with San Diego too -- it could work, but you have to plan it very, very carefully. But then what if you move? What if your job moves? What if you get a new job?

[eastsandiegobornandraised]

Originally Posted by Woof

What do you mean by "horrible", Radical? I've heard that about both Seattle and San Diego, but neither of them were very bad in my opinion. If you go to MTA's website you can plan trips, and most places of employment can be reached with a combination of bus and trolley (especially during rush hours, when it's often faster than using a private vehicle), and then beside that there are something like 3 different train systems for the region.

No he's right, its horrible. I caught the bus as a primary means of transportation over half my life...its that bad so many reasons. They are making it better than what it used to be though