What an amazing, amazing city!!! (San Diego, Mesa: sales, real estate, house)

[8to32characters]

I vividly recall the first time I visited San Diego--my heart melted.

[sprez33]

Also want to indulge in hole-in-the wall Asian food on my nxt visit, something I neglected on this trip because generally the Asian food in the DC area is pretty darn good – but it’d be safe to assume that SD fares better

For "hole-in-the-wall" Asian, check out Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. Huge selection of Asian eateries of all types here with regional Chinese, Japanese and Korean predominating. But also some Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Thai, etc.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by sprez33

Also want to indulge in hole-in-the wall Asian food on my nxt visit, something I neglected on this trip because generally the Asian food in the DC area is pretty darn good – but it’d be safe to assume that SD fares better

For "hole-in-the-wall" Asian, check out Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. Huge selection of Asian eateries of all types here with regional Chinese, Japanese and Korean predominating. But also some Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Thai, etc.

also Saffron

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by sprez33

Also want to indulge in hole-in-the wall Asian food on my nxt visit, something I neglected on this trip because generally the Asian food in the DC area is pretty darn good – but it’d be safe to assume that SD fares better

For "hole-in-the-wall" Asian, check out Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. Huge selection of Asian eateries of all types here with regional Chinese, Japanese and Korean predominating. But also some Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Thai, etc.

mmm-yoso!!! is a great resource for ethnic hole in the walls in the area.

[cy_flembeck]

The OP's story reminds me of when I moved to SD in the mid 90's. The first few days I was without a car and spent the entire time inland about 20 miles.

I remember thinking "what it the big deal about this area, it's basically like inland LA County".

On about my 5th day I finally drove into the city. The moment I saw the Harbor and that blue water I immediately experienced the "Aha Moment". I then knew what all of the fuss was about.

A good job opportunity pulled me away after a year and at times I still regret leaving. The cost of living is really the prohibitive factor that has kept me and 50 million others from moving (back) there.

[PK12]

Time for round II!!!

Will be in LA for 3,4 days in mid-April. Definitely planning on driving down atleast for a day, possibly stay overnight.

CANNOT Wait!!

[UNT_Eagle]

I'd like to chime in as well. My wife and I recently returned from a 3 day-2 night vacation in San Diego, and we loved it! We stayed in Little Italy but rented a car and visited places like La Jolla beach/cove, Mt. Soledad, Cleveland National Park, San Diego Zoo, etc..
Having visited LA a few years ago for vacation and really loving that area as well, I'd conclude that if we ever were led to move to California, San Diego would fit the bill without a doubt! I liked the laid back atmosphere about it as I was pleasantly surprised coming from my home state of TX.
So, thank you San Diego for making a great first impression on us, we will be back to visit!

[Papillons2]

Was doing some City-Data-surfing and happened upon this thread. I've visited San Diego probably a half-dozen times over the past 25 years and have always loved it. I like Fort Lauderdale and could not easily leave because of personal and professional commitments, but I've always felt San Diego is what South Florida could have been if it were cleaner, friendlier, better-planned and less politically corrupt.

Don't know if these qualify as "touristy" or not, but some of my favorite activities in the area are visiting the Point Loma lighthouse for the view of the city, hiking through Torrey Pines State Park and enjoying the terrain and views, and heading to the waterfront in La Jolla to watch the seals gather. The weather and natural beauty are always a winning combination.

[Reader_22]

Originally Posted by cy_flembeck

The OP's story reminds me of when I moved to SD in the mid 90's. The first few days I was without a car and spent the entire time inland about 20 miles.

I remember thinking "what it the big deal about this area, it's basically like inland LA County".

On about my 5th day I finally drove into the city. The moment I saw the Harbor and that blue water I immediately experienced the "Aha Moment". I then knew what all of the fuss was about.

A good job opportunity pulled me away after a year and at times I still regret leaving. The cost of living is really the prohibitive factor that has kept me and 50 million others from moving (back) there.

You say "cost of living" in San Diego is prohibitive, but I wonder, is it possibly more than in New Jersey? I am a life-long New Jersey native and I have had enough on NJ and the East Coast. I am selling my house and moving to San Diego, at minimum, for the lovely year-round weather.

Does anyone recommend a site for SD newbies? And California newbies? My friend told me that real estate taxes in CA are somewhat regulated and that real estate taxes cannot be more than a certain percentage of the house value, but I don't know what that translates to.

What I can say is this: I live in a very modest home in NJ, in a Central County. It has 1.5 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms and I pay $7200/year in real estate taxes, almost what my mortgage costs. In addition, I still have to pay for water, trash, sewer and snow plowing.

Where can I go to find this kind of info about places in California, SD specifically? Any ideas besides this great site?

Thank you!

[Mugsy]

Originally Posted by Reader_22

You say "cost of living" in San Diego is prohibitive, but I wonder, is it possibly more than in New Jersey? I am a life-long New Jersey native and I have had enough on NJ and the East Coast. I am selling my house and moving to San Diego, at minimum, for the lovely year-round weather.

Does anyone recommend a site for SD newbies? And California newbies? My friend told me that real estate taxes in CA are somewhat regulated and that real estate taxes cannot be more than a certain percentage of the house value, but I don't know what that translates to.

What I can say is this: I live in a very modest home in NJ, in a Central County. It has 1.5 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms and I pay $7200/year in real estate taxes, almost what my mortgage costs. In addition, I still have to pay for water, trash, sewer and snow plowing.

Where can I go to find this kind of info about places in California, SD specifically? Any ideas besides this great site?

Thank you!

SDLookup.com San Diego's Premier Real Estate Marketplace > Home is a good real estate website that will have Real Estae for sale, comps, sold etc...