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Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
7,409 posts, read 6,540,013 times
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"but aligning himself with those folks is not exactly a check in the box of intellectual prowess. "
rgb--the expert on downtown San Diego (and Coronado--yet you could not name McP's yesterday) who has lived here a grand total of 4 months....compared to you 1/10th of my brain is 100% more than the intellectual prowess you will ever have and you'd be fortunate to have 1/10th my wealth....oh, that's right, you never insult (see above quote)--or, should I say, you like to throw a punch but cannot take one--falls in line with my 'soft' comment on another post...from the same person (that would be you) who claimed golf, tennis, fishing and boating are not outdoor activities.
As for my Irvine reference, newsflash: Irvine has tall buildings and an Amtrak stop, UCI in its center core--not 15-20 minutes outside, shares a back bay with Newport Beach, borders an airport, is more densely populated, a much nicer and bigger mall (Spectrum) than Horton, Plaza, no homeless people on its streets, high rise condos like here, better restaurants than downtown SD, and more professionals with higher average incomes than downtown San Diego by a wide shot, unlike downtown SD has MANY large companies headquartered there that provides a base for employment and attracts talented individuals (including, but not limited to Broadcom, Western Digital, St John, Quicksilver, Epicor, Baxter, Meade Instruments, Bax Global, Taco Bell, Gateway, Freedom Communications, Allergan, In n Out, Vizio, LA Fitness, Standard Pacific Homes, and many international companies with their North American headquarters based there such as Kia, Mazda, Toshiba, Samsung, Asics, Shimano, etc. etc.) and a population of more than 210,000 per the 2010 census vs. only 30,000 for downtown SD--you might discover that in your 5th month out here...OK, it does not have a ballpark in its backyard, so I will let you put that one in your column (although it does have Verizon Amphitheatre for concerts)--but just 15 minutes up the highway, in a different town of the county, though they admit it's a different town and the team that plays in that ballpark has actually won a professional sports championship)....have I provided enough facts and statistics for you?
Passing yourself off as an expert based on 4 months living in a section of San Diego that is 45 minutes north (without traffic) of the area in discussion (combined with your business visits) does not make you an expert...but keep on thinking you are. You are a classic, I will give you that....Ok, now it's time for you for the umpteenth time to tell me how personal I got and for you to play the victim card, so I can respond by telling you that's a real tale of whoa....your serve.
For the record, people on the Tripadvisor forum saw it fit to recommend me and I was named/selected, based on my contributions, a Destination Expert for San Diego (1 of only 6)...again, I did not ask for it but it was bestowed upon me by others--think that happened because all my posts bashed the city or, perhaps, I contributed useful and helpful information???...Yelp named me to it's San Diego Elite squad for my contributions for 2013 and 2014, with 99 of my 177 reviews 4 stars or higher (though not all reviews are SD based).....how about you?...after I move, should I nominate you as a replacement based on your 'vast' experience living here thus far???
Last edited by elchevere; 04-09-2014 at 11:01 PM..
Lol! I could literally transfer there tomorrow if I wanted to. I'm sorry, but your city didn't have jack-s going on and several of my friends echoed identical sentiments. It was flat out ugly in many parts, full of concrete, sun, no trees and no parks other than Balboa. I didn't want to go there but you're forcing my hand with your insults.
San Diego's downtown is a joke. No other way to put it. Even Sacramento's downtown has at least as much going on, and that's not saying much. Notice the cost to live in Sac matches the expectation of what you get. Which is one reason I am satisfied to live in the area.
If the culture in SD is even remotely reflected by the smart-a-- that post here, I want no part of it (and at times during my visits it appeared to be). You cannot take even the smallest critique of your city, which holds up only as great when using cookie cutter, mundane analysis such as infrastructure, crime, etc. If someone wants a safe place to raise their children with good weather and a good freeway system, it's probably #1 on their list. To someone like me that wants more out of a city, the place is FN weak with a capital W. It's aweful and I don't know how else to put it.
And the % of population holding a bachelor's degree in SD is 33% compared to 43% in Boston. At least as of 2010 according to the Wallstreet Journal.
Uh oh....Looks like I struck a nerve. In an earlier post you said SD was probably the best match for you, and now you're say it's not "City" enough (Whatever that means, especially coming from someone who lives in El Dorado Hills!) and is weak with a capital "W"? Man, you are all over the place LOL
I am probably one of the calmer ones because I do not live in SD. I visited, shared my insights, and people disagreed. I am not exagerating when I say that I am truly shocked by the level of inactivity at Balboa Park. It is yet another example of something hyped up by San Diegans that did not fit the bill. Don't get me wrong - the park itself was amazing - but where are all the people?! I heard "you will see people jogging, playing frisbee". True. Like 3 or 4 on a good day. I have been there 5 times on different days, at different times and never seen anything close to the level of activity that was claimed. To me, the San Diegans perception of that park conpared to what I observed tells me more about the local culture than 100 blog stories ever could. It is a place that in many ways lacks a sense of community, where people are content doing their own thing, and you can feel this if you spend any time in the city.
It is great for some people. For me it would be only a means to transition within my career and a new experience. So in short, I find Elch's and Ginger's opinions of the city far closer to what mine would be down the road than anyone else's here. I noticed that both tend to support their opinions with numerous, direct examples, while the detractors stick with broad philosophies on life and anecdotes. Maybe it's just that a different personality type vibes with the area and another doesn't.
I am probably one of the calmer ones because I do not live in SD. I visited, shared my insights, and people disagreed. I am not exagerating when I say that I am truly shocked by the level of inactivity at Balboa Park. It is yet another example of something hyped up by San Diegans that did not fit the bill. Don't get me wrong - the park itself was amazing - but where are all the people?! I heard "you will see people jogging, playing frisbee". True. Like 3 or 4 on a good day. I have been there 5 times on different days, at different times and never seen anything close to the level of activity that was claimed. To me, the San Diegans perception of that park conpared to what I observed tells me more about the local culture than 100 blog stories ever could. It is a place that in many ways lacks a sense of community, where people are content doing their own thing, and you can feel this if you spend any time in the city.
It is great for some people. For me it would be only a means to transition within my career and a new experience. So in short, I find Elch's and Ginger's opinions of the city far closer to what mine would be down the road than anyone else's here. I noticed that both tend to support their opinions with numerous, direct examples, while the detractors stick with broad philosophies on life and anecdotes. Maybe it's just that a different personality type vibes with the area and another doesn't.
I have no idea what it was like the 5 times you visited. I've been there more than a couple of times now, and before I lived here. Tons of people! Except for the time I went at night to see a play.
I was and am truly impressed with Balboa Park, I have not seen anything like it in my travels. I feel like I will be spending a lot more time there, also a great place to join and meet other people with similar interests be it photography or art history, plays, etc.
I dunno. When I've been there during the day, if it had been any more busy I would not have enjoyed myself. I don't like huge crowds, especially if Frisbee is involved! Dang kids, watch out!
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
7,409 posts, read 6,540,013 times
Reputation: 6676
oops, I just noticed an error above....99 of my 117 (not 177) Yelp Reviews have been 4 stars or higher, or 84.6%...guess that makes me disgruntled because I did not give 100% of the establishments a 5 star rating.
I am probably one of the calmer ones because I do not live in SD. I visited, shared my insights, and people disagreed. I am not exagerating when I say that I am truly shocked by the level of inactivity at Balboa Park. It is yet another example of something hyped up by San Diegans that did not fit the bill. Don't get me wrong - the park itself was amazing - but where are all the people?! I heard "you will see people jogging, playing frisbee". True. Like 3 or 4 on a good day. I have been there 5 times on different days, at different times and never seen anything close to the level of activity that was claimed. To me, the San Diegans perception of that park conpared to what I observed tells me more about the local culture than 100 blog stories ever could. It is a place that in many ways lacks a sense of community, where people are content doing their own thing, and you can feel this if you spend any time in the city.
It is great for some people. For me it would be only a means to transition within my career and a new experience. So in short, I find Elch's and Ginger's opinions of the city far closer to what mine would be down the road than anyone else's here. I noticed that both tend to support their opinions with numerous, direct examples, while the detractors stick with broad philosophies on life and anecdotes. Maybe it's just that a different personality type vibes with the area and another doesn't.
What? I ride my bike through the park on average 4 times a week. On weekday evenings there's less people around, sure, but there's enough that I still have to dodge them as I'm heading towards the bridge. And most of them are locals running, biking, and walking. The dog park at Nate's point is always full of people. If you drive along the west side of the park, there's exercise groups, boot camp classes, and volleyball nets everywhere. The playground at the north end is generally teeming with children and parents. You have to wait to get onto the archery range on the weekend. There's folks lawn bowling on the greens every Saturday and Sunday. The old globe is sold out nearly every show. on the weekends on an even relatively nice day the park is PACKED, with locals and tourists alike. Try finding a parking spot anywhere in the park on a saturday or Sunday afternoon. I challenge you. The tennis courts at morely field are full, and the velodrome has bike races twice a week, which are very well attended. The public pool is packed with kids taking lessons and people exercising. I mean, in the middle of the day on a weekday in the off-tourist season there will be a lot less people than in the afternoons or on the weekends, because despite some of the other stereotypes most people have jobs, but I'd think that would be obvious...
Again, not getting upset, just countering your personal experience that informs your opinion with my own.
"but aligning himself with those folks is not exactly a check in the box of intellectual prowess. "
rgb--the expert on downtown San Diego (and Coronado--yet you could not name McP's yesterday) who has lived here a grand total of 4 months....compared to you 1/10th of my brain is 100% more than the intellectual prowess you will ever have and you'd be fortunate to have 1/10th my wealth....oh, that's right, you never insult (see above quote)--or, should I say, you like to throw a punch but cannot take one--falls in line with my 'soft' comment on another post...from the same person (that would be you) who claimed golf, tennis, fishing and boating are not outdoor activities. ( as for Irvine, newsflash: Irvine has tall buildings and an Amtrak stop, UCI in its center core--not 15-20 minutes outside, shares a back bay with Newport Beach, borders an airport, is more densely populated, a much nicer and bigger mall (Spectrum) than Horton, Plaza, no homeless people on its streets, high rise condos like here, better restaurants than downtown SD, and more professionals with higher average incomes than downtown San Diego by a wide shot, unlike downtown SD has MANY companies headquartered there (including, but not limited to Broadcom, Western Digital, St John, Quicksilver, Epicor, Baxter, Meade Instruments, Bax Global, Taco Bell, Gateway, Allergan, In n Out, Vizio and many international companies with their North American headquarters based there such as Kia, Mazda, Toshiba, Samsung, etc. etc.) and a population of more than 210,000 per the 2010 census vs. only 30,000 for downtown SD--you might discover that in your 5th month out here...OK, it does not have a ballpark in its backyard, so I will let you put that one in your column (although it does have Verizon Amphitheatre for concerts)--but just 15 minutes up the highway, in a different town of the county, though they admit it's a different town and the team that plays in that ballpark has actually won a professional sports championship)....and passing yourself off as an expert based on 4 months living in a section of San Diego that is 45 minutes north (without traffic) of the area in discussion (combined with your business visits) does not make you an expert...but keep on thinking you are. You are a classic....Ok, now it's time for you for the umpteenth time to tell me how personal I got and for you to play the victim card, so I can respond by telling you that's a real tale of whoa....your serve.
For the record, people on the Tripadvisor forum saw it fit to recommend me, based on my inputs, and I was named/selected a Destination Expert for San Diego (1 of only 6)...again, I did not ask for it but it was bestowed upon me--think that happened because all my posts bashed the city or, perhaps, I contributed useful and helpful information???...how about you?...after I move, should I nominate you as a replacement based on your 'vast' experience living here thus far???
Isn't it just a bit ridiculous to be comparing Downtown San Diego (1.5 sq. miles) to the entire city of Irvine (66 sq. miles)? If anything, I'd compare it to UTC, with Irvine being much, much larger. Even the highrises in Irvine resemble those in the UTC area in height and appearance. How many condo towers are in Irvine? Two? Three? And none of them are taller than 12 floors I bet.
How can you say Irvine in more densely population when it has only 3,200 people per square mile? It's suburbia at its finest! That number applies to most areas in South OC, although it's a much different story for the northern half.
And no one is going to argue about Irvine being the main employment center of OC. You can't help but notice all of the office parks that go on for miles.
Finally, I use Tripadvisor, and it's mostly a great source (Although some of the reviews seems suspicious like Yelp), but it's a travel website that is totally different from City-Data. It's one thing to give hotel recommendations and another to discourage or encourage people with blanket statements, ie, no professionals live in Downtown SD, people in SD can't carry intelligent conversations, it's always 72 degrees and sunny here, etc. But good for you for being a top contributor!
I am not exagerating when I say that I am truly shocked by the level of inactivity at Balboa Park. It is yet another example of something hyped up by San Diegans that did not fit the bill. Don't get me wrong - the park itself was amazing - but where are all the people?! I heard "you will see people jogging, playing frisbee". True. Like 3 or 4 on a good day. I have been there 5 times on different days, at different times and never seen anything close to the level of activity that was claimed. To me, the San Diegans perception of that park conpared to what I observed tells me more about the local culture than 100 blog stories ever could. It is a place that in many ways lacks a sense of community, where people are content doing their own thing, and you can feel this if you spend any time in the city.
Inactivity at Balboa Park? Wow. It's the 6th most visited park in the Country. I guess you missed the frisbee golf course and bike velodrome, too. Joggers? volleyball? tossing frisbees? We have 70 miles of beaches to do that. Did you see Mission Bay Park? That's another 4,000 acres fill with grass, bike/jogging paths and BBQ pits. You seem to see only what you want to see, which is nothing in most cases.
What? I ride my bike through the park on average 4 times a week. On weekday evenings there's less people around, sure, but there's enough that I still have to dodge them as I'm heading towards the bridge. And most of them are locals running, biking, and walking. The dog park at Nate's point is always full of people. If you drive along the west side of the park, there's exercise groups, boot camp classes, and volleyball nets everywhere. The playground at the north end is generally teeming with children and parents. You have to wait to get onto the archery range on the weekend. There's folks lawn bowling on the greens every Saturday and Sunday. The old globe is sold out nearly every show. on the weekends on an even relatively nice day the park is PACKED, with locals and tourists alike. Try finding a parking spot anywhere in the park on a saturday or Sunday afternoon. I challenge you. The tennis courts at morely field are full, and the velodrome has bike races twice a week, which are very well attended. The public pool is packed with kids taking lessons and people exercising. I mean, in the middle of the day on a weekday in the off-tourist season there will be a lot less people than in the afternoons or on the weekends, because despite some of the other stereotypes most people have jobs, but I'd think that would be obvious...
Again, not getting upset, just countering your personal experience that informs your opinion with my own.
I could be totally wrong. Maybe I went to the wrong parts? The big field within plain view from the street has had next to zero activity on the days that I went. And I explored quite a bit of the park. Aside from tourists, it felt empty. I honestly tried to envision myself there but I pictured being very lonely. I thought everything about the park itself was incredible though.
Someone posted that there are tons of parks. I didn't see any in 2 strsight days of driving. I guess my point is, if you have to know where this stuff is to find it and get the vibe, is there really that much of it? How often will you get to experience it on a day to day basis if you have to go drive out to it?
When I think awesome nature, I think Seattle. People tell me it's there, and coffee is there and a wharf, etc. And then I go to the city and it's all right in my face. I can even drive around and find it by accident. I just didn't feel that in San Diego. I honestly think I'd be lonely for quite some time if I move there. It will def be a stopping point on the way to somewhere else if I do go. But I can see how some people would love it.
I could be totally wrong. Maybe I went to the wrong parts? The big field within plain view from the street has had next to zero activity on the days that I went. And I explored quite a bit of the park. Aside from tourists, it felt empty. I honestly tried to envision myself there but I pictured being very lonely. I thought everything about the park itself was incredible though.
Someone posted that there are tons of parks. I didn't see any in 2 strsight days of driving. I guess my point is, if you have to know where this stuff is to find it and get the vibe, is there really that much of it? How often will you get to experience it on a day to day basis if you have to go drive out to it?
When I think awesome nature, I think Seattle. People tell me it's there, and coffee is there and a wharf, etc. And then I go to the city and it's all right in my face. I can even drive around and find it by accident. I just didn't feel that in San Diego. I honestly think I'd be lonely for quite some time if I move there. It will def be a stopping point on the way to somewhere else if I do go. But I can see how some people would love it.
As you know, Sacite, I did like Balboa Park very much as I had originally posted, however, after the illogical hate I received from my post about it, I don't feel like adding any more to how great it was, or getting into specifics of museums. La Jolla and Balboa park are were my favorite attractions in SD though. Not sure if you spent much time in La Jolla, hopefully you did. I think the greenery and lushness of the north is switched out for the coastline in SD, but I had no complaints about the views and walks/paths, as I had mentioned originally.
Funny you mention Seattle, as it is a city which has always appealed to me. A nice mix of greenery and city, and a gorgeous skyline. My friends who moved there seriously don't age, gorgeous skin! Also people seem qiute progressive and health conscious there. They are next in line for the GMO labeling as we tried here in Cali. Whereas I think I'm health conscious for buying Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, everyone I know up there shops at food co-ops, or grows their own.
Last edited by gingerdancer; 04-10-2014 at 01:56 AM..
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