scrappinspidey2
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,511
Location: In the Parlor with the Fly
Mar 18, 2015 19:19:37 GMT
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Post by scrappinspidey2 on Feb 27, 2019 13:22:27 GMT
so in a very strange turn of events, I started a new job in December. We were at a corporate meeting this last mon/tues and what started out as me joking about not being able to handle any more winters and volunteering as tribute to move to San Diego turned into a serious thing. So serious my boss has out it down as one of my goals to move to San Diego County around Seotembet 1st of this year. I don’t have to live IN San Diego, but I need to be within an hour to 90min from San Diego ideally. We have another nurse moving to Temecula in a years time as well.
My my ultimate dream would also to be inclose proximity to the water as well. Close being roughly an hour at the furthest. Right now I am looking at the area to see what is around San Diego and scoping out rentals and houses to get a feel for pricing. I have lived in California for a good part of my life but not this area. I’m aware of the much higher cost of living as is my employer. It is just me, my bulldog and three cats, which makes renting tough. I might be able to pawn off two of the cats to my mom till I get settled. I do prefer to own vs apartment living however apartment might be the only optiion till I get to know the area.
I am a nurse case manager and will be attending appointments in the San Diego and surrounding areas hence the 60-90 min radius.
What areas would you recommend I Look Into? My hope is to make a trip out there in a few months to see things in person.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428 
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Post by luvnlifelady on Feb 27, 2019 13:55:29 GMT
I lived in North San Diego County for 12 years until revently. We lived primarily in Oceanside (owned a house) and later a bit in Vista.
Not bad communities but even though you are about an hour from downtown, it is still expensive.
My kids are grown now but live there with their dad. He pays $1800 a month for a two bedroom apartment and that does not include anything. It is a nice complex but at the end of the day, it is still an apartment. That is in the shadow Ridge area of Vista. They have recently upgraded the Carlsbad mall off the 78 freeway and there’s also the Carlsbad outlet mall further off the five and Palomar airpirt Rd.
You can either take the five to navigate around different cities or the 15 but traffic is horrendous there. It was that and prices along with my divorce that finally got me to move.
Just to compare, we pay $865 for two bedrooms in Pittsburgh including everything except electric. Yes, San Diego does have beautiful weather but I personally don’t think it’s worth tge trade off. You may feel differently though.
Let me know if you have any questions.
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scrappert
Prolific Pea
RefuPea #2956
Posts: 7,994
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Jul 11, 2014 21:20:09 GMT
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Post by scrappert on Feb 27, 2019 14:00:49 GMT
My sister lives in Spring Valley (has for 12+ years). She likes that area, but really that is all I can tell you about it as I live in WI.  I want to say good luck! If you like people and traffic, that's the place for you. |
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Post by mikklynn on Feb 27, 2019 14:20:20 GMT
That is really exciting! I know you have been unhappy where you are. I hope San Diego is a better fit.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,366
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Feb 27, 2019 14:24:57 GMT
Look into Poway and Escondido areas. My sister in law lives off Carmel Mountain and it’s PRICEY! They bought their house 9 years ago and it was expensive even then. Rents are primarily over $2k/mo and you’ll pay more due to pets.
BUT it’s a great place to live with fabulous weather most of the year. The closer you are to the water the cooler it is. Summers can get quite hot.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Feb 27, 2019 14:28:42 GMT
Like someone else mentioned, Poway is great if you were looking for a good school district as is Carlsbad. You can also live on the edge of Oceanside in some areas and still get Carlsbad schools but cheaper living.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Feb 27, 2019 14:29:40 GMT
It sounds like you’ll need your car for your job since you go to different locations but there is also sometimes the option of taking the coaster from Oceanside down to San Diego. It stops on the way in especially iSorrento Valley that seems to be the hub of a lot of businesses. Akternaively, the sprinter goes from Oceanside east for only two dollars.
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Post by katlady on Feb 27, 2019 15:07:47 GMT
If you want to be within 90 minutes of San Diego, your northern limit is probably Temecula. Will your cases have you driving at rush hour or will you be able to avoid those hours (usually 7-9AM and 4-6PM)? If so, then the commute wouldn’t be too bad. Oceanside may be a bit more expensive than Vista. You can also go a bit further east to San Marcos and Escondido. As you go south, it gets a bit more expensive. You may also want to check the Miramar area. It is pretty centrally located.
And then there are the more rural areas like Julian/Ramona/Spring Valley. Weather tends to get warmer as you go inland, and there can also be snow in the Julian/Ramona areas.
Hope it all works out for you! How exciting!
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scrappinspidey2
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,511
Location: In the Parlor with the Fly
Mar 18, 2015 19:19:37 GMT
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Post by scrappinspidey2 on Feb 27, 2019 15:12:07 GMT
I no longer have to worry bout school districts My kids are grown and moved out. I might be joined by my MIL which combined would give us more options in housing, but that is not a done thing. We are still talking and possibly just get places close to each other at this time. Right now I am just looking at areas around San Diego so I can get a feel for cost of living, which yes is very high. But I need the numbers so when we sit down and discuss salary etc, I am in a better position. My company is fully aware of CA cost of living etc. have I mentioned that i really love this new job? lol. But i want to make sure that I know the numbers for myself as well. I don't hate the midwest, but its definitely not the place for me to be. My dream has always been to be closer to the ocean. My MIL Is in CA and that is a big deal as well so this kinda fits a lot of what my eventual plans would have been. Im not a fan of CA cost of living, politics etc, however, I would much rather live there than here in the land of nightmare inducing wind speeds. I could even put up with the snow and ice, but the wind here is very bad for my PTSD. Im not a fan of large cities so I am looking at the outlying areas for the smaller feel. Im not opposed to mobile homes either, which appear to be very popular and lower in cost from my brief research late last night. I would definitely want to go in person and scope out the neighborhoods as what you see online isn't really indicative of the neighborhood. I don't have to settle on any one place this second. Im looking more at an overview of various areas to pull together a cost of living estimate compared to what I have now. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Feb 27, 2019 15:14:26 GMT
There is a mobile home neighborhood very close to the beach on Oceanside Boulevard in Oceanside I think it is. Very low space rent.
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Post by malibou on Feb 27, 2019 15:49:05 GMT
Another thing to be aware of is there is road construction going on on the I5 until 2021 that will make a mockery of traffic on that road. Something to think about if it will be a part of your commute.
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Post by katlady on Feb 27, 2019 15:56:12 GMT
For a more small town feel, look at east/northeast Escondido and also North Vista/Bonsall and Fallbrook.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:35:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2019 16:22:27 GMT
My friend lives in el cojan (sp because I am not looking it up).
Housing is somewhat affordable there.
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Post by bc2ca on Feb 27, 2019 16:56:39 GMT
If you prioritize proximity to the ocean, look at communities along east/west corridors (56, Palomar Airport Way, 78, Oceanside Blvd and 76). Rents/house costs are less expensive further north, south and east from the city core, although the beach communities don't get much cheaper. Everything is a trade off. I'd rather have a smaller house closer to the ocean than a bigger property further inland. Traffic is bad during rush hour. I have to travel into SD from North County regularly and traffic moves quickly outside of peak times. You mention PTSD, so something to keep in mind is the noise from regular artillery units conducting live fire exercises on Camp Pendleton is part of life in North County. This is a list of upcoming events. Fallbrook, Bonsall, Oceanside and Vista hear most of it. You won't hear much in Carlsbad, San Marcos, Escondido and communities further south. Vally Center is another community to look at if you like a rural, small town feel. It is growing quickly though. |
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Post by wendifful on Feb 27, 2019 20:31:06 GMT
I grew up in the La Costa area, which is very nice and the beach is only 15-20 minutes away. That said, I believe it's on the more expensive side of neighborhoods in San Diego, so you'd have to research that. (Since I was a kid, I didn't ever pay any attention to property costs!) I hope you find a place you love!
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Post by jlynnbarth on Feb 27, 2019 20:52:20 GMT
I grew up in San Diego and my family still lives there. My Mom is in the same house I grew up in, in La Mesa. It is about 25 freeway mins from the beach and 45-60 mins to the mountains. It's an easy 3 min drive to Interstate 8 which is the main east/west freeway in San Diego and it connects to all the north/south freeways which makes it a great central location depending on where you will be traveling for work. In looking at Rental prices it's anywhere from 1700.00 a month for an apartment to 3500.00 and up for a house. Looks pretty relative to other areas as far as rents go. The closer to the beach the more expensive it gets.
My sister lives in Julian which is a small mountain town, which is about an hour and 15-30 mins to the beach. It is less expensive there, but the commute is much longer. My BIL does it every day though. He drives from the Mountains and commutes all over San Diego everyday. His next big job after his current job, will be at the Airport, so he'll be driving at least 3 hours a day round trip every day when that starts. When it snows in the Mountains like it has this past week, it can complicate things. You need 4 wheel drive or chains because the roads are winding and can be icy in the shady spots. It's absolutely doable though. The snow doesn't happen frequently. This year has been snowier than usual (well recent past usual anyway, it used to snow a lot in the Mountains when I was a kid).
Wherever you chose will be great. I hope you enjoy your new job!
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