San Diego, CA Reviews

San Diego- 35 year resident/ Must sell. Kids must - 2/1/2006
The weather is perfect. the landscapes are paradise, but if you want to live by your children when they are grown or want to give them a decent education, look elsewhere. San Diego is not what it used to be as far as America's Finest City. I would stay and not sell simply for the weather, but our grown children who are SD natives can not afford to live here. The traffic sucks, the water and roads are really bad, but you cannot beat the weather/activities, etc. You must seriously consider your priorities in life. The local government is terribly corrupt and taxes are not spent as they are intended. Housing is out of this world. I find the only things that really cost more are property, and gasoline and health care. Utilities are minimal, groceries are fine, lots of free activites to do. But at what cost to the quality of one's life to live in perfect weather? I guess if you can afford it, and your kids and family can, then go for it. Not a slow paced city in any way, shape or Read More

I just discovered Encinitas - 2/1/2006
What a cool city by the sea

LOVE Read More

Great beach city! - 1/31/2006
Being in the military, I still miss the place where I lived before I "cross into the blue." San Diego has so much to offer: the beach, mountain, desert, south of the border, country area in the east side, you name it! I love going to Balboa Park, the biggest urban park in the nation. Need not to mention Gas Lamp Quarter in downtown, it's a wonderful place to be if you're looking for a night life. Parties at the beach in Colorado Island and Pacific beach neighborhood were unforgettable. Just about everywhere you turn, there is something going on in this city. It's true that it's very expensive now to live here but hey, you pay for the place baby! You can move somewhere cheaper but it's just not San Read More

dream is over/SD native - 1/27/2006
As a San Diego native I can say it has gotten so expensive here that the perks, eg. weather, activities, night life, outdoors, sports is all for nothing if you cant afford a home and have a stable income to raise a family. Housing and gas (highest gas $$$ in the nation) prices are the worst, the city government is near bankruptcy. A decent house in a good neighborhood $500-600,000 or more, sure you can get a house for $300-400,000 but it is one bedroom one bath less than 1,000 sq ft. and in the not so nice parts of town. The pay scale here is lower than most cities, including other California cities, a family income needs to be around $150,000 plus to afford to live here somewhat comfortably. Try to find a job (white collar-college educated) that pays enough for even a single person to survive, forget it! I am looking for a better place to raise my Read More

Some comments on affordability - 1/17/2006
I've lived in SD since 1990. I was lucky to buy a house in 1998, but made the mistake of buying a house that my family and I out grew. We didn't have to move, but we thought it best. We moved to El Cajon in 2004 and while we can handle the mortgage payment with the equity we made in the first house, the property taxes make it difficult to have any fun money. I have to put away $600 a month to cover property taxes.

With a housing cost index of 201.3 plus a median HH income of <$50K, this city has the worst wage to cost of living ratio in the country. And it will not be changing anytime soon, as long as people keep moving here and as long as corporations give incentives to relocate here (they have no choice) the wages will stay flat with adjustments for CPI. I heard recently that the SDPD is short over 100 officers becuase they keep leaving to go to Irvine and LA to get paid 30-50% more, and with the financial mess the city is in, they will not be getting raises Read More

San Diego Nice but Pricey - 1/14/2006
Truth is the cost of living is much higher than most other places. But besides the weather you get great people a great atmosphere and lots of things to do and places to go. North County is predonminately causcasion; East County has a Caldean popluation; South County is mainly hispanic and South East County is predonminately African American. The Asian population is spread throughout. Also, alot of people are opting to purchase homes an hour north in Temecula(Riverside County) because it is cheaper yet not too far out of San Diego County. Hope this Read More

Ditto - 1/6/2006
Been here for 15 years as well, love it, as it is 1/6/06 and it is 80 degrees out, but all the negatives are tipping the scale towards cashing out. I consider myself smart, not lucky, to buy a home in the 90's, however traffic noise, taxes, political corruption, crowded schools and the feeling of being a suburb of Tijuana have me thinking everyday of cashing out. All the positive attributes listed by everyone are delightful, sun, surf and entertainment make it hard to leave Read More

Lifetime San Diego Native - 1/1/2006
America's Finest City is no more. As a San Diego native for over 40 years, I can attest to the changes in this city, which have negatively impacted my thinking. For the first time I have considered "cashing out" (as I am one of the lucky ones who bought a home in the early 1990's); and moving elsewhere. This coming from an avid water afficionado and beach-goer. San Diego is beautiful, and the activities it offers are unrivalled. However, when a college-educated professional who has worked hard cannot afford even a modest home, due to the suppressed salaries and high cost of living, and due to the "sunshine tax", then one has to think seriously about lifestyle changes.

I could sell my home, pay cash for a home elsewhere, pay cash for a new automobile, pay off all my debts, possibly pay cash for a retirement home or timeshare, and then pocket the rest as retirement investment.

It is obscene that others cannot have a comfortable lifestyle living here.  Read More

Beauty and the beast - 12/20/2005
I've lived in San Diego for over 15 years. It truly was "america's finest city". Now, however, as others said it has changed. Traffic is terrible, gas prices the worst, utilities expensive (good thing we don't need a/c or heat), housing completely unaffordable and pay rates are the pits. And english has become a second language. Still a gorgeous city, but a tough place to afford to raise a Read More

r u kidding - 12/14/2005
'not america' Read More