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Old 12-08-2012, 01:13 PM
 
Location: Murrieta California
3,038 posts, read 4,763,664 times
Reputation: 2314

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I worked many years in the San Francisco Bay area as well as San Diego. I worked for several companies in both areas. I always found that the higher salaries in the Bay area more than offset the higher cost of living. Not only that, I far preferred the work environment in the Bay area. We loved living in the Bay area as we also loved San Diego. Each place has their own advantages.
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Old 01-03-2013, 06:58 PM
 
Location: CA
354 posts, read 384,257 times
Reputation: 203
Default update

so, i've been out here for 15 days, and tomorrow i have to leave to go back to Ohio (which is under a foot of snow and freezing...) so I thought I'd give a little east coaster perspective update on my thoughts of America's finest city!!

1. this is the most beautiful place i've ever been. beats all of my vacation spots in Florida, and the scenery is beautiful-- mountains, beach, sunsets... *sigh*. a winter of 60 degrees? I vote yes!
2. there are a lot of engineering firms out here- i really don't think it will be that hard to find a job in my field, particularly engineering in the medical field. if not, there are so many back ups with other jobs, and i've made some connections
3. nightlife is fantastic around here- I went out in OB, north park, downtown, encinitas, and pb, and I can definitely see myself spending time in all of these neighborhoods again. when it's time for me to move, north park is where i'm going to get a place.
4. the COL increase is TREMENDOUSLY exaggerated. Food is the same (& vegan food is cheaper), clothes are the same if not cheaper, gas is just about the same... seems to me (no offense) many west coasters *think* their is a huge cost of living increase- my family guessed gas back in ohio was still in the 2$ range...uhmmm NO! Really a lot of the things even out. the things im interested in are cheaper here from what i've seen (a good omen) and apartments are much cheaper than I had anticipated. 800$ for a 1 bedroom or studio is great by me. my friend pays 900$ for a place in cleveland to give some perspective.
5. there is so much to do, and so many free activities!
6. everyone is incredibly friendly here. and guys have no reservations about striking up a conversation on the side of the road.
7. the road systems make me very happy, and weren't as intimidating as most people think they are. i actually think california drivers are awesome (have you seen the way people merge?! seamless!)


all in all, a good visit! I'll be moving here in June without a single hesitation, and I am sure I'll be balling my eyes out in the airport tomorrow leaving this wonderful place!
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Old 01-03-2013, 07:43 PM
 
Location: 92037
4,630 posts, read 10,255,910 times
Reputation: 1955
Divagostyle,

Sounds like you had a great time and will fit in well out here!

Yee the COL can be overexxagerated, especially for renting and owning a home depending on expectations.
Any advice given here comes from different perspectives.

Keep us updated again :-)
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Old 01-03-2013, 07:49 PM
 
Location: CA
354 posts, read 384,257 times
Reputation: 203
Quote:
Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd View Post
Divagostyle,

Sounds like you had a great time and will fit in well out here!

Yee the COL can be overexxagerated, especially for renting and owning a home depending on expectations.


Keep us updated again :-)

I surely will! I'll probably be out here in march again, and then making the move in June (how can I wait that long!?) My family (great grandmother, great aunt & uncle) has offered to let me live with them for as long as I need. Yes, we just met 15 short days ago, and we're getting along great! Took a huge amount of stress off of me-- because now I can relax, apply online to jobs over the next 5 months, and not worry about saving up for rent or being homeless! lol this whole trip was like a life saver to me... so many things fell into place so well... truly a God send.
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Old 01-03-2013, 07:50 PM
 
Location: Murrieta California
3,038 posts, read 4,763,664 times
Reputation: 2314
Quote:
Originally Posted by divagotstyle07 View Post
so, i've been out here for 15 days, and tomorrow i have to leave to go back to Ohio (which is under a foot of snow and freezing...) so I thought I'd give a little east coaster perspective update on my thoughts of America's finest city!!

1. this is the most beautiful place i've ever been. beats all of my vacation spots in Florida, and the scenery is beautiful-- mountains, beach, sunsets... *sigh*. a winter of 60 degrees? I vote yes!
2. there are a lot of engineering firms out here- i really don't think it will be that hard to find a job in my field, particularly engineering in the medical field. if not, there are so many back ups with other jobs, and i've made some connections
3. nightlife is fantastic around here- I went out in OB, north park, downtown, encinitas, and pb, and I can definitely see myself spending time in all of these neighborhoods again. when it's time for me to move, north park is where i'm going to get a place.
4. the COL increase is TREMENDOUSLY exaggerated. Food is the same (& vegan food is cheaper), clothes are the same if not cheaper, gas is just about the same... seems to me (no offense) many west coasters *think* their is a huge cost of living increase- my family guessed gas back in ohio was still in the 2$ range...uhmmm NO! Really a lot of the things even out. the things im interested in are cheaper here from what i've seen (a good omen) and apartments are much cheaper than I had anticipated. 800$ for a 1 bedroom or studio is great by me. my friend pays 900$ for a place in cleveland to give some perspective.
5. there is so much to do, and so many free activities!
6. everyone is incredibly friendly here. and guys have no reservations about striking up a conversation on the side of the road.
7. the road systems make me very happy, and weren't as intimidating as most people think they are. i actually think california drivers are awesome (have you seen the way people merge?! seamless!)


all in all, a good visit! I'll be moving here in June without a single hesitation, and I am sure I'll be balling my eyes out in the airport tomorrow leaving this wonderful place!
I am glad that you had such a great time. I used to travel a lot and was always happy when I returned back to San Diego.

Unfortunately you had some pretty cold weather for this area during your visit. One of the great things about the weather here is that it can be bad for a few days but you know you will get some good weather. It is very rare for it to rain or be cold for very many day in a row.
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Old 01-03-2013, 07:53 PM
 
Location: CA
354 posts, read 384,257 times
Reputation: 203
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnSoCal View Post
I am glad that you had such a great time. I used to travel a lot and was always happy when I returned back to San Diego.

Unfortunately you had some pretty cold weather for this area during your visit. One of the great things about the weather here is that it can be bad for a few days but you know you will get some good weather. It is very rare for it to rain or be cold for very many day in a row.

I found that as well-- rain was gone within minutes-- not days!! I spent the last 2 days tanning outside haha, I soaked in some rays and didn't worry about the funny looks from the locals dressed in jackets and scarves
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Old 01-03-2013, 08:05 PM
 
Location: San Diego, CA
1,665 posts, read 2,970,526 times
Reputation: 827
And if you think that this was good, remember, this is BAD weather for us. You got some rain, which only happens about ten percent of the time. And it was also colder than normal.

Yeah, you're going to like it here. When you get settled in, give me a shout. I'll meet you somewhere downtown and we can laugh at the naysayers.
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Old 01-03-2013, 10:51 PM
 
Location: Santaluz - San Diego, CA
4,498 posts, read 9,370,150 times
Reputation: 2015
I'm glad you had such a good time. I agree San Diego is a gorgeous city. Definitely it will take a lot of stress off of you if you have a free place to live for a while and can take your time to find a job.

I think most of the information people post on the boards is accurate. Most of us have posted for a while now that the main thing that is more expensive is rent or real estate, taxes and gas. (And there are several major cities around the USA where the real estate is as expensive or more expensive than San Diego including NYC, Boston, Washington DC, San Francisco, LA, etc). While several things are about the same or even less like automobile insurance, and especially utility bills due to the great weather.

While it's great that you found a great 1 bedroom for only $800 I don't think that is the norm here from talking to people I know that rent. But again, great if you can stay with family free. That will make all the difference in the world.

I agree (if you can comfortably afford it) few cities compare with how great San Diego is. I find the quality of life here truly amazing. Thanks for keeping us updated. Let us know how the move and job search go.

Good luck.
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Old 01-04-2013, 07:50 AM
 
Location: Mission Hills, San Diego
1,471 posts, read 3,334,702 times
Reputation: 623
Having a free place to stay definitely will change manys advice about moving out here. It would be nuts not to come!
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Old 01-04-2013, 12:34 PM
 
Location: Sandy Eggo - Kensington
5,291 posts, read 12,716,049 times
Reputation: 3194
Quote:
Originally Posted by divagotstyle07 View Post
so, i've been out here for 15 days, and tomorrow i have to leave to go back to Ohio (which is under a foot of snow and freezing...) so I thought I'd give a little east coaster perspective update on my thoughts of America's finest city!!

1. this is the most beautiful place i've ever been. beats all of my vacation spots in Florida, and the scenery is beautiful-- mountains, beach, sunsets... *sigh*. a winter of 60 degrees? I vote yes!
2. there are a lot of engineering firms out here- i really don't think it will be that hard to find a job in my field, particularly engineering in the medical field. if not, there are so many back ups with other jobs, and i've made some connections
3. nightlife is fantastic around here- I went out in OB, north park, downtown, encinitas, and pb, and I can definitely see myself spending time in all of these neighborhoods again. when it's time for me to move, north park is where i'm going to get a place.
4. the COL increase is TREMENDOUSLY exaggerated. Food is the same (& vegan food is cheaper), clothes are the same if not cheaper, gas is just about the same... seems to me (no offense) many west coasters *think* their is a huge cost of living increase- my family guessed gas back in ohio was still in the 2$ range...uhmmm NO! Really a lot of the things even out. the things im interested in are cheaper here from what i've seen (a good omen) and apartments are much cheaper than I had anticipated. 800$ for a 1 bedroom or studio is great by me. my friend pays 900$ for a place in cleveland to give some perspective.
5. there is so much to do, and so many free activities!
6. everyone is incredibly friendly here. and guys have no reservations about striking up a conversation on the side of the road.
7. the road systems make me very happy, and weren't as intimidating as most people think they are. i actually think california drivers are awesome (have you seen the way people merge?! seamless!)


all in all, a good visit! I'll be moving here in June without a single hesitation, and I am sure I'll be balling my eyes out in the airport tomorrow leaving this wonderful place!
Awesome, thanks for the update!

1. Yup, we are spoiled by the varied topography. I still looks at the vistas while driving around.
2. Good luck on the job search!
3. Hipster bars, cocktail lounges, mega dance clubs, surfer bars, cougar dens, etc..it's all here. Just pick your neighborhood.
4. Moving anyplace solo is much cheaper than moving with a family. Be sure and give us addresses when you start searching for a place to live. Just checked gasbuddy and the average gas price is Cleveland is $3.26, in SD it's $3.62 right now. Should have been here during the summer when gas prices averaged $4.60
5. If you love being outdoors for most of the year, then this is the place for you.
6. The happier the people, the friendlier they are.
7. We have a fantastic freeway system. Just keep up with the speed and you are good to go anywhere.
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