NYC vs. San Diego

[ubringliten]

Originally Posted by mewzikguy

If you feel SD is boring, then that is a problem with you , not SD. There is much to do here, many things to get involved with. You need to get involved in arts organizations, sports clubs, civic groups, etc. Stop your whining - -

I am not whining. The poster asked me. You know, not everybody can just be all dandy and happy about a place...this is how I feel. Everybody is different.

I know there is alot to do here, but everything involves daytime activity. I know I need to change my lifestyle, but it's going to take some time.

[Kasey77]

I don't hear any whining! San Diego is a beautiful place. But, the trasition is hard and people are not too quick to warm up here. Hard to have long term friends here and roots. Lots of transients.

[newtosandiego24]

ubringliten,
I appreciate the feedback! I'll post my experiences here (well, the ones I can post) after I move.
As a "veteran" party dude, I can tell you I think NYC, Vegas and Miami are in their own league, and LA is similar if you know the "right" people. But I am tired of all that, as a lifestyle, anyway.
I am moving to SD so I will have the beach everyday, ride my bike everyday and just chill (so I actually like everything you said ) and I will go to Vegas and LA when I want to tear it up. I was in PB last weekend though, and it was cool. It didnt seem as "young" as I thought. I'm 35, look younger, but I saw a lot of people in their 30's and 40's either walking around, in some bars and even at the gym I visited. But once again, I am NOT going there for that. I am looking for some R&R and semi-isolation (at least from my "crew".) thanks again...

[ubringliten]

Originally Posted by newtosandiego24

ubringliten,
I appreciate the feedback! I'll post my experiences here (well, the ones I can post) after I move.
As a "veteran" party dude, I can tell you I think NYC, Vegas and Miami are in their own league, and LA is similar if you know the "right" people. But I am tired of all that, as a lifestyle, anyway.
I am moving to SD so I will have the beach everyday, ride my bike everyday and just chill (so I actually like everything you said ) and I will go to Vegas and LA when I want to tear it up. I was in PB last weekend though, and it was cool. It didnt seem as "young" as I thought. I'm 35, look younger, but I saw a lot of people in their 30's and 40's either walking around, in some bars and even at the gym I visited. But once again, I am NOT going there for that. I am looking for some R&R and semi-isolation (at least from my "crew".) thanks again...

You are definitely coming to the right place. It will feel like home for you. I am slowly adjusting and SD is just a comfortable city that it's easy to make it a home. I just went to a club yesterday, and surprisingly, it was really fun with outgoing San Diegans. After partying, I was glad I went home to a quiet neighborhood. And I am heading to the beach right now at 7pm just enjoy the night breeze.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by ubringliten

You are definitely coming to the right place. It will feel like home for you. I am slowly adjusting and SD is just a comfortable city that it's easy to make it a home. I just went to a club yesterday, and surprisingly, it was really fun with outgoing San Diegans. After partying, I was glad I went home to a quiet neighborhood. And I am heading to the beach right now at 7pm just enjoy the night breeze.

You're doing fine, UBL (I hope no relation or identity to Al Qaeda's #1, hiding out in boring Scripps Ranch).

[planetsurf]

julicious, you couldn't have picked 2 more different places.

Just moved from SD back to the east coast (Miami). Grew up in NY and family (including sister) still lives there.

You've gotten some pretty good advice so far. I'd second the fact that SD is a bit boring and provincial. Not a bad thing if your looking for a quieter place that still has some interesting things (especially outdoorsy stuff) to do.
"Americas biggest small town" is the best description I've heard that most everybody can agree with. It's the kind of place WE would LOVE to spend July and August every year, just not live there.

I do web design; the job market in SD is ok, not great. If I had to guess I'd say NYC is far better, but I'm positive it's at least a little better. I've had a few companies try and recruit me in SD (I freelance) and the pay they offered just wasn't that great.
There ARE web jobs in SD, just not as many.

IMO, the cost of living thing is where you have to figure it out.
SD is not cheap, you have to have a car and you'll be dealing with after school care (as you will in NY). It isn't hard to find a safe place to live in SD in a decent school district though.
Obviously NYC isn't cheap either, so that isn't any help either way.

As to your kid ... how many truly neat, interesting, unique and intelligent people do you know who grew up in NYC? How about San Diego? FOR US, we wanted our kids to grow up in a more diverse and interesting place than SD. It is VERY tough for a single mom anywhere, I'm just throwing that out there.

Do you have ANY support in either place? Do you have any support within a few hours of either place? One of the things that was REALLY hard for us on the west coast is our ENTIRE family is east coast. EVERY holiday is lonelier, even with new friends to share it a bit with. Almost every vacation was back east for weddings, holidays, bar mitzvahs, etc. It was tough and we had $$ to do it!
No occasional free babysitters, nobody to pick up the kids in an emergency, it just isn't easy without a little help.

If you need any specific "web" advice for SD, IM me.

Good luck.

[ubringliten]

Originally Posted by bloom

You're doing fine, UBL (I hope no relation or identity to Al Qaeda's #1, hiding out in boring Scripps Ranch).

Hahahha. Thanks Bloom. Yeah, Scripps Ranch would be a good hideout, but then again, we have lots of conservatives that have watchful eyes.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by ubringliten

Everything closes at 9pm, and everything feels really isolated. Then you start feeling empty. I have been feeling empty for a few months now.

Do yourself a favor and move out of Scripps Ranch. Not that there is anything at all wrong with it, but you are in suburbia.

Since you seem to think EVERYTHING closes at 9:00, here's a cheat sheet of restaurants that stay open after midnight throughout the city - San Diego After Midnight. This list isn't complete because places that I've been to late at night aren't on it like Ciro's Pizza and Saigon on 5th in Hillcrest, Modus in Bankers Hill and Bully's in Mission Valley. I just want to prove to you that you won't starve after Applebee's closes at 9:00pm

That list would also be much longer if it included places that closed at 11:00pm or midnight.

Lastly, I'd much rather have 24hour drive thru Mexican Fast Food to choose from, instead of the those nasty 24hour Market/Salad Bar joints you find in Manhattan!!

I went straight from the most exciting place in the country to one of the most boring place.

Ok, ubringliten, if you really think that SD one of the most boring places in the country, then I'm guessing you haven't visited many places. Try visiting Phoenix, Jacksonville, Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, among many others, to discover what boring really is.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by ubringliten

You have to drive everywhere, and miles in darkness. Why is it so dark in SD. The street lamps of yellow! Why!

The street lights are yellow to limit light pollution for the Palomar Observatory. Any streetlights within 30 miles of the Observatory need to use Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lights and they emit that yellow light.