My observations after living in San Diego for one month! (Carlsbad: purchase, landlord)

[blakazdog]

Originally Posted by Allgoodfeelings

Hi thanks for the post again, I sent you an in mail message. I'd like to offer up a question to the forum, how's the move if you have kids to SD from Orlando, Fl. I am really thinking about making the move but interested in learning areas where its not super expensive to raise kids and still has a good school system. So far Orange County Florida's school system has been average to bad and with the economy the last thing I need is private school. The only other thing that I had some questions on as the diversity of races in SD (its always a little dicey to talk about this in a forum of strangers) but the overall impression I got in SD for the most part (outside of La Jolla) is that everyone seems to be taken on their own merit. For African Americans in some areas I got the feeling as if we were invisible? Ouch.. this did kind of sting (but the blatant racism in certain parts of the south is almost just as bad.) I'm of the impression if you are willing to work hard you can make it anywhere.

Any help in feedback would be gladly appreciated.

well ain't dat special !

[angelbug]

Originally Posted by moved

If you like living there so much, you should concentrate on doing the things that you like there, and not post about hating San Diego so much. There's enough negativity in the world now.

Uh, you might make that suggestion to a user named "moved" who seems to go out of the way to bash Chico on the Chico threads at every opportunity just because living there didn't work out for them. This person stated they hated the place and then hung around arguing with everyone who made counter arguments in favor of it - just like the person you're admonishing here.

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by thepinksquid

Recently I saw that another thread here was about someone speaking of their first few months living in San Diego and their observations regarding that. Seemed like that thread was useful to many and well-liked, so I've decided to do my own.

A little background: My husband and I are in our twenties, no kids, no pets. We both have college degrees and work for ourselves doing freelance web development / programming work / web hosting. I am going to go to UCSD for graduate school in engineering. We moved here from Orlando, FL where we lived for four years. Before moving we had visited San Diego and explored the area extensively. We're not "party" people and we don't drink (nothing morally against it though)... just so you know. We're non-religious and we affiliate politically as libertarians.

Honestly, a good deal of my observations are compared to living in Florida, so they may not be relevant to everyone. The two places are VERY different and thus this was really a major move for us in more than just location.

First off, I'd like to say that I really like it here, so my observations may be skewed on the positive side, however I will try to be objective as possible. I don't want to seem like I'm living in a dream world of the "San Diego utopia" but I will say that compared to Florida, for me, this is much better.

After looking at 20+ places in mid-April, we decided to move to a detached home in Mission Valley in early May. It's in a somewhat congested new-ish community. We pay $2250/month for about 1500 square feet 2/2.5 with a 2 car garage, all upgraded appliances and tile, etc. Honestly I feel that the rent is reasonable for what we have. It's a bit large for us, so we probably could have gone for somewhere smaller and less expensive. We found this place through a private owner (not a management company). I feel that Mission Valley was a good choice for us in a central location, and overall it was a "safe" bet. Where we live though I would never wish to buy a home. First off, there's a psychotic HOA and every house is homogeneous to the next. I definitely think there's a greater value of home in some of the older, more urban areas such as Hillcrest or North Park if I would want to purchase. I have a little potted garden where I've been growing veggies and I love that. The Andersen Garden Center near Rosecrans is wonderful if you're thinking of starting a garden.

One of the things we were concerned with was having A/C in our house. Coming from Florida, the idea of not having central air conditioning was somewhat unbelievable and although several people told us it wasn't necessary, we still insisted on having a place with central air. However...we've been here over a month and I don't think the A/C has turned on once, and we like to keep our house < 75. Definitely something we could have done without. We leave our windows open and get a cool breeze all the time, even at night.

As far as cost of living.... food here is much cheaper than in FL. We are vegetarians, so I'm not sure about cost of meat products, but as far as produce, everything is much less. Plus, there's reward savings cards from Vons and Ralphs, which was something we didn't have back east. Trader Joe's is an amazing store. The only thing about buying things here is the sales tax 8.75% vs the 6.5% back in Florida. Still, we've just transitioned to buying more things online that offer free shipping and it has made up for it (for example, getting paper towels and toilet paper off Amazon ).

We recently formed an LLC and the tax laws are somewhat convoluted and annoying here in California, compared to Florida. We now have to pay state income tax...but we knew that going into having a business here. Basically it comes down to if we make under $250/k year we only owe the state $800 in franchise tax with an LLC.

Traffic here isn't bad at all to me. In Central Florida the main interstate that isn't a toll road is I-4 which is simply awful. Here I drive the 805 and 163 regularly around rush hour and it seems fine, but perhaps I've just been lucky. I will say that I think overall I deal with heavy traffic better than some people based on comments I've seen here, so I may have a bias.

The beautiful scenery / gorgeous weather really improves my mood... which was one reason we moved out of Florida as I'm somewhat prone to depression and being outside and in nice weather helps me out a lot...but that's another ordeal altogether . I will say that if you're in a position where you'd be working indoors much of the time, then it may not be worth the extra cost in rent and taxes to live here... I am fortunate with my current work situation that I can work odd hours, and get out during the day... and really my laptop / internet connection is all I need to work... so I can get out probably a bit more than most people working a 9 to 5. I think that Balboa Park is one of the beautiful places I've ever been (and not to sound snobbish, but I've traveled pretty extensively) and I love the area of Hillcrest.

Although I've seen others say differently, I've found most people here to be very nice and "with it" compared to Florida. Now...granted, Central Florida was probably the worst it gets, so maybe I'm just pleased by comparison. But...literally where I came from most places you couldn't even ask someone a question without them staring at you for 5 minutes trying to get what you were saying. It was awful.

When it comes time that we wish to purchase a home or have kids, my opinion of this city may change. I know very little about schools and I know that home prices are somewhat outrageous... however we are not planning on doing either until we're completely financially sound and have invested money long-term, so that's a ways off.

Otherwise, as a blanket statement I will say that I enjoy San Diego very much, and I'm very happy at our choice to move here. However, I do advise that if at all possible VISIT FIRST! It's very hard to get a feel for the area from afar.

My observations after living here for 5 years: I hate it here and I can't get out of here soon enough (I still have a year left in the Navy, so I' am pretty much stuck until my time is up). This place is like a bad drug that I really need to get off of . I like everything about San Diego (weather, scenery, recreational opportunites, yada, yada, yada), EXCEPT the people and the high cost of living. For me, those two things either make or brake my decision to live ANYWHERE; it doesn't matter if it is California or say Texas, Massachusetts, Kansas or North Carolina.

I don't care how nice and scenic a place is or how much there is to do there; if the social atmosphere stinks, the people stink (I would say that 80 percent of the people in SD and in So Cal in general, are pretty rude in some way, shape, or form), and the cost of living is high, you are going to HATE it.

I know that there are plenty of people that truly like here (good for them ; this place just happens to have the type of atmosphere that they are looking for), but for others like me, this place is like a paradise version of hell.

Since being here, the culture of this place has forced me to become a rude, arrogant prick, which is something that I don't wish to be any longer. I want to go back to being the nice, caring individual that I used to be , but as crazy as it might sound, I feel that I must leave this place in order to do so.

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by lobster5757

Well,
Glad you read my posts. Thanks for reading! By the way 2 years of trying to find a different job in San Diego, I move here to MI and find a job... in a month. With better pay than San Diego I might ad! My rent (is HALF), taxes and cost of living are dramatically less here in MI. Maybe read some of the other MI posts, hey you never know, you might like it here too! Open your mind. So what if I want to vent about San Diego and warn others, you seem to be venting on this site too. If I have a bad experience in a restaurant or city, I warn others, oh wait, from your posts, you just come here to bash people no places. Relax, it is ok for people to vent about cities and give information. I thought that is what this site is for. You seem pretty angry that any else can give an opinion. I hope you find some peace. Good luck.

Dude, what are you smoking? Not once did she bash anyone or any particular area on this forum. YOU are the one doing all of the hating and venting. YOU are the one that needs to find some peace; as well as some professional help.

[thepinksquid]

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

My observations after living here for 5 years: I hate it here and I can't get out of here soon enough (I still have a year left in the Navy, so I' am pretty much stuck until my time is up). This place is like a bad drug that I really need to get off of . I like everything about San Diego (weather, scenery, recreational opportunites, yada, yada, yada), EXCEPT the people and the high cost of living. For me, those two things either make or brake my decision to live ANYWHERE; it doesn't matter if it is California or say Texas, Massachusetts, Kansas or North Carolina.

I don't care how nice and scenic a place is or how much there is to do there; if the social atmosphere stinks, the people stink (I would say that 80 percent of the people in SD and in So Cal in general, are pretty rude in some way, shape, or form), and the cost of living is high, you are going to HATE it.

I know that there are plenty of people that truly like here (good for them ; this place just happens to have the type of atmosphere that they are looking for), but for others like me, this place is like a paradise version of hell.

Since being here, the culture of this place has forced me to become a rude, arrogant prick, which is something that I don't wish to be any longer. I want to go back to being the nice, caring individual that I used to be , but as crazy as it might sound, I feel that I must leave this place in order to do so.

I hope you find someone better elsewhere for what you're looking for - I honestly do. Everyone deserves to be happy, life's too short. I can't comment on the social scene at all because my husband and I don't go out and try to meet other people, truthfully. People very well could suck here beyond simple day to day contact - honestly I'm just not looking to making any friends... lol

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

Dude, what are you smoking? Not once did she bash anyone or any particular area on this forum. YOU are the one doing all of the hating and venting. YOU are the one that needs to find some peace; as well as some professional help.

Thanks for having my back lol

I determined after seeing all his/her posts that the Lobster thing was just a bit of a troll. Note the lack of rebuttals from them when others called him/her out on their weirdness - that's always a clue. Thus, I didn't take it personally.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

I don't care how nice and scenic a place is or how much there is to do there; if the social atmosphere stinks, the people stink (I would say that 80 percent of the people in SD and in So Cal in general, are pretty rude in some way, shape, or form), and the cost of living is high, you are going to HATE it.

I know that there are plenty of people that truly like here (good for them ; this place just happens to have the type of atmosphere that they are looking for), but for others like me, this place is like a paradise version of hell.

Since being here, the culture of this place has forced me to become a rude, arrogant prick, which is something that I don't wish to be any longer. I want to go back to being the nice, caring individual that I used to be , but as crazy as it might sound, I feel that I must leave this place in order to do so.

San Diego is the nation's eighth largest city ... so naturally, you're going to encounter some rudeness as you would in any other large city. Quite frankly, I find San Diegans in general to be quite pleasant and very laid back. Now, if you want to talk about rude & arrogant, take a trip to some of the cities on the eastern seaboard ... espeically New York! Compared to NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, or even Phoenix, San Diego seems almost like Margaritaville.

[moved]

Originally Posted by angelbug

Uh, you might make that suggestion to a user named "moved" who seems to go out of the way to bash Chico on the Chico threads at every opportunity just because living there didn't work out for them. This person stated they hated the place and then hung around arguing with everyone who made counter arguments in favor of it - just like the person you're admonishing here.

Excuse me! I didn't bash Chico on the Chico threads! I gave my honest opinion of what I didn't like about it. It wasn't my idea to move there in the first place, I had only visited a few times, and my partner at the time had grown up there, and wanted to move back. I considered it the worst place that I ever lived. The only income that I was able to bring in could make from living in Chico for three years was from selling on eBay, and I made enough money to move to San Diego. I lived in Tucson for 1 1/2 years, Sacramento for 7, and spent 40 years in the Washington, DC area. Since you are cutting me down, why don't you check out my comments on those forums? Chico isn't for everyone, nor is San Diego or anywhere else.

[u]People are entitled to their opinions, so if you have any further comments about me, please direct them via DM - NOT publicly on the board![/U]

[thepinksquid]

...and silly me for thinking this thread was dead!

[cebu077]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

San Diego is the nation's eighth largest city ... so naturally, you're going to encounter some rudeness as you would in any other large city. Quite frankly, I find San Diegans in general to be quite pleasant and very laid back. Now, if you want to talk about rude & arrogant, take a trip to some of the cities on the eastern seaboard ... espeically New York! Compared to NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, or even Phoenix, San Diego seems almost like Margaritaville.

VAlley Native -- please don't think I'm trying to bash you; I promise, that's not my intention at all! I just wanted to put in my two cents. I think that every big city has its stereotypes, and also that it's easy for individuals to create their own stereotypes based on their personal experiences. I say this because before I visited NYC, all I heard for years was how rude and aggressive NYC residents were supposed to be. But during the time I spent there, I found New Yorkers to be quite helpful (offering to help us with directions without us even needing to ask), friendly, and energetic. I don't think New Yorkers, Bostonians, or people in any other big city are necessarily rude; I think they just have places to go and people to see, and so they don't really care about prying into people's business (as people in small towns do, which drives me CRAZY!!!). You know, unless you are a celebrity, you're going to be pretty anonymous in a big city, which tends to eliminate people's curiousity about their fellow residents.

sandiegodude -- I hope you find what you are looking for. I certainly understand where you are coming from in regard to feeling like where you live is making you miserable; that's how Ohio makes me feel, and that's why I'm trying to get the hell outta here. However, part of happiness does come from inside, and it's crucial to remember this when moving to a new place. Don't expect the place to fix all of your problems. Believe me, I'm trying to practice what I preach in regard to my goal to move to San Diego!

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

I don't know what it is, but is it true that most other states hate Californians, like the people from Florida and Texas?

No.

I think it's because they feel like we have an attitude problem or something, and were not as "Friendly". Because while in Dallas, I over heard some guy talking trash about me and my friend being from California, they could easily tell, by the way we talked and acted I guess. He was talkin crap how us Californians are rude, just like East Coast people and Chicagoan's Not sure if everyone's mindset in Texas is like that, but if it is, all I can say is "Wow".

Seriously? Someone in Dallas trash talking you and your friend, just guessing you were from CA because of how you dressed or acted? Sorry, I doubt it. They probably were not natives.

Texans are not Southerners, unless you wanna get downright technical about it (we're Texans!)...so whomever said Southerners are fake and not friendly, and lumped Texas in with that...must not have ever visited our fine state.

Lyle Lovett sings a great song that goes, "That's right, you're not from Texas...but Texas wants you anyway..."

Come on over and see us sometime.