San Diego is not a good place to live anymore (Chula Vista: real estate market, credit)

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by Woof

I guess the main attractions of San Diego are the climate and the beaches. Balboa Park is ok too. Other than that, there's just nothing very beautiful, unique, or interesting.

Compared to where? I can thing of many interesting and unique things about San Diego.

[Woof]

Compared to San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and several much smaller cities that I've lived in, Sdurbanite.

It might be that I simply missed some of the beauty since I didn't have much money when I lived in San Diego ...... what things do you find to be beautiful or unique?

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

The People= You don't see any of this truck culture crap "My trucks bigger than your truck" in most other major cities, but in SD it's almost a given, just about everybody owns a truck, because SD is less busy than most others, and because we have many hills and rural areas, people tend to gravitate towards trucks for unknown reasons. It's the cool factor I guess. I personally hate them with a passion, because most of the hicks driving them are rude, take up the road, get right on your ass when driving, and act like jerks if your driving too slow.

I've been to Dallas and there are more truck drivers there, IMO. Ever been to Houston? I've never seen more big trucks on the road than there. Must be a Texas thing.

And what is up with everybody driving Fords out here?

Fords? You hardly even see American cars on the roads anymore, it's all Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, etc.

I really don't get the big scoop on SD being so racially diverse, from my perspective I think they're a lot more whites in San Diego County than most other SoCal cities. Especially EC, Santee "Klantee" has very few Hispanics, hardly no Asians or Blacks for that matter which is not cool, because it makes the city look kinda resistent to other minorities.

That's because San Diego County does have the largest percentage of whites living here, including Orange County. Not enough Latinos in Santee or EC? You'll find plenty in National City, Chula Vista and Escondido.

We have a lot of rich people, and a lot of poor people in San Diego, but the tourist board makes sure you don't hear nor see real sad side of SD.

I'm curious, what is the real sad side of SD?

I do feel that some San Diegans stare too much, well at me specifically because I am Mexican living in all white neighborhood. The whites out here tend to be less tolerent to Hispanics and Blacks than even OC, because I'm telling you it's because all the hills and mountains we have all around us, brings out that small town mentality from others, and I know it's true!

Yeah.........because no one ever goes to the other side of the hills around here

Also they're a lot of transplants living in Diego. Many people I talk to, from the grocery store, to retail stores, almost everybody is from somewhere else. It's pretty cool that East Coaster are finding SD to be a good place to live. I don't mind them at all because many East Coast people tend to be more real and less fake then Californians, they tell it like it is, and wont shy away from the negatives when talking about there city. Unlike a lot of San Diegans, we all try to say positive things about our city, but in reality, SD has many underlying problems that nobodys likes to talk about.

Do you think San Diego is the only city filled with transplants? Phoenix, Atlanta, DC, LA, NYC, Denver, SF are full of transplants, as well.

And what problems don't we acknowledge? Cost of living is high, bad schools, immigrant issues, inadequate airport, not enough white collar jobs to support educated population, what more? Every large city has issues. What city of over a million is problem free?

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Woof

I guess the main attractions of San Diego are the climate and the beaches. Balboa Park is ok too. Other than that, there's just nothing very beautiful, unique, or interesting.

So if you like really, really nice weather and the ocean, it might be worth the price.

Originally Posted by Woof

Compared to San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and several much smaller cities that I've lived in, Sdurbanite.

It might be that I simply missed some of the beauty since I didn't have much money when I lived in San Diego ...... what things do you find to be beautiful or unique?

If you take away some of the best attributes of any city then you're not really left with much that is unique or interesting with that city now are you?

You take away SF's architecture, culture, and scenery then what is so beautiful, interesting and unique about it? The weather and beaches there don't even compare to here. I was raised up there and the city is overrated by those that have never lived there.

You take away Seattle's "character and beauty", as you put it, then what do you have that is so beautiful, interesting and unique?

You take away Boston's culture and history then what do you have that is so beautiful, interesting and unique?

get what I am saying here?

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Barrio Logan is a perfect example of how gentrification is bad, and destroys the culture of distinct feel of that neighborhood. It kicks all the poor people out, and replaces them with upper class snobs that come in, soak up the feeling of living in a "griddy" neighborhood, then after a while they leave and never return. I'm getting so sick and tired of seeing rapid gentrification going on in many SD neighborhoods. It's changing the look and old schoolness of places like North Park, Normal Heights, and other surrounding areas, it's also making housing more expensive. It's all taking off within in the last 5 years or so. I don't like all the new ugly condo's popping up all over the place either, it's hurting the classic image of these neighborhoods.

Barrio Logan is gentrifying? Looks the same to me.

But I have this feeling that they don't want to build for the low income or average San Diegans because they want less minorities living here, and will do whatever it takes to move them out.

That's hilarious

The trolley gets the job done for the most part, it just needs to be extended out towards the coastal areas like PB MB, including places like clairmont, and far away as miramar to have more of an effect on all of San Diego.

Are you aware that there are plans to extend the trolley to UTC/UCSD?

Our food sucks! Unless your eating out at some fancy restrauant. Because we really don't have any really good Mexican food or good burger joints, I know this for a fact because I have been to many local SD taco shops, and all of them taste the same, cheap and tasteless. Being Mexican, I know what taste good, what's really good, and what really sucks and the majority of SD's Mexican taco shops/restraunts taste like crap. LA hands down has the best tasting everything. Taco Shops are the very best in LA, as well as every other ethenic food eatery. We also lack good breakfast diners.

I disagree. There are plenty of good ethnic restaurants around to choose from. You just gotta know where to go.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by Woof

Compared to San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and several much smaller cities that I've lived in, Sdurbanite.

It might be that I simply missed some of the beauty since I didn't have much money when I lived in San Diego ...... what things do you find to be beautiful or unique?

You think Boston is more beautiful than SD? It's a great city, but it surely isn't more beautiful.

Seattle? Sure, it's beautiful but it's a one-dimensional place if you ask me. All of the neighborhoods look and feel the same. Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne...same, same, same. You don't have OB, PB, MB, Coronado, La Jolla, Encinitas, where there are different vibes going on. Seattle is a depressing and sad place to me, which I find unappealing.

San Diego has plenty of unique neighborhoods and the topography is varied throughout. Population and restaurants are diverse. Plenty of parks and lots of things to do outdoors within city limits compared to both Seattle or Boston.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by cvlp

The basic slow laid back attitude. People crossing the street, very slow, even after their walk sign has changed to do not walk.
My husband says the reason people drive so fast on the freeways here is to make up the time they spent walking slow through intersections. My kids have basically grown up here and so when my daughter and I were in NYC a few years ago, she learned quickly to walk a little faster crossing the road.

So people walk slower in the crosswalks compared to those in Boston and NYC? Can't argue with you there. But you must have gone cuckoo banana crackers living in Nashville, where folks move even slower than here.

Can't say that folks in Florida or Dallas move any faster, either. I will say that those two places are at the bottom of barrel as places I'd ever want to live in.

[lobster5757]

The rent is going up guys, not down. The taxes are going up in CA in April too. ouch.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by sav858

If you take away some of the best attributes of any city then you're not really left with much that is unique or interesting with that city now are you?

You take away SF's architecture, culture, and scenery then what is so beautiful, interesting and unique about it? The weather and beaches there don't even compare to here. I was raised up there and the city is overrated by those that have never lived there.

You take away Seattle's "character and beauty", as you put it, then what do you have that is so beautiful, interesting and unique?

You take away Boston's culture and history then what do you have that is so beautiful, interesting and unique?

get what I am saying here?

Yes, I think you were putting a focus on my post that I didn't intend. I meant very sincerely that the attraction of San Diego is mainly the perfect climate and the beaches ..... they're certainly a draw for me. But physical beauty, architecture, dramatic contrasts ..... those are weak points. It's just not a pretty city.

For example, I personally consider Seattle to be more desirable than San Diego despite the climate because of the dramatic contrasts of ugly and beautiful architecture and landscaping, the lush greenery, the interesting little privately owned shops, the varied weather, the outdoor recreation in heavily forested areas ...... while others may prefer the paradisical climate of San Diego and find the exceptional beaches and water sports to be more enticing.

[Woof]

That's all very pretty ..... you are stretching the definition of what San Diego encompasses though, I was thinking more of the city and you're considering the whole county and then some. I guess that's fair since I did bring up recreation outside of Seattle.

I've only been outside the city to Pine Valley and the Pacific Crest Trail near Campo, but didn't go far in either place. I suppose you have to know where the interesting places are.