Working in Mission Valley, should I live there too? (San Diego: apartment complexes, lease)

[PeterRegg]

Hey everyone,

My girlfriend and I are moving from Boston (both 26) and I'll be working in Mission Valley starting this June, between highways 8, 805, and 163 (north of the river). I've heard traffic can be bad, but I'll be working close to east coast hours, so I'll probably be on the roads early.

There seem to be a lot of apartment complexes in the area. Some of them look REALLY nice, and they aren't too expensive. My budget is around 2500 a month.

So, is this a nice place to live? I imagine it isn't as walkable as other neighborhoods, and I've read some other posts about people calling it boring and such. Just wondering if I should consider it.

We're also looking at some of the downtown neighborhoods, as well as Mission/Pacific beach. We like the idea of having some private outdoor space, which might not exist downtown, but we also like the idea of having restaurants and bars and such within walking distance.

That being said, with Uber and other taxi services so cheap nowadays, Mission Valley doesn't seem like it would be too isolated (and we'll have cars as well).

So what do people think? Where would be a good place for some newcomers to live?

Thanks!
Pete

[oddstray]

I'm one of those who calls it boring and such. But other than that, and its traffic, it's a perfectly OK place to live. You may find you like it, or you may decide to move elsewhere after a year or so.

Since you'll both have cars, you might have parking issues for one of them. Typically apartments/condos come with 0 or 1 assigned parking spot.

[rgtsc01]

I worked as an account manager for an insurance company and experienced all sorts of neigborhoods in and around San Diego. One important aspect is the fairly heavy commuting traffic. Mission Valley itself gets a good deal of traffic!

Minimizing frustration is a good goal, I feel. So you might consider both living and working in Mission Valley. There are numerous parks, plus a new 60 acre park in the works. Restaurants, theatres and downtown emenities are close.

You could certainly do worse than to move to Mission Valley. You're only a few miles from the ocean.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by PeterRegg

Hey everyone,


That being said, with Uber and other taxi services so cheap nowadays, Mission Valley doesn't seem like it would be too isolated (and we'll have cars as well).

Mission Valley isn't isolated at all, people just like to rag on it because it is full of shopping centers with chain stores/chain restaurants, office buildings, hotels and BIG apartment complexes. It's prettty much the center of San Diego with good access to the Trolley but its quite sterile compared to some of the neighborhoods just South of it up the hill that have a lot of character.

I think its a good place for a newbie to live for a while, maybe take a 6 month or 1 year lease to get a feel for the area and which neighborhood might be good for you to live. Most people who I have known to live in Mission Valley are generally only there for a year or so before finding something more permanent or leaving San Diego.

In my Mission Valley office, very few people actually live in Mission Valley. Folks commute from North County, SouthBay, East County (myself) and others live in in Central/Coastal SD. I even know a few that commute from as far as Temecula and Tijuana. Just because you work there doesn't mean you have to live there and with you working East Coast hours (I assume going to office at 6AM PST) it really lightens the commute times significantly.

But I would say don't drive yourself crazy trying to find the perfect place before being here, jump on a short term lease in MV and just get out here already and figure it all out while your here.

[malcorub16]

^^^Remember this, nobody I know ever "loved living in Mission Valley", people live there out of convenience due to the predictability of its apt complexes and centralness.

[The Flying Dutchman]

MV is a good starting point for people new to San Diego or in a transition phase. As others have said, you could certainly do worse. It is bland and appeals to a broad demographic because of this.

Even if you work and live in MV, you may still have to drive. This sucks, because MV is a nightmare of intersections and congestion, due to the fact that it was planned around the car (and not very well).

[Jenkay]

Everyone's comments are pretty spot on, but mission valley is all huge apartment complexes, so private outdoor space won't happen, and neither will walking to bars and restaurants- unless you count the mall.

Private outdoor space won't happen downtown, either, although you will certainly be within walking distance of stuff.

You can rent a SFH in most of the central neighborhoods for your $2500/mo and be within walking distance of bars/restaurants/ non-chain shopping/ grocery stores.

South Park, Bankers' hill (might be pricier), North Park, Golden hill (Less SFH but lots of older, smaller apartments with some shared yards), University Heights, Kensington, etc. North park is the only one of those neighborhoods where you may have to pay a little more attention as to which part you live in, but if you're looking to rent a SFH that's not surrounded by apartment complexes you'll generally be looking in the right areas.

[hitman619]

Don't forget on Sunday during Football season. Traffic becomes a nightmare

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

Everyone's comments are pretty spot on, but mission valley is all huge apartment complexes, so private outdoor space won't happen, and neither will walking to bars and restaurants- unless you count the mall.
...

There actually is a string of SFHs on the west side of Highway 163 heading north out of Mission Valley. I don't know whether any are available for rent, though.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by oddstray

There actually is a string of SFHs on the west side of Highway 163 heading north out of Mission Valley. I don't know whether any are available for rent, though.

I know which ones your are talking about, I WOULD HATE TO LIVE THERE! The noise of the freeway would drive me nuts. There is also the feeling of being trapped by the freeway and the hill to the back.

There are also some 2 story side by side condo's accross the 163 from Fashion Valley (near the Double Tree Hotel and Hazard Center) that have small yards. I see these as I jog/walk along the SD River path toward Fashion Valley.