Moving to San Diego - Tired of this COLD!!! (Del Mar: apartments, rent)

[KatieNash410]

Hey Folks,
I'm a 25 year old single girl originally from Baltimore, MD but living in Nashville for the past 3 years singing and working. I never thought I would have said this but I need to get out of this cold and live in a warm sunny climate for awhile. I figured I have 5 years left of my 20s and I'm completely unattached so why not move and check out San Diego for a couple years.

I've been doing tons of research and have scoured Zillow and Craigslist and while I see a lot of places I like I can't seem to decide where I want to live. I've always been a city girl and love being right in the thick of things. There are tons on condos in downtown SD that look amazing! I've been looking mostly on the water, around Petco, and in Little Italy.

On the other hand I feel like if I'm making the move to the beach I should perhaps try living on the beach... but I've been getting mixed messages about the pros and cons of OB and PB. Many say La Jolla and Solana and Del Mar are much nicer but I'm only 25 and not ready to move into a sleepy/ritzy beach town. I'd also like to be able to conveniently go downtown as I will most likely be working downtown.

My budget is around $3000 a month for a 2 bedroom... any guidance would really be appreciated!

[Bransonf]

Hey,
I live in North Park and I LOVE it. I am 25 years old and my wife is 24, and it seems like thats the age of everybody in North Park. Also, everything is within walking distance. (Look at places near University) We walk to the grocery store, we walk to resturants and there are tons of bars within walking distance, My wife even walks to work every day. I love Downtown, but I hardly ever go down there because ive got everything I need right here in North Park, and bars, food, etc are all cheaper in North Park.
If I were to move to the beach, it would definitely be OB. I love the actual beach in PB more, but I hate going to PB at night. Everyone in the bar is a macho man looking to find a girl to take home. They all have the tough guy persona and try starting fights with people. Very Annoying.

Anyways, theres my input.

[Think4Yourself]

OB, PB, and North Park are the areas which seem to fit your demographic. My suggestion is to have a job in hand before you move because unemployment is still a bit higher than the national average here.

[LocalType]

Hi Katie,
I've been here about 6 months, came from Boston, and I love it. It's definitely a new pace from the northeast. I rented a house in Bay Park and love it. It's a 60 second drive to the bay, and is on top of a hill you can see the bay, ocean, and most of San Diego from. Some houses up here also rent apartment spaces so you might look in them if you're not interested in renting a traditional unit.

OB and PB are probably good bets for you, also. I'd caution that coming without a job lined up first is a real gamble. You also will find a lot of landlords need to see proof of employment/income and your credit report. But there are places especially close to the water you can rent temporary apartments for a few weeks that are rented out for vacation typically, and also some very cheap hotels in hotel circle in Mission Valley you could stay at while hunting. You'll probably want a car unless you live and work and can shop in the same area and can walk or bike, or you pay for a service like Zip Car, or something. The public trans network here isn't great, but then again I came from Boston where public trans is king. There are buses and plenty of taxis to get you where you're going.

But to sum up I think 3k ought to find you something in OB or PB pretty easily. Neither are sleepy beach towns, although OB is a lot more laid back and unique whereas PB tends to be busy and has lots of shops and more of a touristy feel. I like both. PB also branches off into the very busy Mission Beach area, and Mission Bay is at PB, which is the perfect place to go on weekend mornings to walk and jog.

ETA, if you're able you might think about a quick trip out here to get the feel for the area. Looking at pics and reading the forum here were great, plus I did all my research, but being here in person beat all the ideas I had formed about the place. Also, if you have any questions about any certain areas, or can specify more your needs in an apartment or area, whether you'll have a car, etc., that'd help us give you more suggestions. Good luck.

[LocalType]

Sorry, double post.

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by Bransonf

I live in North Park and I LOVE it. I am 25 years old and my wife is 24, and it seems like thats the age of everybody in North Park.

So people born in 1990 are now old enough to be married and have their own pads in North Park? Yikes.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by otterprods

So people born in 1990 are now old enough to be married and have their own pads in North Park? Yikes.

Yep, and us that are born in 1980 have families, homes, careers and 2.5 kids with a dog. Its the cycle of life.

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

Yep, and us that are born in 1980 have families, homes, careers and 2.5 kids with a dog. Its the cycle of life.

Born in 1970 and just started that same family/career life, but mainly because 1990-2000 was drunken blur so apparently I'm a decade behind! (Sure was fun though! Sorry if I ever buzzed too closely by some of you North-Parkers on your tricycles!)

[h2f42]

You might consider Hawaii. Your budget is very doable in Honolulu.

[ProjectMersh]

Originally Posted by otterprods

So people born in 1990 are now old enough to be married and have their own pads in North Park? Yikes.

Wow, so people born before 1990 can do math? Amazing. Sorry, I was born long before 1990 and could not resist.