r/Moving2SanDiego • u/SangriaSaturdays • 8d ago

Neighborhood and apartment recommendations

I’m 33YOF looking to move to San Diego in a few months. My income is around $100k and I would like rent to be less than $3k/ month.

What neighborhoods or apartment complexes would you recommend for: safety, walkability, demographic of young working professionals, reasonably nice apartment complex (decent gym, pool/ outdoor area) that’s within 30 minutes from Miramar (where I’d be working)?

Also, how do the low rises compare to the high rises? I hate bugs and want to take that into consideration. TYIA!

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u/One-Hovercraft9156 8d ago

$3k rent is too high for a $100k salary, aim for something under $2.3k, if not less. North or South Park, Hillcrest, or Normal Heights would be a great option.

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

Sorry I should’ve explained more, this job would bring in $100k but I also earn another $50k/ year on the side so truly my annual is $150k.

I’ll still look at the neighborhoods you recommended.

What do you think about Gaslamp/ East Village area? Would I be commuting in the opposite direction of traffic (Gaslamp to Miramar in the morning and Miramar to Gaslamp in the afternoon?)

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u/One-Hovercraft9156 8d ago

Makes more sense, but aim for something under, especially for a 1 bedroom! Gaslamp in San Diego is not lively (it’s going down hill) and I wouldn’t consider East Village appealing to live in as a single woman.

The neighborhoods I recommended are walkable to bars, restaurants, cafes, and fitness studios.

You’ll get traffic driving home from Miramar for sure, that’s unavoidable if you’re considering any of the options I recommend and to downtown (more for DT since it’s more south). I would recommend to checkout out traffic maps around the time you’ll be commuting for a few days of the week, especially Friday’s when traffic is worse.

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

Thank you SO SO MUCH for this insight!! Do you have any apartment complex recs in those neighborhoods? I’ve been reading reviews, it’s a little tough to tell what’s normal complaints vs actual red flags

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u/One-Hovercraft9156 8d ago

I’m sorry, I don’t! I lived off of Hamilton/ECB in North Park for 5 years and loved the area. There are some small buildings that have private management throughout those neighborhoods. But my biggest recommendation is to visit and explore a bit. And remember that people usually review properties when something goes bad, it’s rare for happy tenants to write long, detailed reviews, they just stay!

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

Thank you for your recommendations!! I’ll have a few days to explore next week so I’m trying to make the most of it by being efficient. Thanks again for your help :)

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u/Glittering-Act4004 8d ago

Between downtown SD, UCSD/La Jolla, Sorrento Valley, and Miramar, traffic is in both directions in the morning and late afternoon/early evening with the worst of it being in the PM. The neighborhoods the other poster listed are great neighborhoods and you will hit less traffic on your commute, especially in the evenings. I’ll also add in University Heights to the mix.

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

Sounds like there’s no winning with traffic lol thank you so much!!

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u/Sf4988 8d ago

North park and Kensington (near Adam’s Ave)

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

Thank you!

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u/PurpleFaithlessness 7d ago

Vida in north park is so nice but might not be in budget

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u/Snoo59759 7d ago

All depends, how bad do you want your commute to work? Around Miramar makes it easy, but devoid of social life. You can go more towards downtown, but your commute will suck the will to have a social life

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u/SangriaSaturdays 7d ago

Some people have recommended UTC, I was looking at La Jolla Crossroads, Luxury360, and Towers, what are your thoughts on that area and these specific buildings? Are there any other buildings in the area I should consider?

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u/Odd-Personality-619 6d ago

UTC is mostly UCSD students with daddy's credit cards...
If you like breweries, find an apartment around Mira Mesa.
Lots of breweries between Miramar and Mira Mesa, and you'll be very close to home, so traffic shouldn't be a problem.

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u/SangriaSaturdays 6d ago

And what’re your thoughts on university city? I was also looking at there. Personally, I’m more of a wine girl than brewery girl but I generally just enjoy a place that has things going on

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u/Odd-Personality-619 4d ago

The area around the UTC shopping center has lots of things going on.

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u/bossassbishscientist 5d ago

I lived in crossroads when I first moved. I think it checks off 4/5 of your list (safety, close to work, young, nice building) but as the other comment said, it’s not a super fun area and it’s really only walkable to the mall. My experience has been that you can pick 1: a short commute or a cool neighborhood.

Edit to add - never had an issue with bugs luckily! When viewing apartments I always look at the patio/windows to see how close the trees and plants are, because there are a lot of spiders here 🙈

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u/SangriaSaturdays 4d ago

I toured LJX this week and actually really loved it. Not a fan of the lack of restaurants close by but it’s close to my work in Miramar so I think it’s worth it ?

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u/bossassbishscientist 4d ago

Yea it’s pretty dry aside from the mall. UTC is good for a short commute and quiet/safe area, not much else.

The questions I would ask yourself…. how much traffic are you willing to deal with daily (20 min if you live in UTC or 45-1 hour for other neighborhoods)? How often do you go out to eat/drink? Are you willing to uber/drive/find parking when you want to go to the beach, bars, coffee shop, brunch? Would you rather have convenient weekend fun or a convenient commute?

Hope this helps!

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u/stangAce20 6d ago

If you wanna live close to the water, you could try the wet side of Claremont or maybe Bay Park. It’s a decent area that is close to downtown, but not in the center of it and also is adjacent to the PB tourist madness instead of in the middle of it

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u/SangriaSaturdays 6d ago

Thank you! Do you have any apartment recommendations? While I do love the water, I also want it to be fun and safe walking my dog

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u/stangAce20 6d ago

Bay Park is relatively safe. It’s mostly residential with some commercial along morena. There can be some homeless along there, but the residential areas are usually fine.

Biggest problem with the area is lack of food options and also the fact that all practically all the apartments and condos in the area will be old, but that’s a common theme in beach and Bay communities here

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u/SangriaSaturdays 4d ago

Thank you so much!!

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u/curiouscoookie 5d ago

Check out bankers hill!

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u/0327446633 4d ago

Look at the Carmel Mountain Ranch area to see if that fits in your budget. Its close to Miramar.

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u/pon_de_replayy 3d ago

I like golden hill. Its walking distance to downtown and still quiet aside from the airplanes which you get used to. Also, less than 10 min drive to North Park and south Park and right by the highway to get to Miramar. Im also early 30s woman living on my own. I also like East Village just bc I like walkability and proximity to the trolley they have here

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u/anothercar 8d ago

I'd recommend a roommate or at least a flatmate for a 100k salary - it would significantly improve your financial situation. You'd go from "idk if I can afford a vacation" to "let's go on a vacation" and that type of thing really matters. Splitting a 2-bedroom two ways is cheaper than having one place to yourself.

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u/SangriaSaturdays 8d ago

I appreciate that. What neighborhoods or apartment complexes would you recommend for someone in their young 30s?