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Old 02-06-2012, 06:53 PM
 
12 posts, read 25,328 times
Reputation: 12

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Hi everyone.

Currently I'm living in Mission Valley, I'm a student at SDSU, and I'm thinking of moving out and getting my own apartment. I found pretty good ones in North Park, but I've heard bad stuff about that neighborhood. I'm 19 and I'm going to live by myself for at least 4 months. I liked it because its close to downtown and hillcrest, and I thought the area around SDSU was really boring and kinda not safe too. So is El Cajon Blvd/North Park really bad, and filled with prostitutes and drug dealers? and what do you think of University Heights, Normal Heights? any other suggestions?

Thanks.
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Old 02-06-2012, 07:19 PM
 
Location: Tijuana Exurbs
4,530 posts, read 12,358,308 times
Reputation: 6273
Assuming by your moniker that you are a guy, none of the areas you have mentioned, North Park along ECB, Normal Heights, University Heights, or the area around SDSU (College, Rolando, Talmadge) should pose the least bit of safety problem for you. Just don't go walking the streets at 2am with large wads of cash bulging out of your pockets, staggering along drunk looking like an easy mark. Seriously, you would have to be doing something majorly stupid to be a victim of street crime in San Diego. Your only real risks are car break-ins and car theft. Maybe an apartment break in, but you're a college student, you shouldn't have that much worth stealing.

Now to the neighborhoods you have mentioned:

Normal Heights south of Adams is kind of on the grittier side. Not quite as clean as one would like, if you only have street parking, then parking will be a problem, and the apartments are of a lower (Huffman Hovel type) quality. But dude, you're a 19 year old college student. These are the kinds of places most college students are living in, not in nice, new, auto-centric but boring Mission Valley. Adams Avenue has a lot of businesses and activity: Coffee shops, grocery store, post office, car wash, hair places, tailors, restaurants, (Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Mexican, Mexican, Ice Cream, Donuts), plus two major street fairs each year.

North Park along El Cajon Boulevard does have issues with prostitution. It really won't impact you that much if you are another short term resident. I think what would be the biggest issue for you is that it will tend to be boring. The reason the prostitutes are on ECB is that there is little pedestrian traffic. There is little pedestrian traffic because there really isn't that much to do along ECB as the businesses shut down at night. You will have the same poor quality Huffman Hovel style apartments in North Park as you have in Normal Heights. As with all Huffman's ask about your parking spot, and if there is a laundry room. You don't want to be hauling your laundry to a laundromat.

University Heights, east of Park Boulevard is no different from North Park. West of Park Boulevard, the area is must more of a neighborhood. Cleaner, no bad elements plying their trade because of the lack of through traffic. There is walkable access to the businesses along Park Boulevard, (Bars and restauarants). However, the businesses in University Heights tend to be more gay-oriented. So, factor that into which area you would be interested in. There business area in UH is substantially small than Normal Heights. However, depending on where in UH you are, you could walk to Hillcrest. University Heights will also be the most expensive of the three areas, NP, UH, and NH.

It would help us more if we understood the priority you place on your:

Budget
Safety
Quiet or Activity
Walkability
Public Transit to SDSU
Quality of the housing
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Old 02-06-2012, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Hookerville, formerly in Tweakerville
15,115 posts, read 32,194,654 times
Reputation: 9689
I live 1/2 block off of El Cajon Blvd. I rarely see any prostitutes, and have never seen any drug dealers. I've been living in the neighborhood close to four years, I'm a single female, work a lot of nights, and have never had a problem. If you don't go looking for trouble, you won't have a problem.
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Old 02-06-2012, 07:53 PM
 
12 posts, read 25,328 times
Reputation: 12
kettlepot, Thanks man, that's an awesome response.

Yes I'm a guy. I guess I'm looking for a place with a lot of businesses but also safe (by safe I mean you dont see the people you usually see in downtown, gangs, crackheads..etc). I really liked Hillcrest. but its expensive and a little too loud, with all the nightclubs and bars. well, I'm from Europe, so I miss our small, walkable, alive streets. I don't party and go out a lot, and I'm an art student so I'd appreciate a nice-looking, quite area too.

to make things more clear:

Public Transit to SDSU, meanwhile I take the bus. but I'm gonna buy a car, so thats why I'm worried about safety.
Safety, I'm not that paranoid, but its important.
Quiet or Activity, I like active places, but not filled with clubs and drunks.
Walkability, very important.
Budget, max 1200$/month.
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Old 02-06-2012, 11:42 PM
 
Location: Tijuana Exurbs
4,530 posts, read 12,358,308 times
Reputation: 6273
For public transit, North Park along ECB, Normal Heights, and University Heights will all work. You can take either the 11 bus along Adams Avenue, or the 15 semi-express bus along El Cajon Boulevard. Safety on the bus isn't a worry. The worst thing that could happen is that you'll find yourself sitting downwind of someone who needs a bath.

University Heights is the most expensive of the three areas, but not radically more expensive. However, it will also be the longest bus ride to SDSU. And if you ended up living west of Park Boulevard in the more neighborhood part of the area, that would make for the longest walk to the bus stop. As much as I like University Heights, I'm don't believe this is the best place for you.

North Park, along ECB would give you a quicker bus ride to SDSU, and depending on where in North Park, could also provide access to the clubs and restaurants that have developed around University and 30th Street. You might like that area, and it is worth your investigating it. However, I don't think North Park is your best option either.

I would go with Normal Heights. The neighborhood business district is bigger than in University Heights, the rents should be slightly cheaper, and you would be a little bit closer to SDSU. Plus, you could use the 11 bus for SDSU or the 15 bus. And if you wanted to go Downtown, the 15 bus goes there as well. Normal Heights has a few beer bars that are making a name for themselves, but that doesn't matter, you couldn't get into any of them anyway. But Adams Avenue hasn't developed the party scene that University & 30th has developed recently, and the Pacific Beach has had for decades. However, there is LeStats coffee house and a graphic novels shop (comic book store in the old style parlance).

As for buying a car, other than trips to the beach, and grocery shopping, what would be the need? Plus, that's an expense you might want to forego. As a non-resident alien, under the age of 25, the car insurance would be quite expensive. There is the Car-2-Go franchise, which operates in all 3 neighborhoods, but your age might bar you from renting their cars. Your best bet would be to meet people who have a car for beach trips and other excursions, and stick with the bus or walking for shopping. A car means insurance, gas, repairs, and the cost of parking at SDSU.

As for Normal Heights, the area north of Adams Avenue is better, and therefore more expensive. But you could live south of Adams and save the north of Adams area for walks and the occasional view of Mission Valley down below. South of Adams would make it easier for you to choose between either the 11 bus along Adams Avenue, or the 15 (or 1 and 1A) bus along ECB.

Whatever you do, get out of Mission Valley. What a boring place for a 19 year old. These other neighborhoods may not be as new and nice, (personally, I think older architecture (pre WWII) looks better) but you will feel like you're living someplace not just garaging yourself inside your apartment at night.
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Old 02-07-2012, 01:10 AM
 
Location: San Diego
47 posts, read 107,050 times
Reputation: 17
I'm living in North Park and I can't stand it.. its boring. Only good thing about it is that its central to everything. But in 5 months im moving to PB. I would recommend moving there..
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Old 02-07-2012, 09:53 AM
 
Location: San Diego, CA
3,545 posts, read 6,013,554 times
Reputation: 4096
Quote:
Originally Posted by illusion887 View Post
I'm living in North Park and I can't stand it.. its boring. Only good thing about it is that its central to everything. But in 5 months im moving to PB. I would recommend moving there..
North park is boring? There's a bazillion bars and restaurants, and half of the bars have live music all the time. Of course they're not all packed together, and the streets aren't filled with drunk 20-somethings (except maybe outside of True North), You don't wake up at 3am to find people puking on your front porch, and there's not loud house parties at all hours on any given day... If that's what you're looking for, PB is certainly better for you.

To the OP: In North Park there's all kinds of stuff to do, but it's along the main streets (El Cajon, 30th, Adams) and the residential areas are nice and quiet. I found it an ideal place to live when I was going to SDSU- and I still ive there. As a single female I have't had any safety concerns. I used to hop on the #11 bus to school every day. Easy Peasy.
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