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Anyone have good recommendations for apartments or condos/townhomes within a 15-20 minute drive from downtown and close access to trolly/public transportation with the following wants/needs?
1. A clean, safe, modern living environment.
2. A good mix of age groups but also enough single 20's/30's to make new friends, etc. (but not a bunch of fresh out of college kids)
3. Nice restaurant variety and good shopping spots close by.
4. Safe towns bordering and minimal crime, theft, vandalism in the area.
5. At least a few decent bars/sportsbars/pubs/lounges/clubs to go watch games but also to go out lounging to meet girls and friends.
6. Close enough to take a trolley or public transportation to downtown gaslamp or little italy and not be too far either to drive if you want.
7. Close enough access to nice parks and sports arenas.
8. An area that is not a bunch of minorities (not prejudice or racist, but do prefer a more caucasian mix if possible), more upscale (without being yuppy central like I am by now in Newport Beach/Irvine area), and minimal threat of car break-ins, gang, or college party animals.
I know there are a lot of requirements above, but I hope you get my drift. You may recall my screen name from a few other posts. I moved from NJ to Irvine in Orange County 7 months ago and I am not liking the majority of the people I meet up here. I feel like the area is extremely superficial and the majority of the people are self absored and overly competitive and will do whatever they can to benefit themselves even if it means cutting people out. The conversations are lame and it's hard to talk to people about anything more than what kind of business you own, the car you drive, your rent or mortgage payment, and your net worth lol. These are the primary reasons I'm contemplating moving down to SD. I hear it is much better in these aspects.
Please respond with ideas on my requirements for a potential place in SD to live. Also comment if possible on the paragraph above and if it is truly better (for the most part) than OC regarding the points I mentioned.
Anyone have good recommendations for apartments or condos/townhomes within a 15-20 minute drive from downtown and close access to trolly/public transportation with the following wants/needs?
1. A clean, safe, modern living environment.
2. A good mix of age groups but also enough single 20's/30's to make new friends, etc. (but not a bunch of fresh out of college kids)
3. Nice restaurant variety and good shopping spots close by.
4. Safe towns bordering and minimal crime, theft, vandalism in the area.
5. At least a few decent bars/sportsbars/pubs/lounges/clubs to go watch games but also to go out lounging to meet girls and friends.
6. Close enough to take a trolley or public transportation to downtown gaslamp or little italy and not be too far either to drive if you want.
7. Close enough access to nice parks and sports arenas.
8. An area that is not a bunch of minorities (not prejudice or racist, but do prefer a more caucasian mix if possible), more upscale (without being yuppy central like I am by now in Newport Beach/Irvine area), and minimal threat of car break-ins, gang, or college party animals.
Your requirements do not exist. San Diego is a small city. 15 minutes out is pure suburbia. Either you live in the all-white upscale suburbs where there is no crime and nothing to do, or the racially and economically mixed city where there is some crime and loads of fun stuff to do. No offense Dakicka, after reading your posts over these past weeks, I don't think SoCal is for you. I think you'd be happier back in Jersey.
If you can accept being in or around a little grit, check out Little Italy, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, South Park, Golden Hill. Just come down, drive around. You'll find rentals all over the place. Mission Valley is also an option, although it is closer to OC than many would realize.
Anyone have good recommendations for apartments or condos/townhomes within a 15-20 minute drive from downtown and close access to trolly/public transportation with the following wants/needs?
1. A clean, safe, modern living environment.
2. A good mix of age groups but also enough single 20's/30's to make new friends, etc. (but not a bunch of fresh out of college kids)
3. Nice restaurant variety and good shopping spots close by.
4. Safe towns bordering and minimal crime, theft, vandalism in the area.
5. At least a few decent bars/sportsbars/pubs/lounges/clubs to go watch games but also to go out lounging to meet girls and friends.
6. Close enough to take a trolley or public transportation to downtown gaslamp or little italy and not be too far either to drive if you want.
7. Close enough access to nice parks and sports arenas.
8. An area that is not a bunch of minorities (not prejudice or racist, but do prefer a more caucasian mix if possible), more upscale (without being yuppy central like I am by now in Newport Beach/Irvine area), and minimal threat of car break-ins, gang, or college party animals.
I know there are a lot of requirements above, but I hope you get my drift. You may recall my screen name from a few other posts. I moved from NJ to Irvine in Orange County 7 months ago and I am not liking the majority of the people I meet up here. I feel like the area is extremely superficial and the majority of the people are self absored and overly competitive and will do whatever they can to benefit themselves even if it means cutting people out. The conversations are lame and it's hard to talk to people about anything more than what kind of business you own, the car you drive, your rent or mortgage payment, and your net worth lol. These are the primary reasons I'm contemplating moving down to SD. I hear it is much better in these aspects.
Please respond with ideas on my requirements for a potential place in SD to live. Also comment if possible on the paragraph above and if it is truly better (for the most part) than OC regarding the points I mentioned.
THANK YOU!
I'm still relatively new to the city (only been here 5 months), but I think you may want to check out the Hillcrest area. The CD page for the neighborhood is here: 92103 Zip Code (San Diego, California) Detailed Profile - residents and real estate info . There are a lot of restaurants and stores in the area, and downtown is just a stroll through Balboa Park. I'm not sure about crime or types of people that live there (although there are lots gay individuals) but it seems to be a nice neighborhood.
I still think you will enjoy San Diego. In addition to the areas Sassberto mentioned, I would add Mission Hills and Park West (Bankers Hill). They are both part of the circle of areas surrounding Balboa Park that Sass mentioned. Mission Hills is an area of older construction that might not meet your desire for new, but Park West has had a dozen or more apartment /condo towers built during the past decade, and several more are under construction. There are some restaurants right in the area, but there is quick access to the social spots in Little Italy, Downtown, and Hillcrest.
Your requirements do not exist. San Diego is a small city. 15 minutes out is pure suburbia. Either you live in the all-white upscale suburbs where there is no crime and nothing to do, or the racially and economically mixed city where there is some crime and loads of fun stuff to do. No offense Dakicka, after reading your posts over these past weeks, I don't think SoCal is for you. I think you'd be happier back in Jersey.
If you can accept being in or around a little grit, check out Little Italy, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, South Park, Golden Hill. Just come down, drive around. You'll find rentals all over the place. Mission Valley is also an option, although it is closer to OC than many would realize.
I went down there yesterday and strolled around little italy and mission valley. So MV is not too far off from the 'vibe/stigma' of OC? Geeeez. How bad is it there then? I liked MV it seemed real clean and upscale but yet only 15 min from the action of downtown.
I'm willing to make it work out here, I just think that Orange County is too extreme regarding negatives of the people and priorities in life. The forums are a case and point. Everyone on this SD forum are so helpful and willing to lend their ideas and take the time to put together a few complete paragraphs of useful information. The OC forum is a joke and has turned into a bashing of the people and total negativity. I guess there's a reason so many people are not happy there! I want to be able to take pride in where I live, like it seems so many of you san diegans do!
Today I'm gonna shoot back down to SD to cruise around. Kettlepot mentioned there is a free bus tour on Saturday that takes you around the whole city, which sounds great.
I went down there yesterday and strolled around little italy and mission valley. So MV is not too far off from the 'vibe/stigma' of OC? Geeeez. How bad is it there then? I liked MV it seemed real clean and upscale but yet only 15 min from the action of downtown.
Mission Valley is basically living at the mall. There was nothing there until they built the mall years ago. In fact, the Mission Valley mall was the first modern-style shopping center in the entire country. Mission Valley today is basically hotels for tourists, Malls, stripmalls, and the stadium. None of the cool neighborhoods or interesting stuff is there. Just a big homogenous pre-fab strip-mall existence centered around shopping. If that doesn't sound like Orange County, I don't know what does.
San Diego is probably not going to be as different from OC as you would like. SD is more middle class in the city itself, but go a few miles north and you are in the same conservative, upper-class white areas as OC.
Mission Valley is basically living at the mall. There was nothing there until they built the mall years ago. In fact, the Mission Valley mall was the first modern-style shopping center in the entire country. Mission Valley today is basically hotels for tourists, Malls, stripmalls, and the stadium. None of the cool neighborhoods or interesting stuff is there. Just a big homogenous pre-fab strip-mall existence centered around shopping. If that doesn't sound like Orange County, I don't know what does.
San Diego is probably not going to be as different from OC as you would like. SD is more middle class in the city itself, but go a few miles north and you are in the same conservative, upper-class white areas as OC.
Thanks for the pointers Sassberto! Based on what you said it sounds like an Irvine sister haha. If living downtown say little italy or gaslamp, how far is it to get to some public golf courses? Also where are the closest high schools and also football fields or parks with goalposts in the area? Where do youth baseball and football teams play close to the city? I am an assistant coach out here and would like to continue doing that, just wasn't sure where youth sports activities are held if I lived in the city?
Little Italy 100% seemed much better than OC in regards to nicer, real people. I visited a few spots yesterday, apartments and condos, and all the agents were a 'real friendly' and agreed with my thoughts on OC before I even said it. Pretty much assuming I wanted to get out of that kind of vibe of superficial-ville. Haha.
Thanks for the pointers Sassberto! Based on what you said it sounds like an Irvine sister haha. If living downtown say little italy or gaslamp, how far is it to get to some public golf courses? Also where are the closest high schools and also football fields or parks with goalposts in the area? Where do youth baseball and football teams play close to the city? I am an assistant coach out here and would like to continue doing that, just wasn't sure where youth sports activities are held if I lived in the city?
Little Italy 100% seemed much better than OC in regards to nicer, real people. I visited a few spots yesterday, apartments and condos, and all the agents were a 'real friendly' and agreed with my thoughts on OC before I even said it. Pretty much assuming I wanted to get out of that kind of vibe of superficial-ville. Haha.
How far are the beaches from living downtown?
If you live in Little Italy you are a few miles from the beach, maybe a 15 minute drive, San Diego High has goalposts and is maybe a mile away, and there is a public golf course 5 minutes away in Balboa Park (just off Pershing).
There is youth sports all over from the inner city to the suburbs, I know a guy who coaches in the barrio.
Nothing in San Diego is more than an hour away, the entire city is a fraction of the size of the OC sprawl.
The closest public golf course is in Balboa Park. There are also public courses in Tecolote Canyon in Clairemont, and of course Torrey Pines is a public course too.
Regarding youth activities, I'm not knowledgeable.
If you were living in Downtown, or Little Italy you could easily drive to Coronado, Ocean, Pacific and Mission Beaches in about 20 minutes. You could even bicycle to the ferry, boat across the harbor with your bike, and then pedal around Coronado without getting in your car at all.
Don't move to Mission Valley. It's as Sassberto has described, and it is NOT upscale. It's not downscale, but it is NOT upscale. It's the Clairemont of a new generation. Only now that land costs have escalated, instead of single family ranch homes, the middle/working class is living in condominium complexes in Mission Valley. And as I've described it in other posts, it's a McDonald's neighborhood. It's a soulless, autocentric, Anywhere, USA type of experience. You won't be able to walk anywhere, probably even across the street. It's totally UNhip, and no place for a single guy in his 20's.
I think you've gotten a little too stuck on superficial appearances in how you are judging areas, as you are probably using it as a gauge of desirability to make up for your lack of first hand knowledge. Unfortunately, this is the same thing the North County folks do in regards to the city. And as Sassberto has said, North County is the part of San Diego that most closely resembles Orange County in attitudes and lifestyle. It's time to buckle down and accept a little bit of surface funk in return for some depth to your living experience.
I visited mission valley and my g/f and i are considering moving to that area. I liked the apartments as they were clean,modern and the area is pretty central to everything. Why the unpopularity in this forum? I know it's not urban like little italy and hillcrest...but kettlepot, i've never been to clairemont and is it a bad thing that MV is like it?
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