Studio or 1 BR Rental Sorrento Valley (San Diego, Vista: apartments, renters, condo)

[jtamay3]

Hello,

I'm looking for a Studio or 1 Bedroom Rental in or near Sorrento Valley. I'm looking for recommendations of area. I'll be working overnight, so traffic shouldn't be an issue but would prefer an option with public transit.

My budget is $1200, but if someone is more familiar with the area and it should be higher, I'd be willing to raise it.

Thanks!

[Liz_7]

I think the key is to decide what's most important: Proximity to the train station? Budget? Type of neighborhood?

That said, near Sorrento Valley are La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, and Mira Mesa, but you won't find a 1-bedroom under about $1500. Studios are typically $1400+. A bit farther south, Pacific Beach and Clairemont will be slightly less expensive.

Public transit near SV is limited to the train and bus. The Coaster (train) is great, but it goes only north/south so you're limited to the coast unless you want to drive or take the bus from inland. The next two stops north of Sorrento Valley are Solana Beach and Encinitas, which won't be any less expensive (probably more so). The next stop south of Sorrento Valley is Old Town, about a 20-minute ride. That puts you in SD proper and close to Hillcrest, North Park, Normal Heights, Mission Hills, which typically have more affordable rentals than La Jolla and north. But you'd still be busing or driving to/from the train station.

You'd also want to make sure the train schedule works for you. http://www.gonctd.com/wp-content/upl...r-Schedule.pdf

[RosieSD]

Adding to Liz's suggestions, and taking your $1200 budget into account, I'd suggest adding Mira Mesa, Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and parts of Linda Vista to your search. Although the commute will be longer, you'll also likely find more options in your price range in areas like Santee and La Mesa, so keep those areas in mind too.

Also, you may find this helpful -- it is the San Diego Metro Bus Schedule. https://www.sdmts.com/schedules-real-time

You can use it to find the bus stop closest to the address where you will be working, and then plan buses to areas that you might look for apartments. Pay close attention to bus schedules if you will be working at night, as many bus routes either have reduced runs then, or stop running after a certain time.

Even if you take the Coaster to the Sorrento Valley stop, you will probably still need to then take a bus to where ever you are working in Sorrento Valley, unless your employer provides a shuttle from the train station to their location. The bulk of offices/work places in Sorrento Valley are not within easy walking distance of the train station. So, again, you'll need to use the bus schedule to see how to get from the train to where ever you will be working.

You will probably have a hard time finding many rentals for $1200 in places like Solana Beach or Encinitas, unless you are open to the idea of a roommate sharing situation.

[RosieSD]

Here are some examples of rental ads in your price range of $1200 and under. They are all within a 35 minute drive of Sorrento Valley, assuming you will be commuting after or before rush hour. (Note: rush hour traffic can be between 6 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m.). Commuting during rush hour times will increase drive time. Using public transportation will likely take longer, especially if you have to make bus and train connections. Public transportation may not be a realistic option from some of these areas.

I do not have personal knowledge of these places, and, of course, you should never rent anything sight unseen. I am just offering them as examples so you can get a sense of what $1200 buys in different areas of San Diego County. You can plot the addresses on a map and then use the train and bus schedules to check into public transit. These come from Zillow.com, but you should also use Craigslist, Apartment.com, and other search tools.

Finally, if you have a car, try to make sure that off street parking is included (or available for an extra fee) in areas like Normal Heights, North Park, Old Town, etc.

Also, I did not include any roommate situations, but if you are open to that possibility, that will give you more options in nicer areas and closer to the general area where you will be working. You likely will save on rent that way too.

7821 Linda Vista Rd, San Diego, CA 92111 | Zillow

North Ave, San Diego, CA 92116 | Zillow

4130 1st Ave # C, San Diego, CA 92103 | Zillow

APT: 2647 Magnolia Ave. - 2645-51 Magnolia Ave. in San Diego, CA | Zillow

4754 32nd St APT 08, San Diego, CA 92116 | Zillow

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent...85_rect/11_zm/

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent...87_rect/11_zm/

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent...03_rect/10_zm/

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent...34_rect/10_zm/

[Liz_7]

Oh, I forgot about Linda Vista. Thanks, RosieSD.

Also want to point out that those example rentals under or around $1000 are quite low for the market--they could have some sort of major inconvenience or dealbreaker, so just be careful vetting the place.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Liz_7

Oh, I forgot about Linda Vista. Thanks, RosieSD.

Also want to point out that those example rentals under or around $1000 are quite low for the market--they could have some sort of major inconvenience or dealbreaker, so just be careful vetting the place.

Absolutely agree!

I would be particularly careful about any ad under $1000 as that is far below market value. As we all know, internet rental ad "scams" do happen. So, no one should ever send money to an apartment that they haven't seen in person and vetted as being real.

Also, the current "median" rent for a one bedroom in San Diego County is $1500 according to the most recent figures I've seen. That means that when one sees an apartment with a rent far below that "market median," you can expect that it will be in a less desirable neighborhood, very small (some of the examples I showed were 350 square feet -- about the size of a bedroom) or have other issues (i.e., no stove!). There are still apartments available in the $1000-$1200 range, but renters will likely need to make some concessions of one sort or another.

Those apartments are also likely to be snapped up VERY quickly. So what you see advertised today, may not be available tomorrow.

[jtamay3]

I want to say thank you to all of you guys/gals for the speedy responses. I've visited San Diego before, but not enough to know where to live.

Thanks again!!