SF/SD Recs?

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  • duckseason

    I'm currently in the midst of planning my exit strategy from NYC/BK. I still love this city, even after putting up with 15 winters here; however, I can't shake the feeling of wanting to be somewhere else/new. That being said, I'll be doing a bit of a west coast tour in about a month centering around San Francisco and San Diego.

    I'm from northern CA and have been to both cities once or twice upon a time, but really don't have any intimate knowledge about either.

    The appeal of SF/Bay Area for me is that my company has an office in Palo Alto (though I'll likely be remote 99% of the time), I have a few friends that have moved there over the years, I feel it will somewhat scratch that big city itch that I'm used to.

    The appeal of San Diego is really the weather and cheaper rent.

    If any of y'all live in, or just know a good amount about either and can recommend things to do or specific neighborhoods to checkout/consider/avoid I'd greatly appreciate it.

    Cheers!

  • capn_ron1

    I can offer up some San Diego recommendations. What kind of living are you looking to do? There are beach towns that are cool. Ocean Beach is a hippie/surfer vibe, Pacific Beach is a college madhouse beach vibe. Going north it tends to become more family oriented and such on the beach. There are cool areas like north park and south park if you want to do the foodie/bar thing. I live in an area called Bankers Hill. Right across the street from Balboa Park and walking distance to Little Italy, Downtown and Hillcrest.

    Downtown is kind of a weird place for me. I rarely go down. It isn't bad, just really touristy and club-like.

  • duckseason0

    Slower pace is ideal. I'm not really into clubs/super late nights anymore - I rarely leave the bubble of my current and surrounding neighborhoods unless I absolutely have to.

    A friend that used to live in SD recommended Ocean Beach and North Park for the same reasons you mentioned - both appeal to me. Living close to a park sounds nice as I like to get out and do some laps on my bike/run in the park near me currently (not sure if that's possible in Balboa?).

  • capn_ron0

    I love living right next to the park. I walk to it all the time, run around it and ride my bike through it to get around town. So you would be able to do the same type of thing here. It is a huge park too with museums and restaurants and events. You should look into bankers hill and mission hills as well. They are on the west side of Balboa park and allow you to walk to little italy and hillcrest and the San Diego Bay if you are into walking around rather than having to drive when you go out.

    • I used to work at one of the restaurants in Balboa Park :)monospaced
    • Thanks for the tips! Being able to walk to places would be great. Still kicking myself over the fact that I left my license expire a year after moving to NYC...duckseason
    • mono, did you work at The Prado? There is a cool new outdoor bar/restaurant called Panama 66 in the park too that I go to often.capn_ron
    • @duck, I did the same thing! I currently have a Learner Permit :)
      @capn, this was back in 1999, at the Sculpture Garden Café near one of the museums
      monospaced
    • I actually tried Panama 66 for the first time this weekend. Cool spot!nocomply
    • fast wifi there too so I can actually get work done there in the sun and listen to live music.capn_ron
    • Look at you.studderine
    • Look at Ron. Haven't seen this guy in like 2 years. Thought he got married. kids. legoland, etc.sofakingback
  • lvl_131

    if you are moving from NYC, you might have an easier time adjusting in SF...although, this might also get you constantly thinking back to NYC and all the cool shit it had.

    And if you are from northern CA, SF will obviously be a more temperate climate for you. I, for one, think southern california is too fucking hot! i prefer the mid 60's temps of SF. if you want something warmer than that I'd suggest you stay in the Inner Mission-it's the warmest spot in the city and easy to hop on BART and get basically anywhere in the bay within 15 minutes (oakland-closer to 30-40 minutes).

    one thing I would say, is that if you move to SF, move into the city proper. yeah, rent is insane, but it's really fucking expensive in palo alto-and you do not want to live out there. but it's not like you aren't used to expensive rent/location, so i don't need to harp on about that subject any more :)

    are you looking for anything more specific? my vote would be SF all the way. and if you can work remote, even better. so much good food/art/culture/music all over the city. plus easy to get anywhere if you live on the BART line, and you don't need a car. in fact, having a car in SF is a hinderance unless you live out in sunset or richmond.

    • This is sorta what I'm thinking in terms of the adjustment.duckseason
    • But then another part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and completely change my lifestyle... what to do...duckseason
    • yeah, tough call. i wouldn't be able to just dive into non-city life...although Seattle feels like that compared to SF. :\lvl_13
  • monospaced0

    Have you considered the sleepier, less developed cities outside SF, such as Pacifica? If you're working from home, this is a cool area near the beach, and it's not completely ruined by SF tech pricing yet.

    • because lvl_13 is right, SF is kinda out of the question these days, and it sounds like you don't "need" city life anymoremonospaced
    • kinda true. pacifica is nice-but leaving NYC/BKLYN to go to a suburb would be a downer in my opinion.lvl_13
    • A co-worker actually suggested Pacifica. I'm really on the fence about still being in the heart of everything vs somewhere removed/quiet/slower...duckseason
    • A few of my friends moved down there from the city, where they own beautiful condos with views, and commute to companies in Palo Alto. They have good lives.monospaced
    • I've lived in SF, and I've lived in SD. Like Manhattan, SF is its own beast, with all the city features and downfalls.monospaced
  • nocomply1

    I've got a strong bias as a native San Diegan.

    But if you're looking for that whole "slower pace of life" thing, then you really can't do any better than here.

    As Ron mentioned, the neighborhoods are quite eclectic. There's a lot of variety in terms of culture, demographic, etc... so my recommendation is to spend a good amount of time in each one you may be considering and see what feels right.

    I've wanted to live in Ocean Beach all my life, but at this point it's not gonna happen for a long time. I've currently got a house and a family in La Mesa, which is a nice and relatively affordable area that's not too far from the thick of things.

    I've you've got specific questions, ask us.

    • Yeah, this is the current plan - hang out and see what clicks.duckseason
  • shellie-1

    I've found city folk don't stay in san diego for long. The buisness and entertainment markets are really small. A lot of my friends born and raised in the Midwest love it. I always described san diego as plano TX (dallas suburb) with a beach.

    SF might be more expensive but the opportunities to commune with more people that will yeild more benefits for your bank account overall is higher. There's not a lot of hungry people in San diego in my opinion.

    If i gave no fucks about being near anything, id live to Santa Barbara. The weather is perfect year round, it's beautiful and it's a closer drive and train to LA than San Diego. Santa Monica was my compromise. I never toted Manhattan beach or long Beach to live but it in a nice little house i could dig it. Seal Beach is really cute. It's the last beach city before LA county.

    *caveat, im born and raised south orange county by the beach so i spent a lot of time in SD going out on my own. Lived in Santa Monica for 13 years, Hollywood Hills for 1 year, san fransisco for 5 years on and off for contracts with as long 6 mo stays for a few years, also new york house swaping part time (30-50% of the year) for the last 6 years, and currently perminantly transplanted to NYC since October of last year. Łots of east coast/ west coast living. My heart in the long run is LA or close to it and on the beach.

    • *i never tried Manhattan Beachshellie
    • I'm a Santa Barbaran through and through. :)monospaced
    • Plano TX with a beach?! Come on...studderine
    • C'mon e, why aren't you hungry? Don't you want to eat whats good for you??? lol.

      I love everything about this post, hilarious.
      sofakingback
    • Just to indulge my curiosity. Where in OC are you from? My money is on Irvine.sofakingback
    • Hahaha. Odd post.studderine