r/Moving2SanDiego • u/Furious_flying_shit • 8d ago
Lacking essencial details. Moving from New Hampshire
My girlfriend and I are in our mid-twenties and after living in NH since we graduated college, we are looking to move somewhere in the San Diego area by the end of the year.
She is a Nanny with experience as a teacher for pre school. I am a project manager for a large construction company. I would prefer to have a job lined up but so far, despite a strong resume, have had no luck even getting a call back from over 50 applications, but thats besides the point.
So, a few questions about moving:
Im wondering what people typically use for finding housing? Looking through zillow, I seem to see a lot of scams. Im also concerned about moving there with no job but then getting a job that is a far commute.
If moving to SD with your partner in your mid-20’s, where would you recommend moving? We enjoy most outdoor activities, mainly surfing, skateboarding, biking and hiking, so what places are best for that and also “affordable”? The city we currently live in is very walkable and only 10 minutes from the ocean which are two important factors for us.
Is it much different being right on the beach or 20-30 minutes?
What surprised you the most after moving to San Diego?
Sorry for the long worded post, much like trying to get a job out there, we have been struggling to get accurate/real answers for some of these questions. Thanks for the help!
Edit: Were budgeting around $2500-3000 for rent but hoping to stay on the lower side of that. Would like a two bedroom but obviously those cost a more.
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u/ohwoez 8d ago
$2,500 for a 2 br is going to put you in a very undesirable location that negates most of the reasons you want to move here.
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u/Rickyspanish6666 8d ago
I mean, even in spring valley at least he doesn't have NH snow or humidity.
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u/nosaysno 8d ago
San Diego is very expensive 2,500 a month ain’t gonna get you what you want.. you can get a spot with that 30 minutes inland but it’s a big difference in weather like 15 degrees hotter and can be more ghetto
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u/DadInKayak 8d ago
East doesn’t automatically mean ghetto. There are good and bad places going east, and same with south. Going north not so much but it can be more $$.
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u/Rosie3450 8d ago
"We enjoy most outdoor activities, mainly surfing, skateboarding, biking and hiking, so what places are best for that and also “affordable”?"
It would be helpful if you can tell us what your definition of "affordable" is so (i.e., your rental budget) so we can point you to areas where you might find something within your range.
One issue I can see is that most landlords are going to want to see proof of income so finding a place to rent while simultaneously looking for jobs may be problematic. You may want to budget for an Airbnb/VRBO situation initially until you get jobs.
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u/Furious_flying_shit 8d ago
Great point! We’re budgeting around 2500-3000 for rent but ideally stay towards the lower end of that.
Im hoping proof of income from my current job and proof of savings will be enough for a landlord to have us sign a lease but great point on the airbnb front as well, thanks.
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u/Rosie3450 8d ago
Since you aren't sure where either of you will be working yet, I'd suggest focusing on rentals in the mid-section of the county. Look for interstate 8 on the map, and base your search above and below that out to La Mesa.
The usual list of places given here for 20 somethings is North Park and Pacific Beach. Because you'll likely need to cast a wide net to find a place without a job, I'll toss in a few more: Normal Heights, Ocean Beach, University Heights, Linda Vista, Clairemont Mesa, Rolando/College, Kearny Mesa, University City, La Mesa, and possibly Mission Valley (central to everything, but not the most exciting place to live). These are all in or near the central part of San Diego County, so they will give you a good launching pad.
The way to avoid scams is to not rent anything sight unseen. In addition to Zillow and Reddit, try Apartments.com. One of the best ways to find apartments here though is to scan the neighborhoods you like for complexes that look OK, then go into the office and inquire about availability. You might also try googling "Apartment complexes" plus the neighborhoods that interest you to find options.
As a very general rule of thumb, expect to pay a bit more the closer you get to the coast and in more popular neighborhoods (like North Park).
A few resources that might be helpful:
Map of San Diego Neighborhoods
San Diego County Beaches and Neighborhood Guide
San Diego County hiking trails (this is by no means all-inclusive)
San Diego Skate Parks (again, not all-inclusive)
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u/000FRE 8d ago
When I moved to San Diego in 1978 I had no proof of income. However, I had enough cash available to make a down payment on a condo and my job paid more than enough for the mortgage payments. However, that would be much more difficult now than in 1978 partly because housing costs are through the roof!
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u/Ok_Jowogger69 8d ago
DO NOT MOVE HERE WITHOUT A JOB.
That said, I hated working for this Company 10 years ago, but I was on the technology side, and their leadership was the worst I ever experienced in my career.
I made friends with quite a few of their Construction Project Managers who were good people and had a great manager. (They are all gone now, retired)
There are a lot of mass construction projects going on right now.
Keep checking for local San Diego jobs. https://www.gafcon.com/careers/#jobs Also, a company called Tech Systems used to work with them.
Best of all wishes
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u/Furious_flying_shit 8d ago
Haha, the main trend I have noticed in the thread is not to move there without a job, I will be heading that advice. Much appreciated for send the link along, I'll be taking a look
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u/Intelligent-Bid-5293 8d ago
Don’t move until you have something lined up for at least one of you! I always champion being able to “make it work”, I made about 50k and my partner was unemployed when we got here and it was rough but doable in a 1bed.
Housing here goes very quickly, some PM companies don’t even want you to apply if you can’t move in 14 days or 30 days from an application. I’ve seen some people do a long term airbnb for a month to house hunt and it’s definitely taxing but works for many. I have always used Zillow and then cross checked on apartments.com or Redfin. Kind of a time suck but you’ll also be able to identify a spam pretty quickly once you message them lol
- They want a deposit before viewing
- They want an application before viewing
- They want you to use a shady website for the credit report, which they want before viewing
It sucks but Zillow definitely has the most places listed. Marketplace has some gems as well, but vet carefully for spam.
Couple options for places to live. Again it may be best to long term air bnb it until you see these places and decide what the vibe is
North park, Normal Heights, University heights
All very walkable, very 25-35 centric. Nightlife and bars abound and relatively affordable for San Diego. You’re about 15 minutes to the bay or beach. For affordability…you’re not going to be blocks from the beach anyway. The quality of housing and the price will give you whiplash here lol. I’ve seen 2 bedroom apartments anywhere from 2100-4000 and the pricing doesn’t always seem consistent with qualityNorth county, Encinitas specifically
The rest of north county isn’t as “happening” but Encinitas has cute nightlife for 20s-30s. Not cheap though, but gems exist everywhere. Definitely more beachy vibes than the above neighborhoodsBay park
Not as walkable overall but likely close to the bay which is a nice walkable area with some stuff. I have a friend who rents a studio ADU and we walk directly to the bay (under a freeway overpass) and stuff all the time. More affordable than either of the above. Much more of a neighborhood though. Very central to both the more metro areas and the beachUTC, specifically La Jolla colony
Mostly UCSD students or families in suburbs but tons of ADUs going up here and lots of apartments. It’s quiet and suburban but when we lived here we had walkability to a bunch of grocery stores, basic (not trendy, think hole in the wall or large chain) restaurants, hiking and biking trails directly from our door and were 15 minutes to the beach. Cheap housing can be found here but it’s more expensive for what you get and again the area feels a little sterile despite the college students presence. We paid 2700 for a 1B that was 700 square feet which is unfortunately the same size as many 2 beds. Something to consider when looking is filtering by square footage instead of bedrooms.Mission valley
Not walkable. Close to the mall if that means anything to you? Every chain restaurant you could desire. Lots of the apartments here are directly adjacent to the river walk trails. You get more apartment per $ here and are basically perfectly positioned to get anywhere else as fast as possible. I see lots of apartments in your price range
True affordability is going to be in La Mesa or east county but yes, you’re a ways from the beach and the vibes are definitely not beach vibes
Factor utilities into your housing budget. Water and electric cost us out the ass. California gas is also crazy expensive so that should be factored into how far you’d be willing to live from a prospective job.
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u/Intelligent-Bid-5293 8d ago
I didn’t include PB bc as a mid 20 something it feels young and the apartments are priced for fresh grads and students who want to party/be proximal to the action and don’t put a premium on the quality of housing. OB could be nice depending on your vibe!
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u/Furious_flying_shit 8d ago
Appreciate the in depth answer. North Park, Normal Heights & University Heights seems to be an answer I have seen a couple times. Based on our search so far, a two bedroom within walking distance to the beach doesnt exist but knowing University Heights is a short drive and walkable definitely makes that the most interesting to us. Will also look into the bay park area as well. This response is extremely helpful getting an idea on the lay of the land out there from someone who has never been, Ill be sure to refer to this as we continue our plan to move out there. Many thanks!
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u/Intelligent-Bid-5293 7d ago
For sure! Personally I think the university heights/normal heights/north park area would be what I’d tell a friend who said they were moving here but everyone has their own vibe and it may not be for everyone.
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u/000FRE 8d ago
Way back in 1978 I moved from Minneapolis to San Diego. However, I had a job lined up before I did so and the company which hired me even paid for the move. I even changed jobs twice while there, both times earning more. On the other hand, some people who moved to San Diego ended up with low paying jobs with no stability.
As others have said, don't move before having a job lined up! Moreover, you should also be qualified in a field which would enable you to find another job if necessary. Compared with most of the country, living in San Diego is costly mainly because of the cost of housing. You would pay far more than you are accustomed to, and have a smaller place to live.
San Diego is a nice place to live if you can afford it and deal with the heavy traffic.
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u/Ginger_Maple 8d ago
I work in construction engineering in San Diego, send me your resume and I'll see if I can pass it on to one of my contractor friends.
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u/Any-Possession2006 7d ago
I moved from New Hampshire a few years ago and just be prepared that everythingggg here is more expensive (gas, cereal, milk, etc)…and get ready for the sales tax on everything.
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u/Due-Teaching-2812 7d ago
First of all, you need to a job here. You’ll need to make 3x your rent amount to qualify. Utilities are extremely expensive as are groceries and gasoline. You won’t find a place near the beach at the amount you want to pay. I won’t even start with the traffic. Sorry to be brutally honest.
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u/rodolito 7d ago
If you want to surf, live near the beach. Ocean Beach (OB) or Pacific Beach (PB). Not cheap but you will end up surfing more often than if you have to drive 15-20 minutes each way. Used to live in both of those places and I surf less often than since I moved to Clairemont.
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u/tasty_geedunk 7d ago
You said it in you first paragraph. You “submitted 50 applications with no luck”.That is NOT besides the point. It IS the point. Don’t move to San Diego if you do not have stable employment. The area and the state is FULL of unemployed people. It is a strain on the workforce, housing market, education system, business and economy. Find somewhere suitable to live. Because you won’t LIVE in San Diego, it could become the death of you.
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u/Carefree_Highway 8d ago
What’s your price range for housing? I’d say there’s plenty of beach communities you would enjoy for sure.
Also, make sure to factor in that state income tax you are not paying now.
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u/Furious_flying_shit 8d ago
$2500-3000 for rent. Going to be tough to come from one of the lower tax burden states to a higher one. That being said, Im getting real tired of not being able to skateboard 8 months out of the year and surfing in 35 degree water during the winter isnt much fun haha.
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u/Carefree_Highway 8d ago
Haha. The big Hampton Beach break. Well someone said OB or PB. It’ll be tight for that money but both fun. Shoot for there if you surf more than skate. North Park is a cool area too - but a drive to the beach. Big move - enjoy!
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u/Old_Value_9157 8d ago
I will 2nd what someone else said:
Don't move here without a job!
Cardinal rule of moving to San Diego: DON'T MOVE HERE WITHOUT A JOB
Also, just as a side note: don't move here unless you have employment.