:: :: NewYorker thinking about moving to SD.. (San Diego, Orange: transplants, job market, salaries)

[artur]

here's the deal,

im 33, raised in nyc, lived there all my life ( have scars to prove it )

this past year i decided to take a break ..and live in Peru & Buenos Aires..there i fell in love with surfing..it became part of my daily routine..( im a sports nut, love tennis, beach volleyball, wife-hunting..)

the 'stress-free' lifestyle became very appealing...
*and lately ive been thinking of settling down..

SD seems like a nice town..been there once for a week to visit an old g-friend who had just started her family there.

I work in the internet/advertising industry.

Are there any expat NYker's that have some words of inspiration,advice, warnings?

whats the culture like? how's the female scene like? lots of competition? will i be bored?

any insights would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

[movingsd]

Hi Artur,

I've just moved to San Diego with my husband about two months ago and I've always lived in NY. Like you my husband loves to surf and we really enjoy the outdoors as well. So, after visiting San Diego twice we decided to make the move. San Diego is a beautiful city and the weather is just about perfect, everyday since we have been here has been sunny. But it is very different from NY, the job market here does not compare to NY and I am still adjusting to the West Coast way of thinking, and I think it's a bit different than the East Coast. Overall, I am glad I made the move but I am still not sure if San Diego it's going to be the place for me. The cost of living is pretty high and the salaries are not up to the cost of living. If you enjoy the outdoors and surfing then San Diego is perfect, just maybe do a little more research and start looking for jobs in your area to have an idea of salaries and opportunities available.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Julie

[NYSD1995]

I grew up on LI and have lived in SD since 95'. The question is: how New York are you?

- some people might think you are nuts because you don't stop talking
- there are really no Italians or Jews here so no one will get your yiddish or italian slang
- don't even get into it about pizza with people, it is a waste of time... just go to Bronx Pizza Hillcrest.
- a lot of people in SD are semi-stoned most of the time so they might think you are yelling at them when you talk to them.

[jselby]

Here's one of the things I noticed when I first moved here from New York...in San Diego you could practically sit through an entire green light and nobody behind you would honk their horn. It is considered very rude here to honk your horn so we think only transplants do it. Ha! Who knows! You know what it's like in New York! Anyway, as far as the girl thing goes...there's plenty here, some of their availability depends on what you are like. If you come across as a lech, most women will see it and run...

[rockx]

Originally Posted by jselby

Here's one of the things I noticed when I first moved here from New York...in San Diego you could practically sit through an entire green light and nobody behind you would honk their horn. It is considered very rude here to honk your horn so we think only transplants do it. Ha! Who knows! You know what it's like in New York! Anyway, as far as the girl thing goes...there's plenty here, some of their availability depends on what you are like. If you come across as a lech, most women will see it and run...

Haha, my wife and I moved from Manhattan to Orange County. We were so used to honking, I think people would literally have a heart attack out here if you honked at them.

I think San Diego is a great place to transition from New York, you just have to sort of become very laid back. They don't really like a lot of stress down there. The city actually has a some very nice parks, Hillcrest sort of reminds me of Christopher street in West Village. The mexican culture in San Diego is very cool and adds to the history, plus brings in very good food.

The cons vs NYC are: Diversity is not as great in SD, Public Transit, Jobs compared to cost of living.

As far as Surfing cities, SD > USA.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I grew up on LI and have lived in SD since 95'. The question is: how New York are you?

- some people might think you are nuts because you don't stop talking
- there are really no Italians or Jews here so no one will get your yiddish or italian slang
- don't even get into it about pizza with people, it is a waste of time... just go to Bronx Pizza Hillcrest.
- a lot of people in SD are semi-stoned most of the time so they might think you are yelling at them when you talk to them.

Let me guess....you call it "pie" and you fold it like a sandwich?? lol I spent some time in New York and was quickly given an education on it!! New York has the best bagels too...must be the water or somethin...lol

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

- there are really no Italians or Jews here so no one will get your yiddish or italian slang

Did you forget there's a Little Italy?

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by Imperial1904

Did you forget there's a Little Italy?

Actually there's probably as many Italians in SD's Little Italy as there are left in Manhattan's.

Yes it's Pizza Pie.

True story:

My little brother went to "New York Pizza" in SD and asked for a large pie.
They said "we don't sell desserts".

[wally99]

New York has a better ratio of single women than San Diego. I always thought this was the case based on my experience, and found this study to back it up: Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Maybe you can convince a few female friends to move out with you, help with the balance...

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by wally99

New York has a better ratio of single women than San Diego.

You can thank Sex and the City for that.