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Old 07-20-2011, 08:47 PM
 
4 posts, read 11,811 times
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I can't decide where to live. Does anyone have have any suggestions? I am an incoming medical student at UCSD currently taking the summer program and living in on-campus housing. I am looking for a studio or 1br. I need to live alone. I would like to pay around $1000 and no more than 1200 including utilities/renter's insurance. The following is a summary of information I have gathered thus far. Feel free to correct or add if you have any suggestions. I would greatly appreciate it.

La Jolla - A bit too expensive ($1300)
University City - Also starts around 1300 just for rent
Mira Mesa - Not too far, rent starts around $1000 for a 1br
Pacific Beach - Not too far, rent also starts around 1000 for studios. I like this idea a lot in theory but I am worried it might be too noisy for my schedule. I have looked at places like Avalon at Mission Bay (on ingraham) for example and the reviews seem to indicate it is a party place and noisy. But I wonder just how noisy it really is. Is it soo loud I can't drown it out with some white noise and ear plugs? Picture frames falling off the wall loud? I loved the amenities though.
Hillcrest - Too Far for the first 2 years since I will be spending most of my time around UCSD. I will probably move here during 3rd year for clinical rotations.
Clairemont - ... no
Del Mar - Too far
Ocean Beach - I can't find very many properties in my price range

Suggestions/insights please I need to find a place soon! Thanks!!!!!!
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Old 07-20-2011, 09:34 PM
 
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What's wrong with Clairemont? There are a few pockets I'd avoid but there are nice spots. If you want to live close to school, UC, La Jolla, Clairemont, and PB and your options. You have hit on all the areas. PB has horrible traffic in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. I would avoid unless you are really good at time management and have classes that will be other than those times. UC and La Jolla (near UCSD) are your best bets if you want to be close. Mira Mesa's a trek and I don't care for MM. Good luck.
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Old 07-20-2011, 09:55 PM
 
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I'll try exploring Clairemont more thoroughly.
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Old 07-21-2011, 08:45 PM
 
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I passed my MCAT, last August,and started my schooling earlier this year..I live in Chula Vista, you can search CL and rent out a room. So you can save a buck or two for beer and stuff.
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Old 07-21-2011, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Mission Hills, San Diego
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OP said he/she wants to live alone and I can relate. When I was on my own I would work 2 jobs if needed to have my own tiny space.
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Old 07-21-2011, 11:36 PM
 
Location: Sandy Eggo - Kensington
5,291 posts, read 12,768,090 times
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Here's a listing of apartments in the UTC area, where I saw a couple places just over $1,000 for a studio. They are all close to UCSD.

LaJolla/UTC Apartments For Rent - Find Apartments for Rent in LaJolla/UTC, CA - ForRent.com
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Old 07-22-2011, 08:00 AM
 
2,145 posts, read 5,082,417 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RoxySD View Post
What's wrong with Clairemont? There are a few pockets I'd avoid but there are nice spots. If you want to live close to school, UC, La Jolla, Clairemont, and PB and your options. You have hit on all the areas. PB has horrible traffic in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. I would avoid unless you are really good at time management and have classes that will be other than those times. UC and La Jolla (near UCSD) are your best bets if you want to be close. Mira Mesa's a trek and I don't care for MM. Good luck.
I would second clairemont/bay park area. up the hill from mission bay, is a great area.
Easy access to freeways and beaches, but quiet and safe.
I'm not sure about your price range for a studio or one bedroom-the area has gone up over the years, precisely b/c of the pros i just mentioned, and there are alot of single family homes brady bunch style, but there are some condos and apartments [though be careful of clairemont square area-it's gotten very ghetto and higher crime]....

Avoid ocean beach-it's really nasty/ratty anymore...though the food co-op is awesome and worth going to. OB has high crime and alot of meth. Seriously-it's not worth the cost, plus traffic is gnarly and your neighbors are on top of you-unless you are an old timer who bought their house away from the central area, decades ago....OB likes to live on it's old reputation as the hippie haven of SD; I just don't find that to be true anymore. I dont feel safe there even in the daytime. I'm on edge-so unless you want to feel that 'urban vibe'-ie, always on guard, avoid OB.

UTC if you can find something in your range, would really be best-you will be close to beaches, tons of students, and yes it's sterile with malls, but SD is largely suburbia.

Hillcrest is not that far though-805 north to lj village drive or nobel. 20 minutes.
traffic only bad on that stretch for morning commute; if you have off hours for travel, it's a cinch.
Del Mar is like la jolla for cost, so just as well for you.
I'm not sure about studio costs for solana beach-but that is just north of del mar and very easy commute to UCSD. Ditto for Encinitas, just north of SB. I love these towns-quintessential beach towns turned upscale in the right way. Great amenities, even nightlife if you want it, but small town feels. Again, rush hour commutes can be rough [but you don't have far to go for UCSD anyway]-otherwise, easy 20 minutes....plus parking!!! (: for UCSD.

PB: Regarding noise: YES! It really IS that noisy-depending on where you live. there are families and working folks, but there are many many party hoods. Be very thorough in your investigations-b/c you will be kept up at night, and not just on weekends, from other's parties-not just your studies-lol.

Try Crown point area of PB on the bay, and the further from garnet or grand ave you are, the better.
'North PB' or 'Birdrock'-closer to LJ, is bette,r too.

I concur that traffic in or out of PB is a nightmare at best, and no chance of improvement-there's only one road to the 5, basically. Or backroads through La Jolla proper-which is also not something you want to do every day....LJ proper is a pain in the a*s for traffic, too. And you'd have to wind up and around to UCSD, anyway-so it would be pretty far-about 30 minutes.

Clairemont and UTC are the best of your choices, IMO.

Mira Mesa sucks [no offense anyone-but this has been discussed many times on various threads-OP do a search-traffic is not worth living there-MM Blvd is a nightmare, and it's called 'manila mesa' for a reason-has been for decades. plus the pervasive military influence-there's just no reason to live there if you have a choice IMO. Though you can drive over for good indian food from time to time.]

You could also look at sorrento vallely next to MM and slightly closer to UCSD,but i think one bedrooms are harder to come by.

also, if and when you look at hillcrest, also look at normal heights, part of north park and univ heights; they are all neighboring hillcrest, but slightly mellower and less expensive. good luck!

Last edited by lrmsd; 07-22-2011 at 08:02 AM.. Reason: typo
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Old 08-16-2011, 01:43 PM
 
4 posts, read 11,811 times
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Thanks all.

I actually ended up getting accepted at UCLA at the very last minute but I'm sure someone might use this information sooner or later

Appreciate your help.
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