Where to live? Walkable with good sports high school

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Are you OK with an apartment, or are you hoping to rent a single family home? Does your husband need the place to be accessible (i.e., have an elevator if it's not on the ground floor)?

I'd start with finding the high schools that have the sports your daughter wants to continue. Lacrosse and Golf teams are not as common here as they are on the east coast.

Here's a list of high schools that have Lacrosse Teams (note: not all of these have both male and female Lacrosse): San Diego Section High School Lacrosse - MaxPreps

And, here's a list of high schools that have Golf teams: San Diego Section High School Girls Golf - MaxPreps

Cross reference the two lists to see which will work sports-wise. (Girls softball is more common)

Then, pull up Zillow.com and do a couple of searches in the service areas for those high schools, using your budget, desired size, and type of rental.

Carlsbad is a great suggestion, but not all of Carlsbad is walkable. I also think it may be a little challenging to find two bedroom rentals in your budget that are close to the walkable parts of Carlsbad. It will be even more challenging if your husband can't do stairs.

As a possible alternative to Carlsbad, you might check out San Elijo Hills in San Marcos. It has a walkable "town center" and the new Mission Hills High School has both sports.

Oceanside High School also has both sports, and parts of Oceanside are very walkable. Oceanside would be less expensive than Carlsbad, but you'll want to be picky about neighborhoods there.

I think Hitman had a really good suggestion when he mentioned the Village of La Mesa. That will check off your walk score, the sports (Grossmont H.S.), and your budget. There are plenty of coffee shops in the Village too and rents are significantly less expensive than North County; you might even be able to find a small single family home in your price range. A little east of the village, the central Rancho San Diego area is pretty accessible for disabled folks, and both Steele Canyon and Valhalla High Schools have both sports. (Note: Steele Canyon isn't on the list above for lacrosse, but it does have girls lacrosse).

Point Loma High School also has both sports, and parts of Point Loma are very walkable. Prices vary there, but you may find some options.

Coronado would also be a great option, but again, challenging price wise.

In the South Bay, the newer sections of Chula Vista (east of the I-805) has some fairly walkable pockets and is similar to parts of Carlsbad in feel but significantly less expensive. Olympian High School is excellent and does have both sports.

Similarly, you might take a look at Rancho Bernardo, which is a town that was pretty much designed for retired citizens so while it is very suburban, does have some walkability in certain areas. Rancho Bernardo High School has both teams and is in the superb Poway School District.

So, start with the schools that have both types of teams, then work from there with your budget and walkability.

Good luck with your move!

I always keep forgetting about Chula Vista Eastlake area

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by hitman619

I always keep forgetting about Chula Vista Eastlake area

Don't feel bad, we all do. But, that is a great area to live in if you like the whole master-planned community thing. And, honestly, it's not all that different than much of Carlsbad or Encinitas. Just a whole lot cheaper.

[DebinCA]

Rosie - we are fine with an apartment - and my hubby can walk up steps (he suffers from seizures which we hope will be treated with another brain surgery in the Fall). Thanks so much for being so thorough - very much appreciate it! We are driving down next week and plan to do some serious village walking to find the right fit.

[DebinCA]

Oh - and regarding Master Planned Communities - we lived in one in SC (Daniel Island) and loved it there. So sounds like we should kick the tires of Chula Visa as well.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by DebinCA

Oh - and regarding Master Planned Communities - we lived in one in SC (Daniel Island) and loved it there. So sounds like we should kick the tires of Chula Visa as well.

If you do visit Chula Vista, the area I'm talking about is EAST of the I-805 freeway. That's where the newer master planned communities like Eastlake, Rancho Del Rey, and Otay Ranch are located. That's also where the newer Olympian High School is located. (Bonita Vista, which is also out in that area, may have the sports your daughter wants too, but it's not quite as good as Olympian academically). Some of the communities are more walkable than others, so you'll have to evaluate what will work for you.

West of the 805 is the older part of Chula Vista. Some parts are nice, and probably a little more walkable, but some areas west of the 805 (particularly towards the southern edge) are less desirable and I wouldn't recommend them. The high schools are less stellar there, but it is possible to apply for a transfer to a different school within the district (you'd have to arrange transportation then though).

But, overall, Chula Vista is a nice, family oriented city.

Have you looked into medical care here? I'm sure you're already factoring that into your consideration but here's a quick overview. There are four main healthcare systems: UCSD, Scripps, Sharp, and Kaiser. UCSD is an excellent research hospital, with facilities in both the La Jolla area and downtown San Diego. However, it has somewhat limited satellite offices.

Scripps is an excellent healthcare system, with hospitals and clinics throughout the county (including in Chula Vista and North County). Both Scripps and UCSD have excellent neurology departments (I speak from experience). Most of Scripps' specialists are also located in La Jolla, although they also have a facility in Rancho Bernardo (which I mentioned previously) where neurologists work out of.

Sharp is also very good (there is a Sharp facility in Eastern Chula Vista). Kaiser is more of an HMO. I'm not familiar with either of their neurology services, but they are both options to consider.

We also have a VA hospital (in La Jolla).

So, overall, we have great medical services here in San Diego compared to many other cities.

[GSR13]

Originally Posted by hitman619

Downtown La Mesa Village.
Helix And Grossmont High schools both excel in their sport Programs.

I second this. I believe Helix won a state football championship when NFL'ers Alex Smith and Reggie Bush were attending.