San Diego
 

Hello,<BR><BR>I will be relocating to San Diego in March 2002, and I am in need of advice about living (not just visiting) there. I have found surprisingly few websites on the subject.<BR><BR>Here are some of the things I need:<BR><BR>1) Tips on finding a cheap, decent apartment<BR><BR>2) Vegan (or vegan-friendly) restaurants; cheapness is, again, a bonus<BR><BR>3) Laws and practices regarding smoking<BR><BR>4) Animal rights groups in the area<BR><BR>5) The job situation and standard wages in the area<BR><BR>6) Leftwing political activity in San Diego (or California in general)<BR><BR>7) Feminist groups in San Diego<BR><BR>8) Noise ordinances<BR><BR>If anyone here can help, please post or, even better, e-mail me. I would love to have a casual e-mail pal or two based in San Diego so I can ask more questions as they arise. In return, I'll gladly tell you all about Huntsville, Alabama...or not, as your preference may be.

Why on earth are you even considering relocating to a place you know nothing about and where you don't have a job?

Although I do agree with the previous poster, here are some web sites to try.<BR>www.sandiego.gov - the official site of the City of San Diego;<BR>www.uniontrib.com - local newspaper with ads for rentals and job opportunities;<BR>www.sdinsider.com - also has jobs, rentals and other general information.<BR><BR>In California, you cannot smoke in any public building, or in any building used by the public - eg restaurants, bars, offices, etc.<BR><BR>In San Diego, nothing is cheap. Housing is very expensive, whether buying or renting. It is less expensive the further inland you go, but still not cheap. Gasoline, although less expensive than it was a month ago, still costs more than almost anywhere else in the continental US. (Yes, I know it's a lot less than in Europe!). <BR><BR>Can't give you answers to your other questions, sorry. I hope you will find answers to some of them on the sites I suggested.

1) look in the newspaper<BR>2) look in the yellow pages<BR>3) refer to barbks' note<BR>4) look in the yellow pages<BR>5) unemployment less than nation; what do you do?<BR>6) SD is fairly conservative<BR>7) look in the yellow pages<BR>8) fairly strict, try http://www.sannet.gov/<BR><BR>stay away loser!<BR>

Smells like a troll to me.

I grew up here in SD...went to college & lived in San Francisco for 14-yrs...and then moved back. You have to understand, while SD is a pretty laid-back city...it's very REPUBLICAN, and lefties aren't very prominent here on the local political/activist scene. That said...the Hillcrest area is very, very liberal, very open-minded...and very GAY. Rents have risen dramatically throughout the city compared to even 5-years ago (though there way, way lower than the Bay Area.) You've asked many, many questions. I won't answer them all here due to space/time constraints. But feel free to email me directly with any questions. I won't try to be a comedian or be mean-spirited (like lots of posters try.) I'll give you honest answers.

RAy, San Diego is no longer "very Republican". The majority of registered voters is now Democratic.

Ray, Barbara is right. Democrats have now taken a majority of registered voters. Look for San Diego to become more and more like LA and San Fransico with all of its problems.