Tech startups and VCs are flocking to San Diego. The attraction is a big, functional city with all the attendant benefits but set in a surfer’s paradise. Long known as the older, less cool cousin to Los Angeles, the beach scene, the LGBTQ scene, the craft brew scene, the college town scene, and the proximity to the best Mexican food anywhere (Mexico) have coalesced to create something youthful and unique.

There are some downsides including: square footage costs are well over average. And frankly, so is everything else. And, the fires and drought and earthquake -- not great.



Chill Vibe in a Big City.

LookyLOO Review of San Diego

One of the biggest contributing factors to the lifestyle of San Diego is the nice weather. Being sunny and temperate almost all year round, plus the proximity to some amazing beaches, means that people spend a lot of time outside. Everyone you know either surfs, spends their weekends hiking or biking, or plays beach volleyball. Despite being a huge city, this gives it a relaxed, beach-town vibe. The median age in the city is just under 35, which means it’s a great city for young professionals and young families. The city is also influenced by its proximity to the border, the military, and tech and tourism. 

If you want to see what's happening in San Diego now and throughout the year check out the [**calendar of events**](https://www.sandiegomagazine.com/calendar/).


Lifestyle

San Diego has a ton of economic opportunities for recently relocated residents. Even with the pandemic, San Diego has seen steady job growth over the past few years, with large industries like defense/military, tech, and life sciences dominating the job market. The top employers are the US Navy, Kaiser Permanente, The University of California, San Diego, and Sharp HealthCare.


Worklife

The [**San Diego Unified School District**](https://www.sandiegounified.org/) is one of the best in California, rating an [**"A" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/san-diego-unified-school-district-ca/) with exceptional ratings for College Prep. 

While there are schools with "A's" throughout the district, the highest scoring regions are on the north/west sides and the far east region near Mission Trails Park. A couple of secondary pearls amidst the large district include:

-[**Mt Everest Academy**](https://mteverest.sandiegounified.org/): a K-12 Alternative Public, that receives an [A+ on niche.com](https://www.niche.com/k12/mt-everest-academy-san-diego-ca/?map) and is rated the best elementary school in California.
-[**Scripps Ranch High School**](https://www.scrippsranch.sandiegounified.org/) is another gem. Located north of the city it also rates an [**"A+" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/scripps-ranch-high-school-san-diego-ca/) and is renowned for Academics and College Prep. 

Schools

San Diego is the perfect place if you find yourself wanting to escape the bleak winters of the East Coast or the dreary fog of the Pacific Northwest. It may be expensive, but you can earn good money, live close to the ocean, and live like you’re in a Corona commercial.

Escape

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**ronj1983**
Living in San Diego
1y ago
✭✭✭✭✭

From NYC 37 years. Here 2.5 years. The fucking people here will give you the shirt off their backs. I am black and have been in trouble in some all white, upper class areas and the people have hepled me there greatly. So much so I thought I was on candid camera. I hangout at Sky Deck, which is a rooftop bar in Del Mar. Only black person there and it is all love. I run so I am friends with everybody. White, Mexican, Indian/Middle Eastern etc. Just go to a bar, shoot your mouth off, and people will love you. South of the 94 is supposedly the hood for the most part. Again, I'm from NYC so I laugh at that. Encanto and Lincoln Park are south of the 94 and are supposed to be the worst areas. Again, I laugh. Personal favorite? I am biased as I work from Del Mar to Carlsbad so that is it for me. If I am close to home? My place would be Kensington to live. Middle East background? You will love Kearny Mesa and Mira Mesa for food. Very good Indian/Middle Eastern food there. I live right off of El Cajon Blvd and College Ave. Kinda diverse and in the middle of everything. Get to the beach in 20-25 minutes driving no traffic.

For more reviews of what living in San Diego is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/san-diego/reviews)

The Shirt off your Back

Reviews of San Diego from Locals

**The Best Thing About San Diego?** The chill vibe in a big city. 
Tech startups and VCs are flocking to San Diego. The attraction is a big, functional city with all the attendant benefits but set in a surfer’s paradise. Long known as the older, less cool cousin to Los Angeles, the beach scene, the LGBTQ scene, the craft brew scene, the college town scene and the proximity to the best Mexican food anywhere (Mexico) have coalesced to create something youthful and unique. 


**The Worst Thing About San Diego?** Housing is not cheap. 
Square footage costs are well over average. And frankly, so is everything else. And, the fires and drought and earthquakes...not great. 


**How You Living?** Probably bouncing around at first.
There are Encinitas phases and North Park phases, South Park phases and Normal Heights phases. Neighborhoods will fluctuate with phases of life but it will likely be more beachy than not and you’ll be surrounded by surfers and skateboarders. And, you’ll be driving even though The Trolley is indeed a thing.


**Why You Should Move Here Now?** You can earn good money and live in a Corona commercial. 


San Diego is situated in the southwestern corner of the US. It’s the second largest city in California and the eighth largest city in the country. Considered the cooler, more chill younger sister city of Los Angeles, it’s south of LA and Irving and is north of Chula Vista (on the border). The city itself is bordered on the north by the famous San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. The city itself can feel really clogged, especially during rush hour and peak tourism seasons. The location of the city influences the city a lot: it’s a border town, a beach town, and in California, which means it’s expensive. The city has a lot of great neighborhoods, but if you want to escape the dreaded traffic you’re going to want to head to any one of the super popular San Diego suburbs like Encinitas or Chula Vista which are nice, but definitely not San Diego. 


The Area

San Diego is home to a couple of great universities including UC San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State, and National University. One of the more popular universities, UC San Diego, is right next to University City, which is a large residential and university district close to campus. Through the center of the neighborhood is Rose Canyon Open Space Park, which has hiking trails and woodland areas perfect for weekends away from campus. There’s also a ton of great restaurants, shopping, and more in the area— what else can you ask for?
- University City
- La Jolla Village
- College Area


College Students

University City

Young Professionals
What better way to spend your time after work than on the beach or grabbing drinks with friends on an outdoor patio? Living in San Diego as a young professional makes the 9-5 sludge almost bearable. If you’re wanting to relocate, we’d suggest starting your search in Hillcrest. This neighborhood is just north of downtown near the Zoo and is known for its friendly neighbors, walkability (by San Diego standards), and is at the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in SD. It has a ton of restaurants and bars, has live events, and a plethora of townhomes and apartments to choose from. 
- Hillcrest
- North Park
- Ocean Beach


Young Professionals

Hillcrest

Young families looking to relocate to San Diego are in luck. On top of everything that’s great about the city, San Diego also has amazing schools. If you’re looking to settled down, but not embrace suburbia yet, we suggest starting your search in North Park. The neighborhood has a city feel to it, but there are a ton of single-family homes, condos, and townhomes to choose from. On the weekends, you can get out and wander around art galleries, attend a festival, or hit the farmer’s market with the fam!
- North Park
- Mira Mesa
- La Mesa


Young Families

North Park 

San Diego has a lot to offer for families with older children like great schools and some pretty stellar neighborhoods. That being said, it can get pricey. If you can afford it, Carmel Valley is our vote for the first place to check out in the city. It has a really family-feel to it, you won’t get side-eyed for saying “hello” to neighbors, and there are great schools!
- Carmel Valley
- Torrey Hills
- La Jolla


Established Families

Carmel Valley

San Diego

**ronj1983**
Living in San Diego
1y ago
✭✭✭✭✭

From NYC 37 years. Here 2.5 years. The fucking people here will give you the shirt off their backs. I am black and have been in trouble in some all white, upper class areas and the people have hepled me there greatly. So much so I thought I was on candid camera. I hangout at Sky Deck, which is a rooftop bar in Del Mar. Only black person there and it is all love. I run so I am friends with everybody. White, Mexican, Indian/Middle Eastern etc. Just go to a bar, shoot your mouth off, and people will love you. South of the 94 is supposedly the hood for the most part. Again, I'm from NYC so I laugh at that. Encanto and Lincoln Park are south of the 94 and are supposed to be the worst areas. Again, I laugh. Personal favorite? I am biased as I work from Del Mar to Carlsbad so that is it for me. If I am close to home? My place would be Kensington to live. Middle East background? You will love Kearny Mesa and Mira Mesa for food. Very good Indian/Middle Eastern food there. I live right off of El Cajon Blvd and College Ave. Kinda diverse and in the middle of everything. Get to the beach in 20-25 minutes driving no traffic.


**bellabelleell** / Living in San Diego / 1y ago
✭✭✭

1+5) There is huge diversity in San Diego, many pockets of Middle Eastern communities if you need a taste of home. Otherwise, you will fit in anywhere in the county. People here tend to keep to themselves, but are typically kind and outgoing once you begin socializing. I have found that meeting people in San Diego is pretty hobby-driven. You won't normally make friends by going to bars or the beach, but if you love cars or hiking, joining meetup groups for those hobbies will introduce you to many like-minded people. For a county as big as SD, social media is almost essential.

2) I'm not sure if you are looking for a place you can feel safe walking around in OR if you are looking for areas that are within walking distance of a beach (two very different answers). San Diego County is made of many smaller cities, almost all of which are within a 20-30min drive of each other. Two rules to consider when deciding where to live: A) rural areas are less tolerant of other cultures (this is how the US is in general), so suburban and urban areas will be safer for you. B) The more urban the area, the more you will experience issues like homelessness (a byproduct of our weather and population density).

Suburban areas to consider: La Mesa, Santee, and Encinitas. El Cajon has a larger Middle Eastern community, but is a little underdeveloped compared to some of the nicer parts of San Diego.

Urban areas to consider: Golden Hill, Hillcrest (a safe haven for alternative lifestyles), and Pacific Beach.

**ronj1983** / Living in San Diego / Updated 1mo ago
✭✭✭✭✭

Well, I am gonna be very detailed here. This is gonna be long. I had no idea about this place. I met a girl on Facebook from here in early 2011. She tells me it is 72 degrees in January. Told her I would eventually come check it out. Came in 2014 with my now wife for a week and we ran a half marathon (we are big time runners). Came in 2018 again for a week and ran another half marathon. Then comes the cost of living. Homes here are a little more than NYC, but if you are renting it is probably even if you are smart. We live in a 1BR complex with a 2 pools, a gym, 2 laundry rooms and 2 stainless steel grills for $1,735 a month and 2 parking spots. My wife is in healthcare and left NYC 3.5 years ago making 88K. She started here at 110K. Now she is almost at 150K. I did Instacart full time for 2.5 years and still do it a little, but started my own mobile mechanic business. I love the winter here because you can wake up and it can be high 30's at 6am so you do get a little pinch of back home for a few hours. The coldest days in the winter are like mid 50's. The summer is not nearly as hot as NYC as the humidity is low here. The beaches from La Jolla all the way up to Carlsbad are absolutely bliss. The people here, they will give you the shirt off of their backs and are really polite. Hard to be a douche when you wake up to palm trees daily and good weather. People will tell you that you need to make $2974429257929 a year to live here and it is not the case. The bad about herr is the tap water is not close to that of NYC and there are a lot of homeless people, but the huge population is mostly downtown. If you are not downtown then it will not look bad at all. They are pretty much scattered. I have had no issues with homeless people or my car broken in etc. The gas is like $1 more, but the car insurance is cheaper so it offsets. You can do 75 on any highway and the cops won't even look at you. Less traffic of course. The public transportation I have never taken, but it does not seem bad. We have a train that goes all the way to LA as well. I would suggest you come and stay for a week. San Diego is HUGE in size. I can be at the border, drive for 2hrs with no traffic and still be in San Diego. Oh, we have a place called Julian which is high elevation and it snows. Freaked me out to see snow in San Diego. You can go up there for a weekend if you want to an almost Poconos type feel. Legoland is here, Disneyland is less than 2hrs away. LA is 2hrs with no traffic, Sesame Place just opened up, we have Belmont Park which is a smaller scale Coney Island and a little safer, Sea World is here, the San Diego Zoo is here and the biggest zoo in the country. Whatever your line of work is look to see what it pays here. For example, the city jobs in NYC pay very well. The cops, Firemen, MTA, garbagemen etc. Here, they do not pay nearly as well for those jobs.

**AmeriKantDream** / Living in San Diego / 1y ago

San Diego is generally known for its friendly and laid-back atmosphere, and many people find it relatively easy to make new friends. The city attracts a diverse population, including locals and transplants, which contributes to a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Some of the nice and safe areas to stay in that are close to the beach and walkable include:

La Jolla: Located along the coastline, La Jolla is an affluent neighborhood with beautiful beaches, upscale shops, and restaurants. It offers a luxurious and picturesque living experience.

Del Mar: Situated north of downtown, Del Mar is a charming coastal community known for its stunning beaches, upscale homes, and a laid-back lifestyle.

Coronado: Just across the bay from downtown San Diego, Coronado is an idyllic island community with pristine beaches, a historic hotel, and a quaint downtown area. It offers a luxurious and relaxed atmosphere.

Encinitas: Located north of San Diego, Encinitas offers a coastal living experience with beautiful beaches, a vibrant downtown area, and a thriving surf culture.

Areas to exercise caution and potentially stay away from in San Diego include certain neighborhoods with higher crime rates, such as parts of Southeast San Diego, City Heights, and some areas near downtown. It's always recommended to research specific neighborhoods and consult with locals or real estate professionals for the most up-to-date information on safety.

San Diego, California

Sandy Eggo

Looklyloo Score: 93

We're on it!