Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California > San Diego
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-31-2008, 02:04 AM
 
Location: California
62 posts, read 309,681 times
Reputation: 58

Advertisements

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!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-31-2008, 02:06 AM
 
Location: southern california
61,290 posts, read 87,099,452 times
Reputation: 55549
that is not true i moved here because of the spiritual depth & inner beauty of the people.
hey did i show you my new car yet?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 02:25 AM
 
Location: California
62 posts, read 309,681 times
Reputation: 58
LOL.You made me crack up again. But really...I KNOW there are nice people everywhere, you just have to find them, and I KNOW you should feel comfortable in yourself no matter what the people around you are like, but I'd like to meet people who are like me and have similar interests. I already know to avoid La Jolla. Any other make-up-only zones I should avoid?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 02:28 AM
 
Location: California
62 posts, read 309,681 times
Reputation: 58
Oh no. I posted this on the North Carolina board, didn't I? Sorry everyone! Do you know a way to change the posting site?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 11:07 AM
f_m
 
2,289 posts, read 8,345,610 times
Reputation: 878
Probably avoid the gaslamp district, but really there's a lot of beach and inland areas where I think people don't care. There's surprising a lot of hiking and park areas, so there are many people into outdoor physical activities, so I don't think they would care that much either.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 11:09 AM
 
200 posts, read 1,019,521 times
Reputation: 215
Default stereotypes

Why do so many of you think others are looking or staring at you when you are not wearing makeup or dressing up with the latest fashions....? I lived in Del Mar for many years and do not know anyone who felt this way. Honestly! We were not rich and we rented a home there for years. We would run errands in our "play" clothes plenty of times and no one ever stopped and stared at us or made us feel out of place. I really think that those of you posting such things are probably insecure in some way because these things just are not common. San Diego and North County in particular are filled with some of the most normal down to earth folks you will ever find in one area and the people there are super friendly.

Going makeupless and dressing down is fine! Anyone considering a move to So Cal, please don't base your decision on fears that people are snobby or arrogant there because the majority are not.

Aloha
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 11:14 AM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
18,962 posts, read 32,433,950 times
Reputation: 13609
Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelsa View Post
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.
That is EXACTLY what it is, I was born and raised in the Bay Area and am very familiar with that mentality by some people up there. It kind of amazes me how close minded and judgmental people can be there while claiming to be the opposite. It just seems to bother so many people in Northern CA that Southern CA is different, people there don't actually embrace diversity and differences as much as they trick themselves into believing they do. I'm not sure what NorCal they live in but where I grew up there are plenty of Mercedes and BMW's along with designer clothing stores; just look at all the high end stores in Downtown San Francisco, you can't even find many of those stores in San Diego. A lot of people here are really into outdoors and recreational sports and not concerned about looks but more so about how good the waves are or what beach to go spend the day at. SD is NOT LA at all or even that similar.

There are some people here that do fit the stereotypes of being flashy and into looks but its not a majority. It's just a stupid stereotype that people are more likely to notice when they have it stuck in their head when they come down here. Most people here are normal and not as materialistic and into looks as some Northern Californians like to claim, the only difference I really notice is the style, which is slightly different here mainly b/c of the climate. San Diegans dress a lot more casual than people in SF and the Bay Area I find. Much more of a board shorts, flip flops, and t-shirt wearing crowd here compared to the suit, tie, and fancy long black coat crowd you find in SF more so. I feel more comfortable here going into a store in sweat pants, board shorts, or basketball shorts than I do where I grew up, in Walnut Creek, b/c people just dress down here more so, especially in winter. I find San Diego more laid back than the Bay Area overall, its almost too laid back for some people though.

As long as you come down here with an open mind and don't get all hung up on the differences between NorCal and SoCal then this can be a great place to live. It does have a different vibe than NorCal, more beachy, laid back, and outdoors oriented. There are plenty of educated people here, SD is one of the top 10 most educated cities, but it doesn't have as much of that psuedo-intellectual vibe that the Bay Area has. People here are more apathetic and less judgemental when it comes to politics compared to the Bay Area and that can bother some people imo.

For places to live, I'd just avoid the wealthier communities. That level of materialism and concerns about looks seems to mainly confine its self to wealthier enclaves, which seems to be true anywhere you go including the Bay Area. I'd avoid most of La Jolla except the Bird Rock/Windansea area. San Diego's urban areas aren't really that "urban" compared to San Francisco, so you might find the "urban" parts of San Diego near downtown suburban enough for you, which is where you can find some of that hippy, artistic intellectual vibe; Hillcrest, North Park, Kensington, Universoty Heights, Normal Heights, Mission Hills, and Bankers Hill are worth checking out. Ocean Beach and Point Loma are also good areas near downtown and by the beach. The northern coastal communities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Carlsbad are also nice laid back suburban communities. The areas west of I-5 are the best imo b/c its older with more varied housing styles and you can live near little main street type areas.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 11:26 AM
 
Location: Encinitas
2,160 posts, read 5,828,444 times
Reputation: 1277
In Leucadia, a funky beach community in the city of Encinitas, make up is totally optional. But don't wander too far east into Rancho Santa Fe, where botox and full make up to go grocery shopping are pretty much required.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 12:53 PM
 
200 posts, read 1,019,521 times
Reputation: 215
Quote:
Originally Posted by Encinitan View Post
In Leucadia, a funky beach community in the city of Encinitas, make up is totally optional. But don't wander too far east into Rancho Santa Fe, where botox and full make up to go grocery shopping are pretty much required.
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
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-31-2008, 01:19 PM
 
Location: California
62 posts, read 309,681 times
Reputation: 58
Thank you all so much for your posts! I knew my family had to be wrong about SD. All of you on these boards are so cool and down to earth. I really appreciate your input! Happy early New Year.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California > San Diego

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top