Young professional family moving from LA - Bird Rock, Mission Hills, Pt Loma, Solana or other? (Corona: houses, neighborhoods)

[mbtosd]

Hello! We are going to move in the new year from LA's Southbay (Manhattan Beach specifically for anyone familiar) to the SD area. My husband will be working in Little Italy, and our budget is realistic for a house we'd be happy with in any of the areas we've narrowed it down to (we are more concerned w location and not as picky about the structure, I understand we'd be getting less house in some areas we've shortlisted than others). Looking for a combo of several of these features in the location we choose:

Walkability to restaurants, bars, shops is a +
Walk or bike to something cool to do outdoors as a family (could be dock to get on SUP's in bay, sandy beach, hiking trails, whatever, we are active and like it all)
Great public elementary a must (not as adamant about high school, our kids are 1 & 4 and we might not be here forever)
Views (if not ocean, views of city hills, anything pretty that doesn't feel 'boxed in' would be great)
Short commute to downtown ideal but we'd consider somewhere like Solana that's right along the train line so he at least wouldn't have to drive it
Vibrant, not a 'cookie cutter' suburban feel, not super sleepy small town feel either (I find Del Mar too sleepy / staid from the time I've spent there, maybe I'm wrong. Not sure about Solana)
Lots of young families + sense of community (big priority)
Airport noise not deafening

Right now we are narrowing in on:

Bird Rock area of La Jolla
Mission Hills (seems like north mission hills is swankier and some houses have views, but the area isn't walkable)
Point Loma (ruled out Liberty Station b/c of airport noise so left w not walkable areas like Sunset Cliffs and Wooded Area)
Solana Beach (people seem to throw this out as the 'manhattan beach' of the area a lot, so thought we should consider)

My question is does this seem like a proper short list given our priorities? Anything you'd add or eliminate? Any of these areas jump out as clear winner given our wish list?

Thank you for any feedback!

[RosieSD]

Have you already ruled out Coronado, Kensington and South Park? Those three areas would match almost everything on your "wish list" and be more convenient to Little Italy than Solana Beach.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Solana Beach; I have family members who live there and I've always liked it. But, if Del Mar is "too sleepy" for your tastes, then Solana Beach may be as well. Of course, only you can decide that.

Good luck with your move.

[bloom]

Your list is pretty good, mbtosd. Point Loma may not have the best of the elementary schools of the hoods you listed but it may have good enough ones as I know someone there but I don't know. There is Point Loma HS for later which is ok-to-good enough.
Coronado is kind of like Pleasantville - not cookie cutter per se, but a bit isolated and small townish.
Kensington and S. Park don't have good enough schools - (not) surprising above did not know.

[someguy10]

Originally Posted by mbtosd

Right now we are narrowing in on:

Bird Rock area of La Jolla
Mission Hills (seems like north mission hills is swankier and some houses have views, but the area isn't walkable)
Point Loma (ruled out Liberty Station b/c of airport noise so left w not walkable areas like Sunset Cliffs and Wooded Area)
Solana Beach (people seem to throw this out as the 'manhattan beach' of the area a lot, so thought we should consider)

My question is does this seem like a proper short list given our priorities? Anything you'd add or eliminate? Any of these areas jump out as clear winner given our wish list?

Thank you for any feedback!

I'm a fan of the Bird Rock area. View properties are going to be quite pricey, but you said you'd done your research and they're within range.

[NYSD1995]

I don't feel like any of those areas really have lots of kids. Point Loma maybe.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I don't feel like any of those areas really have lots of kids. Point Loma maybe.

MH now has a decent number of kids though not as much as cookie-cutter carmel v.

[mbtosd]

Thank you all. We will also consider Coronado, though I was a little worried about feeling isolated or a weird vacation vibe, it seems to check a lot of the boxes! (and what's wrong with living with a vacation vibe, I guess? ; )

Correct about schools in South Park and Kensington - Pt Loma seems to have a few great elementary schools w the rest good enough.

In Bird Rock, we wouldn't be looking at expansive ocean view properties, maybe something w an ocean peak and more of a fixer upper, which we could deal with if the neighborhood was walkable and we loved the sense of community or otherwise felt drawn to the area more than the others. My friend there with little ones swears it's crawling with young kids. Great to hear there are enough young families in Mission Hills, I love the old spanish style houses there and the proximity to downtown, so it might end up topping our list! (though giving up easier beach access)

Carmel Valley is enticing in a way - a lot more house for your $ with views, yards, pools, I know it's tons of families and tight community and great schools - but the cookie cutter thing is a turn off, and it's a bit further to commute.

We have a lot to deliberate and go see in person. Thank you all for your help!

[bloom]

To add, for Point Loma, there is the Explorer Elementary school which seems v. good; it is tied to High Tech High and Middle schools, which have v. project oriented curricula.
I think most cannot like both Carmel Valley suburbia And the other more personality-charmed neighborhoods you listed; one or other.

[NYSD1995]

OP unless there is a reason to be close-in and you can afford it, I would look at Del Mar or Encinitas, exponentially more kids than anywhere central and better schools. Not sleepy or staid at all, actually busy and trafficky

[mbtosd]

Thanks, we are going to check them out. The reason to stay close in would be the commute. If we moved right near a train station, my husband could take the train, which would at least make it more bearable! I have spent a bit of time in Del Mar - you're right, sleepy isn't the right word. I guess w several towns that I tend to lump together like La Jolla (the cove, not the Bird Rock area), Laguna, Carmel & Del Mar, I feel like the shops are oriented towards ritzy child-free adult tourists more than locals. Our town of Manhattan Beach is going more & more this way and it's becoming less functional for us. Upscale women's wear and art / jewelry galleries don't count as heavily in terms of stuff to walk to and frequent as a different assortment of businesses would for us. But, I'm sure there are businesses and pockets I didn't notice on just a few weekends in Del Mar.

I'm trying to get a read on Point Loma and young families - the drawbacks to that area for us right now seem like not having parks or shops within walking distance (if we moved to the Sunset Cliffs or Wooded areas), and being right under the flight path if we moved to the Liberty Station area.

It's all the usual tradeoffs that we never quite nailed in LA - yards vs views vs walkability vs beach proximity
vs affordability ; )