Imperial beach (San Diego, Oceanside, Carlsbad: oceanfront, real estate, condos)

[greyarea]

Hello, I was wondering what the general opinion of IB is? I visited for a week in March and the people seemed very friendly and accommodating but I have heard mixed opinions. It seems like crime there is low according to the stats. I live in North Nashville Tn where violent and property crime is very high and IB doesnt look bad at all. I know about water pollution from the TJ river but if anyone has been to Nashville most people dont go swimming in the Cumberland river either. So I guess what im getting at is, why is this not a very desirable area to live?

Thanks,
Brent

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by greyarea

Hello, I was wondering what the general opinion of IB is? I visited for a week in March and the people seemed very friendly and accommodating but I have heard mixed opinions. So I guess what im getting at is, why is this not a very desirable area to live?

IB has kind of a bad reputation mostly due to it's location near the border. It's managed to remain a funky, insulated beach town while other beach cities have boomed and been turned into playgrounds for the wealthy and drunken.

The sewage spills from the All American / Tijuana River often flow north and foul IB's beaches. Directly to the east is San Ysidro which is a high crime area. IB has a bit more crime than most of the other beach cities, and there is still a bit of a biker / gangster contingent down there.

I have always liked IB because it represents that weird place between inner-city urban and beach town, but a lot of people just see it as run-down.

[greyarea]

Thanks Sassberto, that makes perfect sense. I have never been spoiled by luxurious surroundings but i could see how some people might think its a little rough around the edges. I like being around good down to earth people and I really don't care for the prefab superficial SoCal image. Also, real estate isn't out of reach for our family there. We will make around 95-100k when we move but I like having spending money rather than being house poor.

Thanks again!
Brent

[dsmolinski]

Brent,

Sassberto summed it up in a nutshell. With so many nice communities to live in, why pick one that is problematic? Take your time to check out alot more communities. Maybe you can take a short-term or month-to-month rental when you first arrive, to give yourself time to seek out where you want to settle in. San Diego is spread out and offers alot of variety in communities and lifestyles. East County is considerably less expensive than the Coastal communities. If coastal is your preference, then try North County Encinitas, Carlsbad/La Costa or Oceanside). You'll get alot more for the $$ and you can find newer construction, if you should desire that. South county has very few newer homes, other than new high rise condos downtown, and they are pretty expensive. Good luck in your search and welcome to San Diego!

Donna

[noneya_b]

Let me start off by stating that Imperial Beach (IB) is much safer than ANY other beach community along the West Coast. I urge you to compare IB's zipcode (91932) to any other zipcode on the coast, using the following link:

http://www.moving.com/Find_a_Place/Compare2Cities/

Those are the facts. You are receiving feedback from people who are not intimately familiar with IB and don't live here, but rather have just heard stories from way back in the biker town days. Trust you own opinion of when you visited our quiet little town and when you decide to move, we hope you stay for life. That's how we roll. We're lifers because there's no safer or frienlier place to live in SD county. Get yourself an oceanfront place for less than $800/month.

No other beach community NATIONWIDE can compare with those prices! It's heaven out here!