Talk me out of University City

[Pedro2000]

It also will depend in what part of UTC/University City area you live for commute times. There are many days where it'll take you 15 minutes just to get onto the 5 or 805 because of all the lights and traffic. I always hate driving over to that area because there are days where there isn't much traffic, but you hit every traffic light. And as others stated, the 805/5 intersection becomes a pain going South in the evenings.

You also never really spoke of your interests. Why not live off of Del Mar Heights Rd? It's one thing to want to live in PB or Little Italy or East Village, but I wouldn't see that big of a difference between living in UTC/University City or Del Mar, Carmel Valley etc. You can find a few places for under $2K per month on Del Mar heights Rd. Solana Beach has a few places as well near the race track. You could also find a few places in Encinitas and still be within a 15 minute commute most days

Why University City?

[GuyInSD]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

...Why University City?

Exactly
If I were working near Del Mar Heights, I'd be looking to live in somewhere from Carmel Valley to Solana Beach - easy to find places within your budget within that area, and the commute would be negligible.

University City, on the otherhand, means pretty much a guarantee of sitting in traffic.

[FirstTime LongTime]

Originally Posted by GuyInSD

Exactly
If I were working near Del Mar Heights, I'd be looking to live in somewhere from Carmel Valley to Solana Beach - easy to find places within your budget within that area, and the commute would be negligible.

University City, on the otherhand, means pretty much a guarantee of sitting in traffic.

No real reason I guess. I just knew a couple of people who went to UCSD so University City is a place I have some passing familiarity with. I'm definitely not married to the idea of University City (hence the name of this thread).

I didn't know much about Carmel Valley before, but as it's been mentioned a couple of times here, I will definitely try to learn more about it. Solana Beach and Encinitas sound nice too, but I have an inexplicable preference to live within the city limits of San Diego. Other than that weird city limits thing, I have a very open mind about this and I am open to being convinced.

The traffic in University City has been mentioned a few times, so I'm a little leery of that issue. Just looking at a map, it looks to my outsider's eyes like University City is a little more centrally located than Carmel Valley or Del Mar Heights. Is that the case? If I want to go to downtown for some reason, would it be a significantly longer drive from Carmel Valley than from University City?

Once again, thanks to everybody for their input so far. It's been great and I would love to hear more of your insight.

[RainbowHope]

If I may make a suggestion:

If you are not in the area, it may be good for you to try to stay at a hotel for a week or two so you can get your bearings a bit. We found this route to be very helpful and worth the bit of money we spent to feel good about renting where we did. And, if you are moving for a job that is not paying moving expenses, many of the moving costs are tax deductible (of course, consult with your tax person or look it up on the IRS site).

I am in UTC/La Jolla a few times a week. It can take some time to get around there with all the traffic lights and certain times of day, the traffic. During non-commuter times it is a bit quicker, of course.

I moved here 6 months ago, and at first I felt like traffic was insane, and the freeways are huge compared to what I was used to. Also, traffic lights are long here. But honestly, you get used to it and it doesn't feel like such a big deal.

Many people do try to plan their living location so commute times are cut down, but until you are able to time it yourself, it is hard to say for sure. You do get used to traffic, though.

[brewcity2012]

FirstTime LongTime, I live in the UTC area near the Westfield UTC mall. My wife and I really like this area. we can walk to just about everything we need (or very short drive) and the UTC area is extremely safe and clean. It also feels somewhat urban rather than suburban, so you will actually see pedestrians (this ain't Manhattan, but for north San Diego its not bad). The Westfield UTC is a very good outdoor mall.

As someone already mentioned, there are a lot of UCSD students in UTC, but they are the smart Asian type, not the doofus fratboy type. The farther west you go on Nobel drive the more students you'll see (as you approach the USCD campus).

You also might want to consider the eastern edge of the 56, just east of the 15. Carmel Mountain Ranch is a really nice area but its more suburbany and has lots of families and is less urban than UTC.

Of course if you can afford more in rent, Carmel Valley is great too (off of El Camino). What you save in commute time and gas might make it worth it.

[loveautumn]

I lived in UTC area a long time ago and hated every minute of it. It just had a very cold feel to it. It's built up a lot since then and I worked in the area for the past 6 years...still very cold feel as far as living. It's really a business oriented area IMO with a lot of UCSD students thrown in for good measure.