Moving to San Diego (low income, renting, crime)

[ralph]

If you can't live on a six figure income you are challenged.

[KevinHall]

Originally Posted by BNS

Thinking about relocating to San Diego and need information on the city.
Bad location or good location, crime rate, Christian schools, what are the good areas of town and what are the rental prices?

Welcome! As many have shared, locations can be a relative thing.

[moderator CUT] The traffic is a huge issue in San Diego. I live in Carlsbad and commute to La Jolla every day with a commute that ranges from 35 minutes to an hour typically to travel about 25 miles. By the way you will learn in California we describe distances in travel time, not miles

There are several very good Christian schools in San Diego. In North County there is Tri-City Christian http://schools.privateschoolsreport....anSchools.html and in San Diego there is Horizon Christian
http://www.horizonsd.org/elementary_school.asp (broken link)

Rentals can vary here are a couple of sources that may help
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The other thing about lifestyle besides worship and commute is what activities you want to be involved in (or your kids involved in). We do not have a lot of inclement weather here so there are lots of outside activities all year long.

If you want more info please post more questions or feel free to contact me offline.

ttfn - Kevin

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by Beverly V

After recently moving from the San Diego area, I can give you some information on it. San Diego is a very expensive place to live, unless you have a high paying job. Apartments and houses are hard to find west of I 5. Also, it's cooler with more dampness and ocean breezes. East County is more affordable but you're looking at warmer temperatures and drier air. North County is too pricey and takes too long to commute. South County has some areas of affordability, but you're looking at more crime the closer you get to the border. The downtown area is built up with high rises and high priced condos. My husband and I had a six digit income and could barely make ends meet. When it rained, you're looking at an hour and a half commute to downtown if you're within 20 to 25 miles from there. Too many commuters are impatient and take their impatience out on other drivers making the thought of commuting dreadful. The place is over-populated and over-rated. There is a "fire season" which can be pretty scarey (if you recall the huge fire there a year ago in October). Most of the people are unfriendly and wary of strangers. The people think you're weird if you say good morning to them. They don't bother to hold a door open for you if you're behind them, and if you hold a door for someone behind you, that person doesn't bother to say thank you. Manners have gone out the window. We moved away in June and have no regrets. We wanted a normal life again.

I'm sorry about your experience in San Diego. I feel like I've been treated the same way in Texas.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by BNS

Thinking about relocating to San Diego and need information on the city.
Bad location or good location, crime rate, Christian schools, what are the good areas of town and what are the rental prices?

San Diego is beautiful. If I could afford it I would still be there!! Rancho Bernardo /Poway area is great for families. more expensive though. Great schools too.
East county is probably the cheapest......I recommend Fletcher Hills in La Mesa.

[I Remember]

A great many young professional people are leaving San Diego because of the crime and the poorly run city and being so expensive.. It has been a Good Old Boys City and they have run it into the ground. Now they finally have an efficient minded mayor so things are slowly changing. My first experince with San Diego was in 1943 when I went through Boot Camp. Then I returned to live here in 1952 but it has changed so much like everything in California. I want to leave but am unable to as I'm stuck here. Gas prices in California are far higher than nearly anywhere else. One thing, The climate is super, that makes most everything else worth it.

There is a great Christian School in La Mesa. Crime is a way of life in most areas. It is illegal to defend yourself but on private property, you can carry a weapon.

[nameone]

How far is San Diego and LA?

Thanks to "I remember"'s reply post to my question - I posted an original question: I am thinking about moving to San Diego. But I found more discussion in this thread, so I join in this one.

Too expensive. How about LA? same expensive or less? I am Chinese native, Chinese-american. I read some messages about people manners. That makes me worry a little. Sould I worry about the discrimnation?

[Amore California]

Well nameone, if your priority is to live in a predominately Asian-American (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, South Korean, etc.) neighborhood, check out L.A. County and Orange County. You'll find great Japanese and South Korean neighborhoods in Gardena. In Orange County, the city of Westminister has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam (San Jose is 3rd). Korea Town district in Los Angeles is famous as well.

To truely live in a Chinese-American community in California, one must look at San Francisco's Chinatown - truely incredable.

Irvine has a nice cross-section of Asian-Americans, of which I have many friends living there now.

For me, manners is a state of mind. Sure, one will find the occassionaly person who is rude and unpolite, but in my book, I live my life like how I'd like to be treated - I DO open doors for people, and I DO say thank you (and please). There are rude and nice people everywhere.

Originally Posted by dtsd

...
For example Coronado Island is right across the bay from downtown. By car take the Coronado Bridge, or take a ferry that departs hourly from downtown. It's known for the landmark Hotel Del and offers beaches, golfing, plenty of restaurants and art galleries and not to mention incredible views of San Diego Bay, the ocean, Downtown and Pt. Loma.

For the record, the city of Coronado is NOT on an island; it is part of a peninsula. (The name of the naval station adjacent to Coronado, is just a name - North Island Naval Station.) And it is the Hotel del Coronado.

Originally Posted by dtsd

...
If it weren't for my job I'd rarely go north of the 8. Personally I find far-flung suburbs like those in North County to be nauseatingly boring, not to mention the traffic!

That's funny, I actually feel somewhat the same about the neighborhoods/cities South of Interstate 8. For me, it's just too close to the U.S./Mexico border, and other than traveling to downtown S.D. or the S.D. Airport, I do my best not to go South of I-8. It's great to have choices.

[I Remember]

Originally Posted by nameone

How far is San Diego and LA?

Thanks to "I remember"'s reply post to my question - I posted an original question: I am thinking about moving to San Diego. But I found more discussion in this thread, so I join in this one.

Too expensive. How about LA? same expensive or less? I am Chinese native, Chinese-american. I read some messages about people manners. That makes me worry a little. Sould I worry about the discrimnation?

No there are a lot of people of Chinese, Mexican, German, Arabian, Jewish, Euro american and every one gets along regarding ethnicity. There is a lot of infighting but not because of where you are from.

[CHILTON_TOM]

My family and I (with kids 10, 9 & 8) are working on moving to San Diego from Phoenix. Too hot here and alot more congested now with all of Cali moving here.

We have pinpointed North County as our destination.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by it's too expensive to live there? Are you talking about the housing or everything else too such as food, gas, insurance, etc.

Would you please give more detail on what it entails to live in North County San Diego.

[sadruperick]

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are considering a move to CA almost entirely based upon the weather. That may seem silly, but we live in Portland, OR (though I'm originally from the East Coast and she's lived here her entire life) and it rains here relentlessly.

We're young still: I'm 25 and she's 21. So it's not a problem to try out a new city, either.

School is important to her as she is pre-med. Any advice on the Universities?

It's pretty well known that San Diego is very expensive. What should we consider other than the increased cost of renting an apartment? I've noticed the rent would fall almost the same as what we've paid to live downtown near Portland State University. Gasoline, food, insurance?

I'd like to live near her school; though she may take a term or two off so that's not essential. Living near work would be ideal, too.

And which areas are more affordable with less crime? I really want to be in a safe area - I'm used to dangerous cities, but she is not.

I am also a musician. What's the music scene like? Are there many plances with live music? What kinds of music are most popular?

There's our situation. I'm hoping maybe someone has some advice on where to focus our efforts. San Diego is not the only place we'd live, so if you've got another suggestion that would be great, too.

Thank You!