Who lives in San Diego? (Or is very familiar with it -including north county.(Carlsbad, Encinitas etc)

[Knight9]

Now before some of you go ridiculing California for it's taxes, high cost of living, Governor and other things.. let's imagine a situation where re-locating there is a possibility and something you really want to do. I am already familiar with a fairly high cost of living-so it won't be a shell-shock. I am very familiar with Southern California from LA to SD but not as well-versed in the north counties except for passing through and enjoying their beauty. I am more specifically talking about the coastal towns... Oceanside to Del Mar - and more specifically honing in on Carlsbad and Encinitas...renting - as a mid 30's bachelor. California is somewhere I feel I have always wanted to be..but I would love input from people that live there, have lived there or can 'life hack' the initial experience of relocating there.

My initial thoughts are optimally west of the 5(but not married to that idea as it obviously costs more).
Proximity and access to the 5 and beaches.
Looking at idealistic living where there is beauty and a fair amount of peace and quiet but close proximity (walking would be great but a short drive) to restaurants and bars.
A decent amount of 25-35yr olds. I do not want to be living in a retirement community or an 18-22yr old college atmosphere. While it is tolerable to be around the younger crowd-as I have worked in bars in major cities doing security and bartending for over a decade - I'd like to be around an equal amount of people my age with real lives and goals.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[gotgame]

Have a few friends who live in Carlsbad. its nice but i prefer slightly more north near san clemente, dana point, newport beach. I did think about carlsbad for a minute but it was just too far from my places of work and what i wanted socially.

As for being a single mid 30's bachelor. Hmm... id rank NYC > San Fran> Socal in terms of women. Dont get me wrong...im being good now but when I wasnt trying to settle down socal is like shooting fish in a barrel. I think i almost felt guilty at some point lol...almost lol I will always be partial to NYC women and dating scene though.

You are already welll versed in socal so i dont have much more to add

 

[Knight9]

Have a few friends who live in Carlsbad. its nice but i prefer slightly more north near san clemente, dana point, newport beach. I did think about carlsbad for a minute but it was just too far from my places of work and what i wanted socially.

As for being a single mid 30's bachelor. Hmm... id rank NYC > San Fran> Socal in terms of women. Dont get me wrong...im being good now but when I wasnt trying to settle down socal is like shooting fish in a barrel. I think i almost felt guilty at some point lol...almost lol I will always be partial to NYC women and dating scene though.

You are already welll versed in socal so i dont have much more to add

If it pans out, we will have to grab a bite at Nick's in Laguna or San Clemente. I stayed a night in San Clemente 2 yrs ago and loved that little town. I also really like Dana Point, Laguna, and HB..but I would have to be in San Diego and I am super content with that. Being anywhere near downtown would be a tall order and long commute, which is why I was specifying north county.

 

[gotgame]

San Diego areas is nice. Completely understand wanting to be a lil bit north. I do think carlsbad is a decent option. Not too far from downtown SD, can head north without much traffic most days. Head just a lil inland and north and temecula for wine tasting, horse back riding. Some good gun ranges a lil bit north if you enjoy that.

I spent a lot of my weekends at the HB dog beach before all this covid stuff.

Lemme know if you are every around. Im always down for some good food.

 

[MR. BMJ]

Don't forget Oceanside where the TN skyscraper headquarters is located towering over the surroundings....heh heh heh!

I'm too far north to give any good info....though San Diego is super nice, but super expensive in most cases. It's a trade-off, or it comes with the territory. For some reason, I thought you already had moved out here, knight. I know you visited not long ago.

 

[bad rad]

I lived in Poway/Rancho Bernardo/Escondido for 17 years and commuted to Coronado for work. I liked the area, much cheaper than being close to San Diego. Traffic around MCAS Miramar gets brutal depending on the time of day but otherwise it wasn't bad after the HWY 15 expansion.

Poway and RB were my two favorite area and there a few major routes to get to the beach from them.

 

[Ranchhand]

Lived in Cardiff by the Sea a couple of decades ago and trained at a Gold's gym franchise in a small shopping center that faced the ocean between Solana beach and Swami's beach next to Encinitas. Definitely small community worth checking out, but not sure the Gold's gym is still there.

 

[j2048b]

I honestly have no idea why anyone with any smarts would want to move to the shit hole state??? Taxes, democrats, homelessness, shit the list goes on, sure some pretty buildings and a few nice areas may sway someone BUT given the chance id rather live in freaken nevada, utah (and im not even mormon) and a few other areas.....california is destined to be the biggest shit hole state of the entire us of a......

Dont let the pretty places fool you, do some crime statistics, id rather never live in california

 

[goback2013]

I honestly have no idea why anyone with any smarts would want to move to the shit hole state??? Taxes, democrats, homelessness, shit the list goes on, sure some pretty buildings and a few nice areas may sway someone BUT given the chance id rather live in freaken nevada, utah (and im not even mormon) and a few other areas.....california is destined to be the biggest shit hole state of the entire us of a......

Dont let the pretty places fool you, do some crime statistics, id rather never live in california

what you describe is LA, SF.
san diego not so much.
especially north county.
you're not going to find skid row or wide spread homelessness along coastal mid-north county san diego.
hippy dippy, crystal rock energy, bullshit yes.. but homelessness and wide spread crime, not really if at all.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

You just described 10% of the actual state. You nailed LA and that's about it. CA is freaking huge and with variety of political opinions (which yours is)...drive out to Fresno or Bakersfield and your opinion is agreed with by just about everyone.

As far as CA goes to the OP, like GotGame said, go south OC. I do love me some North SD but the South OC is just gorgeous. The hills of San Clemente that overlook the 5 and out to the ocean are unreal. I grew up in CA, lived in Portland, Phoenix, Atlanta and NYC. Favorite place as a bachelor was NYC by a mile. CA is great if you arent from there AND if you arent moving to LA. Its beautiful, is laid back and it has a different vibe. SF and LA are their own animals. Cant even lump them into how i judge CA at all.

I honestly have no idea why anyone with any smarts would want to move to the shit hole state??? Taxes, democrats, homelessness, shit the list goes on, sure some pretty buildings and a few nice areas may sway someone BUT given the chance id rather live in freaken nevada, utah (and im not even mormon) and a few other areas.....california is destined to be the biggest shit hole state of the entire us of a......

Dont let the pretty places fool you, do some crime statistics, id rather never live in california

 

[xpoc]

South OC and beach cities guy here... but not an expert on Dago.

 

[m314]

As for being a single mid 30's bachelor. Hmm... id rank NYC > San Fran> Socal in terms of women. Dont get me wrong...im being good now but when I wasnt trying to settle down socal is like shooting fish in a barrel. I think i almost felt guilty at some point lol...almost lol I will always be partial to NYC women and dating scene though.

LA has more beautiful women than anywhere else I've been. Hot model / actress types are everywhere you look in Hollywood. It's like that with hot fitness chicks in Venice. San Francisco has more Asian women in general. Berkeley has more hot white women. LA has more Latinas along with any other race you're into.

I love San Francisco and the Bay Area, but there are a lot more men than women. Lots of single men move there to work in the technology industry. I moved here (LA County) from San Jose partly for a job and partly for the women. I ended up meeting my future wife after just a few months. Now we're thinking of moving back near SF for a new job. San Francisco has the highest salaries in the world for technology workers.

 

[EWRECK]

Born in Redondo Beach but moved inland to Temecula when I was 5 and lived there for 40 years. Most of my family still lives in the Redondo/Manhattan Beach area but it’s too crowded for my taste hence I live in the middle of a corn field in Colorado Check out the Laguna Nigel area. If I ever got tired of the Rocky Mountains and 1.75 gas I’d go there.

 

[goback2013]

spent 30+ years in san diego, still have a property in SE near lemon grove.
now i spend most my time outside the state, but go back for a couple months at a time, since i can work remotely.
speaking of women, i ran through so many during my time there not even funny.
had women all up and down the coast... from national city all the way up to agoura(bad bad persian female.. and this was before the khardashians became a thing)
the past few times, i've been back ill hit the coast to run some miles by carlsbad state beach..
i run without a shirt, i'm tall, tanned(naturally), ripped(by general public standards) and without fail i'm stopped by single soccer moms who comment on my 'hard work'..
or stop to say 'good job'..
it's so freakn easy, its not even funny..
i barely even lift at the gym these days, but i run at many area trails and lakes.

 

[Knight9]

Have a few friends who live in Carlsbad. its nice but i prefer slightly more north near san clemente, dana point, newport beach. I did think about carlsbad for a minute but it was just too far from my places of work and what i wanted socially.

As for being a single mid 30's bachelor. Hmm... id rank NYC > San Fran> Socal in terms of women. Dont get me wrong...im being good now but when I wasnt trying to settle down socal is like shooting fish in a barrel. I think i almost felt guilty at some point lol...almost lol I will always be partial to NYC women and dating scene though.

You are already welll versed in socal so i dont have much more to add

If you have the time, would you mind reaching out to them and getting the scoop on living in Carlsbad/Encinitas with my general mentioned intent? Thanks bro.

 

[Knight9]

Don't forget Oceanside where the TN skyscraper headquarters is located towering over the surroundings....heh heh heh!

I'm too far north to give any good info....though San Diego is super nice, but super expensive in most cases. It's a trade-off, or it comes with the territory. For some reason, I thought you already had moved out here, knight. I know you visited not long ago.

That's right. I'll have to say hello or maybe offer Dante a spot if I run into him again.

 

[Knight9]

Lived in Cardiff by the Sea a couple of decades ago and trained at a Gold's gym franchise in a small shopping center that faced the ocean between Solana beach and Swami's beach next to Encinitas. Definitely small community worth checking out, but not sure the Gold's gym is still there.

Doubtful...my buddy Lou owns Metroflex Oceanside, so I would likely give my business to him unless it's a total bitch to get to. Otherwise, there is TheGym Vista and of cour'se

Lived in Cardiff by the Sea a couple of decades ago and trained at a Gold's gym franchise in a small shopping center that faced the ocean between Solana beach and Swami's beach next to Encinitas. Definitely small community worth checking out, but not sure the Gold's gym is still there.

Doubtful...my buddy Lou owns Metroflex Oceanside, so I would likely give my business to him unless it's a total bitch to get to. Otherwise, there is TheGym Vista and of course TG San Diego!(formerly World Gym and the best gym I have ever trained at..)

Edit: oh yeah...and Stearn's

 

[Ranchhand]

If you have the time, would you mind reaching out to them and getting the scoop on living in Carlsbad/Encinitas with my general mentioned intent? Thanks bro.

Late 80's into the early 90's I lived in Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea and Carlsbad. I really liked the vibe of SD North County, especially Encinitas. Would have stayed permanently if I could have afforded to live there.

 

[UsmcOldSchoolMuscle]

Northern SD is really nice. I've lived in the Carlsbad Area, Vista to be specific.

Positives that I recall off hand

<The beaches are not crowded at all and very clean.
<Beach front dining can be had without breaking the bank.
<Plenty of Nightlife establishments for younger guys to work security for extra cash.
<Shopping is great due to the Carlsbad Premium Outlets
<While living in this area I dealt with the least amount of traffic that I've ever experienced while living in CA.
<Even the people with money don't come off snobbish and most people a very welcoming.
<There are just so many things for families to enjoy when taking the children out.
Legoland is in Carlsbad, the San Diego Zoo is really nice and Disney Land is just a short trip north.

 

[Knight9]

Northern SD is really nice. I've lived in the Carlsbad Area, Vista to be specific.

Positives that I recall off hand

<The beaches are not crowded at all and very clean.
<Beach front dining can be had without breaking the bank.
<Plenty of Nightlife establishments for younger guys to work security for extra cash.
<Shopping is great due to the Carlsbad Premium Outlets
<While living in this area I dealt with the least amount of traffic that I've ever experienced while living in CA.
<Even the people with money don't come off snobbish and most people a very welcoming.
<There are just so many things for families to enjoy when taking the children out.
Legoland is in Carlsbad, the San Diego Zoo is really nice and Disney Land is just a short trip north.

How long ago did you live there? It's hard finding centralized locations of living arrangements and wondering if they're really near a part of town I want to be near. (Groceries, restaurants, etc) There isn't nearly as much housing as I'd have thought..especially near the Ocean. Also, nothing seems to be higher than 2 or 3 stories in North County.