San Diego or Chicago

[Oerdin]

Originally Posted by Tenzo

But the idea of san diego is growing on me. Nice weather all year round. But it's no Chicago. Are there latin gang problems in west SD? Any comments? ANyone out there live in both?

No there aren't that many gangs here and the few areas which do have gangs tends to be less hard core then the gangs in LA, Chicago, NYC, etc...

[5Lakes]

I live in Chicago and used to live in San Diego. They are both good places to live, but for very different reasons. If you like cosmopolitan city life and vibrancy go with Chicago. If you are more into outdoor activities and don't mind things more on the suburban side go with San Diego. San Diego is slightly more expensive for renters, but is much more expensive if you are looking to buy.

[SDrelocate]

Tenzo,
Every place has its charms and pitfalls. Lincoln Park vs Chula Vista, or for that matter Cicero vs La Jolla.

I'm currently living in San Diego and love it out here. Been out her a few years, reloed in 2005, rented for nearly 4 years waiting for the bubble to deflate. I just bought a house in Carlsbad, great beach town, good schools, and overall high quality of life.

Chicago is also one great town, I lived in my late 20s in Lincoln Park/Lake view, moved up to Evanston for a couple years for when I went back to grad school and had a house up in the Suburbs in Highland Park.

Winters never really bothered me in Chicago, sure a bit cold but good reason to build a fire and snuggle with your honey. Indoors the restaurant/music/nightlige scene in Chicago is great. Downtown San Diego, much smaller does have a vibrant scene.

I do miss the change of seasons in Chicago, the summers are great, great outdoor festivals.

A big factor for alot of people in their general hapiness is the proximity of friends and family. Through the years I've come to the conclusion that generally women are happier the closer they live to their family. Sorry for the stereotype, but I believe this. This especially true if you have small children. Making friends is not hard in San Diego, probably requires a bit more effort than the Midwest. On the upside there are alot of Midwest transplants out here.

There is so much variabilty from suburb to suburb, from city neighborhood to neighborhood in both cities, my only word of advice is do alot of research, ask alot of people and RENT for a while in the area you think you want to live before you commit to buying.

Good Luck

[Tenzo]

Thanks

And a good point about winters in Chicago.
They are cold, but people are used to dealing with them so they continue to do things. When I was single I used to organize a Valentines day Volleyball tourney at Oak street beach for singles. The weather may be cold, but people keep doing fun stuff.

I'm spending a Couple of years in Columbus and during the cold weather people hibernate. No cultural activities or things to do. What a waste.