Is San Francisco better than San Diego for what I'm looking for? (Berkeley: employment, living)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by summertime25

I am a single female in my upper 20s who relocated from DC to San Diego earlier this year. I was so excited about moving to CA. I grew up on the east coast my entire life and was ready for a change. I wanted warm and sunny weather, more outdoor activities, laid back, friendly, and down to earth people, and beaches. I thought San Diego would be a good fit because I was able keep my job and maintain my DC salary.

Now I'm starting to wish I had considered other cities along the west coast. San Diego seems to really lack in diversity, liberalism and open-mindedness, culture, and educated/young professionals (or educated people period). When I say diverse, I am referring to diverse, educated, liberal people, regardless of race, color of skin, ethnic background, etc.

The city feels very blue-collared. I've come across a lot of grungy people covered in tattoos, homies and thugs (especially near the beaches), some racist/rednecks. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome country western types and African Americans. It's the racist or uneducated meat-headed people (pb, mission beach, and east county are great examples of the types that I am referring to).

San Diego has very little diversity. The only diversity that's worth mentioning here is the Hispanic culture. But that's it. And unfortunately, a lot of the Hispanics in San Diego are also make up the poor and uneducated population. You don't see different races from different parts of the world who are all educated and intelligent. The one positive is that mostly anyone can fit in socially in San Diego because people are so carefree, so you might find the "appreciating cultural diversity" aspect. But it's almost a too carefree attitude, if that makes any sense.

People in San Diego seem to be really into illegal drug use or drinking their faces off. Many people are into smoking lots of pot. I know you can fine people who use drugs anywhere, but it seems to be much more prevalent here than in DC.

The quantity of good job opportunities seem to be lacking. Even the university/school options aren't that great (the only good school IMO is UCSD).

San Diego is just not what I thought it would be :-( Don't get me wrong, I love the weather, the scenery is beautiful, there is tons to do outdoors, and traffic is a breeze compared to back east. But what's up with the people and lack of opportunity?

I guess I'm wondering if San Francisco would be a better fit for the things that I am looking for. I really don't want to deal with cold and rainy weather and rat races but guess I can make the trade off if other benefits out way these things.

This is what I am really after: Cosmopolitan, culture, liberal minded educated people, diversity, urban environment (I don't want to move to a small town) that I found in DC but with the great weather, outdoor/active/healthy lifestyle that California has to offer. A place with good job/career or advanced education opportunities without the rat race, work your butt off mentality that exists back east. Does this environment exist in the San Francisco bay area? If so, what part of the area?

Liberal views, yes, the bay area would be better but to say San Diego is filled with a bunch of uneducated people shows how little you are trying to fit in. Maybe you should have stayed on the east coast..People in Ca overall, especially So Ca are laid back, this does not mean uneducated.

It doesn't matter where you go in Ca you will find tatoos and yes, lots of pot. Again, this often comes with the liberal views which certainly you will get in the San Francisco area.

You don't want the rat race, but you want career advancement? It sounds to me like you don't know what you want.

As for higher education, no one ever claimed there were a bunch of Ivy League schools in San Diego, but even San Diego State has some wonderful programs. What would make you say something like that? What are you judging your opinions on?

What in the world do you mean from the statement you have run into some racist and rednecks and then you say don't get me wrong, I welcome country and western types and African Americans? If ever there was a posting by someone talking out of both sides of their mouth, yours takes the cake.

Nita

[sfrocks]

Originally Posted by sav858

and you immediately contradict your own statement right away:
I'm not sure what your point was in even bringing up this months old thread besides to just perpetuate another negative SF stereotype.

I stumbled upon it. What negative SF stereotype? I was nothing but complimentary to SF. Did you read what I wrote? I am saying that SF is very open-minded. The original poster says she values that but then is worried about drugs and thugs; if she really was as open-minded as she claims, she wouldn't be hung up on those as much as she seems to be. So is she really liberal? I've been to DC and the liberals there are not always so liberal and open-minded. If she can get over her hang ups over stereotypes, then I welcome her to SF, the greatest city on earth. If not, then I'd rather she go somewhere else.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by sfrocks

What negative SF stereotype?

The intolerant SF liberal

[DjRey]

Originally Posted by sfrocks

I've always lived in SF. I can tell you there's only a handful of world-class cites: NYC, London, Paris, Rome, and San Francisco. Being big means nothing: Tokyo, DC, San Diego, LA, Seattle, Boston, etc. They are big and maybe in some ways close but there aren't world-class for several reasons. I have been to San Diego. It's pretty. Nice weather. But it's not world class. How does it contribute to the world? How is it diverse? San Francisco? Now that's DIVERSE. Asian-Americans. African-Americans. Hispanic-Americans. Homosexuals. Everyone is represented here and everyone is so accepting. Konservatives are almost no where to be found; we don't accept their kind here. There is a strong love of the environment and healthy living here in SF. SF is highly liberal and educated. Look at how we have Berkeley and Stanford here. My only question is are you LIBERAL? Why do you care about drugs? Why do you care about "thugs"? It seems like maybe you are a bit konservative actually. If you are truly liberal, yes, come to one of the greatest cities on earth, San Francisco. If you are konservative or even moderate, you just don't fit here and I don't want your kind here either.

I think this post was a joke. I mean like comedy..They just joined CD yesterday, and the name is SFRocks?. Someone is playing around here.

[sfrocks]

Originally Posted by DjRey

I think this post was a joke. I mean like comedy..They just joined CD yesterday, and the name is SFRocks?. Someone is playing around here.

No. I have joined recently but for SF related things. I stumbled on this just searching around.

I am not saying I am intolerant or SF is. On the contrary I am saying SF (and me) are wonderfully tolerant and have lots of diversity.

The OP says she is liberal but does seem to be hung up on drugs, drinking, and "thugs." I think the prevalent vibe in SF is that those things do not matter as long as they don't hurt anyone. So if she isn't a tolerant person, I'd rather she not live in SF.

At any rate, for anyone reading this, SF is a great place with lots of different types of people and things to do. It is culturally rich. Its populace is highly educated. The weather is very nice. If that sounds good to you, SF is your place. It is NOT a conservative, intolerant place. It is lively and fun and just, to me, the best city around.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by sfrocks

No. I have joined recently but for SF related things. I stumbled on this just searching around.

I am not saying I am intolerant or SF is. On the contrary I am saying SF (and me) are wonderfully tolerant and have lots of diversity.

Except you showed how intolerant you and SF are by saying "konservatives" are not accepted there and you do not want them there. To say you and SF are tolerant then make that statement is a contradiction on top of being hypocritical. When you look at its electorate and the general mentality/ideology/values of people in SF its actually quite homogeneous and not very diverse at all. SF probably has one of the LEAST diverse electorates of any large city in America, at least with respect to how they vote.

[davnlndy2]

Most folks from the east coast migrate to N. California. Most folks from the fly-over states settle in S. Cal. I lived in Santa Monica for seven years, loved it but when the time came to grow up I moved north.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by davnlndy2

Most folks from the east coast migrate to N. California. Most folks from the fly-over states settle in S. Cal. I lived in Santa Monica for seven years, loved it but when the time came to grow up I moved north.

That is not true, Southern CA has a lot of East Coast transplants, especially San Diego. Every other person you meet here is from the Northeast, especially Boston. I've met more people from the Boston area than any other city in America. And if out of state license plates indicate anything, there are a TON of east coast transplants all over SoCal.

[samson802]

Originally Posted by sav858

Except you showed how intolerant you and SF are by saying "konservatives" are not accepted there and you do not want them there. To say you and SF are tolerant then make that statement is a contradiction on top of being hypocritical. When you look at its electorate and the general mentality/ideology/values of people in SF its actually quite homogeneous and not very diverse at all. SF probably has one of the LEAST diverse electorates of any large city in America, at least with respect to how they vote.

We are tolerant people, and, because we're tolerant, we will not tolerate intolerant, bigoted people (aka a sect of conservatives). We are not Middle America, nor do we want to vote like Florida or Ohio. We're extremely proud to say George W Bush was not brought to you by SF. We are a diverse set of people, with 40% of foreign-born, with a 'minority'-majority (meaning non-Hispanic Whites are not the majority), 15% of us are gays and lesbians, and 15% Republicans (same amount as gays and lesbians). By your definition of diversity, you would think Michigan is diverse, then by all means, stay there, because you'll hate it here in SF. And we'll be content of that.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by sav858

That is not true, Southern CA has a lot of East Coast transplants, especially San Diego. Every other person you meet here is from the Northeast, especially Boston. I've met more people from the Boston area than any other city in America. And if out of state license plates indicate anything, there are a TON of east coast transplants all over SoCal.

And someone who lived in Santa Monica would have encountered a HUGE amount of East Coast transplants, considering that two of the LA neighborhoods bordering Santa Monica (Venice and Brentwood) have some of the largest concentrations of New Yorkers in all of L.A. County, and SM has quite a few East Coast people itself. Given how much of the entertainment industry lives in SM there's a pretty sizeable NY influence. L.A. is filled with East Coasters. And as you say San Diego also has its share of East Coast transplants.