Planning on moving to San Diego...advice on jobs/apartments? (Irvine: to rent, houses)

[Nymn]

I've been waiting to move there for years but kept putting it off for one reason or another. I've been out there many times on vacation and have loved it every time. In my thirties now and realize I want to go before I get much older. I'm a single guy with no kids and don't have much family out here so I really don't have anything keeping me in the area (Massachusetts). Things I'm worried about would be getting a job/apartment out there.
Currently I work in IT (mostly desktop support), been doing that for about 3 years now. I like my job but the lack of options to move up to a better position has been making me feel the need to start looking around elsewhere. Since I've been thinking of moving anyway, I've been checking out jobs in the SD area.
How long would it probably take to get a job out there? Do employers give much (any?) consideration to candidates living so far away but are looking to relocate? What are some nice, affordable areas for apartments? I saw some apartments going for as low as around $900 but I wasn't sure about the area (Google street view showed a lot of houses with bars on the windows which around here is never a good sign).
I'm not the type that needs to be around a lot, I like to just walk or bike around and probably lounge on the beach.

[kettlepot]

Finding an apartment will not be a problem. Finding a job, particularly one with career advancement opportunities will be.

What I've heard is that yes, not being local will be a hindrance to finding work. You could always overcome that by getting yourself a local phone number, and perhaps a private post office box. Of course, if they want to interview you, you will have to find a reason for why you can't just hop in the car and drive over the next day.

Regarding apartments, as a single guy, you really do have lots of options on price because you could live in a dumpier apartment in a not as nice area. Parts of San Diego are dumpy, but very few areas are actually unsafe that we would advise you not to live. Most dumpy areas are just fine. Don't be put off by bars on the window necessarily. They don't mean as much as you may think.

Nothing near the beach will be modestly priced, obviously, so I will suggest areas that are good for walkability. Stay in the area between SR94 to the south and I-8 to the north, and I-5 to the west. Obviously, there are walkable areas west of 5, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, but you won't be able to afford them, except maybe Ocean Beach.

Here's the usual list: Little Italy, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, University Heights North Park, South Park, Golden Hill. All of these areas roughly surround Balboa Park. Additionally, you should consider Normal Heights, Kensington, Talmadge, El Cerrito, Rolando. The last two have some apartments but not a lot, and you might be competing with college students for them.

Mission Valley has a lot of new apartments with all of the amenities. It is also a soulless automobile oriented shopping mall area. However, it does have the advantage of being centrally located. Therefore, you may want to consider it if you decide to move here before you have found a job.

Some landlords won't rent to you without a job in hand, but others will. It might help to be able to show them that you have a substantial amount of savings. For best chances of success, come with $8k-10k in savings. If your car is paid for, you can come with the lower amount. If your car is not paid for, come with more.

If you know someone who is interested in moving with you, it would be easier if you came with a built in roommate as a way to cut costs.

Start hitting us back with specific neighborhoods and we will give you details. Also, read more threads. What you have asked for has been asked dozens of times before. There's a lot of good information already on the board, and your parameters are pretty vague.

[Nymn]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the initial vagueness.
It's nice to hear that most areas aren't necessarily unsafe even if they may appear so. I don't live far from Springfield, MA, which is known to be a pretty bad city (bars on windows galore!).
The job part is my main worry, partly because I don't want to go too long without one and also like you said, a lot of places would be reluctant to rent to someone without one. I have about 15K in savings now, so I feel a bit padded, although I know that won't hold me long in CA.
I actually wouldn't mind living outside the city itself but it seems that it would be quite a bit more expensive to do so. Unfortunately, this would be a solo mission for me, there is no one I know that would be interested in moving, everyone I know is pretty settled in.
This is a ways away but I would love an area like San Clemente, I've been there a bunch of times and loved it but figured it would be a lot harder to find a job up there.
I'm still a bit up in the air as to the type of area, I don't need a lot going on or anything. Being near the water would be nice but isn't a must-have. Easy access to nice walking/biking trails or neighborhoods would be great, though.
I'm still doing my research, but I'll let you know what I think looks or sounds good.

[lrmsd]

Look in Encinitas, Carlsbad and Solana Beach communities of north SD county, if you like San Clemente.
Also for SC, you do have access to the OC job market, if that's any better [I don't know] for your field. [Irvine, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, etc]

You could also rent a room in a house to start out, while you get a feel for the areas. There aren't that many areas in SD with easy access to trails from your house, unless you go inland a bit like San Carlos, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos, and then you are in suburbia cookie cutter. Coastal does have Torrey Pines State Beach [adjacent to the Carmel Valley neighborhood (one bedrooms can be had for around 12-1400 and up...resort amenity type of complexes], and San Elijo Lagoon, which is Cardiff area.

I'm originally from MA myself. [metro west with family in western MA, too]...Sounds like so cal is a good fit for you: Good luck!