San Diego = paradise (Encinitas: mortgage, loan, month-to-month)

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by TristramShandy

This way of life didn't come over on the Mayflower; it's not right there next to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" ("pursuit", not "guarantee"). I'm not saying that the mango and coconut life without possessions is preferable, but home ownernship, or getting the most bang for your buck, isn't going to deliver happiness either.

Totally agree with that one. To take it further, I don't believe in the idea that one's primary goal in life is to be happy either. Survival, and provision for your family, even contribution to your community, trumps happiness. The pursuit of happiness, is a luxury that our economy and culture allows... .but it is certainly no right.

San Diego is a place which attracts happiness-seekers in droves. That happiness is often at odds with survival. You will put in a tremendous amount of effort to survive here... which doesn't leave a lot left over for pursuing happiness. Paradise, it would seem, is the place where happiness and survival are met with the least amount effort.

[thepinksquid]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

Some people might consider a sandy beach and no possessions and a lifetime of coconuts and mangoes paradise... but I would consider it hell.

I've also wondered about most peoples' fascination with the "tropical island" paradise thing, too. That would be a sunny, mindless, boring hell to me too.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by thepinksquid

I've also wondered about most peoples' fascination with the "tropical island" paradise thing, too. That would be a sunny, mindless, boring hell to me too.

love it!!!! My thoughts exactly. Isn't there more to life than living in a make believe world, and just passing the time away, day dreaming? That is what I think many here want to do.

This is not putting San Diego down, we all know it has a lot to offer, but paradise can be something different for each of us, I would think there is more to life than just living in lala land.

Nita

[LoneStarJerry]

San Diego is definitely Paradise to me, I'm proud to be a San Diego Native, and I'm very blessed to live here!

[loveautumn]

I'd say probably the younger you are, the more it would seem a paradise. At least that was the case for me. As I outgrew the party scene, SD became a very different place for me. Not better or worse, just different. And as the years went by, it became very expensive. I too am not a "tropical" person, although I really don't think of SD as being very tropical. I love to look at the beach and ocean, but laying there all day is very boring to me. I just can't sit around very long. And I do get tired of the weather, I grew up in 4 seasons and still have that in me I guess. I miss fall the most.

[TristramShandy]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

I too am not a "tropical" person, although I really don't think of SD as being very tropical. I love to look at the beach and ocean, but laying there all day is very boring to me. I just can't sit around very long. And I do get tired of the weather, I grew up in 4 seasons and still have that in me I guess. I miss fall the most.

Yea, San Diego isn't tropical at all, which is why I love it. There is nothing that I hate more than humidity. On the East Coast, I was miserable non stop from late June to late August just waiting for summer to go away. East Coast fall was excellent and I could take a good 8 weeks or so of winter (love snow - - but of course winter isn't just about snow unless you live on the Great Lakes).

At the same time, paradise doesn't have to be going to the beach. It's being able to garden year round or walk your dog whenever. I can sit on my backporch grading my students' papers rather than barricading myself inside away from wretched humidity. San Diego gives you the opportunity to do what you want to do outside (outside of the snow sports) year round. I can play tennis both in July and January. And just because I can do physical activities doesn't stop me from reading novels, seeing plays, going to concerts, etc. People act like the beach is the only part of San Diego when obviously there is much, much more.

[Encinitan]

"You have it much better than many that live here due to the fact that you grew up here and probably live in a home that has either been in the family for generations or was bought before the prices went sky-high."

Um, no. My parents, bless their hearts, still live in the house in Solana Beach where I was raised. (They bought it for $27,000 in 1962, west of the 5!) I bought our house last year, long after prices went "sky high."

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by Encinitan

"You have it much better than many that live here due to the fact that you grew up here and probably live in a home that has either been in the family for generations or was bought before the prices went sky-high."

Um, no. My parents, bless their hearts, still live in the house in Solana Beach where I was raised. (They bought it for $27,000 in 1962, west of the 5!) I bought our house last year, long after prices went "sky high."

Thanks for proving my point. Your parents have the same house that you grew up in, so they don't have to worry about paying the outrageous prices for a home near the beach, since they ALREADY HAVE ONE. Also, you have the luxury of having family out here that can help you out (i.e. a place to stay) when you are going through hard times. People like me don't. We pretty much have to deal with it on our own (my nearest relatives live about 800 miles away), so that's a BIG reason why this place doesn't seem like paradise at all to us, even though the scenery is great, the weather is great, ect. You basically have an advantage over most people that move here. Also, you bought your house last year when the housing crisis was in full bloom and prices were dropping drastically. I' am curious as to how much you actually paid for your home in Encinitas. I' am guessing that it was much less than what the median price for a home was in Encinitas ($720,000 in 2005 according to this site last year) before the housing crisis. I' am I right or wrong?

[Axxlrod]

YoungSandDiegoDude, I mean no offense, but you seem, to me, to feel entitled to be able to own a house in SD, especially one west of the 5.

Not everybody can live in SD, west or east of the 5 or in CA in general. The ones that can either worked hard for it or were lucky (inherited), but I believe most fall into the former category.

I'd like to live La Jolla, but guess what, can't afford it. But you don't hear me whining about it that it somehow somebody else's fault.

You can accomplish almost anything if you put your mind to it and work hard.

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by Axxlrod

YoungSandDiegoDude, I mean no offense, but you seem, to me, to feel entitled to be able to own a house in SD, especially one west of the 5.

Not everybody can live in SD, west or east of the 5 or in CA in general. The ones that can either worked hard for it or were lucky (inherited), but I believe most fall into the former category.

I'd like to live La Jolla, but guess what, can't afford it. But you don't hear me whining about it that it somehow somebody else's fault.

You can accomplish almost anything if you put your mind to it and work hard.

Yeah, I can see where it sounded like I was whining, but I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I also do know that many people out here do work their tails off for the nice homes that they have (usually over decades of hard work). So when the wildfires come and burn so many homes down, I feel very sad for those people, because I know that many had to sacrifice A LOT to get those homes. I was simply pointing out that for a guy like me who wasn't raised here and doesn't have family here, it can be extremely difficult to be happy at times and view this place as "paradise" when you are barely making ends meet. However, I like the city and the people enough (there are some really AUESOME people here, aside from the jerks) that I might just stay here for not only college, but for the rest of my life. I know that I have talked about moving to other places on this and other threads, but lately, the logical (and rational) side of me has been telling me to stick it out through the rough times and to give this place another chance (after I separate from the Navy next year), by going to college and seeing things from a different perspective. Yeah, I would like to live in La Jolla someday to. In fact, that is still a goal for me (especially if I do stay here), and yes, I' am a firm believer in accomplishing anything that I put my mind to. I guess I just need to stop letting the irrational side of me tell that I can't make it here.