Last month, I spent a too short week in San Diego/Escondido. So what if shacks start at high 400’s. The SLOWEST I drove on 15 was 75 mph. I can never go that fast here in Western Washington–not even when the compulsory speedlimit is 70 mph (which very few Western Washingtonians are capable of maintaining for more than 2 or 3 miles). Oh man, it was December, 70 to 75 at La Holla and 80ish inland. I had a good laugh at the cyclilsts wearing full length tights and arm warmers. Oh how I wish … Was it just me, or did it seem the people in SD are less pretentious than the folks in Los Angeles (no offence to STers in LA/Orange Co. I love that area too.). Good sushi too. Some damn good restaurants in general. Sunshine. Did I mention it was December, and 70 to 75 on the coast, 80 inland? Did I mention that I could get from the North end of Escondido to Sea World in like 20 25 minutes? The same trip in Western Washington would take 45 minutes to an hour? Why oh why should I not drop everything and move? I’m in love…
As Ferris might say … “If you have the means, I would highly recommend it.”
Sure, SD traffic isn’t LA traffic … but it still sucks. And housing, damn … if you could find something for 400K, snap it up. That’s about what an average house in LV is going for now, and LV used to be cheap.
My sister and bro-in-law live abot 70 miles in-land, and their nice average house was in the 400-500K range, and it’s nothing special. And, he commutes nearly an hour each way (she’s a stay at home mommy).
But the weather is sublime, and the area is beautiful. SD or the Bay Area, either way … as close as one can get to paradise … if you can pay the price of admission.
Uh…the median house price is $500K and that’s not for a ‘nice’ median house.
But that is really the only reason not to move here. But if you do move here, you have to live close to the coast and whereever your job is. The 15 does turn into a parking lot M-F in the mornings and evenings.
Oh, and bring a girlfriend, there hard to come by here. (for some of us)
Hold on brother, home prices are heading down. The frenzy is over already, with some exceptions here and there.
But you are wrong about the traffic. Most of the time that Sea World drive is more like an hour. Hell, it’s 20 mins from the San Diego State area (~10 miles inland).
SD is definitely more mellow than LA, no question.
earthquakes
fires
f-ed up state government
brown-outs
high prices
traffic
boarder issues
high likelyhood of skin cancer from all the sunshine
crazy people
housing issues
you ae probably not a good looking as all the other SD
natives
but ithas a great tri scene so go for it. you can always live in a frig box under a bridge with a lot of other well educated folks ;}
Well, I have spent most of my life in western washington and I still maintain that it is the best place in the world, especially from June to September. But after 5 years of school in Illinois, I don’t know that I could pass up SD now (last season I had only 50 miles on the bike outside at the beginning of april).
Yes, thank you. Brain was thinking “Hoya” and fingers just followed along.
As far as traffic, perhaps I hit the road mostly during off-peak times, but I’m tellin’ ya, that in Western Washington, at any time, it’s a miricle if you do even FIVE over for more than a mile or three before someone decides to camp in the left lane and do one mph UNDER the limit.
Housing: I hear the horror stories about half-mil cracker boxes, but are salaries higher to make up for it?
The Good:
-The weather
-The beach
-The riding
-The food
-The women (I think its got to be the highest per capita of women to men in the world!!!)
The Bad:
-The housing
-The electric bill
-The water bill
-The bankrupt local gov’t that will have to raise taxes, again
-The crowds
-The traffic
-The people that don’t work and drive you crazy cause they are surfing at 10am on a tuesday, and spend the whole day there (I swear no one in this town works)
-Spoiled rich kids
I moved here from Colorado Springs 3 years ago. I love it, but not going to be my permenent locale. Maybe back to Colorado, or even Texas. SD is a great place to live, but it gets to you after a while
I love SD and visit as much as possible, but everyone I know that stayed down there (literally half the bay area goes to SD for college) still surfs all day and waits tables or bartends part time. I’m sure this changes as people get older, most my buddies are 26 or so, but the area seems to extent college lifestyle all the way through 20’s, or longer.
If I could afford to not work there is no question I’d be down there. Don’t think I could hold down a demanding office job down there though.
There is a bubble in the SD housing market and once it bursts the fallout will be terrific. Same applies if you live in Tampa FL, Spokane WA, Phoenix AZ, Denver CO, or Fairfax VA. Once interests rate go up it is the beginning of the end.
So if you move there think about renting. Up the road you will be in line to snatch up some bargains. Might be able to do the same on SUVs etc.
Take a look at the success of a stock Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA).
<< The Bad:
-The housing
-The electric bill
-The water bill
I wonder about that? Granted I have a 2 bedroom apartment not a house, but my gas/electric bill combined averages $35 a month. With the weather here I rarely use the heater and don’t need A/C. When I lived in Mobile, AL, my electric/gas bill combined averaged about $120 a month. Running the A/C 8 months of the year is expensive.
Another good reason to live in San Diego, you can surf in the morning and snow ski in the afternoon if you want during the winter. Snowy hill tops are only 90 minutes away, even when it is 75 degrees here on the coast.
Yes, thank you. Brain was thinking “Hoya” and fingers just followed along.
As far as traffic, perhaps I hit the road mostly during off-peak times, but I’m tellin’ ya, that in Western Washington, at any time, it’s a miricle if you do even FIVE over for more than a mile or three before someone decides to camp in the left lane and do one mph UNDER the limit.
Housing: I hear the horror stories about half-mil cracker boxes, but are salaries higher to make up for it?
Brett
Comp is very low for “normal” professional desk jobs. Things like sales, entrepreneurial stuff, docs, lawyers, etc., pay the same as anyplace else.
Your traffic complaints are a joke! Dude, I15 can be 55 under the speed limit for miles…
The tri and du competition is soooooo deep and soooooo tough that you’ll NEVER, EVER even come close to placing high enough in your AG to get an award or qualify for one of the IMNA races, or IMH.
Naaaaaaaaah! I used to live in North San Diego County (Poway), and it was the BEST time I EVER had.
Housing costs have risen and unfortunately it seems as though salaries haven’t budged!!