Areas of San Diego where it is safe...(to leave the house without make-up) (San Francisco: educational, ranking)

[sav858]

Originally Posted by maui08

I never felt this way after spending years in these areas.....Yes, money is abound but not everyone gets "dolled" up to go to the grocery store. I saw a very mixed bag all the time and if you were not dressed to impress, no one looked at you funny. I really think that either folks have an insecurity or jealous issue going on when they make comments like that.

I agree, San Diego does have a lot of good looking and fit people, especially near the beaches and some people equate that to there being some sort of pressure to look good when its really their own insecurities. I've seen some friends come down here, analyze the way people look and dress then make some BS claim that there is a lot of pressure to look good down here. The only pressure to look good is that of people putting the pressure on themselves and in their heads. Most people could care less about looking the best and trying to impress people. I'm not bothered by the fact that there a lot of good and better looking people than me but that can get to some people and then they try to blame San Diegan's for their own insecurities and jealousy by claiming that you "have" to look good here, it's rather kind of sad and pathetic IMO.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by sav858

I agree, San Diego does have a lot of good looking and fit people, especially near the beaches and some people equate that to there being some sort of pressure to look good when its really their own insecurities. I've seen some friends come down here, analyze the way people look and dress then make some BS claim that there is a lot of pressure to look good down here. The only pressure to look good is that of people putting the pressure on themselves and in their heads. Most people could care less about looking the best and trying to impress people. I'm not bothered by the fact that there a lot of good and better looking people than me but that can get to some people and then they try to blame San Diegan's for their own insecurities and jealousy by claiming that you "have" to look good here, it's rather kind of sad and pathetic IMO.

Wow, this is actually a really well-reasoned, logical, and concise evaluation of a pretty complicated issue. I totally agree, by the way, with the sentiments expressed in it. My compliments, sav858.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by maui08

I never felt this way after spending years in these areas.....Yes, money is abound but not everyone gets "dolled" up to go to the grocery store. I saw a very mixed bag all the time and if you were not dressed to impress, no one looked at you funny. I really think that either folks have an insecurity or jealous issue going on when they make comments like that. I spent years "surviving" in North County and never felt like this

I grew up here and I was (sort of) joking about the Rancho housewives hitting Trader Joe's all decked out in Juicy sweats, full make up, etc.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by sav858

I agree, San Diego does have a lot of good looking and fit people, especially near the beaches and some people equate that to there being some sort of pressure to look good when its really their own insecurities. I've seen some friends come down here, analyze the way people look and dress then make some BS claim that there is a lot of pressure to look good down here. The only pressure to look good is that of people putting the pressure on themselves and in their heads. Most people could care less about looking the best and trying to impress people. I'm not bothered by the fact that there a lot of good and better looking people than me but that can get to some people and then they try to blame San Diegan's for their own insecurities and jealousy by claiming that you "have" to look good here, it's rather kind of sad and pathetic IMO.

agree, but not as strongly

[maui08]

Originally Posted by Encinitan

I grew up here and I was (sort of) joking about the Rancho housewives hitting Trader Joe's all decked out in Juicy sweats, full make up, etc.

Just keeping things real. I grew up there too.

[BRinSM]

your family's opinion of SD is more accurate to south OC than SD.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

your family's opinion of SD is more accurate to south OC than SD.

Yes, what BRinSM said. Some gals in Del Mar / Rancho Santa Fe wish they could be south OC, but most of SD county isn't like that. I used to be in sales and the the Coto de Caza neighborhood featured in the Real Housewives of OC was in my territory. They are not putting on a show for that show. The boobs and botox and range rovers are absolutely mandatory if you are going to be "accepted" otherwise they'll know you are just 'the help' (like me! ). I've never felt that way with my friends from S.D.

[Pleiadesseven]

Originally Posted by michaelsa

So I've been thinking of moving to San Diego for awhile now, and my friends and family (here in NorCal) keep going into fits about it, waving their hands at me and saying "No, no! You'll be miserable there! Everyone drives a Mercedes and they look at you strangely if you aren't wearing designer clothes and don't have huge breast implants. It's just slightly better than LA--really, San Diego IS LA. You don't want to go to SoCal--all the laid-back, intellectual hippy people are here in the Bay Area." Hmmmm. I know an awful lot of materialistic, Starbucks-guzzling A-types who live in the Bay Area, so I don't quite think that can be true. I think this may just be a case of NorCal-SoCal prejudice.

Now, I work in the SF Financial District and am used to getting dressed up every day and being around wealthy people who live for their personal status symbols, but I'm contemplating a move to get away from that lifestyle, not to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. I'd love to know your thoughts on the more laid-back areas of SD County. Even if I would work Downtown and need to be fully presentable for work, I'd like to know some generally safe, laid-back suburban places to live and intellectual/artistic neighborhoods to hang out in--where I wouldn't have to wear Juicy or Gucci and have perfect hair to fit in. I know how to dress up and look cute, but at this point in my life, I've developed other interests. I'd love to know your thoughts. Thank you!

The only way San Diego IS LA is, unfortunately to do with our craptastic smog accumulation over the last ten years. We have urban sprawl but San Diego is still so many things LA is not.
We are at heart a bunch of small towns all put together with a suburban feel at the heart and through it all, as far east county as you can get, we are, above all, a beach town. Unlike LA we San Diegans will hit the beach at the drop of the hat and good weather. I was in LA it was a great early summer day the beach was pristine the waves were rocking --- NO PEOPLE!
I and my companion were shocked. THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN SAN DIEGO, lol.
Sure there's plenty of people into the shallow end of it. That's about par for the course. But san diego's heart and soul is not that way.
I love the Bay area. i still crack up at that odl North South tug o war. And we all know how uppity the San Francisco literary scene is.
San Diego, also has an agricultural heart in a lot of ways.
Back to cool urban places to live.
Sure if you want to live around the beach I too recmmend Encinitas and Leucadia, for funk and fun.
I don;t know your exact price budget or what you mean by suburban lifestyle. It means so many things to so many people!
Hillcrest, adams avenue/normal hieghts is so fun.
the festivals are always so great and you're centrally located. I think it comes down to knowing the neighborhoods. Definitely visit first and check it out. Best way to know.
And San Diegans love giving tours.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

I agree with everything sav858 said (as I often do). I would add South Park to the list of neighborhoods he recommended. Major drawback (to me): airplanes flying over about every 5 minutes.

I lived in San Francisco for awhile, and I never understood the hatred for Southern California. I had the impression that most of them had never spent more than a couple of days down here. For a highly educated bunch, they're pretty ignorant about their neighbors to the south; maybe they're a little jealous too.

For a lot of America, Los Angeles, and more specifically, "Hollywood" and the west side of L.A., represents the image that they have of Southern California. They watch Access Hollywood and hear about celebrity "trials of the century" and think that it tells them most of what they need to know about California.

To address your question, one of the things I love about San Diego is that it's so casual. You can go into some pretty nice restaurants wearing a tank top, baggy jeans, and flip flops, and you'll fit right in! I happen to love that style, but I can understand that there are many who don't.

Anyway, come as you are, and you'll be accepted with no problems.

[jkoz]

Originally Posted by michaelsa

So I've been thinking of moving to San Diego for awhile now, and my friends and family (here in NorCal) keep going into fits about it, waving their hands at me and saying "No, no! You'll be miserable there! Everyone drives a Mercedes and they look at you strangely if you aren't wearing designer clothes and don't have huge breast implants.

Contrasting that opinion with the people I actually KNOW here--one of whom happily drives an '84 Chevy Blazer around town, none of whom have "HUGE" breast implants--makes me laugh. To me, that sounds much more like a description of what I've observed on a couple of trips to the Bay Area than anything I see here.