Best area to rent for young professional working near UTC (San Diego: apartment, rentals)

[CTD123]

I recently accepted a position near UTC and will be moving to San Diego at the end of August from Seattle. I've been doing some research about where to live, but am still unsure what the best location would be for me.

Some info:

–I'm 29 and have a fiancee/dog coming with me, but no children. We don't have any friends in SD, so it'd be nice to be around people of similar age/life stage, i.e. not necessarily college students, but also not a family suburb.

–We enjoy going out to eat/grabbing drinks (more brewery, not nightclub), outdoor activities like jogging/soccer/hiking. Being close to the ocean would obviously be nice, but not a deal-breaker.

–Looking for 1 or 2 BR apartment. Hoping to pay between $1.5–2k per month, but would be willing to go as high as $2.5-3k if needed.

–Will need to commute to UTC every day during regular hours (7–730am and 5–6 pm). Fiancee will likely work remotely, but may be getting a job near Park West.

–Looking for somewhere that's safe to walk around at night.

–I understand the city is pretty car dependent, but some walkability to restaurants, bars, groceries, parks, etc. would be nice.

From what I've seen, North Park, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, La Jolla village, UTC, all seem like reasonable places, as well as Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas up north. They all seem to have their pro's and con's with respect to available activities nearby, commuting time, cost, etc. so any more specific recommendations would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[RosieSD]

In addition to the areas you've listed (all of which would work for your needs), you might also want to check out the Little Italy neighborhood near downtown. It's very walkable, full of young professionals, and would be a decent commute to UTC.

[CTD123]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

In addition to the areas you've listed (all of which would work for your needs), you might also want to check out the Little Italy neighborhood near downtown. It's very walkable, full of young professionals, and would be a decent commute to UTC.

Thanks for the reply! Little Italy is also one that I've come across. How is the commute to UTC from there? It seems like a further distance to where I'll be working from compared to North Park / Mission Valley, but the traffic on the 5 doesn't look quite as bad as the 805. Also, does Little Italy have a downtown feel to it or is it enough outside that it doesn't feel like you're right in the heart of it all?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by CTD123

Thanks for the reply! Little Italy is also one that I've come across. How is the commute to UTC from there? It seems like a further distance to where I'll be working from compared to North Park / Mission Valley, but the traffic on the 5 doesn't look quite as bad as the 805. Also, does Little Italy have a downtown feel to it or is it enough outside that it doesn't feel like you're right in the heart of it all?

I used to drive from the 94 up the 5 to UCSD. The worst traffic on the 5 is always around the airport and downtown exits. But it was usually better than the 805. The good thing about Hillcrest and Little Italy is that you can get off if the traffic is backing up in that area and take surface streets. That's harder to do in an area like North Park. I was going a little farther north than UTC, but I'm guessing that, depending on where you needed to be in UTC, you could get there in 15-20 minutes most days.

Little Italy has a definite "neighborhood" feel to it. It has a ton of restaurants and bars, and is 5 minutes from downtown and the harbor. As a result, it does also attract some tourists, but it still has a neighborhood feel (at least in my opinion) as well as a great farmers market and some fun annual events. Little Italy Association of San Diego And you are just five minutes from downtown, Hillcrest, and Pacific Beach there, so lots to do in the area as well.

One potential downside is that you do get planes flying into the airport over the north end of Little Italy, so that can be a consideration. I don't know about all of the buildings there, but my daughter's fiance lived in a newly built building in Little Italy and had great sound proofing on his windows, so didn't seem to be bothered by the airport noise. And, rents are pricey there. I think my daughter's fiance was paying $1600 for a 700 square foot 1 bedroom with one parking spot.

Speaking of pets, that may limit your choices somewhat. So, probably best to keep an open mind about all possible areas until you get a sense of where you might find a place that allows dogs. They're out there, but not as many rentals as one might think allow dogs.

Good luck, and welcome to San Diego!

[psychmd]

Right now (~3:30 pm), Google maps is saying ~30-35 minutes from a random point in North UC to a random point in Little Italy. I would guess that 5 pm rush hour traffic would add around 10-15 minutes to that.


I used to commute from UH to UC, my commute was around 20-25 minutes in the morning and 30-45 minutes in the evening. You can probably expect similar for Little Italy, North Park, or Mission Valley.

[ndindy]

Just how you describe yourself, I would look in North Park, South Park, Hill Crest, University Heights and maybe Banker's Hill. Mission Valley is nice, but doesn't have the personality that the other neighborhoods do, and you are a 7 minute drive from Mission Valley if you need to go. I agree with everything RosieSD said--she has great advice, I would say that Little Italy has difficult parking and tacks on unnecessary commute time to UTC.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by psychmd

Right now (~3:30 pm), Google maps is saying ~30-35 minutes from a random point in North UC to a random point in Little Italy. I would guess that 5 pm rush hour traffic would add around 10-15 minutes to that.


I used to commute from UH to UC, my commute was around 20-25 minutes in the morning and 30-45 minutes in the evening. You can probably expect similar for Little Italy, North Park, or Mission Valley.

Once the new Mid-Coast trolley line is finished, you'll be able to zip from Old Town to UTC in no time. Of course, it won't be ready until 2020, so not much help to the original poster for right now.

SANDAG :: PROJECTS :: San Diego's Regional Planning Agency

[lyner]

Originally Posted by ndindy

Just how you describe yourself, I would look in North Park, South Park, Hill Crest, University Heights and maybe Banker's Hill. Mission Valley is nice, but doesn't have the personality that the other neighborhoods do, and you are a 7 minute drive from Mission Valley if you need to go. I agree with everything RosieSD said--she has great advice, I would say that Little Italy has difficult parking and tacks on unnecessary commute time to UTC.

I would add Normal Heights to the list.