Is Oceanside still a cool place to live? (gangs, suburban)

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by AleeGee

Wherever daughter goest, mometh follow(chuckle).

Sounds like hell.

[BBslider001]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Since 2005 huh? No. Obviously, you are not familiar with Oceanside like you think you are.

From the below article:
The city started the plan to revitalize downtown Oceanside in the ‘90s. It went throughyears of negotiations – over community concerns, like parking, and for approval from thestate’s Coastal Commission.

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topi...g-time-coming/

The truth is that redevelopment was a priority in the 1980s too; see the City's own site:

https://www.oceansidechamber.com/oce...side-1988-2013

Not everyone wants to keep Oceanside like some Lake Elsinore by-the-sea sort of place where people can revel in Harley bikes, gross pizza, jar head-related dry cleaners, and tattoo parlors. Not that there is anything wrong with any of those things individually.

Sory Luv....you're right and I am wrong. I must have been watching The O.C. and got mixed up. Sorry again.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I love Oceanside. If I could I'd live there but that commute would be awful. It reminds me of PB in the 90s.

[TacoSoup]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

I love Oceanside. If I could I'd live there but that commute would be awful. It reminds me of PB in the 90s.

I’ll give you the early 90’s, by the mid to late 90’s PB had started to change a lot, I don’t see Oceanside quite there yet. I was there for the first time in ages a few months back and was surprised that it hasn’t progressed quicker as of late.

You are on to something though, Oceanside has always seemed to be a couple of decades behind. When I spent a lot of time there in the late 90’s to early ‘00’s it reminded me a lot of PB/MB of the 80’s.

[BBslider001]

And yes, the media and newspaper reports always know so much more than someone who grew up there

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by BBslider001

And yes, the media and newspaper reports always know so much more than someone who grew up there

I am extremely familiar with Oceanside, have interests and friends there, and still go there sometimes usually upon invitation. I know the new places to eat. Moreover, I am familiar with even its history including its landmarks known to locals. I’ve done a lot of business there. I’ve known city council members. Have you? So yeah.

[mttec23]

I have lived in South Oceanside for the past 3 months (Off Cassidy St). Prior to living here, I have lived in North Park, Hillcrest, Pacific Beach, Clairemont, Carlsbad, Vista and now "South O". This is all within an 8 year span. I have enjoyed each place but after a year at each we found the need to leave (commutes, traffic, less beachy lifestyles, weirdo neighbors, didn't feel safe, etc).

I can say South Oceanside, or "South O", has it's own unique identity separate from the rest of the Oceanside. It's gone though gentrification but continues to do so, with boutique (yet non-pretentious) shops, hair salons, barber shops, surf shops, bars, restaurants, breweries, all close together, and to top it off, it has incredibly easy access to the beach.

There is some grit but that is what we like about Oceanside compared to Carlsbad. I am 35, my wife is 31, we have no kids. To me, San Diego as a whole can feel very sterile and bland, almost like I am living in the Truman Show (everything feels choreographed in a bizarre way to me). I am originally from NJ (lived by the beach, Belmar, Asbury, Spring Lake), my wife was born in SD and raised in the valley in LA. I felt more at home in LA because of the diversity between cities, some gritty, some affluent, some in between. To me is resembled the East Coast, just out West. We lived there for a while but the heat was unbearable.

After all the places we have lived here in San Diego, the wife and I both agree South Oceanside has the right flair we have been looking for. The middle class reigns supreme here. It is down to earth, your affluence or lack thereof has zero bearing on who you are here or how you are perceived. There aren't many exotic cars running up and down the S Coast Highway here compared to say, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach and Del Mar. It feels like what California might have been 20 years ago, when it wasn't as popular and just a laid back west coast city by the beach. I wasn't here then, but that's the vibe I was searching for and couldn't find anywhere else.

[BBslider001]

Originally Posted by mttec23

I have lived in South Oceanside for the past 3 months (Off Cassidy St). Prior to living here, I have lived in North Park, Hillcrest, Pacific Beach, Clairemont, Carlsbad, Vista and now "South O". This is all within an 8 year span. I have enjoyed each place but after a year at each we found the need to leave (commutes, traffic, less beachy lifestyles, weirdo neighbors, didn't feel safe, etc).

I can say South Oceanside, or "South O", has it's own unique identity separate from the rest of the Oceanside. It's gone though gentrification but continues to do so, with boutique (yet non-pretentious) shops, hair salons, barber shops, surf shops, bars, restaurants, breweries, all close together, and to top it off, it has incredibly easy access to the beach.

There is some grit but that is what we like about Oceanside compared to Carlsbad. I am 35, my wife is 31, we have no kids. To me, San Diego as a whole can feel very sterile and bland, almost like I am living in the Truman Show (everything feels choreographed in a bizarre way to me). I am originally from NJ (lived by the beach, Belmar, Asbury, Spring Lake), my wife was born in SD and raised in the valley in LA. I felt more at home in LA because of the diversity between cities, some gritty, some affluent, some in between. To me is resembled the East Coast, just out West. We lived there for a while but the heat was unbearable.

After all the places we have lived here in San Diego, the wife and I both agree South Oceanside has the right flair we have been looking for. The middle class reigns supreme here. It is down to earth, your affluence or lack thereof has zero bearing on who you are here or how you are perceived. There aren't many exotic cars running up and down the S Coast Highway here compared to say, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach and Del Mar. It feels like what California might have been 20 years ago, when it wasn't as popular and just a laid back west coast city by the beach. I wasn't here then, but that's the vibe I was searching for and couldn't find anywhere else.

I would say this is a pretty good description of Oceanside. Most people miss the vibe in this town and don't really get it, and that's alright.

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by BBslider001

I would say this is a pretty good description of Oceanside. Most people miss the vibe in this town and don't really get it, and that's alright.

Yeah that description really nailed it. We were in Oceanside for an extended stay from January into February. Around the pier is cool, also good is "south" Oceanside. If you're going to live there, I'd think you want to be either oceanfront, or within a few blocks of it. It rapidly gets less pleasant once you're around and past Coast Highway - and there definitely are some places I wouldn't be walking around late at night unless I was armed.


I was surprised at some of the advertised Oceanside oceanfront rental prices. Mid-to-high four figures for not-so-great weekly rentals, and anything that looked really nice was much more (they put signs right in the window, listing rates and phone number to book). Seemed overpriced for what you get. Can confirm you can do much, much better on price if you pick a rental that's not true oceanfront, but still is on the Pacific Street strip, huge savings. Those Strand shacks, not worth it, zero privacy, zero room, people right on top of you. No thanks.


But if you want and can afford a true oceanfront home, it's worth taking a look at South Oceanside.

[sasie123]

Originally Posted by SoCal_Mom

I would say Oceanside is at its early stages of gentrification. I love how developer friendly it is. I can see it become the urban beach side city of SD County. Give it 20 years and Oceanside will be discovered by investors who will flip the houses for the millions because of its proximity to the beach at a much less price than say Laguna, Newport, La Jolla.

Just wondering where the gangs are being pushed to. Gentrification is well-known for doing that.....