A once-fine city, now rapidly declining
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3/27/2021
I've lived in San Diego for the past 8 years and could run my list of pros/cons endlessly. I have just left the city for the east coast (where I was born and lived for a few years as well). Overall, as others have said, it is a great place, but not for everyone (as is, just about anywhere you can think of).
There seems to be two types of people in San Diego. The ones that have been there since the 60s when they bought their homes for dirt cheap, and the out-of-towners (mostly rich internationals) who are moving in and dramatically upping the real estate costs (La Jolla anyone?).
The weather is so amazing you can see why anyone would want to move there and sit, indefinitely, basking in the blue sky and warmth. This is why I never wanted to leave.
The problem more boils down to sheer communal narcissism passed down from SD's bigger sister, LA. While I have tons of incredible friends in San Diego, most of the down-to-earth ones were from other places originally. People who are born and raised in SD have a definite lack of understanding of the way the rest of the country operates (socially, economically, environmentally, the list goes on).
If you're hoping every San Diegan is beachy and fun-loving, you will be greatly disappointed. There is an air of superiority that runs rampant and is highly toxic if you try to explain that there are other great places in the country, too.
As Elon Musk said, California has been winning for a long, long time, and many of the overdue problems (ie; infrastructure, affordable housing, pollution) have not been touched due to the extreme regulations imposed by the state. Eventually, San Diegans will have to decide if they want to fix these problems now or wail every time another beachfront street gets washed away into the ocean and the city loses power.
San Diegans really do think they are better than everyone (and believe me, I was absorbed in it too for a long, long time, until I spent time in other places and realized the main pro for SD is the weather (and weed) and the rest is at best, mid-quality compared to other cities) and it will likely continue to decline until the rich decide to invest in the community instead of their personal tennis courts and pools.
I would absolutely move back to San Diego for many reasons, and I had a lot of fun there, but the more you read into the politics the more disappointed you'll be and realize it's slowly but surely turning into the next LA. With the sheer amount of people living there, they really don't need any more people moving there.
Jake | San Diego, CA