San Diego Newbies...Opinion so far? (Laguna, Julian: appointed, rent, home)

[LookingtoLeave]

I've read on quite a few posts where new people have moved to SD within the past year or 2...or even 3. What's your opinion so far? Has it lived up to your expectations, exceeded them, etc?

[SanAntoQT]

I moved to San Diego a year and four months ago and I must say that it's been an experience. I love the weather, the scenery and the fact that there is so much to do outdoors. I'm not thrilled with the traffic, but I don't think it's any worse than San Antonio's. I'm still awestruck (and not in a good way) by housing costs. While we don't own a home here, the rent is ridiculous. My job pays less than what I was earning in San Antonio by about $3.00 an hour. On the upside, after having become a California resident, I was able to take advantage of the very low tuition for community college.

I'm generally a friendly, outgoing person and have met some really nice folks, but I have noticed a bit more shallowness and more of a materialistic attitude. However, I don't let it affect my attitude. Meh, people are people!

I would say that San Diego has lived up to my expectations, but, honestly thought it would exceed them. It hasn't. It's been a great adventure!

[LookingtoLeave]

I've read many of your posts about it and I really think it's great that you maintain a positive and realistic attitude about complaining about its shortfalls. I'm worried that coming from SA as well, the cost of living will eventually get to me-although it's no surprise what it costs. As of now, I really do want to be in a more beautiful city, but in the long run I don't know if it'll be worth the trade.

[FunkyMonk]

At first I liked SD like most people. I was captivated by the weather, the clean city look, the fun tourist things to do everywhere, the beaches, and all the other things that SD is known for. At the same time, there was something a bit off about it to me. Even though I liked it, something just didn't feel right. It didn't feel like a place where I could make myself at home. Now matter how long I stayed, I always felt like I was just visiting.

Then about 3 or 4 months into it, it really turned sour. The attitudes of the people began to really, really bug me. I have a thick skin and I've lived around some very "interesting" people that would challenge anyone's patience. But the way people act out here just began to really bother me. The SD vibe as a blend of arrogance, materialism, and an "everyone for himself" vibe that creates some real a$$holes. The only thing people respect is themselves around here. People feel the need to show off and make it clear to everyone around them that they are the number one most important person in this city.

The level of humanity out here is very low as I soon realized. People are too self-absorbed to see beyond their own image and their own little lives. But we all know this.

The money situation became frustrating. No matter how hard I worked, I realized I was making much, much less money than in other places. Spending much more, getting paid a little less for the same work. They call it the sunshine tax. Well I like sunshine, but not that much.

My living accomadations got progressively worse. When I first moved to SD I was living in a great spot on the beach. Then rents got higher, and I realized it was senseless to spend such an enormous amount of money on rent. So in my search for reasonable rent, I realized that the only places to be found where total dumps, places with several roomates, or places in bad ghettos.

And finally, the violence on the streets began to bother me. Most people drive everywhere they go here and do things in a very controlled manner. But if you trolley around and bicycle around this city enough, you'll see that it's got problems with gangs and violence that are just about the same as LA. Even in lots of "nice" areas, people just act thuggish, violent and annoying. It seems like a lot of people here are very, very brainwashed by hip-hop music and that whole image. And I think the high cost of living around here makes people act that way too because they are broke and angry about it. So it manifests in them acting violent and ruthless.

The only things that I really found that I loved about SD were the great weather, the camping out in places like Mt. Laguna and Julian, and some spots like Balboa Park, the beaches, and Mission Trails Park. Besides that, thumbs down.

Anything that involves being around a lot of San Diegans, count me out. I'd rather babysit a thousand screaming kids that punch me in the balls. That would be much less annoying and much easier to deal with.

[Huckleberry3911948]

my expectation was that they would have winter but it just does not happen.

[kimmer]

No, no seasons really. Spring is probably my favorite time here since it's cooler, it sometimes rains so the pollution/haze goes away and you can actually see the mountains, ocean. But, otherwise, it's mostly "summer" here.

[LookingtoLeave]

SanAntoQT-Actually meant to say "Instead of complaining"

[LookingtoLeave]

Originally Posted by FunkyMonk

Anything that involves being around a lot of San Diegans, count me out. I'd rather babysit a thousand screaming kids that punch me in the balls. That would be much less annoying and much easier to deal with.

That made me laugh. But in all seriousness, sorry you've had a bad time so far. I'm also considering Seattle, but some people say the people there aren't so great either-and some flock back to Cali.

Did you do a lot of research about SD before moving out there or did you think it would just be paradise in your back yard?

[CrissCT]

I didn't want to move here (we did for my husbands job), so I had very low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought my kids would join gangs in kindergarten or have to wear designer clothes. Not true at all!

When we first moved here I looked for reasons to hate it but I've had a hard time finding any major ones other than missing my family back East. A lot of our extended family is actually disappointed that the San Diego vacations are coming to an end for them! Yes our yard is tiny and it is expensive here, but what really matters are your friends and I have met some great ones and my kids have also made wonderful friendships. I think what surprised me the most was how easy life seems here. No shoveling snow and bundling up little ones for 1/2 hour before you can get in the car to go somewhere. You just go. I will actually miss San Diego when we move and am both excited and a little afraid of having to actually experience real weather again.

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by FunkyMonk

At first I liked SD like most people. I was captivated by the weather, the clean city look, the fun tourist things to do everywhere, the beaches, and all the other things that SD is known for. At the same time, there was something a bit off about it to me. Even though I liked it, something just didn't feel right. It didn't feel like a place where I could make myself at home. Now matter how long I stayed, I always felt like I was just visiting.

Then about 3 or 4 months into it, it really turned sour. The attitudes of the people began to really, really bug me. I have a thick skin and I've lived around some very "interesting" people that would challenge anyone's patience. But the way people act out here just began to really bother me. The SD vibe as a blend of arrogance, materialism, and an "everyone for himself" vibe that creates some real a$$holes. The only thing people respect is themselves around here. People feel the need to show off and make it clear to everyone around them that they are the number one most important person in this city.

The level of humanity out here is very low as I soon realized. People are too self-absorbed to see beyond their own image and their own little lives. But we all know this.

The money situation became frustrating. No matter how hard I worked, I realized I was making much, much less money than in other places. Spending much more, getting paid a little less for the same work. They call it the sunshine tax. Well I like sunshine, but not that much.

My living accomadations got progressively worse. When I first moved to SD I was living in a great spot on the beach. Then rents got higher, and I realized it was senseless to spend such an enormous amount of money on rent. So in my search for reasonable rent, I realized that the only places to be found where total dumps, places with several roomates, or places in bad ghettos.

And finally, the violence on the streets began to bother me. Most people drive everywhere they go here and do things in a very controlled manner. But if you trolley around and bicycle around this city enough, you'll see that it's got problems with gangs and violence that are just about the same as LA. Even in lots of "nice" areas, people just act thuggish, violent and annoying. It seems like a lot of people here are very, very brainwashed by hip-hop music and that whole image. And I think the high cost of living around here makes people act that way too because they are broke and angry about it. So it manifests in them acting violent and ruthless.

The only things that I really found that I loved about SD were the great weather, the camping out in places like Mt. Laguna and Julian, and some spots like Balboa Park, the beaches, and Mission Trails Park. Besides that, thumbs down.

Anything that involves being around a lot of San Diegans, count me out. I'd rather babysit a thousand screaming kids that punch me in the balls. That would be much less annoying and much easier to deal with.

I'm beginning to think you just don't like people, period. I don't expect others to meet my standards because we're all different. There are some people I like and others I don't and I'm sure it's vice-versa. The sense I get from your posts is that everyone annoys you, everyone is shallow, everyone is materialistic, etc. Surely, not EVERYONE you've come across in San Diego fits those descriptions. I know, for a fact, that I don't. Some of us are nice, normal, down-to-earth individuals. Come find us!