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For those who can find nothing at all worthwhile about San Diego, you are not likely to be happy anywhere. You are placing too much of a burden on “the city”. A city can only enhance your life; not BE your life. Yes, some cities are a better fit for certain individuals than others and I will be the first to agree with the sentiment that San Diego is somewhat overrated in relation to the “paradise” hype that exists out there in the world. But this is not a fault that should be leveled against San Diego - the notion of “paradise” needs to be exposed as the fantasy it is. No matter what city you choose to call home, there will be shortcomings. Cities are flawed because the humans who inhabit them are flawed. Focus on making your life more fulfilling and you will find that you can live a fulfilling life wherever you are. Is it Sassberto who said “wherever you go…there you are”? I so agree with this. My sense is that a lot of folks who up and move here are expecting San Diego to fill a void that they themselves are responsible for.
I understand that not everyone will be able to afford it here; the cost of living here IS ridiculously high. If it is not for you, then ok…you should work relocate to a place that will be a better fit but gosh, the extreme negativity in this thread saddens me. I lurk on the forum every day and would like to post more often. Often an interesting thread is started but by the time I get home from work the thread has gone south disintegrating into a bunch of petty, negative, immature, poorly written, lackluster, bullying, back and forth verbiage that is disappointing to say the least. Disagreement should be encouraged but lately, there has been a serious lack of thoughtful and respectful dialogue on the SD forum.
For those who can find nothing at all worthwhile about San Diego, you are not likely to be happy anywhere. You are placing too much of a burden on “the city”. A city can only enhance your life; not BE your life. Yes, some cities are a better fit for certain individuals than others and I will be the first to agree with the sentiment that San Diego is somewhat overrated in relation to the “paradise” hype that exists out there in the world. But this is not a fault that should be leveled against San Diego - the notion of “paradise” needs to be exposed as the fantasy it is. No matter what city you choose to call home, there will be shortcomings. Cities are flawed because the humans who inhabit them are flawed. Focus on making your life more fulfilling and you will find that you can live a fulfilling life wherever you are. Is it Sassberto who said “wherever you go…there you are”? I so agree with this. My sense is that a lot of folks who up and move here are expecting San Diego to fill a void that they themselves are responsible for.
I understand that not everyone will be able to afford it here; the cost of living here IS ridiculously high. If it is not for you, then ok…you should work relocate to a place that will be a better fit but gosh, the extreme negativity in this thread saddens me. I lurk on the forum every day and would like to post more often. Often an interesting thread is started but by the time I get home from work the thread has gone south disintegrating into a bunch of petty, negative, immature, poorly written, lackluster, bullying, back and forth verbiage that is disappointing to say the least. Disagreement should be encouraged but lately, there has been a serious lack of thoughtful and respectful dialogue on the SD forum.
Sure there are malcontents who will find something to complain about no matter where they go, but some places suit certain people better than others. The #1 reason why someone would want to move to San Diego, or the people who already live there love it, is the weather. So someone who likes having 4 seasons and variety of weather, may tend to be more focused on the negatives of SD and not think it's worth it.
I realized that San Diego wasn't for me and I did what I could to leave, and I haven't looked back since. I've been here in Japan for almost 2 years, and even though it has a lot of negatives, especially the difficulties living as an American, the things I love about Japan make it worth it. Some of things I didn't like about San Diego and California can be found in Japan, especially the high cost of living and crowds. In fact, they are even worse in Japan. However, what most cities in Japan have that San Diego lacks is an efficient train system, which alleviates the stress of driving and fighting for parking. If San Diego has a train system like that then I actually wouldn't mind living there (sorry, the trolley doesn't compare).
In my opinion, San Diego may not have as much excitement going for it as larger cities but it is a scenic, laid back place with beautiful weather. I really enjoyed my sunny 77 degree Thanksgiving Day. My family members, who are spread across the country, experienced the following Thanksgiving Day highs: New York City (55 and rain); Columbus, OH (43 and rain); Chicago (43 and overcast); Knoxville, TN (52 and rain); Buffalo, NY (46 and rain). Today was a simply gorgeous day; I feel so fortunate to live here. Initially, I too thought that SD was slow and that it would not be exciting enough for me but soon realized that the slow pace is one of its charms. The notion of living life at a slower pace is one I find to be quite radical because this is not the norm for work culture in America. I have always been a workaholic (it is what has been expected throughout my career) but here, life is really laid back and this is reflected in the values of my workplace. San Diego has been a blessing in disguise; the pace of life here has been good for me. So even though San Diego wasn’t what I thought it would be, and perhaps what I had hoped it would be, I am glad that I gave San Diego a chance. I accept it for what it is and don’t want it to be like anything else. How boring it would be if all cities were the same.
Like many of you, San Diego may be too expensive for me to stay forever; as a single woman I am totally priced out of the housing market even though I have a decent career-level job. I do understand the cost argument and I too may one day choose to leave San Diego behind. But I really want to stress for those considering moving here…San Diego can be a lovely place. Yes, the pace is slow when compared to major cities. Yes, the cost of living is extremely high. No, we do not have four distinct seasons here (but there is enough variation so that it is NOT 365 days of the same as some have suggested). Yes, some folks here abuse the laid back culture of the city – slackerism is quite apparent here. Yes, there is traffic and there are crowds here. Yes, finding a GREAT restaurant is a challenge. No, there is not as much high brow culture as can be found in larger cities (but there is nevertheless plenty of it to be had). What I find ironic is that many of the people who complain about SD not having high culture or intelligent people do not themselves come across as cultured or intelligent in their posts.Yes, intelligent people exist here. Earlier I used the “wherever you go…there you are” quote to suggest that if you bring negativity (indeed if you ARE negativity) then this is what you will find here in San Diego. It works the other way around as well. Wherever you go…there you are. If you come here with a positive attitude and are willing to embrace San Diego on its own terms, you are likely to have a positive experience here.
SEAandATL, we are in agreement here. If one needs 4 distinct seasons, SD is not likely to be a good fit. Although I must say that I don't quite get the argument that the weather is consistently the same. I relocated here from four distinct seasons and in my opinion, some SD days feel like summer (today), others like spring, some like a crisp fall day, and there are days where I have to reach for the winter coat that I almost did not bring because I thought I would not need it here. Honestly, other than the fact that it hardly ever rains, I feel like there is a great deal of variation in SD weather. What am I missing here?
I agree that the trolley cannot compete with the subway systems found in major metropolitan cities but isn't the comparison for a city the size of (and with the geographical limits of) SD a bit unfair? I don't like driving either so I live in an area (one of the Balboa Park neighborhoods) that has easy bus access to downtown, the trolley, and connecting bus routes. This will not work for everyone but I do want outsiders to know that SD does have an urban core and it *may* be possible to utilize public transportation for the work commute. Will it be as convenient and efficient as driving? No. I have to leave home 45 minutes earlier than I would if I were to drive my car. That said, I still find public transportation here doable (and so much less stressful than driving) but I do realize that it is not ideal for all neighborhoods.
SD has a professional baseball team??? Could've fooled me!
I've been to zoos in most major cities all over the country, and have to say my personal favorite is and always will be the Bronx Zoo. Easy to get around, relatively flat, and their conservation program is wonderful. I too don't get the hype about this zoo.
And as far as the weather goes, I love how people claim it's warm all year long. My friends came to visit in January, April and July and couldn't believe how cold it was. In January, we were in coats and sweatpants and definitely not on the beach. The one that came in April was pissed off because she came all the way from the East coast with her kids, and people on a travel board told her it's shorts weather, so she ended up having to go shopping for clothes. In July, we didn't see the sun til around 1pm, thanks to the wonderful marine layer that seems to have lasted from April to July this past season. I had to take my friend to Vegas for a couple of days, because she was looking forward to heat and SD simply did not have it in July. And now, I'm wearing boots and jeans and long sleeves because it is not exactly warm out there. So I guess our definitions of perfect weather differ greatly.
And sure, we have beaches, but try going swimming without a wetsuit. I was freezing even in August and have really not enjoyed the water here at all because it's so damn cold all the time. The seaweed is disgusting and all over the beaches, and that's all you see when you take a picture of the beach. It attracts flies that are all over you and the seaweed. Kinda disgusting if you ask me.
And the restaurants...I won't start a rant, but if you're looking for quality food, I hope you like Mexican cause that's the only thing they got right around here!
My primary response to this message: "Waaa, waaaaa, waaaaaaaa"! Good god, there are people that will complain about almost anything I guess.
One thing I have noticed on this board that is very perplexing: No matter what city you are interested in relocating to, people always make the same generic complaints that are true of any city in the U.S. Those complaints are as follows.
(1) The weather sucks. Either it's too hot, too cold, rains too much, doesn't rain enough, or the transplant was mislead to believe that the opposites should have been true, i.e, "It was supposed to be warmer, it was supposed to be colder" etc.
(2) Traffic sucks. Yeah it does. I'd not advise moving to any U.S metropolitan city if you cannot deal with traffic.
(3) Possibly the most annoying and overstated generic point, "The city is slow, there is nothing to do here", etc. Consequently, ANY city tends to feel "slow" if you have money, and any city feels "exciting" when you do, because you can afford to do whatever the hell you want to.
(4) The food sucks. I've read this complaint on almost every city board on this site, from Seattle to San Diego to Miami. I guess the food everywhere just "sucks".
It would be nice if people on these boards could simply compare and contrast different cities without these universal complaints that tie into nearly every city in the United states.
So, the weather wasn't perfect when your friends came over. They "suffered" through what, 65 degrees and partly cloudy? Christ, get a grip. It's a statistical fact that San Diego maintains an even temperture nearly the entire year. Look it up on weatherchannel.com, Wikipedia, or any other information site. Nobody is making that up.
But then again, if you or they were expecting paradise, it's easy to see why you were upset.
I'm wondering if perhaps there's a correlation between age and people that are making the "SD sucks!" comments.
I just ask because, rather than education critiques of the city, most of these posts just have a tinge of angsty "anywhere is better than here!" attitude. Everyone "hates" their "hometown" at one point or another.
Location: Proud home of the Parkview Little Leaguers
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Casportsfan
So, the weather wasn't perfect when your friends came over. They "suffered" through what, 65 degrees and partly cloudy? Christ, get a grip. It's a statistical fact that San Diego maintains an even temperture nearly the entire year. Look it up on weatherchannel.com, Wikipedia, or any other information site. Nobody is making that up.
But then again, if you or they were expecting paradise, it's easy to see why you were upset.
Tourists especially get frustrated with May Gray/June Gloom because they don't understand it. I always let my out-of-towners know that September is actually more summer-like than June. Tourists are also confused as they sit on the beach in swimsuits in January and February and watch the locals walking by in sweats and jackets. Midwesterners particularly expect a Bahama-like climate because that's where they normally escape to in the winter.
SEAandATL, we are in agreement here. If one needs 4 distinct seasons, SD is not likely to be a good fit. Although I must say that I don't quite get the argument that the weather is consistently the same. I relocated here from four distinct seasons and in my opinion, some SD days feel like summer (today), others like spring, some like a crisp fall day, and there are days where I have to reach for the winter coat that I almost did not bring because I thought I would not need it here. Honestly, other than the fact that it hardly ever rains, I feel like there is a great deal of variation in SD weather. What am I missing here?
I agree that the trolley cannot compete with the subway systems found in major metropolitan cities but isn't the comparison for a city the size of (and with the geographical limits of) SD a bit unfair? I don't like driving either so I live in an area (one of the Balboa Park neighborhoods) that has easy bus access to downtown, the trolley, and connecting bus routes. This will not work for everyone but I do want outsiders to know that SD does have an urban core and it *may* be possible to utilize public transportation for the work commute. Will it be as convenient and efficient as driving? No. I have to leave home 45 minutes earlier than I would if I were to drive my car. That said, I still find public transportation here doable (and so much less stressful than driving) but I do realize that it is not ideal for all neighborhoods.
I was talking mainly about the fact that it hardly rains. Temperature wise, I have no problem with it. I actually liked San Diego's weather the best between October and May, and in the inland areas. Living inland we could avoid some of the May grey and June gloom days that the coastal areas had a lot of. With the lack of rain, I not only got bored with it, but it also made everything brown and causes a lot of fire danger. I really started missing the thunderstorms back in Georgia. Also, since I've been in Japan, I've never had to spend money on getting my car washed .
Last edited by SEAandATL; 11-27-2009 at 09:10 PM..
Reason: more to add
I was talking mainly about the fact that it hardly rains. Temperature wise, I have no problem with it. I actually liked San Diego's weather the best between October and May, and in the inland areas. Living inland we could avoid some of the May grey and June gloom days that the coastal areas had a lot of. With the lack of rain, I not only got bored with it, but it also made everything brown and causes a lot of fire danger. I really started missing the thunderstorms back in Georgia. Also, since I've been in Japan, I've never had to spend money on getting my car washed .
I can see your point. I think I'm the opposite of those with SAD. I get depressed when it's really arid. I never go to the desert for that reason. Today was nice becasue there are clouds coming in and there's a slight chance of rain tomorrow. The air feels different now because of that. I actually got back into the gym tonight. I hardly do this when it's warm and dry because I never feel like it.
May gray and June Gloom is bewildering to outsiders. Summer here really starts after 4th of July. I miss the rain a lot as well.
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