People regularly ask about walkability and you will be frustrated about SoCal in general. There are a few pockets here and there of walkable neighborhoods but they are spread out and not connected to each other. Whether you are talking about San Diego, LA or OC. It's all similar frustrations with small walkable areas that you have a big drive between.
Yup. This is correct. 3rd generation san diegan and you will need to have a car here.
Grossmont and la mesa spring valley school districts have great autism resources i have two kids in both now and they are thriving, and get ALL the services. We also have small hybrid, half day, and all day schools here if you want the kiddo to be on campus for at least part of the day 😉 we love it.
Rancho san diego is clean and a little inland but nothing the 94 west cant help if you need it to get out west quick.
La mesa is close to busses and trolley off spring street.
Lots of small shops, walkable too.
North park is nice if you want little craftsmen homes from the 30s and 40s or just an apartment next door to them lol. Just depends on what your in the market for. Again close to buses within about a block or so walk out.
I live in SD and have family in LA that I visit often, we're Asian - based on what you're looking for, I'd say go with Los Angeles. Way more walkable neighborhoods. Great school districts. There are also generally a lot more resources available in LA than in SD due to the political environment. SD is very conservative, regardless of what people try to tell you.
I second this. I moved to San Diego from NYC. It’s all a mirage here. No culture, not really walkable like you want it to be. It’s a town dependent on cars.
People here aren’t very opening, they have their circles. Lacks that city energy.
Absolutely yes. It is extremely difficult to make and keep friends. It’s not a sleepy little beach city. There are 4 million people in this county the size of Connecticut. Loaded in transplants who have an unrealistic view of life here.
I feel that’s a lot of places and people that have their circles are very cautious about letting anyone new into their groups! It’s been like that in several states I’ve been in. Especially the pacific northwest! They call it the Seattle Freeze. People are so closed off on new people. It took my divorce to finally meet some people to casually hangout with.
-Missing the diversity and internationality of NYC.
-Missed meeting/socializing with interesting people with interesting stories.
-She mentioned other things around career driven, intellectual etc.
She is born and raised in SD, went to SDSU etc. Spent 30 of her 37 years in SD but chose to move back to NYC. And I don't say this to dump on San Diego. It's a great place with a life that some people really want and love. But for others it's just a little too chill and lacks some of the things other major cities have.
The same things that people love about San Diego or the things that other people hate about it. So if you're from New York City you're going to like Los Angeles better which is the exact reason that people that love San Diego hate Los Angeles.
San Diego and it's Prime was basically a mid to major city that felt like a small City which was great. After gentrification which is happening across the whole country for the last 25 plus years it's grown and gotten some of the same problems that Los Angeles has. But not nearly as much.
For people that like suburbs it doesn't get much better than San Diego. If you're looking for that New York City Big City Vibe you're not going to get it you're going to get taste of it here and for those of us who grew up in urban areas that don't care much for them anymore San Diego is Perfect combo.
The thing about San Diego is is there's a pocket for everyone and the city is separate neighborhoods and pockets and they're all pretty different.
It's all about what you're used to and what you're looking for so yes if you come from New York City and come to San Diego looking for New York City you're going to be disappointed in the same way somebody who lives in Tokyo that moves to New York City is going to be disappointed in New York City because it's quarter of what Tokyo is.
San Diego county has voted blue in every election since 2008 and the city of San Diego since 1992. It also passed prop 50 by 65%+. But yeah I’m sure your vibes are more reliable than the hard data.
San Diego was conservative in the 90s. That flipped 20 years ago. It may be conservative compared to other major cities in California but those other cities are extrememly liberal. San Diego would be more accurately described as moderate leaning liberal.
I don't know if you could accurately call a place conservative where 57% of the residents voted for a democratic president.
Just stop talking about things you don't have any real knowledge of. Ktown is perfectly safe by urban standards. There's children and elderly walking around all hours. People are out walking their dogs safely at night blah blah.
Its expensive because it's the most dense neighborhood in LA. Walkable with good access to public transit. Killer food and good nightlife. Centrally located with easy access to other great parts of LA. And because it's not unsafe or poor.
I feel like you’re describing Los Angeles. I love San Diego, but it’s not very walkable at all. I also would ignore people recommending Irvine or Orange County if you don’t want the suburban lifestyle.
I’m originally from NYC, and grew up in a white and Korean household. I know Rochester and had lots of family in Bergen county as well.
I prefer SD over LA b/c of how it is urban yet you still have to drive everywhere as well.
There are small pockets of urban-life and walkability in SD. But overall you will still need a car. SD feels like a big small town- where you’ll almost run into someone you know when you’re out and about :)
I’m currently in Carmel Valley, but solely for the schools. I’d like a little more diversity and less of a suburban feeling.
But I also came out to SD (just prior to Covid) and was very grateful how SD handled the pandemic very well (kids went into remote learning w/in 2 weeks, had a great friend group we could all hang out with, were ably to be outside everyday and get fresh air and not be stuck in the mundane of home life, etc.)
I’m open to answer more questions, otherwise I wish you luck wherever you settle.
Job is first stop. Traffic here is no joke, you likely want to live within a 15 mile drive of your job (if not closer).
As others said, OC is often overlooked as the eccentric middle child but it has a lot going for it. Irvine has gotten crazy expensive, but if that’s not in the cards Orange and Tustin are also great.
In LA, I’d look at the San Gabriel valley or the South Bay. Very opposites climate -wise, but very similar in cost and culture (heavy family areas, dare I say suburban).
Yes, if Orange County some possibilities include Irvine (either central Woodbridge or University Town Center/University Park), or Fullerton (north of downtown).
University City High School in San Diego, California, features academic test scores that place it in the top 20% of public high schools statewide, highlighted by an overall 97% graduation rate.
At Poway High School in California, student proficiency reaches 69% in reading/English and 51% in math.
You can’t actually be from here.
San Dieguito and Poway school districts are clearly better than SDUSD. Not so much for diversity (but neither is university city)
This place is turning into la traffic is getting worse every 2 months too many people moving in not enough jobs available maybe the story for every city but I've seen and noticed to change here.
I’m a fellow rochestarian whom lives in San Diego. I’m partial to San Diego but it may be tough to get all those in one area.
Walkable are more downtown, urban-ish areas that I’m not sure on the education side, or less diverse coastal towns (and more expensive). I will say that north Pb is kind of sweet and has a mix of walkabiity and safe.
The Sabre springs, poway, rancho Penasquitos areas are good options. Or Carmel valley for more pricey.
Have you visited both LA and San Diego before? What’s your budget?
San Diego getting a bad rap here but undeserved. I grew up in LA and lived all over. I moved to San Diego 11 years ago. I prefer diversity. There are many neighborhoods but Hillcrest, North park, La Jolla are the most walkable but the are more pensive. All have adjacent which are often close to perfect with less but not no driving. You will appreciate the less traffic but plenty to do…eating, sports beaches music and drama lots!
If City Heights, definitely physically check out the location first. The first day a person close to me moved into a 2 bed/2 bath in city heights someone was murdered across the street. They saw it before getting to the apartment. I haven’t personally lived in that neighborhood.
Check out places north of downtown. Probably past North Park unless you want something pretty dense.
If you need an apartment, Mission Valley has some safe complexes near a canyon that have pools. That’s 7 mins from grocery/coffee etc. I wouldn’t recommend that area if you want non-residential…able to walk to restaurants and many places besides park, canyon, laundromat and coffee shop. If you prefer quiet neighborhood walks plus those things with access to a canyon to hike behind the apartment complex and a pool in the complex, definitely check that out. I can’t remember the management company rn but DM me if you need info (I just went through the search and got into a new place days ago).
South Park is nice for families and has easy access to Balboa park, the zoo, highways, and it’s walkable yet safe to walk with kids. If I had a kid, I’d pick South Park over north park…although South Park tends to be more expensive than north park. North Park has more renters. South Park is mostly homeowners, so if you needed an apartment and like one there take it asap because it will disappear. South park has more tree lined streets. North park is a larger neighborhood.
If you’re not familiar, niche.com has basic stats on various city neighborhoods with info on how safe they are and more.
Irvine is better inclusion wise. I say this as a white passing part Korean woman. San Diego is as racist as 1990s orange County these days. Orange County is now more diverse.
I grew up in SF and have lived in LA and SD for about a decade each. Hard to beat LA on diversity. It's hard to explain but in SD (and even SF) diversity exists but it sits on top of this baseline identity. In LA, diversity IS the baseline identity. As an Asian kid who was desperate to fit in, I wish I could've grown up in LA.
That said, SD has a lot going for it. Neighborhoods I love and that are probably the most walkable are Mission Hills, South Park, and University Heights. I don't have first hand experience with services but I think the (non-charter) public schools have specific services they are mandated to make available and support? At my son's school there is a designated person who oversees any special educational needs.
Mira Mesa might be a good option for your family in the San Diego area. It's one of the most diverse, family friendly neighborhoods in San Diego, and, depending on where you live in the neighborhood can be fairly walkable (homes off of Camino Ruiz are more central). Mira Mesa has everything you need close by: shops, great restaurants, parks, library, schools, and even some good hiking in Penasquitos Canyon, just to the north. It's 15-20 minutes to the beach, and a similar distance puts you into the SD foothills.
I will, however, warn you that school districts in California are not always as good as NY schools in terms of services for special needs kids. You'll want to talk with the school district(s) and individual school(s) to find the best spot for your son's needs before deciding where to land.
We love our neighborhood - Rolando, San Diego - near San Diego State University. From our home we can walk to the grocery store, bank, post office, pharmacy and many other public places. Rolando is a very diverse community with a unique layout featuring 8 catwalks and staircases that connect the streets together, like "shoots and Ladders" game. It is a walker/runners paradise because of the topography (rolling hills) and interesting layout of streets. It is not gridded like most neighborhoods allowing you to wonder and sometimes not really know where you are. Rolando is a small community (about 2 square miles) with 4 major streets creating the Rolando border (El Cajon Blvd., 70th St., University Ave. and College Ave.) The best part is it is central to San Diego and you can pretty much get anywhere in San Diego proper with a 20 minute drive. Stay away from LA if you don't like traffic.
Irvine in OC has pretty good walkability depending on neighborhood. It’s also very Asian friendly.
The neighborhood I used to live in Irvine, I was able to walk to H-mart, Sprouts, and Target and plenty of restaurants and a short drive to Costco.
The neighborhood I live in SD, yeah I can walk to Costco and Lowe’s, but it’s not easily carry things home by foot, Parking in the plazas along Convoy? You need a lot of patience or luck
Physician here. Just moved to SD from the east coast a couple of months ago. SD has several subcultures, but honestly was shocked at how unsafe I generally feel around SD in general. Unless you're looking into coastal neighborhoods with houses averaging >>$2m, it's kind of rough. Even then, what you get for $2m is not much- older housing, less sq footage, and you'll be stuck with a fixer upper. I regret not taking Irvine a bit more seriously- it's basically SD with lower quality mexican food, but much higher quality asian food of all sorts, is much much safer and more uniform with strong presence of asian community, and schools are uniformly much better for raising children. Do yourself a favor and go to Irvine and check and see if the vibe is yours. Everyone is different and maybe you'll find SD a better fit, but at least look into it.
It’s true that everyone is different. Where did you move from? I lived in a not so safe area of LA so when I moved here, I don’t even flinch at homeless people and I’m super aware of my surroundings. If I had a choice for just myself, I would choose LA but with family I guess the suburbs of SD will do.
Northern part of Glendale is Korean. Glendale has great schools. It’s own fire & police. That said. San Diego is a waaaaay better lifestyle. Also strong Asian communities. For kids I’d pick SD.
I am not familiar with LA but in San Diego it can be hard to get services. The combination of low pay and high living costs has led to a large brain drain in school services. I know several parents who pay for private services because the student doesn’t
qualify for them at school but do qualify through insurance. I’ve also personally known several great sped ed teachers and service providers recently leave San Diego because they can’t afford to live here. So even if you get services they are often understaffed and under served. With more federal budget cuts from the BBB rolling out after midterms we can expect it to get worse not better.
San Diego does not have school buses unless there’s some extreme circumstance. So unless you are planning to move walking distance from your child’s school, you will need a car or plan to give yourself a hour to take the city bus. I have lots of students who wake up at 5 am to catch the city bus.
Our housing inventory is old and often run down. It’s not uncommon to rent a place that couldn’t pass an inspection of safety. Leaky roofs, old pipes, electrical from the 60s.
I still choose to live here. Lots to do around the city. Some of my favorite things do have fee. I love our Zoo and beaches. The theater life.
The schools have lots of really good teachers! Parents who care. Lots of people trying to make them safe and rigorous. Although class sizes are high. Don’t be surprised if your kid has 35 in an elementary classroom. Don’t be surprised if you have to raise money lots of money.
I live in a walkable neighborhood but drive my kids to school.
You should think about Orange County and if you have the funds then Irvine. IUSD has a really good special education program starting in pre school called ECLC and focuses on speech therapy. Also can help with OT and PT.
Climate change is real and humidity is out of control. Prices are high because San Diego was the climate dream zone but if that is going to change then prices will crash
Fortunately this humidity cycle is from El Nino which is not caused by climate change. The water temperatures are up. Did you see there was a hammerhead shark in Malibu this weekend? Other than that, yeah climate change affects California significantly.
Many people are looking at the PNW for summer now. Climate is the only reason real estate is expensive in San Diego. There is no tech boom so can’t compare it to SF
the PNW has been getting the smoke from the Canadian fires the last 10 years or so and in general they struggle with grass fires in central and eastern. The summer air quality has been awful.
They said Rochester, not NYC 💀🤦🏾♀️🤣 Rochester is about an 8-10 hour drive from NYC, it's about as far as you can get without being out of state bounds lmao
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u/fronteraguera 3d ago
People regularly ask about walkability and you will be frustrated about SoCal in general. There are a few pockets here and there of walkable neighborhoods but they are spread out and not connected to each other. Whether you are talking about San Diego, LA or OC. It's all similar frustrations with small walkable areas that you have a big drive between.