Help on relocating to San Diego (Santa Monica, Encinitas: apartments, neighborhoods, college)

[onechase]

Hi everyone, thanks in advance for taking the time to read or respond to my post.

I am a 34 year old straight single male considering relocating for a particular job opportunity in the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego. I've lived in Santa Monica for the past 8 years, but I'm originally from New York City. Which neighborhoods of San Diego should I consider living in?

Ideally I would like to be walking distance to at least a couple of good dining/nightlife options, though I consider my partying days pretty much over. I'd love to be near the beach. Walking distance would be ideal. Proximity to bike trails (or bikeable streets) or hiking trails would be fantastic. Since San Diego is so spread out, I think I'd really like to be around some concentration of people in the 25-40 age range. I'm not into cougars or college kids, and my budget is in the $1500-2000 range.

I have been told to consider downtown, La Jolla, UTC, Del Mar and Solana Beach. What is the commuting situation from these places to Rancho Bernardo, and does it seem like any could be a good fit given what I've said? Your thoughts are very much appreciated!

[wonka42]

You're in the same situation I was. I'd recommend North Park which is near Balboa Park. Downtown is pretty dead other than Gaslamp which has a bunch of tourists. Also, it's not convenient to go grocery shopping in downtown. I guess the economy really hit hard so a lot of the retail that was supposed to go on the ground level of these new apartments never went in which sucks because that's the kind of urban lifestyle I prefer.

I'm originally from LA and the traffic in San Diego isn't bad at all especially since you'd be opposite of traffic. Just don't pick a place north of Rancho Bernardo.

[thepinksquid]

I'm assuming you're just needing a 1 bedroom place? If you, $2000/month should be adequate in any of the places above. Rancho Bernardo, FYI, is a place filled mostly with retirees. Poway, which is nearby, is mostly families, very white, and somewhat homogeneous overall (but not necessarily bad, just depends on what you like).

I would look at any of the coastal communities north of Del Mar, as in Encinitas (my fave), Solana Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia. UTC would also be a good choice as well, although it's a little bit overdeveloped/strip mall filled, IMHO.