any pockets of kids 2-6 near balboa park

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by jimcav

i have only a 50/50 chance of staying in SD for more than 4 yrs. my oldest is 4 going on 5. so I was thinking almost any elementary school would be okay because hillcrest was about as south as we were looking. I prefer to be closer to coronado so i can bike to work. my wife wants a safe neighborhood "full of kids." of course she also wants my son to start kindergarten this year, because he meets the SD cut off of Decemebr b-day, while i think starting later is good as he will be more mature for sports in high school.

Most of San Diego City is very mixed, older people and younger people, singles, couples, families. The best city neighborhoods are very expensive and tend to have mostly older people mixed with very affluent younger families.

I don't know that living in the City is what you are looking for, it sounds to me like your wife is really looking more for what suburbia has to offer.

Personally, I would not send my child to ANY elementary school in the uptown / mid-city area with the exception of Grant and maybe, possible Alice Birney. No way for Hillcrest, North Park, Adams, Franklin, etc. Those schools are full of ESL and free-and-reduced lunch kids, some from the immediate area and some from other areas of the city. They lost their local enrollment base around 20 years ago, most of the more affluent people in this area send their kids to private schools or elsewhere in the district.

[jimcav]

yes it may not be possible--i'd like to be close enough to ride my bike to work, and with the bridge closed to bicycles that means going around or the ferry. poway is a long way to ride a bike to coronado. i think mission hills, pt loma, maybe la jolla is possible.

i may have to rethink my cycling to wrok--but i have been able to do it everywhere else, even in the great DC area i rode year round.

jim

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by jimcav

yes it may not be possible--i'd like to be close enough to ride my bike to work, and with the bridge closed to bicycles that means going around or the ferry. poway is a long way to ride a bike to coronado. i think mission hills, pt loma, maybe la jolla is possible.

i may have to rethink my cycling to wrok--but i have been able to do it everywhere else, even in the great DC area i rode year round.

jim

You don't have to go all the way to Poway to find a good neighborhood elementary, but you have to be very, very careful in SD proper, or plan on shuttling your kid to school yourself.

[SD601]

Jim, I mentioned this in your other Clairemont thread, but Point Loma and Mission Hills are gorgeous areas, often full of families (albeit, rich families, since those are some of the most expensive areas in central SD, besides La Jolla). When you find a nice, safe area, the schools are usually great. As much as I love North Park and South Park, certain streets can be a bit suspect, so I'd want to see/research beforehand.

Honestly, you'll find families in most of these areas. I live in a condo in Fashion Valley, and we've met several other parents of toddlers (my son is two) in our units. It's the San Diego starter home, lol. Good luck with your search! Find the parks and find the kids/parents....really, any park!