where in San Diego? (Carlsbad, Encinitas: apartment complexes, rental, condos) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

mar0010 · 04-10-2009, 08:59 AM

We will be moving to the area in the summer. My husband will be working in Poway, but we think it'd be nice to live closer to the coast- towards Del Mar/La Jolla but are open. No kids, but we have a lab so we want a place that's either close to nice trails/green area or dog beach. Also important is I want to feel safe...
We saw a nice-ish house that is located in Mira Mesa but now I've been reading that area isn't the nicest-kinda blah with strip malls and crime. Is this true? What suggestions do you have that isn't too far from Poway but closer to San Diego and/or the coast? Would the commute be awful driving from Del Mar/coast to Poway in rush hour? Thanks!

mar0010 · 04-10-2009, 09:10 AM

Forgot to mention that we are looking to spend no more than 1800/mo on rent (house but possibly condo)

Oerdin · 04-10-2009, 09:39 AM

You're dreaming if you think you can live on the coast for $1800 a month or less unless you're willing to go to a one bedroom apartment. My dad owns several rental houses as a side business and just this week he rented a 3bd/2bath 1450 sq ft town house with a car port instead of a garage for $1975 per month. This is in the Mira Mesa area about a mile from the 15 freeway. You want to live on the coast in a house? Then you'd better up your budget to a more realistic level or down size what you're looking for.

You can still find houses for $1800 a month but you're going to have to move a bit inland. Maybe in the older section of Poway (60's or 70's vintage house) or RB. Maybe in Clairemont Mesa or one of the older parts of Mira Mesa but it will be hard to find. You could get lucky though.

mar0010 · 04-10-2009, 10:05 AM

i do realize it's way more expensive on the coast- if we end up there it would be an apt not a house. i've been looking a lot at rent prices so don't worry i'm not totally unaware! i have seen some reasonable rent prices for condos near torrey pines. my question is if we are inland a bit what's the best area? how would the commute be from clairmont mesa to poway? what's university city or kearny mesa like? are those just as expensive? we just want a modest neighborhood that's safe with parks and not a long haul to coast. we don't need a big house, just clean and good location.

sav858 · 04-10-2009, 10:21 AM

Maybe try UTC, just a little inland from La Jolla but still very close to the coast and beach.

Also there seems to be some nice, newer apartment complexes in the Carmel Valley area, which is a little inland from Del Mar but still close.

Driving from Del Mar to Poway in rush hour is fine b/c you are going the opposite commute direction, traffic on either the 52 (if you live in La Jolla/UTC) or 56 (Del Mar/Carmel Valley) shoud not be a problem b/c you are heading away from the major employment centers in the morning.

MsFancyPants · 04-10-2009, 01:56 PM

Hey Mar! Welcome! Some of us are actually nice here!! LOL! Let's see. Mira Mesa has one of the highest crime rates in San Diego. Tends to have a lot of gang activity. Having said that, I lived in Mira Mesa, still have friends there and it doesn't seem that bad to me. But the stats are what they are. Mostly gang-related drug crime, I think. Kearny Mesa, I grew up there in the '70s and it was a great area. Now, it's kinda run down. Serra Mesa might be a little better. Clairemont is the same as KM and MM. Older, not so fancy, but has some crime. Nicer areas but probably a little pricier are Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos (we call it PQ), Carmel Mtn Ranch. Those would all be really easy commutes to Poway too. On the 15. From Poway going south on the 15 (inland) would be Poway, Scripps Ranch, Carmel Mtn Ranch, PQ, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, Clmnt Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Mission/Fashion Valley, downtown. On the coast is going to be more expensive, and a longer commute, but if you want to live on the coast, then it's going to be cheaper in Mission Beach/Pacific Beach rather than most of the north county coastal towns like Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carlsbad. But again, much longer commutes to Poway.

Good luck.

sdurbanite · 04-10-2009, 02:52 PM

^^Nice job, MsFancyPants

MsFancyPants · 04-10-2009, 03:27 PM

Aw, shucks, thanks!

I get carried away sometimes in my exuberance for San Diego! LOL! I love it here. I've lived a few different places and I always come back here!

Oerdin · 04-10-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mar0010

We will be moving to the area in the summer. My husband will be working in Poway, but we think it'd be nice to live closer to the coast- towards Del Mar/La Jolla but are open. No kids, but we have a lab so we want a place that's either close to nice trails/green area or dog beach. Also important is I want to feel safe...
We saw a nice-ish house that is located in Mira Mesa but now I've been reading that area isn't the nicest-kinda blah with strip malls and crime. Is this true? What suggestions do you have that isn't too far from Poway but closer to San Diego and/or the coast? Would the commute be awful driving from Del Mar/coast to Poway in rush hour? Thanks!

Mira Mesa does not have a very high crime rate; I live in Mira Mesa and I never lock my doors and I leave the key in my spare car and I've never had a problem. Ever. No property crime to speak of. It is looked down on by some people because the houses were built in the late 70's instead of being brand new and 50% of the population is east Asia which scares off some people but that is mostly just ignorance if not total racism. It's actually a nice little community where the housing is affordable, you're near the coast, the crime rate is low, and the neighborhood has a very high owner occupancy rate. Those are all major pluses in my book.