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to be honest, if people tell me they like Chicago and the urbanity of it (Which has really become more of a place to be since the 90's -- remember people were leaving the now cool neighborhoods up until the late 80's and early 90's due to urban decay/crime) I tell them to stay there.
That doesn't really exist on the West Coast except in West Coast fashion somewhat in SF, Portland, and Seattle but its still different.
Culturally, California is a different place than anywhere in the Chicago area, but the geography of the cities are totally different as well given when each had their population booms and how they grew outward.
You also have a different type of vibrancy here in the San Diego area where a lot of the smaller towns which face the beach are in my opinion more vibrant than any of the denser parts of the city, remember the ocean is a bigger draw for most people to San Diego than the urbanity, the urbanity is just a nice plus to have a somewhat nice downtown nearby for cultural opportunities and business. Public transportation is nowhere near what it is in Chicago (And that goes for just about anywhere on the West Coast in my opinion).
For most of the hipster kids ...(sorry) if you like Wicker Park and Logan Square, I think you'd be directed to North Park and areas in that general vicinity.
For me, if that's what you like there is no point in leaving Chicago. Some of the neighborhoods around there and around Balboa Park are going to have some similiar vibes to Bucktown, Wicker Park and Logan Square or maybe Lincoln Park...but then nowhere in Chicago is really like Balboa Park which is a cultural center. No one lives by the museums in the South Loop in Chicago, it'd be kind of like that if the museum of science and industry and the aquarium were in neighborhoods.
I guess you could compare the North Shore cities to North County San Diego here in terms of income/desirable suburbs.
But I think you will find more young people here choosing those desirable suburbs and living there (i.e. beach towns) than you would in the Chicago area (no one moves to Lake Forest at 28 to be close to Lake Michigan...you get me?)
I just don't see the point in taking on the expense and hassle to move to San Diego if hipstery type neighborhoods are your thing. While I Can see the allure. You can get that any place but especially in Chicago. Sorry to use the word hipstery as I'm not using it in a negative way here... I guess we can say "gritty neighborhoods undergoing some form of gentrification" it seems to me the ones in San Diego put more emphasis on Craft Beer.... in Chicago its the arts and cheap liquor lol or maybe I'm just old and that's what it was...
I Can't really think of a Lincoln Park type neighborhood at all, perhaps LaJolla. But Lajolla blows it out of the water, while Lincoln Park is more, well, chicago and urban.
Gaslamp is kinda like Rush/Division, Michigan Ave rolled in with a little bit of downtown.
I guess South Side would be Tijuana.
Lol. No I'm not into hipstery. I have a solid base(good job, good morals, good values, clean shaven, super good looking w 6pack abs but not douchey, not an ahole either but extremely well hung). Bicycling is not my main mode of transportation. Get me?
Seriously, I am just looking for more laid back relaxed lifestyle. Away from concrete jungle and rat race, just a little but not completely. Reason why I mention density is because I have a business which I might transfer, might not but it's better for my business to be in denser area like east village/gas lamp but I don't think I want to necessarily live there. For business, I'm looking for hip, happening, dense area. For living, I prefer space and peace n quite over high/mid rises. My business is in west loop currently. I commute 20 min still within city and commute.
I don't want to be middle of it all. It's ok for me to be in 10-20 min drive. Chicago is great city but not for me anymore. I've had great time here but don't see future here as I get older.
One thing that bugs the crap out of me here in Chicago. Are there many red light and speed light cameras in San Diego like they do in Chicago? I can't go few blocks without those cameras. I've gotten plenty tickets in the mail.
Possibly. River North didn't exist when I lived in Chicago (it was an industrial area). Gaslamp is old (by San Diego standards) architecture, clubs, music, drinking.
to be honest, if people tell me they like Chicago and the urbanity of it (Which has really become more of a place to be since the 90's -- remember people were leaving the now cool neighborhoods up until the late 80's and early 90's due to urban decay/crime) I tell them to stay there.
That doesn't really exist on the West Coast except in West Coast fashion somewhat in SF, Portland, and Seattle but its still different.
Culturally, California is a different place than anywhere in the Chicago area, but the geography of the cities are totally different as well given when each had their population booms and how they grew outward.
You also have a different type of vibrancy here in the San Diego area where a lot of the smaller towns which face the beach are in my opinion more vibrant than any of the denser parts of the city, remember the ocean is a bigger draw for most people to San Diego than the urbanity, the urbanity is just a nice plus to have a somewhat nice downtown nearby for cultural opportunities and business. Public transportation is nowhere near what it is in Chicago (And that goes for just about anywhere on the West Coast in my opinion).
For most of the hipster kids ...(sorry) if you like Wicker Park and Logan Square, I think you'd be directed to North Park and areas in that general vicinity.
For me, if that's what you like there is no point in leaving Chicago. Some of the neighborhoods around there and around Balboa Park are going to have some similiar vibes to Bucktown, Wicker Park and Logan Square or maybe Lincoln Park...but then nowhere in Chicago is really like Balboa Park which is a cultural center. No one lives by the museums in the South Loop in Chicago, it'd be kind of like that if the museum of science and industry and the aquarium were in neighborhoods.
I guess you could compare the North Shore cities to North County San Diego here in terms of income/desirable suburbs.
But I think you will find more young people here choosing those desirable suburbs and living there (i.e. beach towns) than you would in the Chicago area (no one moves to Lake Forest at 28 to be close to Lake Michigan...you get me?)
I just don't see the point in taking on the expense and hassle to move to San Diego if hipstery type neighborhoods are your thing. While I Can see the allure. You can get that any place but especially in Chicago. Sorry to use the word hipstery as I'm not using it in a negative way here... I guess we can say "gritty neighborhoods undergoing some form of gentrification" it seems to me the ones in San Diego put more emphasis on Craft Beer.... in Chicago its the arts and cheap liquor lol or maybe I'm just old and that's what it was...
I Can't really think of a Lincoln Park type neighborhood at all, perhaps LaJolla. But Lajolla blows it out of the water, while Lincoln Park is more, well, chicago and urban.
Gaslamp is kinda like Rush/Division, Michigan Ave rolled in with a little bit of downtown.
I guess South Side would be Tijuana.
^^^This, mostly. Except for the comparison of the South Side to Tijuana. Tijuana doesn't have the violence of the Chicago ghetto areas. It went through a spate of drogas violence, but that's largely died down and was a phase rather than an entrenched way of living.
I think you may soon find San Diego to be tooooo laid-back, if you want to be just a little away from the concrete jungle and rat race but not completely.
Don't compare. It's a totally different city that grew in completley different evolutions than Chicago.
Its much better to come and view it with new eyes.
About the only comparisons you could make is income levels to certain places, or like you are doing...making a social/cultural comparison like Boystown to Hillcrest.
it's nothing like Chicago, period. Except that its also in the US.
EXACTLY. Also, OP: If you go to the few neighborhoods that *might* be similar, it's silly b/c you will miss out on great parts of SD AND these areas are very small. Gaslamp will get old after a few hours or maybe a night of partying is fun. Little Italy is fun also for a part of a day or maybe once or twice you'll go back for food or to walk around. But they are not big areas. Important factor to note:SD is a series of spread out suburbs, not a dense urban city!!! If you try to compare, you'll be narrowing down your options and might well be bored, too.
Also, Chicago has 2.7 million people and nearly 10 million in the metro. SD city has 1.5 million and about 3 million in the metro area. SD is a bit smaller than Chicago and will feel as such. LA is a better comparison as far as urban pace and density, IMO.
OP: Areas you would probably enjoy, based on what you stated that you *like*: Pacific Beach/PB, Mission Beach, maybe Encinitas, Gaslamp/Little Italy, possibly Seaport Village area and for hipster and urban artsy North Park, South Park (also has lots of professionals and good restaurants, etc The better restaurants and cafes in SD tend to be in Hillcrest/North Park/South Park area, with a few exceptions. None of those exceptions are downtown or east village (I'm calling this as fact, btw-lol-though opinions may vary). Del Mar Village is gorgeous and worth visiting-may or may not be the right vibe for you. But easy enough to stop by for a couple of hours. Everything is 20 minutes from everything else in SD, on a freeway, for the most part. Sometimes, traffic will increase this. But mostly, you can get around pretty quickly anytime. Public transit is not really a thing here, either, btw. You can take the trolley in some places for fun. But not really rely on it for anything substantial.
One thing that bugs the crap out of me here in Chicago. Are there many red light and speed light cameras in San Diego like they do in Chicago? I can't go few blocks without those cameras. I've gotten plenty tickets in the mail.
They've done away with some of those in SD now, b/c they didn't want to pay the private company to manage them anymore...yea, all about the money....So, in my estimate it's much better now, though for a few years they were increasing in presence.
EXACTLY. Also, OP: If you go to the few neighborhoods that *might* be similar, it's silly b/c you will miss out on great parts of SD AND these areas are very small. Gaslamp will get old after a few hours or maybe a night of partying is fun. Little Italy is fun also for a part of a day or maybe once or twice you'll go back for food or to walk around. But they are not big areas. Important factor to note:SD is a series of spread out suburbs, not a dense urban city!!! If you try to compare, you'll be narrowing down your options and might well be bored, too.
Also, Chicago has 2.7 million people and nearly 10 million in the metro. SD city has 1.5 million and about 3 million in the metro area. SD is a bit smaller than Chicago and will feel as such. LA is a better comparison as far as urban pace and density, IMO.
Lol. No I'm not into hipstery. I have a solid base(good job, good morals, good values, clean shaven, super good looking w 6pack abs but not douchey, not an ahole either but extremely well hung). Bicycling is not my main mode of transportation. Get me?
Seriously, I am just looking for more laid back relaxed lifestyle. Away from concrete jungle and rat race, just a little but not completely. Reason why I mention density is because I have a business which I might transfer, might not but it's better for my business to be in denser area like east village/gas lamp but I don't think I want to necessarily live there. For business, I'm looking for hip, happening, dense area. For living, I prefer space and peace n quite over high/mid rises. My business is in west loop currently. I commute 20 min still within city and commute.
I don't want to be middle of it all. It's ok for me to be in 10-20 min drive. Chicago is great city but not for me anymore. I've had great time here but don't see future here as I get older.
The thing is: East village/gaslamp is not a denser area. Downtown SD [including gaslamp and east village] have only been gentrified with *some* added residential (and lots of added homeless people/camps) in the last 15 years or so. Downtown SD is not, I repeat not, a center for any particular industry in the entire city. Even tourists stay all over the city. Yes, many people visit downtown/gaslamp as tourists [though there's only a few restaurants, really-SD is not an old architecture city, either] and military and other folks like to party at the clubs. But truly, I cannot imagine what type of business would thrive downtown that would not thrive somewhere else in the city, as well. SD doesn't even have that many mid/high rises, aside from the immediate downtown area. I know they always show that skyline in the pics, but many people spend months without seeing it, living in SD. LOL. So, hip, happening and dense are all over the city-it truly depends on what your version of hip and happening is. What demographic? Lifestyle interest?
There's not one area of SD that is a 'white collar office commute' or a 'financial district', for example. The best way for you to know is to visit, as you are going to do. I am originally from Boston area and it's more similar to Chicago than anything you will find in So CAL as a whole. The people who are saying it's completely different are accurate. The best way to get advice for SD is to mention the type of business/demographic you are looking for, and the type of residential [ie, you want laid back and don't mind driving-good b/c everything in SD needs to be driven to-sort of], but are you okay with new, sterile suburbia with 'resort amenities'? This is a very common so cal lifestyle even for young professionals and partiers [UTC/La Jolla area is one example of this. Mission Valley is another. Other people want to live as close to the surf and beaches as possible, so they might live in complexes in Clairemont.]. If you prefer older buildings with character, you would check Kensington, South Park, Mission Hills area. If you want party crowd [you know, your '6 pack ab and well hung thing'-whatever, dude, btw. We're not impressed. Everyone is beautiful in so cal. No one cares.], then you might want to check PB [Pacific Beach]. Plenty of businesses there and partiers, too.
Other examples: Sorrento Valley and Mira Mesa contain many office parks with Qualcomm, software/IT/Engineering/Biotech type industries, among others. La Jolla/UTC has some, as does Carlsbad. Downtown has very few of these, if any. Also, those areas are not really more than office parks-maybe with a cafe or something. Nobody sticks around after work. Jobs and industries are kind of spread throughout SD, with a few niches here and there, but nothing stands out in terms of urban city locations for industries. Most of SD is not urban dense at all. There are also significant employment locations on the military bases, again located throughout the city/county. Same with the healthcare/medical centers and jobs here.
Hope this helps. Good luck w/your move/search.
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], then you might want to check PB [Pacific Beach]. Plenty of businesses there and partiers, too.
