I am moving to San Diego and need some questions answered. :) (Los Angeles: house prices, neighborhoods)

[AngelLeah1981]

Fires and natural disasters:
I am moving to San Diego really close to the Naval Station (under 30 minute drive). 1. Are there any areas where you can avoid the natural disasters? (fire, flood, and tropical storms)? 2. How bad are the tropical storms? Is it true you can live close to the beach and not have to worry about hurricanes or your house getting messed up from tropical storms? but there may be flooding.... ? 3. I have asthma. Is the air smokey? Is it hard on asthmatics? Surely it isn't smokey near the beach? Does the humidity make it hard for asthmatics to breathe? I do everything normally even though I have a hard time breathing sometimes. 4. Are there any steps to take to protect your stuff from earthquakes like tv's, computers, aquariums with fish, etc? (especially since I have a 120 gallon tank....should I not fill it up all the way or something?)

Ocean temperature, wetsuits, and looking silly. ha ha. :
Unfortunately I've just discovered that the water is cold most of the year. Needless to say that was some of the worst news I could have gotten....my dog and I get cold easy. ha ha. ..soooo... I've decided to buy us wetsuits. 1. I am wanting to know if the water is ever warm like Tampa Florida? I know there are 2 months "you can get in the water" and I'm wondering 2. what months and what the temp is. The only info I can find is 72 degree average? 3. Do wetsuits really make that much of a difference? 4. I'll never go very far into the ocean because I am scared to death of sharks even though I know they can come very close to shore....but me and my dog love to play in the ocean and he can't get enough of retrieving balls. What mil of wetsuit do you suggest? 5. Are wetsuits hard to put on? Is there anything to look for when buying that would make it easier to put on and take off? 6. I was quoted "around $70" for my dog's wetsuit. He is 24 lbs. Is that a good price and is there anything to look for when buying a wetsuit for him? 7. What would be a good price for the kind of wetsuit I am looking for and should I get a one piece or two? 8. Okay, this is a funny question: What is the percentage of people that wear wetsuits just to stay near the coast? Even one person? ha ha ha. I'm feeling like me and my dog are going to be good entertainment with our wetsuits and not leaving the coast. How silly are we going to look? ....seriously I want the serious answer ...not something to make me feel better. If *I* don't look silly then I couldn't care less what someone would think of my dog in a wetsuit though..... but I'm feeling like we may be the only ones.

Odd difference in housing cost:
1. Some of the houses we are looking at are HUGE with a good price and others are SMALL with a HIGH price. Is there anything I need to look out for to not get ripped off or make a bad decision? Are different areas in different price ranges in a big way or are there things to watch out for as in scams and such? (If location makes such a big difference thenwould the fires or distance to beach have anything to do with it?) 2. Some people say they don't use air conditioning and some of the houses don't have AC so I'm wondering if someone that lives in the area within 30 minutes of the Naval Station could tell me the temperature of the inside of their house in summer and winter?

Fog:
1. What is so bad about the June / May gloom? Besides making it a little difficult to drive what are the negatives of fog? Do people just not like it because you can't see very well? ...or are there other reasons?

Thanks so much and I hope I didn't ask too many questions.
Leah

[RD5050]

That is a LOT of questions ....

I'll answer a few.

(1) San Diego Weather

The year-round temperature in San Diego is probably the most comfortable in the entire U.S. If you live near the coast, it rarely drops below 40F during winters, and rarely gets hotter than 90F during summers. It generally says around 60F - 80F most of the year. You practically never need to use heat or A/C.

We get very little rain. It rains mostly during winter, but that's about it. The rest of the year is typically sunny.There are never hurricanes or tropical storms. You may get an occassional severe thunderstorm with heavy rain during the winter, but that's about it.

(2) Earthquakes and Fires

San Diego rarely gets earthquakes of any significance. They are usually just small tremors that you hardly even notice. There are very few major earthquake faults in San Diego.

Fires typically happen during the Fall, and usually happen inland along I-15. If you live in an area surrounded by lots of dry plants and trees, you could be affected. But it is not very common.

(3) Ocean Temp

Summer months are usually when the ocean is at it's warmest (around 70F). During Fall it drops to around low 60's and winter in 50's. Surfers go in all year round. They wear wetsuits so they can stay in the water a long time. But you definitely don't need a wetsuit during the Summer. I wouldn't bother with a wetsuit for your dog. That seems a little extreme. I have never seen a dog with a wetsuit. You may want to wait until you arrive before you buy a wetsuit for yourself. See what others are wearing first.

One thing you may really enjoy is Dog Beach, which is between Ocean Beach and Mission Beach. It's an area set up so dogs can play in the ocean, and run along the beach together.

(4) Air Quality

I can't speak for asthmatics, but in my opinion the air seems very good in San Diego, at least when compared to the smog in Los Angeles. The sky is blue here, and we don't have that brown haze that you sometimes see in LA.

(5) June Gloom / May Gray

During these months we get a lot of cloudy days. But it doesn't rain. Cloudy is actually good, because we get so much sunshine during the majority of the year, that it is nice to have cloudy days once in a while.

[solt530]

That was one of the most annoying posts I've ever read actually. Since when do we get tropical storms and hurricanes in San Diego?

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by solt530

That was one of the most annoying posts I've ever read actually. Since when do we get tropical storms and hurricanes in San Diego?

I completely disagree with you. I think this was a very good post, possibly one of the best I've read here.

I think it's great when people are very specific about the things they want to know about San Diego. It makes helping them much easier.

[kettlepot]

I agree with you RD5050. Posts with specific questions are the best.

Now to the OP.

No one will laugh at you in a wetsuit. EVERYONE will laugh at your dog in a wetsuit - and then probably come up and ask where to get one for their own dog.

There is a vast difference between the climate of various areas of San Diego. 15 miles and east from the coast you will need A/C. 3 Miles from the coast and west you will not need it. In between, it depends on your tolerance for heat, high utility bills and your ability to manage the heat inside your house through open windows, fans, and such. I live 10 miles from the beach. I don't have A/C, and actively manage the summer heat in my house with fans and open windows. A few days out of the year I still wish I had it, but I also love all of the money I save by not indulging my desire for 72 degree temperatures. If your house is going to be sealed up tight all day long because no one will be at home, you will need A/C, otherwise you may not. And if the house is small and the windows are appropriate, a small window unit will do the trick for most people.

Housing costs are also highly dependent on the area. Proximity to the beach is the most consistant but not the only determinant of price.

When you are ready to discuss particular neighborhoods we will be able to give you more specific responses on price and desirability.

To repeat what RD said, there are no tropical storms or hurricanes. Only buildings directly on the beach are effected during the odd El Nino winter storm. Earthquakes really aren't an issue in San Diego. I can't recall a local quake that was above 5.0. And a 5.0 won't even make you get out of bed. Regarding fires, the east of I-15 rule is good for areas north of I-8. South of I-8 the I-15 rule really doesn't work. You might apply a Route 125 rule for south of I-8.

May Gray/June Gloom - there is nothing wrong with May Gray and June Gloom. I love it. It prolongs our spring weather by another 2 months.

[Debdiego]

I have to say your posting was illuminating since we are moving to Charlotte to get away from the rat race here. I was born in LA and raised in Southern California and it has just become too crowded, expensive, and has too much traffic for my tastes. As far as your questions: 1) you can live anywhere and have no problem with hurricanes, etc. The only time I heard this being an issue was a few piers and houses extending over the ocean or on the cliffs over the ocean and the waves affected them. Remember So. Cal. is a desert so there is no issues of rain. In my over 40 years of living here I have only experienced one earth quake that affected my family or myself at all. Just get the gum that sticks on the bottom of things to stick to your shelves if you are worried about it. Also, I know of a few people who anchored their china cabinets with a chain and hook to the wall (just in case). However, it is nothing to concern yourself with exactly. Let me know what you are looking for through PM and what your situation is exactly and I can help point you in the right direction. I am more worried about the flooding in Charlotte since we are moving there in the next couple of months.

[AngelLeah1981]

Thanks RD and KP. I only asked the question about tropical storms and hurricanes because I have received conflicting information from people that do not live there so I thought this would be the best place to find out the truth...and also I am so sick of evacuating because of hurricanes and worrying about my stuff being destroyed that I wanted to make sure of the truth. I'm just sick of it. I'm so glad to be getting out of here.

That's so funny KP. No one will laugh at me in a wetsuit but everyone will laugh at my dog !! ha ha. Well, if that's the case then I'm cool with it. ha ha ha. I don't think people care enough about animal's comfort sometimes. he he. My dog's a wuss and he's spoiled too so.... ha ha. He FREEZES when he has a haircut and it's 72 degrees inside and he BURNS UP when he's out in the sun with no haircut. His tongue hangs out the side of his mouth and he looks like he's about to pass out and he did actually have a heat stroke one time and we hadn't even been outside a long time exercising. Throws hands up in air. ha ha. That's why he has shirts and an Andis clipper set. LOL

Thanks Deb for the info. When I get to SD and have more specific questions I will contact you. Thanks so much and sorry for the delay in response. I had to evacuate because of the hurricane.
Leah

[esmith143]

The water is warmest in July and August, it warms up to 70-75 F. Gets below 50 F in January.

"June gloom" does not make it difficult to drive, it's a cloud layer that hangs 500 feet above ground blocking the sun. A bit depressing but not a big deal.

House prices are high in high-income white and asian areas, low in poor mexican areas. Areas within 2-3 miles from the beach are almost always expensive. (San Diego Bay south of downtown does not count as beach)

[AngelLeah1981]

Thanks for the info.