Review of Escondido, California


Noise! Noise! Noise!
Star Rating - 12/31/2007
I was warned by people not to move here. After living the last five years in the north county coastal cities of San Diego(Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Oceanside) I got tired of all the coastal fog and wanted warmer day time temps(yes it is colder here at night than the coast in the winter, but I am asleep at night and it is warmer in the day time here). I went on to Craigslist and found a great small house with a big yard to rent for a bargain price of $900 a month (vs $1500 a month on the coast for a tiny one bedroom). Plenty of space for my small dog and my partner to live in comfort.

In the last six months we have endured loud music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from various neighbors(sometime during the week too). Most of the music is mexican music which I am not fond of and give me the sense I am stuck in a mexican restaurant all the time. The other music is loud hip hop music which I like to listen myself as well. I just don't like to be forced to listen to it when all I want to do is lay down on my sofa and watch a movie. I call the Escondido police on a weekly basis and they do come out and ask the people to turn their music off or down which everyone seems to comply with their demands. I don't understand why these people think that playing their music as loud as they can in their backyard is okay.

Additionally, to this is the cars and trucks that go by with their music so loud it shakes my house. Another big problem is the gang graffiti everywhere. People here just don't care about their neighborhood. They throw trash on the ground constantly and their trash cans are always over flowing, yet often the blue recycle containers next to the cans are empty.

I will say the weather here is great and better than the coast. I moved here from the northeast looking for better weather and the coast is to cloudy six months out the year. Plus it is overpriced.

I will say that Escondido is broken up to in many different parts. North Escondido and South Escondido is much more affluent without the problems I have discussed above. Also, western Escondido by San Marcos seems better too. I live in Old Escondido which could be a great place since it filled with old craftsman and victorian style homes. I am sure at one time it was a great place to live, but not anymore. There are area worst then where I live particularly the valley parkway neighborhoods where crime and gangs are a big issue.

I am moving soon northward to Temecula. Same weather without the trashy people. There is a reason why people call Escondido the armpit of San Diego county and it lives up to its representation well.
Shawn | Escondido, CA
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The person who wrote "Noise! Noise! Noise!", I believe his/her name was Shawn, didn't say anything "rude" about Escondido. As a matter of fact, it was a very fair and accurate assessment. I've been a resident of Escondido for well over 13 years and in conjunction, a code enforcement officer for the city for a good portion of that time, as well. Having worked cases in all areas of the city, I know it very well and I concur with everything this short-time resident has to say. There are a smattering of nicer areas in the city, yet it is also losing its luster as more homes become low-income rentals, which inevitably draws down the beauty and subsequently the property values of even the finest of once pristine communities. Google "The broken window theory" for an education in this process. Depending upon the make-up of city counsel, more or less effort has been expended in an attempt to reverse this spiraling trend. There have been a number of recently successful enterprises, resulting in new and attractive developments in the downtown and southern areas. However, city staff and budgets in my former division have been cut down to a mere skeleton of its former self and they simply cannot keep up with the never-ending influx of lower income individuals and families. This invariably ends up taxing nearly all other departments, leading the entire city to suffer and lose it draw to potential residents and businesses. In conclusion, bringing truth to light doesn't necessarily equate to "saying rude things". The city is what it is and I don't foresee any real changes until either people change (not likely) or our economy turns around and more funding is available to support programs aimed at restoring it.
Joel | Escondido, CA | Report Abuse

There is no need to say rude things about Escondido. I know there are a lot of bad things people say about Temecula, but I believe to each his own. Hope you enjoy your new home.
Claire | Escondido, CA | Report Abuse
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