I am moving to San Diego soon and have only been there once before, for a week. I'd like to know all pros and cons of living there, what the weather is like, what the work situation is like (my husband works with computers), housing costs, etc. I appreciate all responses!!!

Jan,

Where are you coming from? It might help us focus our responses a little better.

Sorry! I'm coming from Chicago (lifetime midwesterner).

Jan:

San Diego is a nice place to live, although like anywhere else, each area has its pros and cons. As for weather, it can't be beat. May and June are usually gloomy (June Gloom) but the rest of the year it is wonderful - usually in the 70s. We get out the jackets when the temperature dips to the low 60s (in other words, we are wimps). Live by the coast if you can. Inland is hot in the summer although you can get more house for your money. We live in the North County Coastal area (Del Mar north) and love it. Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Leucadia, Carlsbad all have their own style. San Diego is not a real cosmopolitan city but it is a nice place to live and raise kids. Houses are expensive, especially the closer you get to the beach. An ocean view in our community would cost an additional $100,000.

There are lots of jobs from what I understand. Working from home, at least in my area, is very common. Biotech is big here (in the UCSD area).

Good luck!

I live in San Diego. San Diego is a great area to live in. Like any other city there are good and bad areas. I personally prefer the North County area. Contrary to what the other poster said, living by the coast is not necessarily the best. It all depends what you like. We far prefer the inland valleys such as Poway. We could live either at the coast or inland but choose inland on purpose. Generally speaking the coast is cooler, damper and foggier. Some people like that. We prefer the drier, warmer, and sunnier weather. There can often be a temperature differential of 15-20 degrees between the coast and inland. Another consideration is schools. The Poway school district which includes the city of Poway and the Rancho Bernardo/Peñaquitos area of San Diego is rated as one of the top school districts in the state.

I cannot think of any real cons to living here. Often what is one person's con is another person's pro. I am sure that many others can point those out. The pros to living here are numerous. First, the weather of course. San Diego is very homey and not like living in a big city even though it is the 6th largest in the country. Many outdoor activities that can be enjoyed all year around. Nice neighborhoods.

The job situation for hi-tech is very good. Working with computers does not give me much insight as to what kind of work you are interested in. Is he a software or hardware engineer, systems administrator or what? I am a computer consultant specializing in software and ssytems design. There are a lot of jobs in that field especially if he has telecommunications experience. Unemployment is very low and there is definitely a shortage of workers.

Housing costs vary all over the place according to neighborhood, size of house, etc. A typical 2500 sq. ft. house in the inland North County will probably cost somewhere between $300,000-$450,000. The coastal areas will be somewhat higher.

After living in San Diego for 25 years, I can tell you that the only major con for me was that traffic has become a nightmare. And it will only continue to get worse. Although the trolley, train and busses do offer some decent public transportation you will not find it as accomadating as Chicago. Southern California means primary dependence on a car. I think that the above poster would agree that, although Poway is a wonderful place to live, the commute on I-15 has gotten pretty bad. So my suggestion to you is to try to find housing that is relatively close to your employment.

Paul:

I am definitely in agreement with the traffic situation on I-15. It has become a parking lot during commute time which is now much longer than a few years back. It is only going to get worse for the next few years with all of the new housing along the I-15 corridor. There will be some relief when Hwy 56 is completed.

Having said that, there are alternatives. For example there are a lot of high tech jobs available in areas such as Rancho Bernardo that do not require traveling on any freeways. I did not mention traffic as a con because my experience is that traffic is a big problem in any large city in the country. It is true that public transportation is certainly not what it could be in San Diego.

Thank you so much for the replies! It was very helpful. Having said that - I come from a small town in the midwest, I am used to that "small town" atmosphere and friendliness...what can I expect in San Diego?

San Diego is a large city that definitely does NOT have a large city feel to it. It is really a collection of varied communities and small cities. I think that you will find that the natives are pretty friendly here.