Best family areas, coastal vs inland (San Diego, Santa Monica: rentals, low crime, neighborhoods)

[Emmabear]

Hello,
We are moving from LA down to SD and I am trying to narrow down neighborhoods. We are a couple in our thirties with a two year old and I definitely want to be in a good school district. I prefer the beach and things being walkable, but I also want a yard and don't want to pay more than $2500/2 bdrm. Is it possible? I was looking at Cardiff (how are schools? It looks like a nice area?) but have had a lot of recommendations for Carmel Valley (it might be a bit too...suburban?) Generally is Encinitas family friendly? Which areas of Encinitas are best while still affordable? How is RB? Is there anything in La Jolla in that range? How do Encinitas schools compare to Poway? I'd rather not live in Poway since it seems a bit far out and looks to be quite hot in the summer.
Opinions/ideas welcome! We are going scouting this summer but looking for some two cents from the locals first to narrow it down a bit.
Thanks!

[futbol]

Where will you be commuting to/from everyday?

We live in Poway and only use the A/C for ~7 weeks out of the year.

[Emmabear]

Not commuting. My partner works remotely and I'm a SAHM. How do you like Poway?

[sdhkshdcny09]

Originally Posted by Emmabear

Hello,
We are moving from LA down to SD and I am trying to narrow down neighborhoods. We are a couple in our thirties with a two year old and I definitely want to be in a good school district. I prefer the beach and things being walkable, but I also want a yard and don't want to pay more than $2500/2 bdrm. Is it possible? I was looking at Cardiff (how are schools? It looks like a nice area?) but have had a lot of recommendations for Carmel Valley (it might be a bit too...suburban?) Generally is Encinitas family friendly? Which areas of Encinitas are best while still affordable? How is RB? Is there anything in La Jolla in that range? How do Encinitas schools compare to Poway? I'd rather not live in Poway since it seems a bit far out and looks to be quite hot in the summer.
Opinions/ideas welcome! We are going scouting this summer but looking for some two cents from the locals first to narrow it down a bit.
Thanks!

Cardiff > Carmel Valley

Both are in the same school district, more or less, and have a good reputation. I wouldn't be surprised if CV is more expensive too. IMHO CV is the most boring place in all of San Diego. It does have a very convenient location though...

[futbol]

Originally Posted by Emmabear

Not commuting. My partner works remotely and I'm a SAHM. How do you like Poway?

We love it in Poway.

Great schools. Low crime.

It is not as crowded as the coastal areas, but only 20+ minutes to the beach on weekends.

It also has nice parks.

There is not much night life in Poway, but that's ok with us.

[Emmabear]

Originally Posted by rhanifin

Cardiff > Carmel Valley

Both are in the same school district, more or less, and have a good reputation. I wouldn't be surprised if CV is more expensive too. IMHO CV is the most boring place in all of San Diego. It does have a very convenient location though...

I've heard the same about CV and I think we are looking for a bit more..beachy CA vibe. I used to live in Santa Monica and would like to find something similar. Is that Cardiff?

Poway sounds like a good option as well. Are rent prices cheaper there or are they jacked up due to the demand for PUSD?

Is $2500/2 bdrm reasonable for Cardiff or Poway? I checked Craigslist, are there other SD sites that offer rental listings? We aren't moving til the winter, just like to do the preplanning.

[kathygrl]

I second "rhanifin"as far a CV goes....if you prefer the beachy vibe somewhat akin to Santa Monica then you are definitely on the right track with Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia. And yes, $2500 should get you a fairly nice 2 bedroom....in addition to Craigslist you should check Realtor.com under rentals, Padmapper and various property management companies in the coastal areas. Feel free to PM me if you have further questions.

[oddstray]

RB is a mix of families and well-off retired people. Neither RB nor Poway are "beachy" - they're both inland. You're correct that Poway is hot in the summer.

I'll second kathygrl's suggestions of Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia for "beachy".

[tonyinsd]

I'd throw in Solana as well, but I don't know if you're going to be able to find a place at that price point.

[Emmabear]

Excellent. Thanks for the suggestions! RB/Poway were more the backup if the beach was out of our league price wise. Are there certain areas to avoid in the Cardiff/Encinitas area? I'm finding quite a range in price points for rentals. Are there any 'bad' areas?