My first impressions of San Diego.... (Orange, Corona: apartment complex, foreclosure, renting)
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I'd actually hate on the 'burbs more than Downtown.. the northeast suburbs (Alpharetta/Roswell in particular) are some of my least favorite parts of Atlanta. I grew up there and lived there until I was 18 and Alpharetta is particular, while "clean" and upscale, is the most soulless, strip-mall / mega-mall / chain store expanse I've ever been to. Outside of a few cool restaurants that have expanded there from other areas (like the Taqueria Del Sol that opened out there after the one in Decatur succeeded) it's all generic chain restaurants, cookie cutter subdivisions, giant malls, and giant SUVs. Ick.
I like areas like downtown Decatur a whole lot better (some unique restaurants and shops, walkable, plenty of cool things there and if you head down Ponce into Midtown) but I just never pictured Atlanta as some great living destination - it's not bad if you have family there, it's certainly more affordable than Cali, and there's bright spots like Decatur but the traffic is horrendous and everything's just so spread out. And the weather sucks and it's min 4-5 hours to a decent beach like Hilton Head, longer to Florida. It may feel cold sometimes in SD but I can't stand Atlanta's humidity and it gets pretty damn cold there in the winter given the humidity and heat you have to suffer through in the summer months.
I appreciate your thoughts though, I'm on the other end of the equation I guess in that I grew up in the Southeast (went to school in Chapel Hill, NC and living around here since I graduated) and my company is relocating to San Diego in March. I haven't lived on the West Coast so I'd probably fall into your category of people who think they'd like it out there but don't know what they are talking about . I certainly don't expect it to be perfect, and cost of living is a concern, but I'm just hoping for a change of pace from a Raleigh or an Atlanta and a little more of a downtown scene without being too big (SF/NY/etc) with nice weather. Looking at East Village, Hillcrest areas, but I'm not in the market to buy for awhile yet (just 23) so I'm sure I'll be less positive when that time rolls around if we're still out there.
Hi There,
Great comments. When I was your age, I felt the same way. I see how the younger folks like the downtown scene more, absolutely. For me in my 30's, i'm done with that type of living. I like a yard, older respectable neighbors, privacy, quiet, etc. When you get a wife/kids/etc., you'll understand.
Again, the Cali lifestyle for younger folks is great, just rent an apartment or small house. Even with housing pricing coming down, I still don't think San Diego is at all afforable. If you had to purchase a home there, unless you made a good six figure income, don't count on getting much more than a 700-800 sq ft older home in a "blah" neighborhood.
Weather, I wouldn't say ATL weather sucks....it doesn't get chilly and a little warm, but not all the time. Wait until you get to Cali and judge their weather over 12 months. If you live on the coastline, weather is very nice most of the time. HOWEVER, If you don't live on the immediate coast, it gets downright hot in the inland empire regions. LaMesa, El Cajon, Santee, Escondido, Eastlake, etc, all approach or exceed 100º in the summer. Most of the older apartments don't have air conditioning, and if they do, obviously it's expensive to run. I can't tell you how many times my friend's would call me to tell me inside their apartment is 90º. Winter time, even though the temperatures appear to be very mild, it feels so much colder than it actually is. Wait until you are on the beach in July and need a jacket in the evening. So is San Diego weather better than Atlanta, absolutely, but do a little research and you'll see that San Diego actually has more afternoon humidity that many places in the south, including ATL. Again, wait until you get there and see for yourself. Again, I lived there 30 years and I am 100% familiar with San Diego weather....and coastal vs inland weather. Coast = mild; inland = different story.
A guess the real issue with San Diego is the rundown-ness of the city in a lot of areas. Not all areas, but most areas are pretty trashed. I just showed Carlos' first thread to my wife who also lived in San Diego for the same time I have (30 yrs) and she laughed and said "so true". For the most part in older middle class suburban neighborhoods, the landscaping, homes, etc., just look run down and poor. When we visit we drive through Chula Vista, National City (bad), North Park, and up to Escondido. You always see junky cars, weeds, brown grass, overgrown shrubs, homes that need painting, trash in yards...and i'm not talking about poor neighborhoods either. Those obviously are worse. Hell, everytime we visit we say we are so happy we left. ---though we miss the mexican food and beaches...absolutely. ---All well.
Don't forget about the "hoods" as Carlos said. There seems to be so much gang activity in San Diego, it's scary. Sure there are gangs in all metro cities, but in San Diego there were gangs everywhere...low income, middle class and upper class - it didn't matter. Horrible. I didn't like venturing out to many areas at night for the fear of being robbed, shot, etc. Well, at least the chances of the "hoods" robbing me and speaking english are slim. I could just play dumb like i can't understand them, perhaps they would think i'm too stupid to rob and move on. :lol:
Different folks have different strokes. Nothing wrong with that, just is what it is. I'm glad we can have different opinions on our beliefs with San Diego, Atlanta, etc. If everyone thought the same thing, what fun would that be. =)
Great writeup of San Diego, I strongly agree. Wow, Carlos ---very impressed with your accurate descriptions. I lived in San Diego for nearly 30 yrs. The cost of living, rundown neighborhoods, lack of people speaking ENGLISH, etc, etc, etc, forced us to sell our "shed" (2 bedroom condo) and move to the suburbs of Atlanta. Now before any of you bash on ATLANTA, I live in the north eastern suburbs (yes, downtown Atlanta is harsh). Very little if any crime and the cost of living is so reasonable in the suburbs. And people speak English...wow. And heck, I can afford a nice big home with yard, blah, blah, blah. $150,000 will get you a nice 4 bedroom, easily. $1200/mo rent will get you 3 or 4 bedroom home that is less than 10 yrs old. Wages are very similar to California as well.
Wife and I still have family in San Diego and go back every so often. I actually try to avoid the trip b/c the utter frustration dealing with San Diegans (not all of you of course). Go to a malls and feel like you are going to get robbed or shot. Walmart is trashed and over the speaker system is spanish music or the employees speak in Spanish....what? Yup, that is correct. Drive around and hope that you got the extra insurance on the rental car....many people don't have auto insurance in San Diego ---- i know first hand b/c when i lived in SD, I was an insurance agent. Scary place to drive.
Now someone said there are nice parts of San Diego. YES, absolutely. However most people cannot afford it. And if you can, you still have to drive into the "less desirable" areas to work/shop/entertainment/etc. Though home prices have come down quite a bit, getting into a nice/safe home is nearly impossible for under a half million dollars. Coronado, even the streets that are away from the beach are not affordable. I believe homes there start close to a million dollars and are pretty much teardowns. La Jolla, forget it. Now go inland where it is a little more affordable and the temperatures exceed 100º in the summers. Turn on your A/C (if you have it) and now your energy bill is $400/mo ----remember cost of living, home prices aren't the only thing that is expensive. Gasoline, I don't even want to go there. Utilities, YIKES!
Now the good: Beaches are beautiful. Weather is pretty decent, though I loved your comment Carlos, about being cold and you are from Canada. I can remember when it was 45º one evening in San Diego and I was absolutely FREEZING. Coldest I had ever been....I was shaking. There is something about San Diego's weather --- it may be 45º, but it's a COLD 45º.
Carlos, again, you have summed up San Diego very well. I shake my head when people in Atlanta say they want to live in California (but have never been there). Ya, good luck. Better make a lot of money and learn Spanish. Now, I meet many people in Atlanta that moved from Southern Cali and most feel the exact same way as we do. Most would NEVER go back to live in San Diego ---visit yes, but not live there. Oh, on a similar note...we have had friends from San Diego come out here to visit and they fell in love with the Atlanta suburbs. Their only issue is they can't leave b/c they don't want to leave their families....whatever, to each is own.
I can go on and on, but you get the point.
Just my 2 cents. =)
So you think Carlos is right on from his first impression of San Diego as seen from the Trolley and bus routes?
Let's say I take MARTA from Hartsfield to Downtown Atlanta and venture explore from there, what would my impression of Atlanta be if that's all I saw? College Park, Southside (Clayton County), etc. You wanna talk about rundown and scary? How are the Wal-Marts in that part of the Metro?
It's funny that you bring up how bad the crime is in San Diego, when it's common knowledge that ATL has one of the worst crimes rates in the country. The reason why SD looks rundown to you is because suburban ATL is brand new. In a decade or so, it will be no different from the rundown areas of Atlanta proper.
And no one speaks English here? Give me a break. I have good friends in Decatur and Sandy Springs that I visit often - you can keep Atlanta.
I think people complaining about San Diego looking run down and feeling unsafe spend way too much time SOUTH OF THE 8, which is where the majority of the transit system is located and used. The County is about the size of the entire state of Connecticut, so its pretty stupid to characterize the whole county or city as being like this or that b/c you'll always find the opposite somewhere else here. I think North County is almost too clean and nice looking with virtually no crime.
Do any of you saying this stuff honestly think Carlos would have the same impression if he took the Coaster?? Please Carlos, take the Coaster one day, it has to be one of the nicest commuter train rides in the nation and then explore some of the "hoods" off the Coaster stops then tell us your impression of that San Diego.
I just got back from visiting my parents in suburban East Northport, NY. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood "south of 25A". The similarities between my current neighborhood and my old neighborhood are almost comedic.
1100sf starter homes with 5 cars in the driveway (mom, dad, 3 kids). Work trucks and older sedans. Occasional McMansions sprouting up in the faux-victorian-on-steroids style. Original owners toiling to keep their scrubby lawns and chicken wire fences in perfect condition. Young men racing around the neighborhood with bass booming. Rumors of an MS-13 compound behind the 7-11.
The funny thing is that where I grew up is considered the "hood" by those living on their acre lots north of 25A, but that is completely ridiculous.
I don't know that a guy who lives out of his truck and has no responsibility to own or maintain anything should be a judge of any homeowners property... certainly not a self-professed man of Jesus.
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.
There is a lot of hypocrisy on this board. Carlos gets called a "racist" for simply noting the abundance of Blacks and Mexicans in San Diego. Yet a minority is allowed to say this and no one calls them on it. This is actually a far more directly racist statement than what Carlos said. What if a white person wrote on this board:
"My fiancee and I, everytime we see a house on sale [in our neighborhood], we hope for other than a Mexican or Black to move into that house".
I suspect that there would be an intense reaction if a white person were to say this.
I'd suggest you take a trip to Detroit, Michigan sometime and walk around their "downtown" areas--there are miles, not blocks, miles of abandoned, gutted homes in what were once respectable neighborhoods. There are still partially burnt out homes there never rebuilt following the race riots of the 60s. The areas of S.D. you describe above will look palacial and pristine in comparison, believe me.
That may be true, but you are just using an extreme example to minimize the point he is making. It is like if I said that a ban on gay marriage is unjust, and you said "try going to Iran, where they stone gays to death, and California will look mighty just by comparison". Well, yes. But a ban on gay marriage is still unjust.
America in general is pretty run down. The country has severe infrastructure issues and is way behind the curve on gentrification and urbanism. That is just what America is like. There are very few American cities that are not run down and ugly.
I don't know that a guy who lives out of his truck and has no responsibility to own or maintain anything should be a judge of any homeowners property... certainly not a self-professed man of Jesus.
What a cheap shot.
You can make whatever ad hominem arguments you want, his descriptions of San Diego are accurate.
I moved away from SD a year and a half ago. I do not miss California. Too crowded, low paying jobs and high rent or mortgages. I think San Diego must have been wonderful in the 60s and 70s before the boom. The funny thing is I found native San Diegans to be wonderfully frank about its decline. Many of their children now live in Boise and Salt Lake type towns.
San Diego has seen her better days like many towns but San Diego is a fun town to look at for a brief time, kind of like its women, they look good initially but look closer you will see the botox and other surgeries. Their better days are past just like the once lovely city of San Diego.
Location: Proud home of the Parkview Little Leaguers
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FellowTraveler
That may be true, but you are just using an extreme example to minimize the point he is making. It is like if I said that a ban on gay marriage is unjust, and you said "try going to Iran, where they stone gays to death, and California will look mighty just by comparison". Well, yes. But a ban on gay marriage is still unjust.
America in general is pretty run down. The country has severe infrastructure issues and is way behind the curve on gentrification and urbanism. That is just what America is like. There are very few American cities that are not run down and ugly.
I meant no offense--I am originally FROM Detroit and moved to S.D. 18 years ago, so to ME, as someone from Detroit, San Diego looked much less run down by comparison. To have a downtown I can actually walk around in and be reasonably safe was a big step up for me when I came here. Sure, there are run down areas, but there are many other large cities that are in worse shape--that was my point.
I think there is an expectation of perfection and shangri-la when it comes to San Diego because of its popularity--but it's a big city with big city problems and run-down areas, but when you're driving over the Coronado Bridge looking at San Diego from that angle, it still looks like one heck of a pretty city.
I'd have to agree with your last paragraph about America's aging infrastructure.
Last edited by jkoz; 01-02-2009 at 05:59 PM..
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. I certainly don't expect it to be perfect, and cost of living is a concern, but I'm just hoping for a change of pace from a Raleigh or an Atlanta and a little more of a downtown scene without being too big (SF/NY/etc) with nice weather. Looking at East Village, Hillcrest areas, but I'm not in the market to buy for awhile yet (just 23) so I'm sure I'll be less positive when that time rolls around if we're still out there.
Again, wait until you get there and see for yourself. Again, I lived there 30 years and I am 100% familiar with San Diego weather....and coastal vs inland weather. Coast = mild; inland = different story.
