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Old 04-21-2009, 07:25 PM
 
Location: Pace, FL
1 posts, read 4,433 times
Reputation: 11

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I am a Marine Corps pilot moving west this summer and will be stationed at MCAS Miramar. I am married and have four kids and two house-trained dogs. We are trying to find the best place to live in the Miramar area. My oldest son is in high school and will start his Junior year this upcoming year and wants to go to a high school with ROTC. We are looking for a 5 bd/>2 ba house for mid July. With that many kids, obviously are on a budget and can't afford a really expensive house.

Can anyone recommend good family living locations around Miramar and what would the approximate commute time for the location be? Also any high schools in the area that definitely have ROTCs?
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Old 04-22-2009, 01:02 AM
 
Location: Escondido, CA
1,504 posts, read 6,149,881 times
Reputation: 886
You did not specify your budget, and whether you're looking at buying or renting. If you're going to be renting, it may be a bit challenging to find a place that would allow two dogs, but not impossible.

Mira Mesa neighborhood directly north of MCAS Miramar is a decent place to live, not snobby but okay. It has two high schools, Mira Mesa High (serves the entire neighborhood) and Scripps Ranch High (optional at the eastern end of the neighborhood, towards I-15, and exclusive in Scripps Ranch neighborhood east of I-15). Scripps Ranch High is a very good school and Mira Mesa High is decent too. Both have Air Force JROTC. If you can afford it, Scripps Ranch is preferable, but Mira Mesa is a good choice too.
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Old 04-22-2009, 04:34 AM
 
Location: San Diego, CA
4,897 posts, read 8,315,282 times
Reputation: 1911
If Mira Mesa is out of your price range then you'll have to go east on the 52 to Tierra Santa or Santee.

BTW Scripps Ranch High and Mira Mesa High score identically on the state wide tests so I'm not sure what esmith is using to claim one is better then the other. I guess s/he means that Scripps is newer (built in 1993) then Mira Mesa (built in 1977) but they're both well maintained and well ranked.
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Old 04-22-2009, 05:15 AM
 
Location: Ca2Mo2Ga2Va!
2,735 posts, read 6,733,397 times
Reputation: 1813
I'd pick Scripps over Mira Mesa in a heartbeat. Not sure if Santee has ROTC programs, but worth a look!

My husband was in the Corps and we were stationed in 29 Palms...Lots of great memories Good luck to you!
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Old 04-22-2009, 10:24 AM
 
982 posts, read 1,099,530 times
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I lived in Mira Mesa for years. Moved out b/c of the schools. There is also a gang problem. Mira Mesa has a pretty high crime rate. If at all possible, move to Scripps Ranch (very close) or Poway (15 min commute). Much better schools. And my criteria is for saying Scripps is better than Mira Mesa is the instances of fights, etc., drug arrests and the like. Not necessarily test scores.
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Old 04-22-2009, 10:55 AM
 
9,525 posts, read 30,465,926 times
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Not sure if I would consider MM high to be decent anymore. Some may argue differently. Most people who care about such things send their kids to Scripps Ranch if they can.
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Old 04-22-2009, 11:49 AM
 
Location: Escondido, CA
1,504 posts, read 6,149,881 times
Reputation: 886
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oerdin View Post
If Mira Mesa is out of your price range then you'll have to go east on the 52 to Tierra Santa or Santee.

BTW Scripps Ranch High and Mira Mesa High score identically on the state wide tests so I'm not sure what esmith is using to claim one is better then the other. I guess s/he means that Scripps is newer (built in 1993) then Mira Mesa (built in 1977) but they're both well maintained and well ranked.
Tierrasanta is even more expensive than Mira Mesa. Santee is a possibility but there may not be a ROTC out there.

Scripps Ranch High consistently gets somewhat higher ratings than Mira Mesa High on tests like API. But Mira Mesa High got rank 8 (between 70th and 80th percentile of all high schools statewide) for the last 5+ years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassberto
Not sure if I would consider MM high to be decent anymore. Some may argue differently. Most people who care about such things send their kids to Scripps Ranch if they can.
In terms of API test scores again: out of 63 major public high schools in the county, last year Mira Mesa High ranked 14th, Scripps Ranch High ranked 8th. Not a bad showing. University City High was 26th. I don't know about intangibles such as gang presence.

Last edited by esmith143; 04-22-2009 at 12:05 PM..
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Old 04-22-2009, 11:50 AM
 
105 posts, read 298,298 times
Reputation: 83
I had no idea that Mira Mesa was supposed to be a bad area. I suppose it's all relative. When I came out to house hunt last year, Mira Mesa was high on my list, along with Poway, Scripps, etc.

OP, have you considered housing? I have friends that live in military housing at Miramar and the nearby Murphy Canyon (Tierrasanta) and they love it. I know for a fact that Murphy Canyon allows dogs. If you would like more info, feel free to ask.
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Old 04-22-2009, 11:54 AM
 
9,525 posts, read 30,465,926 times
Reputation: 6435
Quote:
Originally Posted by CocoaGoddess View Post
I had no idea that Mira Mesa was supposed to be a bad area. I suppose it's all relative. When I came out to house hunt last year, Mira Mesa was high on my list, along with Poway, Scripps, etc.
It's not a bad area. It's just surrounded by some very wealthy areas and many of the residents of those surrounding areas consider it "bad".
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Old 04-22-2009, 12:02 PM
 
105 posts, read 298,298 times
Reputation: 83
Okay well .... I don't have a particularly high tolerance for bad areas, but I honestly did not get a gutter vibe from Mira Mesa. Yes it's a little rundown and not as well cared for as say, Scripps Ranch, but it didn't seem ghetto to me.

But thinking about it, it's probably the presence of all of the strip malls and shopping centers that drags the area down.

I don't know the OPs rank or how much he gets in BAH, but with a spouse and four children, he would probably get the most for his money in housing. Set BAH, air conditioning, no utilities, and space for his dogs.
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