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I have been doing as much research as possible, through this site and many others, including cost of living, government sites, various forums, etc.
My wife and I are looking to relocate to San Diego, we are both born and raised from upstate NY. We are in our mid twenties and ready for a change. We visited last year and fell in love with the city, the views, the culture, the weather, etc.
I am a registered nurse, and my wife is a massage therapist. I have read that the job market is pretty bad out there right now for anyone in the medical field, but that is anywhere in the country, not just San Diego. We are comfortable financially now, but we have pretty much explored everything there is to in this area and are willing to give a little to gain a little. We would definitely be renting for a while.
Through all the research I have done, the one common denominator has been "high cost of living". Could someone please elaborate on this in more detail about this and what would be needed to be comfortable our there (after taxes). We have snow on the ground for six months of the year so our utility bills are around ($275) monthly.
Our "wish list" for location and preferences
1. Downtown- preferably Little Italy, Cortez Hill, East Village, Bankers Hill, up to as far as Hillcrest
2. Sq footage - at least 900, we have two golden retrievers so we need the space!
3. Close to some sort of park, whether it be Balboa, or a dog park.
4. Newer constructed apartment building, does not have to be a highrise.
Through a few websites, I figure our combined income BEFORE taxes to be around $100-110,000. I have read taxes are high, but they are also very high where I live also, currently (8.750%). Would we be able to live comfortably in San Diego? By comfortable I mean, maybe a dinner once a week, occasional movie, miscellaneous shopping (clothes, shoes, athletic apparel), quick trips once or twice a year, and ability to save around $1000/month.
I get discouraged reading some posts on here and was looking for some feedback, most of the threads I find are years old, which a lot can change in a short amount of time.
Additional questions I have for you San Diegans are:
1. Is it easy to make friends in SD?
2. Is it better to go through websites such as rent.com and Craigslist when appt shopping, or to call a realtor?
3. Does the lack of "season change" get boring after a while?
4. Should we feel "unsafe" walking around at night in the areas mentioned above.
5. Healthy food is very important to us, are there sufficient stores to fulfill this?
If there is any additional information anyone would provide it would be greatly appreciated! I just get nervous that we wont have enough money, but all the spreadsheets I make says we will. Just looking for some local opinion. Thank you!
You should be fine, with your combined income (assuming you're able to find work here).
1. Depends on you.
2. I can't answer this since I haven't done it for many years.
3. No. Our weather forecasters get 'eccentric' to get around the boring weather. And if you want snow and cold, just drive an hour or so to the mountains.
4. No. There are very few places in San Diego where I'd feel unsafe walking around at night. Certainly not the neighborhoods you mention. East Village has more homeless since the services for them are there, but they are not "unsafe" so much as unsightly.
5. Yes, lots of stores to provide healthy food.
It'd be best to get your job here established before you move. If that's impossible, be ready with several thousand dollars to live on until you get a job, and preferably also a plan B in case you don't get a job before the money runs out.
2. You will most likely have a problem finding a place with your dogs. There's another thread on here about landlords only wanting to accept small dogs.
3. Check out Craigslist for rentals. It's very safe at night, you don't have to worry.
4. It's not guarantee that you'll be able to find a place close to a park. San Diego isn't like NY. Your utility bills will be lower.
5. Have a very large savings to hold you if you don't have jobs lined up.
Do you have cars? If so, you'll have to transfer the registrations, and depending on the vehicle, it can be very expensive.
I have been doing as much research as possible, through this site and many others, including cost of living, government sites, various forums, etc.
My wife and I are looking to relocate to San Diego, we are both born and raised from upstate NY. We are in our mid twenties and ready for a change. We visited last year and fell in love with the city, the views, the culture, the weather, etc.
I am a registered nurse, and my wife is a massage therapist. I have read that the job market is pretty bad out there right now for anyone in the medical field, but that is anywhere in the country, not just San Diego. We are comfortable financially now, but we have pretty much explored everything there is to in this area and are willing to give a little to gain a little. We would definitely be renting for a while.
Through all the research I have done, the one common denominator has been "high cost of living". Could someone please elaborate on this in more detail about this and what would be needed to be comfortable our there (after taxes). We have snow on the ground for six months of the year so our utility bills are around ($275) monthly.
Our "wish list" for location and preferences
1. Downtown- preferably Little Italy, Cortez Hill, East Village, Bankers Hill, up to as far as Hillcrest Look at Morley Field area of North Park-it has a large dog park. [Also google dog parks SD. Re beaches and dogs: Del Mar beach is dog friendly, others vary per season/time of day, etc.]
Just a mention: downtown is not 'the' happening spot of SD per se and isn't all that large of an area [including the areas you mentioned-most are recently gentrified and the best restaurants and amenities are not necessarily located in these areas. SD is a beach town and there are many desirable beach communities that have been established continually-each having their own flavor, amenities, lifestyle, etc.
Hillcrest and additional inland areas that are established and also popular/nice, that you may want to check out include: Mission Hills, Normal Heights, University Heights [no univ. there, just the name], Kensington Village and South Park.
In case you have not visited and are researching online...just an FYI.
2. Sq footage - at least 900, we have two golden retrievers so we need the space! Not a problem; you'll obviously have to check the ads or ask the landlord first. But it's definitely common to have around 900 sq feet in newer apartments, in my experience. And you can likely find a small cottage or house, depending on yoru rental budget [don't know how much you want to spend. Though it will be older. But, if you have two golden retrievers, you may want to live in a residential area with character and walking distance to a park. Something to consider-Morley Field area is really nice.
3. Close to some sort of park, whether it be Balboa, or a dog park. See #1; check the policies re: dogs off leash. Leash laws are important here-we have many people, including children, who share the open spaces in a large metro area.
4. Newer constructed apartment building, does not have to be a highrise. Good, b/c there are not that many high rises in SD! There are a few in the downtown area you are looking at, and also in UTC area of La Jolla, mainly. Newer construction can be had in east village/little italy, though is more common in suburban areas [of which there are many in SD. It's a city that is a series of spread out suburbs].
Through a few websites, I figure our combined income BEFORE taxes to be around $100-110,000. I have read taxes are high, but they are also very high where I live also, currently (8.750%). Would we be able to live comfortably in San Diego? By comfortable I mean, maybe a dinner once a week, occasional movie, miscellaneous shopping (clothes, shoes, athletic apparel), quick trips once or twice a year, and ability to save around $1000/month.
This depends on your habits and budgeting. It sounds like you've already done the math. The highest cost in SD is real estate, relative to many other states, especially east coast states like NY, that already have high taxes and COL. Auto insurance is not outrageous in my experience, neither is car registration, though smog is an extra cost, but not that high unless your car needs repairs in order to pass smog. Food is on the cheaper side in SD. Year round, high quality produce is lower than most places in the country. Eating out is pretty reasonable, too. [though restaurants are lame here compared to SFO/LA/Portland and obviously east coast metro areas.] Gas is higher than many places, but possibly not where you are coming from. There's no need in SD for A/C or central heat for most of the year. So utility bills are fairly low, especially for a 900 sq ft. place [under $100/month on average would be my guess for that-even less in the summer with longer daylight hours].
Quick trips will vary in cost. But SD is located a few hours or a day's drive away from SO many amazing places. Partial list: Joshua Tree National Park, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tucson/Phoenix/Sedona, Zion National Park, Anza Borrego State Park, Sequoia National Park, Big Bear Skiing, Santa Barbara, etc. SFO is a short plane ride or 8 hour drive. Mexico [northern Baja] is a hop, skip and jump. Depends on how you like to travel and what time of year, as far as costs go on that front.
I get discouraged reading some posts on here and was looking for some feedback, most of the threads I find are years old, which a lot can change in a short amount of time.
Additional questions I have for you San Diegans are:
1. Is it easy to make friends in SD? Some say yes; others no. I think it's somewhat random luck or chemistry with a place, but also individual circumstances, too. Meetup dot com groups are great. It's a pretty superficial place in terms of social pleasantries and interaction, though. Some people perceive it as flaky or flighty, too. People are very friendly and pleasant, but not as in depth with conversation. Not sure how long it takes people to develop stronger friendships; it does seem to vary quite a bit.
2. Is it better to go through websites such as rent.com and Craigslist when appt shopping, or to call a realtor? craigs list and padmapper are usually better here. It's also common to see some old-school marketing of hanging a sign out front-so you could just drive around the areas you want to live and take notes! Or, with a newer or high rise complex, you may be working with a management company.
3. Does the lack of "season change" get boring after a while? Depends on the person. Some people miss fall, especially if from the east coast. Others might crave a rainy day. But most, IMO, are too busy enjoying the calm, pleasant weather. It's quite easy to get used to-I originally am from MA and also lived in CO and MT, among other cold places. At first I scoffed 'meh, I like seasons'. But, after 11 years, I am very conditioned to not being cold pretty much ever and to hardly ever being overheated [and I'm very sensitive to heat to begin with]. It is easier to not have to think about what clothing much before you leave the house. Or whether or not you need to watch the road conditions or warm up your car, scrape ice off, etc. It's less work to live in this type of weather, that's for sure.
4. Should we feel "unsafe" walking around at night in the areas mentioned above. Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly. It varies by area and sometimes block; it's like any urban area in that regard. As mentioned, some of those areas are recently gentrified. Nearly all have some strong contingent of homeless, tweakers and some crime. Also, the beach ban on alcohol a few years back caused some migration to the central/urban areas of SD [there are articles in the news that you can find online about this] and there has been a steady increase in homeless camp population in downtown SD. However, SD is regularly listed low on the violent crime index. Your personal comfort range as far as social atmosphere may vary, so its' best to visit both night and day and get a feeling for the area block by block.
The situation changes and it's been years since I personally have been downtown [though I was at the stadium area awhile back]. I personally never have a reason to go downtown or the areas you mentioned, except for Hillcrest (and I like the Little Italy farmer's market a lot]. Otherwise, people tend to live in their area of SD with no real reason to head downtown. Most people don't work, socialize or go out to dinner 'downtown' or in east village. Little Italy is often for tourists, though that has changed somewhat in recent years, with the new residential units in the area. So, it's up to you to research and ask more questions on this front-the threads, as you mentioned, are often outdated and this topic in particular does fluctuate.
5. Healthy food is very important to us, are there sufficient stores to fulfill this? Downtown in Horton Plaza, there's a brand new Jimbo's-that's a local market run by a local guy and the other 4 locations are in north county SD. He originally opened his first store in North Park years ago [not there anymore] and I believe he used to work at the People's food co-op in Ocean Beach. People's is fantastic! And, there's a great dog park in OB, too. Jimbo's is very community oriented, has a great deli/prepared foods and recently did the eliminate GMO's from all products sold thing.
Otherwise, you can google Whole Foods: There's one in hillcrest, UTC, Del Mar and Encinitas. [Coastal communities here are big on the lifestyle you mention. I would think you'd possibly enjoy living in Encinitas, though if you want dense urban it may not be big enough. But SD is not a dense urban city overall; it's kind of a big small city, as it were. Also, Solana Beach is a great community with a vibrant Cedros art district, the Belly Up Tavern and other great 'only in SD' features. It also has a good dog park, if i recall correctly.]
Also google SD farmer's markets-there are a zillion these days. Some are dog friendly, others not [depends on where they are located as far as legal policy]. Hillcrest, Little Italy, La Jolla are the larger markets. Solana Beach, Del Mar and Encinitas are also nice markets. There are many others that I haven't been to, so google. At any market, you'll find the usual raw, vegan, sprouted, organic, etc etc... options.
There are a few other mini chains that people like to go to for organic or semi healthy, too. You may discover those once you're here. Some people also consider Trader Joe's 'healthy', and you can certainly find TJ's throughout the city. Again: Google! I always google 'health food stores' or food co-ops whenever I am traveling/visiting somewhere. All the info you need is online-location, directions, hours-and the same for the DMV/out of state registration, etc. Everything's on their website and it's more accurate than anything anyone can quote you here.
If there is any additional information anyone would provide it would be greatly appreciated! I just get nervous that we wont have enough money, but all the spreadsheets I make says we will. Just looking for some local opinion. Thank you!
It sounds like you'll be fine from the numbers you gave. Saving is always subjective I cannot comment on whether that's an option for you-depends on your other expenses and choices. There are always massage therapist positions open, though of course the setting will vary from spa to athletic club or one of those chain massage places. But there's plenty of opportunity in holistic health centers/offices to set up a private practice, too. Encinitas/Solana Beach, Hillcrest/Normal Heights/Kensington/La Jolla and parts of PB [pacific beach] are all particularly good areas to set up a holistic or alternative health business. You might also want to wait until you find out your employment location, as far as choosing where to live.
Have you used any of the COL calculators? Cost of Living comparison calculator
Real estate really is the major biggie, for most people. But rentals in SD itself are not astronomical like they are in SFO, LA, NYC, etc. You can still find some range of rental price options, relatively speaking. It always depends on where a person is moving from.....
My biggest advice for people, especially when they're coming from the east coast, is to not try to replicate the life you have now, here in so cal/SD. The history, architectural layout [or lack thereof], demographics and many other attributes make day to day life here completely different. How the city has grown, where the major industries have been [and have historically been] located, the types of major industries, why people move here, etc. all play a role in how the city is laid out and subsequent lifestyle options. There's no 'financial district' in downtown SD, for example. And, as mentioned, it's a series of spreadout suburbs and communities, with NO central hub. There's no 'old or original' SD, unlike most other cities in the US [phoenix, dallas, etc are the few exceptions]. Even Old Town SD is a tourist spot, mainly. Everything does not radiate out from a central hub of the city. Rather, there are dozens of mini hubs with their own resources and amenities. I myself, for example, am perhaps more likely to go to orange county [laguna beach] than balboa park, since I live in north county and often find things I like to do there. I'm also more inclined to go to LA for the day than to the museums in balboa park, and in fact I do just that. And some people prefer to party in TJ [mexico], or north county, rather than downtown SD.
It's really a very different layout than east coast cities or towns. And, so cal doesn't have townships or town after town after town. There's just a large city with a few smaller town/cities and then then camp pendelton or the desert or the next county, for the most part. What is also fantastic about CA and SD specifically, is that beaches are free and public. SD beaches are very easy to get to-just off the freeway and truly are one of the great treasures of living here. Most of them are very clean, safe and surprisingly not very crowded. Even in the heart of summer, it is manageable in its crowdedness. In the winter/off season, you can often find times of the day when it's just you and a dozen other people, or even less if it's-gasp-cloudy out! These are the best times to be outdoors in SD-nobody goes outside when the sky is gray. (: Good luck to you!
Thank you for all the information Irmsd! I appreciate you taking the time for the quality response to my question. I like the points you made about adjustment and value your opinion on living in different sections. We were only in San Diego for a short time, and only saw the 'touristy' spots. We have a trip planned for October and are hoping to do a lot more exploring. Jobs would definitely be our first priority. I think if someone were moving to any city and didn't have a job lined up, then they are not thinking correctly!
Again thank you for taking the time to share! We appreciate it!
This post and responses were very, very helpful for our East Coast family of 3 moving in May/June timeframe. Thanks to all!
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Moving from PA to Oceanside/San Diego, CA Soon
