Neighborhood for retiree - 2 bed/2 bath condo in San Diego (San Francisco: renting, condos)

[dmlandissf]

We are in San Diego with a friend looking at condos (2 beds/2 bath) - with access to beach within 30 minutes. What neighborhoods are reasonable and with lots of options? El Cajon, Chula Vista, what about by Point Loma. We are driving around the next few days to get a feel for areas/

[cruitr]

How much is reasonable? Buying or renting? Other than 30 minutes to the beach, is there a part of San Diego you need to be? Like near a hospital or a church or the airport.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Rancho Bernardo.


Or look north in OC at Laguna Woods Village.

[dmlandissf]

We were just driving around San Diego yesterday but one area that looked really nice was East Lake Chula Vista. It seemed very upscale with nice tailored parkways, shopping centers, and a variety of housing options. I thought that I wouldn't mind moving there from SF Bay Area where we live as prices seem 2/3 of what one wold pay in San Francisco. Im semi retired myself and so work options not so much an option. Any one here famliar with this area?

[TacoSoup]

Originally Posted by dmlandissf

We were just driving around San Diego yesterday but one area that looked really nice was East Lake Chula Vista. It seemed very upscale with nice tailored parkways, shopping centers, and a variety of housing options. I thought that I wouldn't mind moving there from SF Bay Area where we live as prices seem 2/3 of what one wold pay in San Francisco. Im semi retired myself and so work options not so much an option. Any one here famliar with this area?

I have many friends that live(d) in Eastlake and love it. What they don’t love is the commute in/out of there. But I guess if you’re retired that wouldn’t matter. Their other big complaint is a lack of dinning and entertainment options when they get a sitter/grandparents and don’t feel like driving to the city or beach. Besides all the chains, I hear that there’s good (insert food here) but it’s in a strip mall/shopping center lacking in ambiance. It’s gonna be mostly families still with children, which is nice, but I don’t know how many of your neighbors will be empty nesters, and/or retirees? You can be at the beach in both Coronado and Imperial Beach in under 30 minutes, but often both are closed to swimming due to runoff from the Tijuana river. You can still walk along the beach though.

I’d also look at La Mesa. While it has gotten younger in recent years, it still has a sizable retiree population. It has a very walkable downtown with a trolley station that’ll get you downtown for all it has to offer in 25-35 minutes. Plus you’ll have more options for beaches as it’s more centrally located.

The previous poster’s recommendation of Rancho Bernardo is a solid one. It’s San Diego’s original retirement community, although it’s been filled with families for decades now. I grew up next door in Poway, and it’s nice up there, but you’re pretty far removed from the city. It’s great if you want to be more of a homebody, and/or raise a family, but if you want to remain more active I’d look closer to the city. Good luck.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Eastlake is San Diego's version of Irvine in Orange County; clean, planned, bland.

[TacoSoup]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Eastlake is San Diego's version of Irvine in Orange County; clean, planned, bland.

I like that. True too. I feel like I’m in many parts of OC whenever I’m there.

[davdaven]

Eastlake and Otay Ranch are pleasant, master-planned communities. I grew up in the old part of Chula Vista, near the marina, and long-timers have some dislike of the newer eastern communities. The impression was that it sapped services from the old part of town. I don't think it's as much of an issue now that the city has spent so much time and effort fixing up the southwest part of town, which was annexed in the '80s.

I personally prefer the character of the west side of town, but the east side is good if you like a clean, orderly setup. It does have a bit of an Orange County vibe but not too bad. Chula Vista is a good choice if you want relative peace and quiet in an area with a lot of diversity (Mexican, Filipino, etc.). For the record, one-story homes are more common on the west side of town. A lot of the house and condo options on the east side of town have 2+ stories.

You wouldn't be commuting, but if you do want to head out, MTS started up the Rapid 225 line a year or so ago. It runs through Otay Ranch and then takes the freeway direct to downtown, which beats having to drive or take a local bus to a Trolley station first (most of the time).

Coronado is a more traditional retirement community, but good luck affording it! Rancho Bernardo might work, but it's incredibly bland (makes Eastlake seem interesting) and a lot of the housing stock is 2+ stories. If I were a somewhat active retiree, I would look into La Mesa. It's more central than Rancho Bernardo and Eastlake/Otay Ranch, and has that nice lived-in feel you get from Coronado or the west side of Chula Vista.

[dmlandissf]

I found East Lake of Chula Vista a lot more interesting than Irvine. Irvine CA looked very cooker cutter, and bland - probably filled with tiger moms and stepford wives -) Will have to explore more neighborhoods mext time