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Get out of here, you know that the small commercial strips in Chandler, Gilbert and Glendale are filled with families. And DT Scottsdale is full of tourists staying in the nearby resorts. Tempe? Sure, if like being surrounded by college students. I prefer Central PHX over any of those places mentioned.
And SD has way more urban areas with commercial strips lined with bars, restaurants and retail than PHX. Go ahead and drive up these streets and tell me how may chain stores and restaurants you see:
Calling SD a one-trick phony is funny, too. You can only hike up Camelback or Piestewa so many times before it gets old, right? I guess you can walk around Fashion Square or Chandler Fashion Center to kill the rest of the day.
These images are not impressive. For the most part, except for the beach areas and The Gaslamp, these picp look like Anytown, USA. SD is more unique and urban than this depiction of it.
Cost of living - Phoenix
Crime/safety - SD
Nightlife - Phoenix
Traffic - Phoenix
Entertainment/things to do - Tie
Career opportunities - Phoenix (for most fields)
San Diego seems ideal if you’re a 40-50 something who cashed out on a house in LA/Bay Area and want to semi-retire near the beach. Unless you stand to inherit a Prop-13 protected home in SD, Phoenix offers more for average younger people and young families.
Cost of living - Phoenix
Crime/safety - SD
Nightlife - Phoenix
Traffic - Phoenix
Entertainment/things to do - Tie
Career opportunities - Phoenix (for most fields)
San Diego seems ideal if you’re a 40-50 something who cashed out on a house in LA/Bay Area and want to semi-retire near the beach. Unless you stand to inherit a Prop-13 protected home in SD, Phoenix offers more for average younger people and young families.
Cost of living - Phoenix
Crime/safety - SD
Nightlife - Phoenix
Traffic - Phoenix
Entertainment/things to do - Tie
Career opportunities - Phoenix (for most fields)
San Diego seems ideal if you’re a 40-50 something who cashed out on a house in LA/Bay Area and want to semi-retire near the beach. Unless you stand to inherit a Prop-13 protected home in SD, Phoenix offers more for average younger people and young families.
Not disagreeing that San Diego is great if you’re 40-50 and semi retired, but I disagree that Phoenix offers the average young person or family more? I grew up here without a lot, and spent a decent chunk of my early/mid 20’s the same and I have zero complaints for both times. Honestly I think a place where you have to spend a good chunk of the year indoors offers much less for a family or young person? But that’s just me?
Phoenix just offers a much larger variety of interesting individuals, because it has people from all over the country.
The city of Phoenix itself is very unimpressive but there are lots of very active suburbs with lots of people from all over the place who moved to the area and are open to expanding their social networks.
'San Diego is extremely married or coupled, extremely extremely touristy before and after the pandemic.
The beach topography is first-class in San Diego, but the beach towns in San Diego County are either wealthy introverted retirees or tourist families from the Inland Empire, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
As a single person, Phoenix itself isn't my favorite. But there quite a nightlife (pre and post pandemic) in Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert.
Phoenix with huge amounts of new people moving in, just has a much better environment than San Diego for any one looking to expand a social network.
In my opinion, the city of San Diego nature, parks, recreation, topography, flowers and trees is some of the best scenery I have seen anywhere in the country and it has stable, decent weather if one is near the coast but the city itself is extremely, extremely underwhelming and the people overall are extremely arrogant, uptight and pretentious even by California standards in my anecdotal opinion.
San Diego is an extremely introverted, married and very family oriented city and county. The nightlife in Pacific Beach and Gaslamp is mainly for tourists just getting married or married people celebrated aniversaries.
San Diego in my opinion is overall a better environment for families who can afford it.
San Diego County is a perfect place for retirees or middle-aged married couples who like the great outdoors and who aren't looking to expand their social network.
Phoenix about five years ago had lots of jobs and very affordable housing. Offered a great bargain for those middle-tier on pay especially if they were a dual-income family.
It is still overall one of the lowest-cost Metropolitan areas in the West though.
Phoenix has skyrocketed in price, especially on home prices.
Rental prices are still somewhat reasonable in parts of the area but the eastern suburbs have skyrocketed on rental prices because that is where the newer residents have a tendency to move in greater numbers if they are going to rent.
Phoenix is a much, much less expensive metro on home prices.
San Diego County has many areas like East Escondido, El Cajon, National City, San Ysidro that are just marginally more expensive Phoenix by maybe a hundred or two hundred dollars a month.
I will say though with San Diego County that even roughest areas tend to be semi-decent places with no where the extreme violent crime rates that parts of Phoenix have.
Phoenix has some areas that are less expensive, but there are some extremely violent parts of Phoenix that are so bad that living in a car in San Diego would be preferable for many.
I would suggest people moving to Phoenix on a budget evaulate the neighborhood before moving in because there are some areas that people don't even like to spend 12 minutes in, can't even imagine a newcomer moving one of these areas stuck for 12 months on a lease.
San Diego County has no areas like that bad compared to Phoenix.
Clearly moving to San Diego did not work out for you, which is unfortunate (and happens to many people). But, honestly, there are so many falsehoods in your summary. Also, your generalizations seem to be based on very limited [geographic] experiences.
Also, bigger picture, you are comparing SD to Phoenix...
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovecrowds
Phoenix just offers a much larger variety of interesting individuals, because it has people from all over the country.
and San Diego doesn't? San Diego has more people from around the world and our industries (defense, tech) bring people from all over the U.S. Sorry, that's a bit more interesting that snowbirds.
Quote:
'San Diego is extremely married or coupled, extremely extremely touristy before and after the pandemic.
Completely disagree. Lots of young people who want to experience the SoCal lifestyle while they can. People who get married and settle down are often looking to buy a home, which isn't really an option for young couples any more, so they leave.
Phoenix and Arizona in general is where retirees and families move due to the warmer weather and lower cost of living. This isn't just a made-up generalization. Demographics validate it.
Quote:
The beach topography is first-class in San Diego, but the beach towns in San Diego County are either wealthy introverted retirees or tourist families from the Inland Empire, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
What is this nonsense? Are you basing this off of a small portion of SD beach towns (La Jolla, Coronado, Del Mar?). What about Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Imperial Beach, and Encinitas? Lots of young single people and/or families.
Quote:
In my opinion, the city of San Diego nature, parks, recreation, topography, flowers and trees is some of the best scenery I have seen anywhere in the country and it has stable, decent weather if one is near the coast but the city itself is extremely, extremely underwhelming and the people overall are extremely arrogant, uptight and pretentious even by California standards in my anecdotal opinion.
Underwhelming relative to Phoenix?
San Diegans are uptight? Where exactly did you spend your time here, Coronado? Actual San Diegans are hardly uptight. My own experience living in San Diego vs. other places (east coast and abroad) is that San Diego locals are way too "chill" to the point of being annoying. Passive and un-ambitious. The only uptight people are those in the snooty or new-money communities, where only a small fraction of locals live.
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San Diego is an extremely introverted, married and very family oriented city and county. The nightlife in Pacific Beach and Gaslamp is mainly for tourists just getting married or married people celebrated aniversaries.
LOL. this is such a weird and incorrect takeaway. PB is full of local college students FYI.
Quote:
San Diego County is a perfect place for retirees or middle-aged married couples who like the great outdoors and who aren't looking to expand their social network.
Huh...isn't this literally why people move to Arizona?
Last edited by newgensandiego; 11-20-2020 at 08:56 AM..
Phoenix and Arizona in general is where retirees and families move due to the warmer weather and lower cost of living. This isn't just a made-up generalization. Demographics validate it.
Funny that you're worked up in this post about a "made-up generalization" about San Diego yet spewing one about Phoenix that is completely off base. So here's your demographic data.
Average Age Phoenix: 34.4
Average Age San Diego: 35.4
While were at it, Arizona's average age is below the national average as well. Ranking 36th youngest. The Northeast and Florida is where you're going to find the oldest populations, not Arizona.
Funny that you're worked up in this post about a "made-up generalization" about San Diego yet spewing one about Phoenix that is completely off base. So here's your demographic data.
Average Age Phoenix: 34.4
Average Age San Diego: 35.4
While were at it, Arizona's average age is below the national average as well. Ranking 36th youngest. The Northeast and Florida is where you're going to find the oldest populations, not Arizona.
Par for the course with newsgensandiego. In an effort to boost her city and self-worth, she tries to denigrate any other city and will defend SD irrationally. She takes it personally and cannot be objective. Really sad.
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