5 reason why not to move san diego, ca. (Long Beach, Oceanside: houses, find a job)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

Reasons to not move to San Diego:

1. If you are from a big city and expect to find the same level of cosmopolitan, cultural, and sophisticated living as where you came from (i.e. NYC, San Francisco, even LA)

2. If you hate intense sunlight or have a sensitivity to sunlight

3. If you want to get ahead in your career and make it big

4. If you are very liberal and progressive

5. If social isolation and insular living is uncomfortable to you

6. If you hate depending on a car as a sole means of transportation

7. If you like green trees and green grass


Reasons to move to San Diego:

1. If you come from the mid-west or a small town and want to live in California or have a more exciting life compared to where you came from

2. If you have some terminal disease which requires you to live in a warmer climate

3. If you want to retire in a relaxing place

4. If you love to surf and your life revolves around surfing

5. If you are not very ambitious or focused on career but rather just want to enjoy your recreation time

6. If you like tract homes

7. If you enjoy driving in your car and especially if you own an SUV

8. If you have ties to Mexico

9. If you want to get away from people and live a more closed-in, hermetic life

10. If you are in the miltary

11. If you like to date military men

12. If you are white and want to live around more white people

+1

[PharmboyinNC]

Agree about the traffic here. When I stayed in DC/Baltimore, even the shortcut cross-streets in neighborhoods were congested. I don't think congestion in SD is bad at all, and I come from Durham, NC. There is still movement and mostly limited to rush-hour.

They only real "uniqueness" that I can think of is the diversity of driving habits that really makes for unpredictable traffic patterns. San Diego has huge diversity of drivers; lot of out-of-town tourists/visitors, various military/contractors from various places stationed here, foreign-raised/trained drivers, old rich drivers... that end up meeting on the streets of SD. I'm guessing cities with more diversity has the same issue, but covered up with congestion due to higher population density.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by PharmboyinNC

Agree about the traffic here. When I stayed in DC/Baltimore, even the shortcut cross-streets in neighborhoods were congested. I don't think congestion in SD is bad at all, and I come from Durham, NC. There is still movement and mostly limited to rush-hour.

They only real "uniqueness" that I can think of is the diversity of driving habits that really makes for unpredictable traffic patterns. San Diego has huge diversity of drivers; lot of out-of-town tourists/visitors, various military/contractors from various places stationed here, foreign-raised/trained drivers, old rich drivers... that end up meeting on the streets of SD. I'm guessing cities with more diversity has the same issue, but covered up with congestion due to higher population density.

It's funny, I used to gripe so much about drivers in SD proper as that's where most of my driving took place. Now I love driving in SD. After driving in Chula Vista for the last year, anything would be better LOL. It's seriously like a million miles away as far as driving is concerned.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

I think it hurts their feelings whenever someone criticizes San Diego in any way- whether a personal opinion is expressed or a what is written is true (neither, which to their frustration they can really change). It is like nationalism, only on the city level.

The problem isn't criticism but the way some of you go about it. You try to pretend you're somehow being fair and objective yet throw out a bunch of narrow minded stereotypes in a annoyingly passive aggressive manner. Then when someone calls you out your try to flip it around and blame others, basically becoming as defensive as the people you criticize, ironic how that works with some people. And what's funny is that you live in a city now where people are just as, if not more, defensive as San Diegan's when you criticize their city yet you don't seem to have a problem with that.

Originally Posted by mini_cute

I wasn't trying to be funny or clever. I was trying to be honest about my observations there.

Then why don't you be honest with yourself and realize that you're "experience" of living in San Diego is in an area like SCRIPPS RANCH so it's pretty BS to label all of San Diego based on an area like Scripps Ranch. Trying to compare living in the actual city proper of places like NYC and SF to some newer, suburban area of SD, apples and oranges. Maybe you ought to go spend some time in Marin County and the outer East Bay if you think some of those things you said about SD don't also apply to other places including the Bay Area. You have a problem with predominately white areas of SD yet say nothing of them about ones the Bay Area, what a double standard. Go live in Pleasanton and you'd probably find it's pretty similar to a place like Scripps Ranch.

Of course before you jump on me for being defensive, like usual, I think it needs to be pointed out that your SD "experience" is that of a young person living in SCRIPPS RANCH of all places. I think it just needs to be pointed out you only lived in SD for two years and in Scripps Ranch. Doesn't seem you know much of SD outside of your Scripps Ranch bubble just as it seems you don't know much about the Bay Area outside your SF bubble.

[NYSD1995]

The traffic argument definitely applies for those poor slobs commuting in/out of North County, but otherwise it's really no big deal. I don't think anyone could consider San Diego's traffic to be world-class bad. I breeze in and out every day and still find a way to complain about it ;-)

My peeve remains the weak, poorly diversified economy. I have a great job with a great company and make good money, but the almost unyeilding disconnect between a "great San Diego salary" and the lifestyle it affords is frustrating.

Combine that with the ballooning number of grey-haired idle rich and just-plain-idle (college kids, beach bums, transplants and tourists)... add-in the fact that it's now almost August and I haven't been to the beach even once... I sometimes do wonder why it's worth it to stay here aside from impressing my parents.

[sav858]

If you can't find a way to enjoy what San Diego has to offer then it probably doesn't make sense to pay the premium so many are willing to pay to live there or anywhere else expensive for that matter.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Depending on ones priorities/situation in life, at some point: just working, not working or struggling isn't worth it.

It almost has nothing to do with San Diego the place necessarily. I can bet just about any city-data city forum has the same dialogue. I know I have seen it in the NY and NJ forums and with the exception of the weather, basically the same stuff over and over (jobs, commute, expensive).

For people that do move out of San Diego that have families, they are thrilled that there is life on the other side. Its the typical american dream of "I work hard to make X so that I can provide Y" for the family. In Z City I earn what I did in San Diego but everything is so much cheaper!
Nothing wrong with that, its just some people simply dont know until they leave and realize it was the best situation for their situation.

I honestly believe the quality of life here in SD is exceptional. There are many plug and play cities and places to live in the US that have really great "things". Whether they be it schools, shopping, safety. But IMHO there is something more wild west about it here that for me, seems far more rewarding than the staus quo of Anytown USA.

None of this will matter anyway since 2012 is coming and we cant come up with a compromise to the debt celling.

[Clevelandgal]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

....My peeve remains the weak, poorly diversified economy. I have a great job with a great company and make good money, but the almost unyeilding disconnect between a "great San Diego salary" and the lifestyle it affords is frustrating.

Combine that with the ballooning number of grey-haired idle rich and just-plain-idle (college kids, beach bums, transplants and tourists)... add-in the fact that it's now almost August and I haven't been to the beach even once... I sometimes do wonder why it's worth it to stay here aside from impressing my parents.

Agree to a point, but you have a lot going on, try and enjoy it. We are at the point where if we want to enjoy day to day life,and still be able to put away for retirement we are happy...if you are there, then don't take it for granted . If I drown out the idle rich and lazy transplant beach bums I find that life is good. If career was everything we would not be here, but since it is not, I am glad we are here.

[NYSD1995]

Don't get me wrong life here is good and I find lots of ways to enjoy it. It's just tough working 60+ hours a week to afford it, especially with 2 little ones.

[Clevelandgal]

sad to say this is the case in most places. I do have to say when I lived in the midwest it was so family friendly...people with families did not work themselves to the bone. I always say that on the Ohio relocation board. Businesses are very family friendly. There is no missing a school play or any other milestone there. Although, I did not benifit from this b/c I did not have kids. It was hard to say "no" when someone needed help and I had to work late. But that was my own fault.