Just got back from downtown San Diego and fell in love. (London: buying a house, neighborhood)

[CNYC]

Originally Posted by Cardiff Kook

you should have checked out coastal north county. not nearly the amount of homeless up here

Enough to be an issue.

The problem with them in NC is the area is so small they recognize you....same guys hanging around the bus station or the 7/11. Same dudes on the beach. I am uncomfortable having drifters recognize me.

They are all over SD.

[Cardiff Kook]

Originally Posted by CNYC

Enough to be an issue.

The problem with them in NC is the area is so small they recognize you....same guys hanging around the bus station or the 7/11. Same dudes on the beach. I am uncomfortable having drifters recognize me.

They are all over SD.

Yea there are a few I see around on a regular basis but it seems like there is a much smaller homeless population up here

[Cryptic]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

recession

I am sorry to hear that. I thought as much, but I was holding out hope that restaraunt scene had simply relocated. I hope San Diego comes back soon. It truly is "America's Finest City". Though I was not part of the banking, telecom or bio tech boom, it was exciting to see the energy in the city during the boom- even if that same energy also meant soaring real estate prices.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by CNYC

Enough to be an issue.

The problem with them in NC is the area is so small they recognize you....same guys hanging around the bus station or the 7/11. Same dudes on the beach. I am uncomfortable having drifters recognize me.

They are all over SD.

See, I look at it the other way. I like recognizing them because it gives me a sense of what they are capable of. Seeing a new crop of homeless all the time would be a bit unnerving. For example, I know the gray haired lady who shuffles around with all the plastic bags in downtown Encinitas isn't going to pull out a knife and stab me. At least I don't think she would.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Cardiff Kook

Yea there are a few I see around on a regular basis but it seems like there is a much smaller homeless population up here

Perhaps there are just more canyons and brush areas in NC for homeless and transients to hang out in, so the homeless seem less noticeable. But, they are there if you look closely enough. It's the same where I live in East County. A cursory glance would make it seem that we don't have any homeless folks around, but take a few steps off the road, and you'll see signs of their encampments.

But I have to agree that downtown has the most noticeable concentration of homeless. It's very sad how many homeless people there are in downtown, with so many sleeping on sidewalks and by freeway overpasses. Yes, I know that *most* cities have homeless populations, but the situation in San Diego seems more obvious and out in the open than it is in many other cities. I can see how it would be a turn off for tourists.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Cryptic

I am sorry to hear that. I thought as much, but I was holding out hope that restaraunt scene had simply relocated. I hope San Diego comes back soon. It truly is "America's Finest City". Though I was not part of the banking, telecom or bio tech boom, it was exciting to see the energy in the city during the boom- even if that same energy also meant soaring real estate prices.

It's what happens in a tourist City. Fear not though, the high real estate prices are back and climbing. At least anywhere near the beach.

[LuvSouthOC]

The weather (and free food and services downtown) draws and keeps homeless people there.The same is definetely said by authorities in Hawaii. They don't necessarily start out as homeless when they arrive as drifters, but they might be just a few hundred dollars away from homelessness.

[Shaolin Shadowboxing]

oh i completely forgot the interaction i had with a particularly aggressive homeless man.

while walking from little italy to petco for the padres game, we stopped at a green light to get our bearings. just so happened a homeless man was crossing and politely said to me "what are you stupid? the light is green, cross you dummy".

i didn't really know if he was talking to me/was shocked and just responded "what?". then he want on a tirade about how he knew me from san quentin and that i was a felon. he continued screaming across the street, even addressing my gf and saying "homegirl! your man is a felon! you're dating a felon!"

that was...interesting.

[malcorub16]

^^ I was with my wife and children once downtown and a homeless woman with psychatric issues began yelling at me that she knew I was abusing my kids and that if I touched them again there would be hell to pay. She went on for about 5 minutes and then implored my wife to call the police on me because she knows what I do them.

So you are a felon and I am a child abuser according to the derelicts downtown. Best thing to do is not engage them, just keep walking.

[DougStark]

Sure it's nice, if you're willing to live in an apartment with regular rent increases. Forget buying a house in a nice neighborhood, unless you're rich.

And, if you can tolerate their liberal politics, you'd be fine there. It wasn't my cup of tea, but it was nice for 13 yrs. The weather is without question lovely.