Best Places to Live in San Diego for a Young, Single Woman... (Newark: apartments, to rent)

[Mily]

The title says it all. I just turned 29 and am seriously thinking about moving to San Diego next year. I'm old enough where I don't want to be around all the annoying drunk college kids that are just learning how to party, and I'm young enough where I don't want to be bored outta my mind either living in a tame, family-oriented neighborhood (no offense to anybody at all).

Of course, I want to rent for a little bit, before I decide if it's the place I want to call my new home or save money and move back to Hawaii.

I lived not too far from Honolulu, so I'm used to being around the hustle and bustle, tourists, and in the middle of all the action and culture. I would like to live somewhere similiar.

What do you experts think? I plan to visit sometime in the next couple of months as well. Where should I start searching for a decent, affordable 1 bedroom apt (preferably not too far from the beach of course)?

I also plan on attending UCSD or USD so I wouldn't want to live TOO far away, though I don't mind driving, either, if I have to.

Thanks in advance for any replies and input!


Mahalo, Mily

[Dave F.]

Before kids and buying a house, we lived in Golden Hill which is just east of downtown. We really liked living there. It's very central to everything and quite eclectic. Lots of stuff going on in Hillcrest too. A friend of ours lived there for a long time and she enjoyed it. Almost anywhere in Hillcrest you're within walking distance to coffee shops, restaurants, smaller funky clothing shops (bigger ones too like The Gap), grocery stores (including organic if that's what you're into) and neighborhood bars and pubs. University Heights right next door to Hillcrest is also cool and even North Park which is next to University Heights has been coming around the last 10 years. Downtown is a cool place to live these days. Lots of apartments and lofts. And lots going on as well as easy to get to most areas of San Diego. The rent's going to be a little higher down there but, by Hawaii standards it may be nothing to you. If you want to live in a beach community, Pacific Beach has a lot of the drunken college kids. Ocean Beach has less of that and is a bit more funky. The Newport Ave area of OB has pretty much everything I mentioned about Hillcrest plus some antique stores. For more upscale living by the beach, downtown La Jolla is nice. Lots of restaurants, bars, boutiques etc. And your close to the university there. Hope this helps.
Oh and I should mention none of these places are far from the beach.

[Mily]

Thanks Dave F., that was a very informative post.

[mike74]

I am also from honolulu and have been living here in sd for a year now. i live in the utc/la jolla area. If you are looking for somewhere similar to the hustle bustle of honolulu i would advise you not to come to san diego. SD is a pretty laid back city. I miss living in downtown honolulu and the nightlife and diversity there which is why I am planning on moving to sf in the near future. Any questions feel free to email me.

[Mily]

mike74, are you a local from Hawaii? You don't think it would be too cold in SF? SF would be my first choice in CA because of the uniqueness and the culture, but the last time I went there in July...it was FREEZING!

[mike74]

yes i am a local from hawaii. born and raised in downtown honolulu. yeah sf is cold but after spending 22 yrs of my life in the hot humid weather of hawaii, im starting to realize i love cold weather. i also love sf because of the diversity of people and the feeling of being in the city. Youll realize if you move to sd that its downtown isnt really that "happening"

[ohhi]

You're in SA? I'm currently in Austin and I'm moving to Del Mar this coming weekend. I had planned, researched and spent a week in Seattle (my original destination) but got cold feet and on a spur decided to move to SD. Going to be exciting. Good luck!

[max59]

I am from NY and decided to move to Sandiego. No place can ever compare to my home of Bronx and NYC, but Sandiego is simply beauftil, peaceful, very clean with many beauftil neighborhoods. The life is much, much slower than NYC and people must think im nuts, as I learn to relax and enjoy life I become more aclumated to beauftil Sandiego and begin to feel beauftil peace within my self. My favorite neighborhood so far is Hillcrest. It seems safe, clean, quiet with enough nightlife if want it. I have spent enough time in NYC drinking in bars that in my now in my early 40's I rarely drink. However the bar scene keeps the area young and promotes many nice resturants and small shops there as well. i will be living slightly east from dwn twn in a nice apt atop a hill about 25 blocks from Hillcrest and I hope for the best there. I will have a beauftil view of the sprawling modern city metorpolis. I have seen many places like Detroit, NYC, Newark NJ, Trenton, Miami and west Palm beach. Sandiego seems much, much cleaner and safer..... I look forwarded to enjoying some time of my life there.....

[Cacumen667]

my apartment

[sdlife619]

The only happening super crowded spots in downtown SD is the Gaslamp really which is on the weekends. Other than that downtown is dead compared to other "real" cities that are constantly busy on a daily to nightly basis.

SF is always crowded no matter where you go, this can be great if you love true city living, or bad if you like your space. I like SF, but I don't think I could ever live there because of the overcrowding. It would probably just **** me off all day long, and I would be miserable and stressed out 24/7. I think it's easier for a person coming from a big urban city, to transition to a lesser urban city like San Diego, than it is for a more suburban SoCal person to transition to a big urban city. Because you start losing that peace and quiet that long time suburban dwellers have become accustomed to.

It honestly depends on the person, some East Coaster slide out to the West Coast (San Diego) for more peace and relaxation and to escape the hectic East Coast lifestyle, while others come to San Diego and can't stand it, and move back home.

I think SD has a good mixture of decent urbaness and decent suburbaness. It's not too crowded, but crowded enough. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we have a good balance of everything.