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It's a tough call between San Diego and L.A. Based on your criteria, San Diego probably will be the best fit for you except for the big city feel. Although San Diego's downtown is growing and a lot of new developments being built, and the Gaslamp District is a decent nightlife area, plus you have the beach cities. Like Sweetclimber, I had a lot of complaints about S.D. mainly based on bad personal experiences during and even more after I left there. San Diego might have some positive changes in the near future especially after the economy recovers. I think a lot of the reasons why I was having a hard time in San Diego is not necessarily because of the place, but more because of the time (during the "W" era). San Diego under the Obama era might be different, and for the better. Also, the political trend is shifting to more liberal, so the once conservative, military-centric, family friendly, church going, materialistic suburban culture that was common in S.D. might be shifting to a more urban and youth/singles friendly culture like the other California cities, and cities such as NYC, Chicago, etc.
I've lived in all three and they all have advantages and disadvantages.
Personally, I thought SD was a let-down. I didn't like it. If I live in SoCal again, I would go to LA instead. I think LA is a better choice than SD.
LA, was just LA. A huge, awesome city with a life of its own. With all the good and bad that gos along with it. Lots of fun, great weather. But it does have that Hollywood egomania thing going on. And the competetive, "i'm better than you" vibe. To me, that was the worst part of it.
SF is a very, very cool place. I love it. It offers a lot of the qualities of LA, with less of the bad sides of it. SF has a very interesting feel. I could just walk the streets there forever and be entertained. The people there, overall, are more down to Earth than SoCal. It's got more of a hippy, liberal vibe.
I think it's even more expensive than So-Cal though and harder to make it in SF. But the suburbs in the East Bay offer good deals on rent. And I don't like that it is stuck in that little penninsula and surrounded by bridges.
San Francisco is much nicer than Los Angeles, but I would still rather live in Los Angeles. The Bay Area is kind of boring.
San Diego is very boring and I can't stand the San Diegan/South Orange County lifestyle.
I prefer to live in a larger cosmopolitan city, but it would have to specifically be; Beverly Hills, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and a few others.
The rest of the city is not nice and appealing at all. Downtown Los Angeles is a disaster, and I much prefer places like New York, Paris, London, etc. but I could settle on the nicer parts of the Westside if I had to live in California.
Personally, I thought SD was a let-down. I didn't like it. If I live in SoCal again, I would go to LA instead. I think LA is a better choice than SD.
It's interesting that you'd chose LA when all you did in the SD forum was complain about how San Diegans were self centered, rude, self important, materialistic, snobby, etc. You do realize that LA is 5 times bigger, and has 5 times the number of people you hated in SD, right?
It's interesting that you'd chose LA when all you did in the SD forum was complain about how San Diegans were self centered, rude, self important, materialistic, snobby, etc. You do realize that LA is 5 times bigger, and has 5 times the number of people you hated in SD, right?
LA has a much bigger, international vibe. It does have the egomania and the materialism of SD, but In LA, that is just one aspect of it. In SD, I feel like that materialism is the main, overpowering culture of the city.
LA has a LOT of different cultures going on and a lot of really different niches. LA has a much more liberal vibe in my opinion.
San Diego has more of a conservative feel. Lots of military, lots of rich Republican types, lots of redneck types.
The two cities are very different. The attitudes of the people in each city are really different. But to be honest, neither one of them is an ideal place for me.
LA is not just a big SD. It's a whole different city. That's like saying Portland and Seattle are the same. Or Boston and NYC are the same.
its really not a drastic difference like you make it seem
True. I have lived in both. They are similar, except San Jose is, like you said, a tad cooler in the night times. Also the high temps in the winter are ~5-7 degrees lower at most. The amount of rain each city receive is equal.
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