How is Mira Mesa? (San Diego, Carlsbad: low income, renting, condo)

[djxpress]

I lived in MM for 8 years before I bought my condo in PQ. I lived about 1 block from Sanburg Elementary on Zapata. I can say that specific area has about 30-40% renters. The area is majority asian, with most of them being Filipino. You can tell the rentals in that area pretty easily, just check their front yards. Green grass = owner occupied. Do an aerial on Google Maps and you can see how many rentals there are in the area.

The area is pretty safe and I've never had any problems there. Keep in mind though, as with anywhere, if you associate with bad people, then bad things happen. My neighbor had their place broken into a couple of times. Lots of little wanna be thugs driving their riced out hondas in the area too.

Some parts of MM are totally ghetto, while other parts are really nice. If you want to see a ghetto area, drive by Mira Mesa High School on Reagan Rd. Right across from the school entrance is someones residential fence - all tagged up. Something nice for all the highschool kids to see as they're leaving school.

In the last couple of years the following things I know of happened in that area:
Someone was killed on Camino Ruiz by a hit and run driver.
The jewelry place in the Vons shopping center was strongarm robbed.
Someone drove into a house right off of Capricorn Way.

There seems to always be something that goes down in Mira Mesa. But, again, that's because people are packed like sardines in MM. Higher density = more crime.

[Oerdin]

I don't think the green grass trick will fly since the city has mandatory no watering of grass rules for most days now.

[djxpress]

Even so, if you're an owner, you'll find a way to make sure your property looks nice.

And if you're a renter, usually you don't give a f*ck.

[NYSD1995]

The green grass thing definitely is going by the wayside. Mandatory water restrictions are a big part of it. But keeping grass green is hard work, and takes a lot of expensive water. So I see a lot of relatively middle class homeowners, especially the elderly homeowners, letting their lawns die. I have a lawn like a carpet in the backyard but even I am letting the front lawn go a little... it's just not worth it anymore. However rentals often have total dirt & weed front yards with no care at all... you are correct that renters don't give a f*ck and it's easy to spot - look for trash on the lawn, newspapers left in the driveway - cars parked on the lawn (even slightly), trash cans out for days, phone books not picked up, screen door hanging open, etc... and listen for noise, endless noise. So many people in San Diego who should be living in apartments are living in houses and absolutely cannot put in the basic level of effort.

[simi30sandiego]

Hi! I am looking into buying a home near Blackmountain Road/Gold Coast Drive in Mira Mesa. It seems really nice; near a park, close to a business area.
How is the area? Is it as bad as people say? With daily car break ins? Or is it OK and safe? Thanks!!

[sdjimbob]

I've worked in Mira Mesa for 15 years now (lived there for 2 years during college).

Black Mountain at Gold Coast is a bad intersection with some horrible morning/night traffic with students at the college and the masses of workers taking the shortcut on Gold Coast to avoid Mira Mesa Blvd. I'd strongly suggest against a house on Gold Coast itself, but on the side streets in that area, you'd probably be fine. The homes in this particular area are some of the oldest in Mira Mesa. Just do the smart thing: visit the house you're interested in day and night, including a weekday morning and weekend day, talk to the neighbors, etc.

Jet noise is also a factor to consider.

[djxpress]

I would NOT buy a house on this street. Like the above poster said, traffic is a mess during the week here (usually around 6-8am and 3-6 pm).

I will tell you one thing, this particular area has a large population of Indians (not Native Americans). Most of them live in the condos on Black Mountain Road. Just some insight...

[wz1]

When I look at parents with their young children in Mira Mesa, I feel sorry for the children. If you choose to live in Mira Mesa, I would say that when your children reach the age of 12, move them out of Mira Mesa to a better neighborhood. This is because if your child is especially a boy, there is a 100% chance that your child will be involved in drugs, alcohol or tobacco in high school at Mira Mesa. That is 100% chance. It is very sad that when you see very promising young innocent children walking around Target, Vons, etc. with their parents clinging to them happily, you already know their future in Mira Mesa when they reach their teens. Mira Mesa will not spare anyone whether your family is Christian or not, whether your parent volunteers at school or not, your parent is a PTA officer or not, whether your child is a star or straight A student or not, your child will have 100% chance of using drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco by the time they graduate from Mira Mesa High School. And the reasoning of the high school students and people are "This is NORMAL childhood indiscretions." They are not indiscretions because this is the culture of Mira Mesa for decades. They pass it on to the next generation of students once they reach adulthood. Your teens could not even safely walk around or hang out in Mira Mesa, because some group of stoners will offer them drugs. The sad thing is that most Mira Mesa parents do not have any idea that this is happening to their teens. So live in Mira Mesa until Middle School, then move out when your children reaches age 12.

Originally Posted by new2sd

We are seriously considering renting a house in Mira Mesa, north of Mira Mesa Boulevard, west of Camino Ruiz, kind of near Sandburg Elementary School. Does anyone know if this is a safe area? What is it like to live there? We have two elementary school age kids. Just looking for a safe middle-class neighborhood with kids. I understand the area is about 1/2 Asian, about 1/3 caucasian & 1/3 black or hispanic. Do people really group together by cultural background there or does everyone pretty-much blend together? In other words, are my blond-haired, blue-eyed kids going to feel like outcasts or just blend right in? They're not really old enough that they've noticed people are different races yet, but I didn't know if the attitude would be the same towards them when they walk into a new school. Otherwise safety is the biggest issue. Is there anyone who has actually lived in this part of Mira Mesa with an opinion? Thanks

[djxpress]

wz1, your ramblings border on psychotic, manic depressive like diatribes.

Dude, every school has problems with drugs, alcohol and tobacco. It's not isolated to Mira Mesa.

The concern shouldn't be whether or not to raise a child around people with substance abuse issues cuz you'll find that everywhere...the concern should be whether you want to raise your children around a bunch of wanna be filipino gang bangers.

I wish I could say Mira Mesa is diverse, but in the last 5 years it has moved far away from diversity, becoming the center of all things Filipino.

P.S. Your rambling posts sound like either: 1. You just smoked a fat doobie or 2. You just smoked a bunch of isht.

[wz1]

Not sure what your definition of gang bang is... if it is the same as at Urban Dictionary: gangbang or http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...erm=gangbanger

1. crimes/fights committed by gangs
2. s*x with multiple people

But like I mentioned earlier, there is rise in porn addiction among the students as well.

The truth hurts and the parents need to be warned because they are just sitting around in their homes thinking that their teens are out in their school with their club friends busily talking about and participating in their clubs when in reality, there is drug, alcohol, tobacco distribution and use that are going on.

But it is interesting that you mentioned FILIPINO gang bangers as if this is isolated to FILIPINOs only.

Originally Posted by djxpress

The concern shouldn't be whether or not to raise a child around people with substance abuse issues cuz you'll find that everywhere...the concern should be whether you want to raise your children around a bunch of wanna be filipino gang bangers.