Does anyone ever recommend moving to SD?

[RosieSD]

I moved to San Diego 30 years ago. I would NEVER tell someone not to move here. I love it here.

I would, however, strongly suggest that anyone thinking about moving to San Diego does their homework. Don't ask strangers on a board like this where to live, or whether a certain salary will be enough for your family. Strangers don't know you or your family or how you spend money, and a short post on a board like this will never give a bunch of strangers enough information to realistically tell you what to do. Only you can do that. So, if you're serious about moving here, visit several times and spend at least a week or two on each visit. Drive beyond the beautiful seaside areas; see the real San Diego. Drive a few days to different parts of the county during rush hour. Go to open houses in different parts of the county and see what $200,000, $500,000, and $1 million really buy here. (The same with rentals!) Get the skinny on different school districts by calling the schools and asking questions. Also, understand that CERTAIN (but not all) areas of San Diego County can be extremely expensive to live in, and not all school districts are created equally -- but that's the same anywhere. However, if you have a job lined up BEFORE you move here that pays a decent salary by San Diego standards and are open-minded about places to live, this can be a great place. And, by the way, I know MANY people who moved here and have been very happy and successful here, even if they're not earning $250,000 a year. Are they living in Carlsbad or La Jolla or Coronado? No, but they have nice lives in other parts of the county and are doing fine.

That said, no place is perfect, San Diego included!