Info on Bernardo Heights for 27 year old and 30 year old couple (San Diego: apartments, HOA)

[lillies123]

Hi everyone! After doing research on a good place to live to make my work commute to Temecula smoother I think i came up with Bernardo heights. My boyfriend and I are not planning on having kids yet. I wanted to get some info on the area for couples around our age with similar interests. Are there any good running/ biking trails here? Shopping malls? Is it typical to drive to SD for nightlife or beachtime from here during the weekends? How about lounges or bars? Would it be easy to make friends? We will be looking for a gym and local crossfit too. Any input would be great....thank you!

[futbol]

It is a clean, quiet area with almost no crime and it has good schools. It is very walkable. I often go running or biking through the area.

The biggest nearby mall is just north of Lake Hodges, but there are several stores in nearby Carmel Mountain Ranch.

You might be somewhat bored there, though. There is not a lot of nightlife. A large retirement community is nearby.

[whiteboyslo]

I didn't know Bernardo Hieghts technically qualifies as its own neighborhood. It's a smaller division of Rancho Bernardo (or Carmel Mtn Ranch depending on how you look at it).

As futbol said, it's a perfectly fine neighborhood but not exactly the 'hip' place to be for 20/30-somethings (unless you have kids).

I don't think there are a ton of biking/running trails in Bernardo Heights specifically, but it's a big residential area, so there are sidewalks and quiet streets all over. If you head down into Poway, though, you have areas like Iron Mtn, Blue Sky Reserve, and Poway Lake to run/hike.

Nightlife is all but non-existent here. Again, it's a quiet residential neighborhood. There are one or two places in RB (Urge, Barrel Room, etc) that aren't too bad for an evening out, but it isn't Gaslamp. But, getting to the beach and/or other 'young' areas from here isn't terrible. I'd say you're about 20-30 minutes from the closest beach or downtown.

The mall futbol mentioned is a pretty good one (Westfield No County) since they just spent a good amount of $$$ giving it a major facelift. In addition, Carmel Mountain Ranch is a giant outdoor shopping center with your usual chain stores (Best Buy, ROSS, Sears, Nordstrom Rack, etc).

No shortage of gyms in the area, so I wouldn't worry about that.

As for making friends, that's a tough one to answer. Again, it's not a 'hotspot' for younger folks unless they have kids. That's not to say there aren't plenty of childless 20/30-something living around RB/Poway, but the social scene being what it is, I'm not sure how you'd go about meeting a bunch.

Commute-wise, Bernardo Heights would be pretty good for you. The vanpool at my work (in Carmel Mtn Ranch, just around the corner from Bernardo Heights) that comes from Temecula leaves at 6AM and gets here about 6:45, give or take. And, since you're going against traffic, it's that much easier. Overall, as long as you stay somewhere along 15 (and NOT go towards the coast where you have to deal with 78 or 56), you're fine.

Mike

[homebuyer85]

hi lillies123 .. did you guys move into Bernardo heights finally ? We are a married couple and in our late 20's. We are also planning to look in the same neighborhood. So wanted to know how your experience has been so far.

[D68Soldier]

I grew up in Poway and that area is a great place to raise a family. It is known for their school district.

However, it is boring for those that are younger without kids. It does have great biking, running/walking and hiking trails there.

Probably the closest nightlife and shopping mall will be in Escondido which is about 10-15 minutes away. La Jolla and Del Mar will be the closest beaches which is about 30-45 minutes away.

Just a suggestion, Escondido or San Marcos might be a better option. Especially with CSUSM there.

[senna]

Whats the commute time like from Bernardo Heights to central SD (Fashion Valley Mall) area like during rush hour (mornings and evenings)?

[Tall]

15 south AM 15 north PM is not that bad unless there is an accident which happens around twice a month

[rich09100]

I just moved my GF up here to Carmel Mtn. But I have a Condo around Bernardo Heights. It's Beautiful area, quiet, shopping centers, hiking ,and trails to run, bike etc... Lake Poway and Lake Hodges are near. Just like everyone before my post has said, nightlife is non existent. Other than your usual neighborhood pubs/bars. Other than that great place.

[Spartanacus]

Which subdivision in BH? When we first moved to SD from the Midwest we rented a condo in Tierra del Sol and while it is nice, quiet, safe and well kept...the board consists of older people who would love to turn it into a 55+ community (good luck with convincing the under 55 owners).

We moved after 18 months and that was too long. HOA's serve a purpose to a point, but this one was gestapo'esque...

I was greeted by the 'welcome wagon' immediately with dirty looks from a crabby old lady, telling me I can't park my moving truck on the street...to unload it! Yeah right. Also, for guests or if you own more than 2 cars, there is ample parking in a little sidestreet, but they blocked it off and force people to park outside of the sub.

Neighbors don't talk if they have an issue...you just get nastygram letters from the HOA mgmt co.

For example, you can't have your garage open, even if you're inside and using it...if you do, expect a letter.

You better muzzle your dog if you leave it alone for the day, because god forbid, if it barks more than two times in a span of 10 seconds, you'll get a letter.

If your kids are outside playing too much, and happen to veer off the 4x8 swatch of grass you may have, you'll get a letter.

The location is nice, but be careful with this older, sterile environment. Definitely steer clear of Tierra del Sol!

After that I moved to Vista del Lago (the most Northern neighborhood in Rancho Bernardo/San Diego) and that was a lot better. They have apartments, condos, and homes to choose from and a beautiful pool. Plus it's right off the highway and a few minutes closer to Temecula.

We have since moved into a single family home in Carmel Mountain Ranch, which is nice too.


Good luck!