Help!! Moving to Cali and don't know where to go (San Diego: rental, crime rates)

[nhorne04]

I am moving from Mass to California, husband just got a job in san diego. We have a 4 year old and i am looking for a nice area to move to. Some of the places we were looking at were solana beach, imperial beach, chula vista, and temecula. He doesn't mind a commute but i'm looking for a safe place to live that's fairly close to shopping areas or stuff thats family friendly. We are renting so our price range is about $1600 a month for 2-3 bedroom. We've heard la jolla is a good place but a little pricey so just looking for advice on places to move and what areas have lower crime.

[lexi]

I'm not sure about the other area's but Temecula would definitly be a fit
if he didn't mind making that commute. Temecula is safe, family friendly,
beautiful, has a mall, lot's of good restaurants... all that you ask for
and you could find a nice place for that rent. The downfall is traffic in town
is a little heavy... weather is great too. A little hot in the summer compared to San Diego but it cools down around 4 and is cool all night long.
Good Luck!

[lexi]

Let me add that I've heard Imperial beach and Chula Vista have high
crime rates ... Otay Mesa is supposed to be a safer area but I've been there
and it felt kind of packed in... crowded you know?
not sure about Solano Beach. Carlsbad is really nice but
probably high rents... San Marcos is also supposed to be lower crime
you can check rents on craigslist.

[Starrynight227]

I would say try Poway. It's family friendly, good schools, and somewhat less expensive than surrounding areas.

[lexi]

I forgot about Poway... that would be an excellent choice!

[nhorne04]

thanks! we've been searching everywhere and are going to take a trip out there to look at the different areas to see which one seems the best.

[D Haines]

If we had to chose a place to live in the San Diego area it would be CARLSBAD. This is such a cute town and away from the congestion you would find in San Diego. Only 20 min (approx) away from downtown S.D. If we were not going up to Northern Cal, this would be the place for us!

Good luck!!

[lexi]

Ooops... I didn't mean Otay Mesa was better than CHula Vista...
I meant Eastlake was better crime wise etc than Chula Vista but again
I found Eastlake to be crowded feeling. Carlsbad, Poway, Encinitas (not
escondido) Rancho Bernardo are the nicest in the San Diego area for an
affordable rental price. I think really Temecula would cost more in gas
for your husband and with the difference you could rent in Poway etc..and
be closer to his work.

[northcountystooge]

The first thing that jumps out to me about those locations is how spread out they are from each other. How did you arrive at them? I'd pick Solana Beach if price was no object. It's a small sliver of a city, 13,000 people or so and pretty expensive. Maybe you could find a 2 BR apt there for $1600. I dunno, not having shopped rents in SB.

I'd recommend exhausting San Diego County communities before trying Temecula. It's a pretty nasty commute south on I-15. The tradeoff is you'll get more house/townhouse there than most places down south. I mostly concur with Lexi, although I don't know that I'd recommend Temecula for its dining options. It's chain-restaurant comfort zone all the way, but there are always exceptions to conventional wisdom (maybe Old Town Temecula, wineries and Pechanga, for starters). IMHO, all the tract housing detracts from T-Town's natural aesthetics, which are especially pleasant following a decent rainy season.

[nhorne04]

My husband used to live in temecula but that was awhile ago. He was the one that came up with the cities to live in because he has family in temecula but isn't set on living there. He doesn't mind a commute to san diego but also wanted to find a place to live that is low in crime and affordable. Its a change of lifestyle for me, so we are hoping to find something a little more on the suburban side. I am from mass so going to cali is a little scary, and safety is a major concern especially i have a 3 year old and expect to have more soon. I know once i get settled in and get to know the different areas then we plan to buy. He hasn't been there for 4 years and just wanted to get some advice on what the different areas are like now. And Thanks everyone for all your help!