caribcarol

I'm considering a move from the Bay Area to San Diego, perhaps Del Mar. Have never been to the SD area. How does it compare to SF, Marin County in particular. I'm an active 53 year old. Are there a lot of hiking trails? Also, I'm not into the whole "L.A." scene. I prefer quaint, small towns (I currently live in Sausalito). Generally speaking, will the SD area be the right fit for me?

Thanks for any and all comments.

saps

I live in the Bay Area and have lived in San Diego...I love SD.

That being said, you need to get on a plane or hop in your car and get to SD and spend a least 3-5 days there before you spend too much time thinking about where you want to move to. You can get all the advice in the world but you need to see and feel it for yourself.

caribcarol

SAPS:

Thanks for your response. I totally agree. I'm going to make a trip down this fall and check it out.

I've lived in the Bay Area for 5 years now and love it; however, our rainy winter months are getting to me. And I would like to actually "use" the beaches more than a few times a year when our weather is in the 90s.

Thanks again.

lovesadventure

I've lived in both SF and SD also. With your last post of rainy winter months etc., SD may be just the place for you.

I lived south of Del Mar in La Jolla. The weather is pretty consistent year round, never getting chilly nor too hot (at least on the coast). I remember it being strange (am from teh PNW) that I could go put my Thanksgiving turkey in the oven and strap on roller blades w/my shorts and tank and go for a little stroll.

There are no seasons. Just times of the year where the sky is greyer (marine layer) and times of the year where it always seems to be sunny.

That said, the area is very vibrant. Outdoor activities are plentiful. Amenities are many (restaurants, scenery, shopping).

SD ended up not being the place for me, but I very much ejoyed my year-round summer there.

saps

Since you are from Sausalito there will not be a "Sticker Shock" to housing prices or rent. Del Mar is a very upscale beach town with many restaurants, trendy shopping, and wonderful beaches. It is just north of my favorite beach Torrey Pines (which has awesome hiking trails albeit short in length).

Other communities to look at would be La Jolla (West of I5), Solana Beach, Encinitas, even Carlsbad if you could be a few miles more north.

As mentioned the weather is pretty constant. Inland it will get hot though. Contrary to popular belief it does rain in San Diego but it is much less common than Northern California.

You will love your visit. Make sure you see as much of the towns as possible.

MonicaRichards

Go to San Diego in May too, just to be sure you like it. The May gray and June Gloom turn San Diego every bit as gloomy as Sausalito in the winter, maybe worse because it's so constant. Also the traffic I found to be much much worse than the Bay Area. There are fewer arteries, especially around Del Mar/ Solana Beach.

Barbara

San Diego does have seasons, they're just not as dramatically different as in other areas of the country.

Summer is lovely, hot during the day and cooler at night. Unless we get some monsoonal weather from Arizona, which we're supposed to get this week. Then it's hot and sticky and not so cool at night.

Fall is, IMO, the best time here. Still hot during the day (perhaps even hotter if we get a Santa Ana which is a hot, dry wind from the desert) and quite a bit cooler at night.There may be small amounts of rain in November and December. These often come overnight so they don't disturb our outdoor lifestyle too much (LOL!).

Winter can be quite chilly here. Not by New England standards, but we sure feel it....at least you do after you've lived here for a few years! This is when the real rain comes...all 9 inches a year of it. It doesn't take much to cause a flood here, though. We can tell the tourists and newcomers because they're the people wearing shorts when the temperature is a very chilly 64. The rest of us are into long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts and even socks and fleese jackets! We love the cooler weather because we can have fires in our fireplaces inside the house!

Spring brings vivid shows of flowers in the desert and by the side of all the roads. Many of our trees are deciduous and so new leaves and blossom appear in spring, just like everywhere else. The oranges on the tree in your backyard wil be ready to pick now. Avocados won't be ready for a few months though.

Come and visit us first. Check out house prices on www.realtor.com, or actually contact a realtor.

You'll need sunscreen year round. The ocean water isn't very warm, but you'll see lots of people in it in the summer. Del Mar Beach is miles long and you can walk the whole way along it.

L84SKY

I live in San Diego and I've lived in the Bay A. It's very different, not just the weather. How long have you live up north? You might have a bit of a culture shock.

caribcarol

Thanks to all for your responses.

Hmm, traffic worse than the Bay Area. Not happy to hear that. How's public transportation?

It appears that the cost of living is less expensive in SD than SF. That's good news!

L84SKY: I've lived in Sausalito for 5 years. Why will I have culture shock? How is SD way different than the Bay Area?

saps

Public transportation is not good in San Diego. The city is so spread out that to get anywhere by bus takes forever. They have a commuter train from Oceanside to downtown called The Coaster than runs along "amazingly" the coast. Around downtown they have the trolley but I never found it very useful.

Anywhere you go (except NYC) will probably have a lower cost of living than SF. The beach side towns are expensive though. La Jolla and Del Mar probably have average home prices over 1 million.

Traffic is bad because from the north there is really only one coastal route, I5, to get into northern San Diego. It splits at La Jolla (I5 and I805). I would not say it is anyworse than the major Bay Area arteries (880 into San Jose, Bay Bridge, 80 West, etc).

Since you would be coming from Sausalito and not "country town USA" I don't think there would be a "culture shock". San Diego is more relaxed than the Bay Area. It is hard to describe it though.

caribcarol

Thanks, SAPS. Your reply is most reassuring. Particularly, that the SD area is laid back.....that's exactly what I'm looking for!

I am disappointed about the lack of public transportation though. Guess I will have to look for a condo close to work (which may be in the Del Mar area, I-5 and Del Mar Heights Road).

I am really looking forward to exploring SD. Sounds wonderful.

What would the negatives (if any) be of the San Diego area?

Thanks.

Barbara

If you'll be looking for a condo, also look in Carmel Valley and Solana Beach. I think they may have more than Del Mar.

saps

Negatives...

- Too many awesome taco shops (mmm...Roberto's) to choose from
- Winter temperatures of 60 degrees are brutal
- Golfing year round can be hazardous to a marriage
- Sand from the beach gets all over the car floor

Okay seriously...
I can't think of a major negative about the area (that would be different from Sausalito).

I never found that being 15 miles north of Mexico had any impact on my living situation but I guess if you lived south of SD you might have a different story.

Underhill

San Diego is more politically conservative, which can be a surprise to someone coming from the Bay Area.

nolists

Culture shock is because San Diego woefully lacks top entertainment venues for theater and arts, but LA/Orange County are close.

Also, good restaurant choices tend to be more rare ... too many chains.

People are laid back and someone might even say "hicks". I call it the largest rural city in America.

hausfrau

caribcarol,
I am from Palo Alto and went to UCSD. SD is definitely more laid back than the Bay Area, but is more "politically conservative" as some people have mentioned. I wouldn't describe SD as a whole as being quaint but you can find pockets of quaintness (Del Mar among them).

In answer to one of your questions, the hiking opportunities in the SD area are awesome. I took up mountain biking while I was at UCSD, but also did a lot of hiking. Torrey Pines State Park is a great place for an afternoon walk, the Del Mar and La Jolla beaches are fantastic, and you can drive less than an hour and be in the mountains or desert. Other parks in the area are numerous...Mission Trails, Los Penasquitos Preserve, etc. The desert/mountain options are equally exciting...Cuyamaca State Park, Anzo-Borrego Desert State Park, etc.

saps

<People are laid back and someone might even say "hicks".>

If you ask 10,000 people on the street what they thought of people from San Diego one person would say "hicks" and apparently that one person would be nolists.

That is the sillest comment I've read today...and yes I know nolists that you have lived or currently live in San Diego.

MonicaRichards

I do find people more fitness conscious in San Diego, that's one difference. Everyone seems to be running, working out, etc. People are fitter and while they don't care about appearances quite as much as LA it is more image conscious than Sausalito. Traffic really is worse than in the Bay Area. I know one poster said it wasn't but unless you're talking about 101 during rush hour it is. I5 backs up all the time, on weekends as well as weekdays in the middle of the day. Also the June Gloom, don't dismiss it if you find Sausalito winters too overcast.

Barbara

San Diego has pretty good theater, thanks very much, nolists. We have the Old Globe, the La Jolla Playhouse, and many lesser known venues where good theater happens often.

San Diego is the third largest biotech center in the country, after Silicon Valley and Boston (Cambridge).Hardly hicksville. Unfortunately, it's a lot less "rural" than it used to be, but so are most other large cities.

Del Mar and the other areas I mentioned are in the famous California 50th congressional district. The city of San Diego actually has more registered Democrats than Republicans, but the County is more Republican.

caribcarol

Many thanks to all the posts. This forum rocks!

By the sounds of it, SD is the place for me. I'll make a trip down soon and check it out.

Theater: I actually enjoy the smaller venues.

Restaurants: I'm sure there's a lot to choose from besides chains. SAPS mentioned Robertos for tacos.

Weather: Sounds fabulous. I think I could survive the June gloom.

Politics: No problem.

Traffic: Bit discouraged about that but as I said earlier, I would find a place close to work.

Activities: I'm an avid hiker so sounds like there's plenty to choose from. Plus, the beaches, race track, etc.

Monica mentioned "image conscious." That, I am not! But that's ok.

Thanks again to all. Your comments are really appreciated.