ideal place in SoCal? (San Diego, Orange: crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[anagrig]

Dear members,
I have been reading your many posts for the past few days and have already learned a lot about SoCal from everyone participating in this forum, and I appreciate it . I guess I both learned a lot but also got more worried about where to decide to live .
We will be moving to CA in the summer from Worcester, MA,where we have lived for the past 13 years (originally immigrated from USSR) . My husband recently became licensed to practice dentistry in CA, and therefore we are going to move there. we have family and friends in both LA and San Diego so that has narrowed our search to the Southern part of California.

We are a relatively young family with middle school age kids who are not spoiled, and are into academics and various activities (dance, music, chess). We love architecture, scenic views (ocean , woods, mountains), going to the museums and concerts, riding bikes and jogging. It would be great to find a place with a nice downtown, but also with some quiet family neighborhoods to live in , that would have some diversity but with the predominant Anglo culture .
Am i asking for something that is completely impossible to find in socal/

I would love to hear from you what place you think will match my criteria.
thanks so much in advance!
Every input greatly appreciated .

[leighland]

There are lots of Russian emigrants in the San Carlos section of San Diego (That is East County, near La Mesa). There are several Russian Delis and a restaurant/club. Look around Dallas Street and Lake Murray Blvd. Its also a very family friendly area, where I want to buy a home.

[cobmw]

In order to get the best weather in SoCal you need to be in proximity to the ocean - lets say within 10-15 miles. That will put you some distance from the mountians/woods. The nice mountain areas in CA are not close to San Diegeo. But San Diego is nice.

The San Fernando Valley (20 miles north of LA) has a lot of Russian people. It has deteriorated a lot since I grew up there, but the west valley and parts of Ventrua County still further west are nice.

I would look carefully at schools. Many people speak highly about the schools in their neighborhood. But when you look at state test results you will see that 40-50% of the kids in even the best CA schools fail to reach proficiency in math and English. If your kids are into achacemics and have been going to good schools they may be unchallenged in CA schools. I would make a list of what you expect from a good school and take it to schools in the area where you plan to move.

[cnkad]

Originally Posted by cobmw

In order to get the best weather in SoCal you need to be in proximity to the ocean - lets say within 10-15 miles. That will put you some distance from the mountians/woods. The nice mountain areas in CA are not close to San Diegeo. But San Diego is nice.

The San Fernando Valley (20 miles north of LA) has a lot of Russian people. It has deteriorated a lot since I grew up there, but the west valley and parts of Ventrua County still further west are nice.

I would look carefully at schools. Many people speak highly about the schools in their neighborhood. But when you look at state test results you will see that 40-50% of the kids in even the best CA schools fail to reach proficiency in math and English. If your kids are into achacemics and have been going to good schools they may be unchallenged in CA schools. I would make a list of what you expect from a good school and take it to schools in the area where you plan to move.

I think that is true about most public schools in most areas of the country (both my parents are teachers) But if you are concerned about schools, there are other options besides public schools. Sometimes a public charter school can offer you more...and they are also free-but you need to be a little more involved in your kids education. However, I believe that this is a good thing! Also, if money is not an issue, try researching some private schools. Generally speaking, the two best public school districts in SD are suppose to be poway and san deguito.

[123writer]

Try the Rhoades school in Encinitas for a private school. It is probably one of the most academically challenging schools in the area. Good luck

[tigerclaws]

I just wanted to comment on one poster saying that you need to live 10-12 miles from the ocean for good weather. Trust me, compared to Worcester weather, ANYPLACE in SD county will have better weather. I live in metrowest, mass and I know how the weather is here.

Just pick a good school district and go from there. Search these forums for more info. once you zoom in on certain areas.

GL with your move.

[Sampaguita]

San Clemente in Orange County and North County San Diego coastal communities like Encinitas, Leucadia, Solana Beach, south Carlsbad come to mind - close proximity to beaches, with quaint downtown areas and very good school districts.

[anagrig]

You guys are the best! Thank you so....much for your help! My other valuable tool of research is greatschools.net (gives all the school ratings, info on demographics, etc.)but real advice from real people like you can't compare with that!
The most challenging thing for us is to find the right school for our 7th grader since the charter school she is attending now(Advanced math and science academy) has the most advanced academics one can imagine, and it's free of charge!!! If anyone ever moves to this area (the school is in Marlbrough) send your kids there. World -class education!
To give my opinion on the stereotypes, i found our New-Englanders here to be extremely uptight, hard to establish any kind of connection with, unless you went to the same high school with them. We still don't have any friends among the locals, all of my american friends here came to live in Worcester from other states, and have trouble adjusting themselves.

best to all of you

[gypsy lady]

Between l.a. and San Diego I'd pick San Diego. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous and there are healthy outdoor cost free activities year round.

I don't know what your income level is like but as a dentist i would think you could probably afford Solana Beach.

Solana Beach is one of the smaller towns in the San Diego area. It is one of the lowest crime areas of San Diego. One practically never sees 'undesireable' type people here. It is very clean, the people are genuinely nice. Decent. It is a family oriented community. Not transient. Close to the Del Mar racetrack and the beach. It's a very clean suburban upbeat healthy place with many professionals. Safe for children. A very good place to raise a family. The teenagers here are well mannered and polite. Respectful. During the summer the fireman hosted an overnight camp out in our little park for the boy scouts. All the families and kids came. All pitched little tents in the center of the park. In the morning the fireman cooked everyone a pancake breakfast. It was really nice. Everyone had lots of fun. It is a relaxed community. The beach is only minutes away. Downtown takes about two minutes to drive through, its small, but it is artsy area with art galleries and oil paintings up. unique and artsy wood like furntirue made out of manzanita wood. it is called Cedros Avenue. And it is a pleasure just to walk along and window shop. The beach area called Fletchers Cove has a playground for the kids and a basketball hoop for the teenagers and others. Often in the late morning one will see the mothers gathering together at the playground with their kids or jogging with their kids in strollers. Lots of bike riding, surfing, and athletic clubs. The mountains are just behind Solana Beach with breathtaking views as one drives through. I'd give it a five star rating.

[Oerdin]

I'm not sure which part of the USSR you are from but there is also a large Russian & Ukrainian community in Mira Mesa & Scripps Ranch areas of San Diego. Back on topic, if I had to decide between LA and San Diego then (having lived in both) I'd pick San Diego every time. You will make 10%-15% more in LA but you'll also have higher crime, bad smog, some of the worst traffic in the country, and normally old run down houses. Obviously there are exceptions but that's a general rule. San Diego offers a much better life style with very little smog, much newer housing, less traffic (but getting worse as more and more people move here) but at the cost of not making quite as much money.