LA/OCer moving to SD - need recs on neighborhoods near downtown (San Diego: apartments, day care) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

shamlet96 · 12-02-2009, 12:10 PM

Hi everyone - I've been lurking for a bit and many of the threads here have been very useful. I am a native OCer and after spending the past year in Pasadena (with five years on the east coast before that, including two in nyc), I am preparing to move to San Diego for a new job, in downtown. I am looking for recs for a safe neighborhood for a single female in her early 30s. Right now I am considering North Park, Golden Hill, and Hillcrest. I want a quiet neighborhood, close to shopping and cafes, etc., but am not all that interested in night life. My budget is arond $1000/mo for a 1-bdrm. I also have a small dog and would love to be near a dog park if possible. Also, if anyone has suggestions on inexpensive monthly parking near downtown, I'd REALLY appreciate it. Most of the ones I have seen are around $200/mo, which seems daunting. I was considering the bus, but I will have drop off my dog at doggy day care in the morning, and I am not sure they will let her on it. So most likely I will have to drive. Thanks for any suggestions in advance.

cruitr · 12-02-2009, 01:28 PM

Ocean Beach is a very dog-friendly area. OB is safe, walkable, but not always quiet.

Here's a place in OB near Dog Beach:
Ocean Beach, duplex right across from Dog Beach, prime location!!!! (http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/apa/1489967166.html - broken link)

About 5 miles to downtown San Diego.

kettlepot · 12-02-2009, 01:59 PM

1/1's in Hillcrest for $1000 may be hard to come by. Rents in Hillcrest are bumped up because of the proximity of the area to the hospitals.

Don't forget to search for apartments/cottages under the South Park neighborhood name. South Park is the area to the east of Balboa Park between North Park to the northeast and Golden Hill to the south. South Park does have housing in your price range. It is also very walkable and has plenty of interesting shops and eateries along 30th Street. Plus it is very close to Downtown. It's not as close as Golden Hill, but it has a better reputation.

If your dog is small, and well behaved, you could always try to sneak him on board the bus by hiding him in your purse. I've seen and heard plenty of tales of women sneaking dogs into all sorts of places by doing this. If your dog is bigger, the other option is to find some kind of doggie coat that says "Service Dog" on it. It isn't just the blind who have dogs. I hate to see someone pay $200 a month and add another car to the road because of the need to drop your dog off at doggie daycare. By the way, where IS your doggie daycare? If you could live near it, you could walk your dog there in the morning before you got on the bus.

shamlet96 · 12-02-2009, 02:37 PM

thanks for the advice. the doggy day care place i'm most likely considering is on 11th and Market, I believe. I am considering walking her there and then taking the bus, if possible. Alternatively i could drive her there, drive home, and then take the bus to work, but that would probably waste more time than I'd like. She's not small enough for me to fit her in my purse, though (she's about 12 lbs). she's definitely quiet and well-behaved, but I'm sure i'd get in trouble (i would feel a little guilty trying the service dog thing, lol, although it is a smart idea). I will look into South Park for sure - thanks for the info!

shamlet96 · 12-02-2009, 02:40 PM

And i will check out ocean beach too, though it's a little more $$ than i'd like to spend, I think. thanks!

leighland · 12-02-2009, 03:31 PM

Looks like you can take your sweet little doggie:
"If you take your pet (any non-service animal) on the Bus or Trolley, it must be fully contained inside an enclosed carrier which you are able to transport by yourself and which you can hold on your lap. Non-service animals must be kept under the control of their handler at all times. Noise or odor may give cause for refusal to transport the animal."

[url=http://www.sdmts.com/Rules_for_Riding.asp]SDMTS - Rules for Riding on Buses and Trolley[/url]

Too bad the noise and odor rule isn't enforced on the tweekers 24/7 :

:

shamlet96 · 12-02-2009, 04:52 PM

wow, that's good to know. but i don't know if her carrier will quite fit on my lap. also, does anyone know if public transit is pretty reliable in SD? i've never used it before so i'm a little wary.

moved · 12-02-2009, 05:34 PM

Where downtown will you be working in relation to 11th & Market (Furry Tales?) If you have one of those soft-sided carriers, it'll fit on your lap without a problem, even a hard case would work. As long as your dog is well-behaved, it's not a problem on public transportation. The bus drivers are usually pretty good, though.

shamlet96 · 12-02-2009, 07:29 PM

I'll be in the federal building, on Front Ave., right near Horton Plaza. I will try to have to get her used to her carrier again - she hasn't used it since she was a baby! I'm afraid she'd whine loudly if I kept her in there the whole ride. Thanks for the suggestion.

f_m · 12-02-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamlet96

I'll be in the federal building, on Front Ave., right near Horton Plaza. I will try to have to get her used to her carrier again - she hasn't used it since she was a baby! I'm afraid she'd whine loudly if I kept her in there the whole ride. Thanks for the suggestion.

Well, if you work there, Santa Fe station is the main bus, trolley, train station downtown, so if you could walk the few blocks to and from, you have lots of options for public transportation.

On the west side of Balboa park is one of the dog parks.