My first impressions of San Diego.... (Chula Vista, Vista: insurance, house, neighborhood)

[luvSD]

Like all cities, there are the trendy rich places, the average working family places, and the poor, down and out places. Seems like your not in the trendy rich part of town :^) Here's some places you can check out if you want to find where those postcard images were taken: San Diego Attraction: Sort by Categories

Although San Diego does have public transportation, most people drive. See here for info on trolley, bus, ferry: Public Transportation

Welcome to "America's Finest" city. Learn your way around and by the time summer comes, I hope you will be having fun in the sun.

[jkoz]

The same rule applies here as in most major cities: Generally whereever you see railroad tracks (and/or trolley tracks as the case may be), those are not going to be the best or most pristine parts of town. It sounds like you spent a good deal of time here on the trolley, which would explain why you did not see the San Diego you saw online. It is a beautiful city and area though--hope you get to check more of it out.

[jkoz]

Originally Posted by carlos123

Hi everyone,

It has rained almost incessantly for a few days. Light rain but all day.

Today the sun finally broke out but the weather is still pretty chilly. Even for one such as me who was living in -30 C weather before I arrived.

Carlos

The idea that San Diego is supposed to be like a hot July day year round is a fallacy--south Florida maybe--not here. The thermometer is much shorter here than other parts of the U.S., but winter IS different than summer, unless there is a hot Santa Ana going through, and like one poster said, we are in the throes of our rainy season now.

This is not the best time to visit, unless you want to trade snow and 19 degrees for the possibility of rain and 58 degrees; otherwise, I'd recommend March or April or July-November as the best time to visit if you want that classic San Diego weather. (May-June are gray months here).

Anyway, welcome

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by T. Damon

I think you are not seeing the forest through the trees.

What are you trying to insinuate Damon? That there is a whole forest of OTHER hot drunk chicks out there, so the OP shouldn't settle for the hot drunk chick at hand because there will be a boatload of hot drunk chicks to choose from in the future?

Welcome to Pacific Beach!

[carlos123]

I wish I had more time to respond tonight but the Starbucks I am at closes in 15 minutes so...until another day.

Let me just say though...that today I got a chance to see some beautiful areas at last! The Coronado Hotel beach. Coronado itself. BEAUTIFUL!

Amazing contrast between it and the area on the other side of the connecting bridge.

More another day.

Carlos

[revelated]

When people take pictures of San Diego, they take less pictures of downtown than other areas. There's a reason for that.

La Jolla Cove is a nice looking area. So is Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, southern Poway, Eastlake, Coronado, Carmel Valley, and some parts of Sorrento Valley.

[happ]

You're a great writer, Carlos

[maui08]

I just popped in from Hawaii to check on some posts and noticed yours....I read it and have one question....it seems that since San Diego has black folks and mexican folks that seem to bother you in some way....how are you "white" with the name Carlos?

[bunky3301]

I've also met a number of persons who don't speak any English at all.

Thats funny...the whole time I lived in the San Diego area I never once had a problem with someone not speaking English and I lived in Chula Vista. The only time (just a couple by the way) was at the Coronado Beaches near the Hotel Del and they were "tourist". Some from Europe and some from Asia.

You can't go by first impressions when your trying to figure out a new place and only give it a day. If I had done that , I wouldn't have liked what was around us as well when we first arrived. We lived in the Navy Lodge at 28th Street near the ship yards and the Naval Base for 2 weeks and you don't want to walk outside that gate after dark.

But we drove around looking for housing and begain to see the beauty of the area right away. Heck we were only there for 3 years and I'm sure we still didn't see everything, infact I know we didn't thats why we're planning on coming back soon for a vacation. Anyway Mr. Calos I wish you luck, but I think in the end San Diego is not going to agree we you.

Its no fun living in Paradise or the next best thing and just getting by.

[mdiaz38]

So does anyone know which areas of California are better - like San Jose area? Orange County? or is it just that the big city areas are typically this way?