My first impressions of San Diego.... (Chula Vista, Vista: home, utilities, wage)

[maui08]

San Diego and pretty much all of So Cal are great places to live. Expensive yes but well worth it on so many levels. Great schools both for young kids and college, great weather, friendly normal people, every kind of store/shop you could ever want/need, ocean, mountain, desert all so close,.......list could go on and on.

The spanish influence in San Diego is what we miss the most. The great mexican restaurants and the spanish areas like Old Town are some of the best spots to spend a weekend strolling with family.

-The original poster (Carlos) will surely miss out on what San Diego is all about if all he can see are the black and mexican people.

BTW, I don't know many cities of any size in our country where you will find only whites. Maybe some of the small southern towns are still living in the days of segragation but the modern places actually have bathrooms that are shared by all races and drinking fountains that anyone can drink out of.

[72degreeboredom]

If you are using the trolley or bus to get around, yes, you will primarily encounter impoverished people. People who cannot afford the expense of cars, insurance, and gas needed to get around a county that is HEAVILY dependent on having a car. In San Diego (and most metropolitan areas of the US), the poor have brown skin. There is no more clear way to see that in our city than to ride public transportation. The middle class and the affluent have cars, and we drive them a lot. Most suburban teenagers and white collar adults in San Diego have never taken the bus or trolley (and if they have, it was only to go from Fashion Valley to a Padres or Charger game).

I don't care what metropolitan area you're talking about, the post cards and magazine features are not going to depict the poorest parts of town, but only the most idyllic and photogenic scenes. There is plenty of those places in San Diego, but there are also plenty of inner city areas abandoned long ago by the affluent who have continuously moved north as the freeways have added lanes and canyons were filled in for new master-planned communities.

And, yes, San Diego has a homeless problem, as most large cities do. As a community, we don't particularly care about the homeless, and generally just want them out of sight. Activists fight to have a tent city or temporary winter shelters every year, and every year the shelter moves further out of town and is able to serve fewer people. But, people who have a great life here pay a lot of money to do so. They commute long miles and work long hours. At the end of the day, they don't want to have to step over urine-soaked schizophrenic on their way to drink a $15 martini at a Gaslamp restaurant.

[marilynmonroe]

Originally Posted by 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?

I was wondering the same thing. I know people are sometimes just trying to be descriptive and don't mean to be insulting, but phrases like "over-run" (which I've read in several posts) shouldn't be used to describe populations, unless you're talking about insect infestations.

[aacole]

Originally Posted by marilynmonroe

I was wondering the same thing. I know people are sometimes just trying to be descriptive and don't mean to be insulting, but phrases like "over-run" (which I've read in several posts) shouldn't be used to describe populations, unless you're talking about insect infestations.

I always feel that way when people post things like that.

"I'm not racist, but this place has too many mexicans" is basically what people say with nicer words. They will also use "large immigrant population" or when referring to schools they say "that is a bad school. there are too many hispanics". Just say what you mean and mean what you say.

The mexicans in San Diego is what makes it have flavor. I think what some people are afraid of is that they think mexicans will make San diego look like Tijuana.

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by carlos123

Here there are young black guys walking around everywhere with hoodies. Homeboys. I have nothing against black people per se and none have bothered me. On the contrary they have been quite nice but it has left me with an impression that the whole place is kinda run down.

So because a place has young black men walking around in hoodies, It's run down ?

[lesstress]

I've been waiting and hoping someone from San Diego would comment on the extensive amount of bigotry found in " My first impressions of San Diego"

[MrNiceGuy06]

Originally Posted by lesstress

I've been waiting and hoping someone from San Diego would comment on the extensive amount of bigotry found in " My first impressions of San Diego"

Ditto. Even prompted me to look up these statistics:

Races in San Diego:

• White Non-Hispanic (49.4%)
• Hispanic (25.4%)
• Other race (12.4%)
• Black (7.9%)
• Filipino (6.1%)
• Two or more races (4.8%)
• Vietnamese (2.2%)
• Chinese (1.9%)
• Other Asian (1.5%)
• American Indian (1.3%)
• Japanese (0.8%)
• Korean (0.6%)
• Asian Indian (0.6%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Source: http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Diego-California.html

Though, I may give the OP the benefit of doubt and assume he's experiencing some sort of culture shock. It seems to me he's just watched a little bit too much t.v. or "shoot-em-up" movies w/ his "blacks with hoodies" and "homeboys" comments.

I don't think he meant any harm, but just lacks culture and experience in diversity.

[aacole]

Originally Posted by cobmw

Can't use the words over-run to describe the invasion from Mexico? That's PC nonsense. The sort of thing taught in CA colleges these days.

I was just saying I don't like it when people use euphemisms.

I currently live in a neighborhood where we are the only white people. We get along fine with our neighbors but I think the best living situation would be in a very diverse neighborhood. I don't think anyone wants to be the only black person in a white neighborhood and visa versa. Thats what I love about San Diego is the black, hispanic, asian, white mix that makes a lot of areas diverse.

Here in Atlanta it is mainly black/white. Its like trying to make a chilli with only salt and pepper. Without the cumin, chili powder, garlic, etc...it becomes bland.

[ubringliten]

Originally Posted by aacole

I was just saying I don't like it when people use euphemisms.

I currently live in a neighborhood where we are the only white people. We get along fine with our neighbors but I think the best living situation would be in a very diverse neighborhood. I don't think anyone wants to be the only black person in a white neighborhood and visa versa. Thats what I love about San Diego is the black, hispanic, asian, white mix that makes a lot of areas diverse.

Here in Atlanta it is mainly black/white. Its like trying to make a chilli with only salt and pepper. Without the cumin, chili powder, garlic, etc...it becomes bland.

Our Scripps Ranch neighohbood is about 80% white and I think it's too one-sided. Many times, I feel like I am not wanted here, but we love our house and the aesthetics of the environment so much. We could see alot of potential in the area. My fiancee and I, everytime we see a house on sale, we hope for other than white race to move into that house.

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by bunky3301

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.

How did you like living in Chula Vista? What did you like the most and the least?