San Diego is a great city if you can afford it!
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10/15/2020
I have lived in San Diego for 10 years now. Something I have noticed on this site is the majority of city reviews are very negative, across the board. So here is my personal view and experience with San Diego, good and bad.
Pros-
The beaches here are beautiful. And there are many to choose from. The water is cold and blue and lovely.
If you like surfing or paddle boarding or water sports in general, its a paradise.
You can rent sail boats here, and for much less money than you would think. Groupon often has deals that include sailing lessons along with the rental.
You can ride horses on the beach here.
You can take a hot air balloon ride over wine country at sunrise just 45 minutes south of here.
There are vineyards and breweries and places to have a proper English tea if you want it.
There are many parks, some with playgrounds, others with small lakes or paths to explore.
We have the biggest and finest cultural collection of museums in one location on the West Coast- Balboa Park.
We have one of the nicest zoos in the country. As well as a Safari Park.
We have amusement parks like Sea World and Legoland and Aquatica.
We have the San Diego Padres playing downtown each season.
Our downtown is small compared to some other major cities, but its well planned, beautiful, sits along the ocean and is full of things to see and do included the San Diego symphony and California ballet as well as many award winning restaurants, lovely hotels and even outdoor ice skating rinks in the winter.
We boarder Mexico and thus have some of the best and most authentic Mexican food you can find. As well as a Spanish and Mexican influence on a lot of our historical architecture.
We have more sunny days than anything else. So much sun that natives get excited when it rains. Temperatures tend to be 70-90 degrees year round with lows in the 60s. You will see natives in jackets and boots when it is 65 degrees out because to us, thats cold.
Schools are just ok. They aren't the best. They aren't the worst. Most of them are relatively safe.
Crime is low compared to most major cities.
There is diversity. It is majority Caucasian, however there is a large Latino population, as well as a 6% black population and quite a few Asians, especially Filipino, many of who are connected with the Navy.
Speaking of the Navy. The Navy and Marines have a massive presence here. They not only make up a large part of the population, both active duty and retired, but they comprise quite a bit of the employment opportunities for civilians as well. As such San Diego is quite patriotic and supportive of military members and their families.
There are several malls, movie theaters and restaurants hubs around the city that are great!
Cons-
All those great things I listed don't come cheap. Its VERY expensive to live here. Choosing to live where others vacation has a cost. And boy is it high.
Some people hate the heat. The constant sun and warmth drive them nuts. They also hate the beach and the beach is a major part of the attraction for this place.
It is a city. Not a small town. As such there is of course traffic, commute times can be long, crime in certain urban areas and homeless people.
While California is known for being liberal and "blue", San Diego can often times swing more red and conservative, largely due to its military population in connection with having an older whiter wealthier population as well. This really bothers some people and makes other happy.
Public transportation exists but its nothing like the east coast or even San Francisco. You really need a car to get around efficiently. The city was not designed to be super public transport friendly.
Monique | San Diego, CA