Thoughts on living in Santa Barbara, San Diego, or LA (Los Angeles: apartment, crime)

[tiffhiker]

Apparently I've lost my mind completely (just ask my family and co-workers) and quit my job in Phoenix with the hopes of relocating to the coast. I work in the schools and am bound with contracts, limiting my ability to move during the school year (just in case any of you are already forming your ideas that I'm also crazy for being willingly jobless in this economy!). I've been applying for jobs in the greater San Diego and LA areas but also snuck in an application for Santa Barbara without ever seeing the place. I've since visited to interview and loved it.

I now am trying to decide between the three cities with the hopes that I'll have an offer in at least one of them. I'm hoping some of you have lived in a few of these spots and can give me your input - visiting the cities for a few days isn't really helping me all that much. Here's what I'm looking for (in this particular order):

1. Vibrant neighborhoods with bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.
2. Studio or 1-BR apartment for $1400 or less...that is within walking distance (1/2 mile) of #1. This is non-negotiable!
3. Access to the beach - don't mind driving but would really like to be able to walk or bike. Public transport would also be okay.
4. Access to hiking and outdoor adventures

I didn't include the warm, sunny climate as I think they all fit the bill here. I also think they all offer farmers markets and good restaurants too. I'm not a big shopper, so that's not a huge issue to me. As far as neighborhood safety goes, I live in a historic neighborhood in downtown Phoenix. This also falls under the "is she freakin' crazy?" label in my friends' and family's eyes. Sure, there are some homeless folks roaming around, but it's one of the few places in the Valley that I can walk to go eat and live in an apartment built in the 40s. And I've experienced zero crime in the three years I've lived here. I do need a place I can walk around after dark though - gotta get home from those bars and restaurants somehow! However, there aren't any little neighborhood areas here in Phoenix with several options in one spot (like North Park or University Heights in San Diego).

So, let me know your thoughts...can I (mid-30s with boyfriend in tow) get this in Santa Barbara? I have all along thought I was San Diego bound, but I really loved the feel of SB and how I could really get #1-4 fairly easily. Is it too small though? Will I get bored after 6 months or a year? What are the culture options? How easy is it to get to LA? (I didn't see any train options there aside from the occasional Amtrak - did I miss something?)

Thanks so much for your input!
Tiffani

[Garden gal]

I have lived in SB and San Diego. I love SB, but also love university Heights, North Park, and Pacific Beach. Any of those places is fun. In your price range, you may find a 1 bedroom apt.., but that is more like a studio price. I found San Diego cheaper than SB and there is a lot more action. SB has more beauty IMO. I do not like LA. I grew up near there, my family lives there, and the traffic is horrible. Traffic is bad in San Diego too, and bottlenecks in SB around Milpas. You may love LA though, that is just me. Good luck! I am a teacher too, so I know a bit about education in each place as well.

[sdflip]

I apologize in advance for hijacking this thread. We are moving to Santa Barbara this summer and have some concerns about the public education there, especially at the high school level. Like the OP we are excited to move to a scenic beach town and are hopeful it's not too small town/remote feeling. Do you have any input on SB High or Dos Pueblos High? We have been told these are our best options in the area. Is there a great difference between the quality of academics between the two? Are both funded enough to make it through the great budget cuts looming? And to the OP what were your impressions of the district after your interview?

[tiffhiker]

Garden gal - Thanks for the input! I was originally dead set on SD, but after looking for a school job since April 2011, I broadened my search. I have a friend in LA who thinks I would love it there (certain neighborhoods with names that are now escaping me - maybe something near West LA, Santa Monica, Venice, etc.). I applied to SB on a whim without ever having been there...and, of course, that would be the ONE district that called. The traffic there (even driving north of the city on the 101 and on through Pasadena) has been atrocious everytime I've been there, but I know I'd have to commute if I got a job as the postings have all been in the eastern suburbs.

sdflip - To be honest (and again possibly speaking to my mind loss), I don't know jack about the district. I've been applying for each and every job between SB and SD as long as the districts aren't exclusively in the ghetto. The neighborhood surrounding SB High looked nice enough, but that obviously doesn't tell you much. I didn't see the other high schools while I was there last week. I do have a second interview Tuesday, so I'm hoping to find out more about the district and spend a little more time checking out the city. I was impressed with the character of the city but have this nagging feeling about its size.

Perhaps there are some SB folks out there that can give some input on the school situation? How 'bout the small town feel - does it feel like a small town after a year or two? How easy is it to get to LA for concerts and "big city" events? Does UCSB bring in any entertainment, or is it too small?

[stockpoet]

I do think you are crazy for quitting your job but if you've already made your choice than I suggest casting a wide net as far as where to live and work. I too quit my job in search of a better life so I'm not being judgmental just in hindsight I can see my own decision was crazy. I have been looking for work for about 7 months and I search day and night. I have just recently been selected as a finalist for a job in Santa Barbara through incredible hard work to even get the interview in the first place. It's been my dream to live in Santa Barbara and I am now on the verge of achieving that dream but the cost mentally and financially has been very great. And even now I may lose the dream so close to realizing it as the competition for jobs in this area is INSANE! Also employers interview way more people and take way longer to reach their choice than before. Secondly sometimes at the last minute they decide to cancel the job and you have done a lot of work for nothing. Had I known how stressful navigating the Santa Barbara job market would be and what it would cost me to get this close there is no way I would have quit my job without first securing another. And I can tell you this if I get this job and if I come to hate it I will NOT quit it without having a second job secured.

That said I would seriously consider Los Angeles. I personally don't want to live there but it's not a bad place. There are many more good paying jobs there than Santa Barbara. I am all for living your dreams but this economy is BRUTAL and does not lend itself to accommodating wishful thinking. I hope your savings are plentiful and your costs are low you may need them.

[tiffhiker]

Just to follow up - I did get the job, so I'll most likely take it. There is still the nagging feeling that the place will be too small, but I can do anything for a year. Now I'm in that fun place of trying to find a place to live that's not too exorbitant. Good luck, right? Still open to hearing from folks about the size of the city.....

[Garden gal]

I don't think it is too small at all! I love SB and urban San Diego too. It is just easier to get to everything in SB as it is physically smaller. There is tons of stuff to do, plus the beaches are sooo nice. Try Butterfly Beach in Montecito. It is like being in Europe.

[kdb05f]

OP: Congrats on getting the job. If you are still looking for feedback on this you might get a little more in a different subforum. None of the 3 places on your list is in Ventura County.