If you ask anyone what their ideal temperature would be, they’re going to say “the warmth of the south without the humidity” or “the temperate climate of the midwest or northeast, but no snow,” which is an awfully long-winded way of saying “San Diego.” Chula Vista is all the beauty and beautiful weather of San Diego without the astronomical price tag. The weather is beautiful all-year round, giving you plenty of time to explore one of Chula’s many parks and beautiful ocean-front views!

Locals like to say it's the ideal place to raise a family: *I have lived here for almost 28 years and like many have been commuting to San Diego for work. Chula Vista is great for raising a family. It's definitely different than places south of it like South San Diego, Imperial Beach and San Ysidro and from places north of it like National City. It has the usual grocery stores or health stores like Sprouts and Grocery Outlet, great for low cost organic food and specialty grocery stores like Northgate Market. It also has authentic Mexican restaurants and bakeries like La Moreliana plus great Chinese restaurants. There are also some fabulous restaurants like D’Lish if you like homemade pasta, the famous Tacos El Gordo if you like delicious tacos, various great seafood places, etc.*


Perfect Weather!

Best Thing About Chula Vista

Because there aren’t a ton of work opportunities in Chula Vista, a lot of people choose to work north of the city in San Diego. On the flip side, there are a lot of people who were working or relocated for work to San Diego and couldn’t rationalize the San Diego price tags, so they went with Chula Vista. These two things make the average commute much longer than the national average. 

Local on commuting: *Honestly, commuting from chula vista is not worth it. the traffic is so bad and gas prices right now are high. I commuted for a little bit and every day I felt so exhausted that I never wanted to do any work when I got back home. if you have a class at 9:30, leaving the house at 7:30am would work, I think I did that too. it doesn’t really save you from traffic though. traffic is usually from like 7-9am and then 3-6:30pm*


Commute

Worst Thing About Chula Vista

Despite the massive growth Chula Vista has seen, it’s still widely known as a suburb of San Diego. While there is a lot to do downtown, CV is full of families and planned neighborhoods with HOAs. 3rd Ave has a ton of great breweries and restaurants, but it’s not considered a walkable city and you’ll need a car to get anywhere. Residents of Chula Vista definitely take advantage of the close proximity to nature and the beaches for their weekend getaways. 

If you want to get a sense of the activities that happen here check out the Chula Vista Calendar of Events: https://www.chulavistaca.gov/residents/cultural-arts/events/

 Suburb Life

Lifestyle of Chula Vista 

Chula Vista, being so close to a larger city like San Diego, is mostly a commuter city. That said, CV is very small-business minded and community-centered. Besides small-business owners, the majority of people are employed by local school districts and the local medical centers. Chula Vista has been growing steadily since 2013 and tourism plays a huge part in their growing economy.


Workstyle of Chula Vista

Chula Vista is a perfect city for someone looking to escape big city life or who has remote work capabilities. It has impeccable weather, reasonably priced houses, and an ocean view. If you’re looking for a diverse community with a ton of outdoor activities, look no further than Chula Vista!


Perfect for Zoom-life

Why Move Here Now?

Chula Vista, lovingly called Chula by locals, is split up into East and West Chula Vista, split by I-805. The biggest difference between the two, that might be unfamiliar to anyone outside of California, is that West Chula Vista does not have Mello-Roos taxes. Mello-Roos are special districts established by local governments as a means of obtaining additional public funding. Regardless of the taxes, Chula Vista is a diverse, growing community that has a variety of housing options from apartments, to condos, to single family homes and large community developments. 


Neighborhoods

Chula Vista is popular amongst young professionals who don’t mind a bit more of a commute to get to work in San Diego. 3rd Ave gives you a chance to hang out and experience nightlife in CV, while San Diego is only a 20 minute drive away in off hours. Check out these neighborhoods if you’re a WFH-er or don’t mind the commute:
- Millenia
- Downtown


Young Professionals

Millenia

Young Families will love the many parks and great schools Chula Vista has to offer. You can have your pick of planned communities with spacious homes, near parks and amenities for the whole family to enjoy. Oh, and amazing weather for the kiddos to play outside all day long. 
- Otay Ranch
- Bonita


Young Families

Otay Ranch

Established families will love Chula Vista for the amenities and home prices for huge home relative to San Diego. There are homes with large yards in great communities that have nature trails, mountain views, all while being close to highways or amenities. Just a few miles from the beaches of the Pacific you get the best of both worlds here. 
- East Lake
- Bonita


Established Families

East Lake

Chula Vista

**Chula Vista - What's the catch?**

The better investment would actually be west of the 805. Chula Vista is unique in that it is one of the only west coast cities where prices actually get cheaper the closer you get to the water. And now with the new resort and convention center plans on the bay front, that will increase the costs in the area.

East of the 805 is very nice, and cheap relative to other area of the county when you take into account the low crime rate and great education. Anywhere in Chula Vista / Bonita would be great, but the Eastlake and Otay areas are a little far from non toll freeways so commuting can be a pain.

**Chula Vista - What's the catch?**

Most of the feedback here has been for East Chula Vista, I reside in West Chula Vista and can provide additional insight. My house is considered “coastal”, I sit high enough up on a hill and have a 180 degree, unobstructed ocean view from Mexico to Coronado/Downtown. I get a great coastal breeze and usually feels 5-6 degrees cooler than East Chula. I don’t have an HOA or Mello roos either which is a plus but can also be a negative if you’re neighbors don’t maintain their home.

Downtown 3rd Avenue has been growing over the years with many new breweries, restaurants etc. There is also a waterfront expansion project coming in the future too. I do appreciate that I have easy access to either the 805 or 5. That being said, my commute used to suck every single day. To and from mission valley. I am lucky enough now to be fully remote and no longer have to worry about that.

**Chula Vista - What's the catch?**


I think it's a gem. Sandwiched between San Diego (to the North and South). Plenty of places to go. I feel largely safe. Kids go to good schools. It's quiet and friendly. Plenty of parks and trails to enjoy. Beaches are very close (in my opinion). Mexico, the desert, the mountains and coast are all close enough to enjoy. I have a family, so it is very ideal for me. But maybe the one catch is that it needs more jobs to be attractive for young professionals. Unless you want to work for big box stores, fast food or a medical profession (servicing the community), I really don't see a lot of options for work, leaving many choices requiring a commute to San Diego. I see a lot of families and older people but many of the 18-30 year olds may feel like it's too slow, not enough of a nightlife, and/or not a lot of local career opportunities

**What are the best aspects of living in Chula Vista, CA as a young adult?**

I have lived here for almost 28 years and like many have been commuting to San Diego for work. Chula Vista is great for raising a family. It's definitely different than places south of it like South San Diego, Imperial Beach and San Ysidro and from places north of it like National City. It has the usual grocery stores or health stores like Sprouts and Grocery Outlet, great for low cost organic food and specialty grocery stores like Northgate Market. It also has authentic Mexican restaurants and bakeries like La Moreliana plus great Chinese restaurants. There are also some fabulous restaurants like D’Lish if you like homemade pasta, the famous Tacos El Gordo if you like delicious tacos, various great seafood places, etc.

Chula Vista Middle School and Chula Vista High School are Schools for the Creative and Performing Arts offering students the opportunity to learn many valuable skills like guitar, dance, drama, orchestra, band, and art. Mario Lopez is a graduate from this program.

Chula Vista, California

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Looklyloo Score: 78

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