Where would you go? Poll... (San Diego, Escondido: real estate, houses, to buy)

[2kidsandaminpin]

We have two kids (4yr and 1yr). Our income would remain the same, both houses are the same cost and both areas have great schools..
Where would you raise your family?
1. City living-San Diego. Small 1,000 sq foot house one mile to beach.
2. Country living- northern ca. Very small town (20 min to closest grocery store) Large 3,000 sq foot house on 3 acres. It does snow here!

City living or country living to raise kids?

[Dmitri95]

If I could afford it, city living in San Diego because of the weather/beach. But country living does have an appeal to it, so I voted that one. Safer, quieter, cheaper.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

City. Way more to do. And believe me, kids can get in trouble in the woods, too LOL. My daughter graduated from a small school in the mountains in WA - her graduating class had 12 kids in it. Believe me, they got in lots of trouble. I think they actually get more inventive than kids in the city. And she was involved in sports and all sorts of stuff.

But, the cliques in small towns can be really rough. And if your kids get involved in any sports or clubs, etc., the driving time will kill you.

Plus, think about getting home and realizing you forgot to buy milk when you were at the store......

And acreage is a heck of a lot of work. As are huge gardens and livestock.

I've done both, and now I enjoy the conveniences of being in town. I live in a small town, now, (5,000 pop) and there's a lot I like about it. And, I can walk to the beach in 5 mins :-) But, I do miss lots of entertainment options and better shopping options. Miss my Trader Joe's!

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by 2kidsandaminpin

We have two kids (4yr and 1yr). Our income would remain the same, both houses are the same cost and both areas have great schools..
Where would you raise your family?
1. City living-San Diego. Small 1,000 sq foot house one mile to beach.
2. Country living- northern ca. Very small town (20 min to closest grocery store) Large 3,000 sq foot house on 3 acres. It does snow here!

City living or country living to raise kids?

\

You know, there ARE places in San Diego County that offer "country living." In fact, I live in one such place (Jamul). We are 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, have 4 acres of land, a 3500 square foot house, and our kids grew up riding horses in the mountains and raising animals for 4-h. The supermarket and stores are just 10 minutes away. And, the price of houses here is MUCH more reasonable than houses on the coast. Oh, and yeah, we get the occasional snow too.

Look at: Jamul, Ramona, Valley Center, Fallbrook, Alpine, Harbison Canyon, Descanso, Pine Valley, Crest, Blosson Valley, Julian, even parts of Poway, Escondido, Lakeside and El Cajon.

There's plenty of small town "country living" right here in San Diego County for those who look beyond the beach areas.

(By the way, my kids, now in their late 20s, loved growing up in a semi-rural area. They never lacked for things to do, and had plenty of friends to hang out with. They're happy, successful people. And they can rope cows from horseback when necessary. )

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

But, the cliques in small towns can be really rough. And if your kids get involved in any sports or clubs, etc., the driving time will kill you.

At ages 1 and 4, cliques are not an issue. By the time they are 10 they will be a part of a clique! bringing such young kids into a small town will result in them being part of a community in a special way. They will be viewed by their peers as "born and raised" in the town. More than simply being a Local.
**********
I'd rather do a 10 mile 20 minute drive on traffic free rural roads than a 3 mile 20 minute drive on busy city streets any day.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by 2kidsandaminpin

1. City living-San Diego. Small 1,000 sq foot house one mile to beach.
2. Country living- northern ca. Very small town (20 min to closest grocery store) Large 3,000 sq foot house on 3 acres. It does snow here!

How about #3, City living-San Diego. Average sized 2,000 sq. foot house 10 miles from the beach with good schools? Search real estate sites for zip code 92124.

[expatCA]

In the country now.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

\

You know, there ARE places in San Diego County that offer "country living." In fact, I live in one such place (Jamul). We are 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, have 4 acres of land, a 3500 square foot house, and our kids grew up riding horses in the mountains and raising animals for 4-h. The supermarket and stores are just 10 minutes away. And, the price of houses here is MUCH more reasonable than houses on the coast. Oh, and yeah, we get the occasional snow too.

Look at: Jamul, Ramona, Valley Center, Fallbrook, Alpine, Harbison Canyon, Descanso, Pine Valley, Crest, Blosson Valley, Julian, even parts of Poway, Escondido, Lakeside and El Cajon.

There's plenty of small town "country living" right here in San Diego County for those who look beyond the beach areas.

(By the way, my kids, now in their late 20s, loved growing up in a semi-rural area. They never lacked for things to do, and had plenty of friends to hang out with. They're happy, successful people. And they can rope cows from horseback when necessary. )

Listen to RosieSD on this one, if you want to raise kids in SD Co., specifically. Signed, "A veteran of that war".

[Seattle4321]

I'm currently 18 I grew up in part in a small town in Idaho, and then spend my later years in Seattle. Being in a small town definitely gives kids a community feel/home. I think it's better to raise kids in a small town/small city. But you should take them to cities for vacation often so they get to see more of the "real world" And have experiences they wouldn't have in the small town/city. But the small city/town is MUCH better for families!

[cleosmom]

If it were me making that choice, I'd go with small town. As a kid I grew up in a large CA city, currently live in Idaho, have since 1991 and wouldn't trade it for the world!! I appreciate all four seasons and what they each have to offer.

Being located in CA, you have the option to be able to visit the big cities basically anytime you'd like.