Gaslamp or La Jolla?

[NorthSDLifer]

It's funny. When i was younger (teens to early 20s), I dreamed of living downtown. As Sass said, it's a tourist/party playground, although there are a lot of living spaces down there, too. For me, DT would rank behind all the desirable city neighborhoods that we talk about here so much. If you are working in RB, you might want to consider neighborhoods around 163 or 15, south of 8. You'd cut down on your commute, and your weekend drive to the beach wouldn't be all that much farther.

Downtown La Jolla is cool and walkable, especially if you are not offended by mass public displays of affluence. Some gorgeous homes, purty buildings and classic, old-money charm. And then there's that coastline.

[SoCalNative25]

I'd go w/ The Gaslamp District (or maybe the Marina District if you want to be a little closer to the water) if I were you. I've lived in La Jolla (well, the UTC area) and yes, it was pretty but boring. Every weekend I found myself driving downtown to meet my friends b/c that's where everything is. No one really hangs out in La Jolla unless you're going out w/ your family. Yes, they have little shops when you get closer to the beach but I don't think that will do you justice.

From your post and the urban feel you're seeking, I'd go w/ Gaslamp. I just stayed w/ a friend who has a Gaslamp condo and it was amazing! The condos are fab and the feel is awesome. Personally, I like to come home to peace and quiet and be surrounded by grass, trees, etc. so I'm probably going to move to Mission Valley. With that said, Gaslamp was still an awesome experience (minus the train noise during the weee hrs of the morning. Ugh!) and I could see myself enjoying the people, shops, convenience and harbor that's close by.

Good luck!

[PSW]

Hi there,

Thank you all for the great responses. You gave me a lot to think about/consider...and ever more so now that I'm here in SD. Right now, I'm in temporary corporate housing in the UTC area. It's certainly nice, but I think I'd prefer a little more density.

I checked out LJ village and it seemed cool, but lacking a bit in the under 35 set. Perhaps I should give it another go though. I ran a fake morning commute from LJ village to RB and it was no problem traffic wise.

Someone suggested Bird Rock as an alternative...I'm going to go there this weekend. Del Mar has also shown strong poll numbers.

At this point, however, the balance is slightly shifting back downtown, Little Italy specifically. Any thoughts on that area for an early 30s, single, straight professional working in RB? Or is the beach still the way to go?

Thanks again for the input.

[cruitr]

Bird Rock is very family-oriented. Great location but BR has too many kids for a young single guy.

Have you looked in North PB? Turquoise St is the business area and it's very walkable.

This condo building has a nice North PB location:
SDLookup.com > Pacific*Shores*Condos

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by PSW

I ran a fake morning commute from LJ village to RB and it was no problem traffic wise.

How long did it take? Google Maps says 29 minutes. The distance is 24 miles, and my only experience with SoCal is LA/OC, where that distance could easily take an hour or longer.

My employer has an office in Rancho Bernardo and I have wondered how bad the commute would be if I were to transfer down there, assuming I wanted to live near the coast.

[msgsing]

Gaslamp is a crowded overpriced tourist trap. La Jolla is one of the most affluent communities in the country. Homes and condos in La Jolla proper are in the million dollar and over range excluding most of the common folks. It is a nice place to visit with some stunning ocean views. Visitor parking is a problem. Beyond the ocean and the scenery it's mostly very expensive shops and restaurants that I could not afford on a regular basis. I did enjoy Thanksgiving dinner a couple of years ago at the Marine Room, right on the beach.

[BRinSM]

tell us how you really feel!

[PSW]

"How long did it take? Google Maps says 29 minutes. The distance is 24 miles, and my only experience with SoCal is LA/OC, where that distance could easily take an hour or longer.

My employer has an office in Rancho Bernardo and I have wondered how bad the commute would be if I were to transfer down there, assuming I wanted to live near the coast."

I drove from Prospect and Ivanhoe to Bernardo Center Drive in 31 minutes.
Left Monday at 8:38AM (which is roughly when I would leave for work).
Torrey Pines --> LJ Parkway --> 52 --> 15. Ran into no congestion whatsoever.

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by PSW

I drove from Prospect and Ivanhoe to Bernardo Center Drive in 31 minutes.
Left Monday at 8:38AM (which is roughly when I would leave for work).
Torrey Pines --> LJ Parkway --> 52 --> 15. Ran into no congestion whatsoever.

Thanks - that's great information and astonishing to hear. I didn't know it was possible to find an uncongested freeway anywhere in California at 8:30am!