looking for a neighborhood with good schools (San Diego: rent, homes)

[alstar83]

Thank you so much for all of your inputs. It looks like La mesa is worth to consider. It is reasonably close to where we will work.
RosieSD recomended rancho san diego neighborhood. Is it the only good one in La mesa?

We are so confused with different names ? Probably we should rent for 6 mons or so to get the good feels of everything.

[GuyInSD]

Originally Posted by alstar83

...Probably we should rent for 6 mons or so to get the good feels of everything.

That's probably a VERY good idea. No way I would buy a property without first having a good firsthand knowledge of the area.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by hkbruin

Your headline says school. People haven't really given you recommendations other than Mission Hills that make sense when that is part of the equation. Poway HS district is light years better than anything south or east.

Poway USD has generally good to great schools. But 'light years'? At least a bit of an exaggeration, I think.

[RainbowHope]

Originally Posted by alstar83

Thank you so much for all of your inputs. It looks like La mesa is worth to consider. It is reasonably close to where we will work.
RosieSD recomended rancho san diego neighborhood. Is it the only good one in La mesa?

We are so confused with different names ? Probably we should rent for 6 mons or so to get the good feels of everything.

We have been here for about a year and a half, and I can tell you - renting is an excellent idea. We have spent our free time getting to know different neighborhoods, learning traffic patterns, and what areas have amenities that are important to us. I think it is beneficial to rent for a bit. I will tell you that 6 month rentals are hard to find, especially for single family homes.

Enjoy all the area has to offer - this city has been great for us so far!

[hkbruin]

If you look at SD schooling and the university that people go to, YES. Education in SD pales in comparison many other CA regions. I wish I could say otherwise, but I grew up in east county and I don't even think 15 people from hs went to top 25 school. By contrast, I knew 35 kids from one school in that district that went to MY university alone.

So yes. Certainly, there are standalones and schools further north that do well. But all in all, not really much comparison.

People should really think clearly before suggesting areas. For example. La Mesa is more than 50 percent 35+ age group and 21 percent HS age or younger. I would NEVER suggest that to someone who wants to be in a more youthful demographic. Also, transplants do NOT move to La Mesa. Not really. There's a reason for that.

[hkbruin]

Rainbow, you're spot on. Renting in SD, especially for detached props are pretty overpriced, especially in the better burbs. I can't fathom the 2500+ to RENT a nice property if you're prepared to buy one.

Ranibow, where did you end up?

[RainbowHope]

Originally Posted by hkbruin

Rainbow, you're spot on. Renting in SD, especially for detached props are pretty overpriced, especially in the better burbs. I can't fathom the 2500+ to RENT a nice property if you're prepared to buy one.

Ranibow, where did you end up?

We are still renting while we enjoy investigating where we will settle. Paying rent for a SFH and getting to zero in on the areas we want to research will save us money in the long run if we bought in an area only to find we would be happier in a different area of the city.

I know people may disagree with this philosophy, but we are happy and comfortable with our approach. :-)

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by hkbruin

I
People should really think clearly before suggesting areas. For example. La Mesa is more than 50 percent 35+ age group and 21 percent HS age or younger. I would NEVER suggest that to someone who wants to be in a more youthful demographic.

Hmmmm, never really thought of Poway and Rancho Bernardo as magnets for the under 35 age group.

[hkbruin]

If you have a finger on the pulse of new home buyers, you'd know that majority of young parents are moving into those areas, especially Mira Mesa, Scripps, Carmel Valley. I know plenty of people in their 20s who live there. Whereas, in East County, I know only a few who stayed at home. (I'm grew up there Rosie, and I understand you'll defend it cause you live there, but keep an open mind that in relation to other areas, it has much less to offer. And every single person from my hs who stayed in La Mesa are trying to leave but stuck in late 20s/early 30s apathy).

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by hkbruin

If you have a finger on the pulse of new home buyers, you'd know that majority of young parents are moving into those areas, especially Mira Mesa, Scripps, Carmel Valley. I know plenty of people in their 20s who live there. Whereas, in East County, I know only a few who stayed at home. (I'm grew up there Rosie, and I understand you'll defend it cause you live there, but keep an open mind that in relation to other areas, it has much less to offer. And every single person from my hs who stayed in La Mesa are trying to leave but stuck in late 20s/early 30s apathy).

I totally understand. I hope you also understand that I am not bashing Poway. I like Poway. But, for us, the commute from Poway to our jobs would have been out of the question, so we opted for East County, which we have found to be a great place to live and raise a family. It sounds like you didn't have a very good experience growing up in La Mesa -- sorry to hear that. But, that doesn't mean that it will be that way for everyone. And, indeed, I have met quite a few young couples in their 20s/30s who have bought in East County (and who didn't grow up here) who feel the same way. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

That's what makes San Diego County great -- plenty of options to suit every taste and lifestyle. And, it's great that we can each share our experiences with newcomers to help familiarize themselves with all the options.