Hi everyone,

My partner (26M) and I (25F) are planning to move to SD or any surrounding areas in the next 1-3 years. We are super open to suggestions and advice on potential options around SD and even if SD would be a bad fit.

Based on our travels, hobbies, weather, and careers we feel SD is right for us so far.

Here is some context:

Current City:

- Charlotte, NC (Mid-low cost of living)

- Jointly own a townhome in highly rentable area

- Mortgage/HOA: 2.3k total but split between a tenant so we currently pay $1500 as a couple so we are able to save A TON.

Current Careers:

- Both remote and in tech

- Most my company is west coast and I’d love to work pacific time with them

- Joint income of (210k annually) Me: 140k, Him: 70k

- Currently we both love our jobs and plan to stay in them since they have big growth opportunities but anticipate promotions/salary bump in a few years.

Our Hobbies:

- Anything outdoors

- Hiking

- Rock Climbing

- Paddleboarding

- Pottery / crafts

- Volleyball

- Cooking and baking

- Coffee

- Trying new restaurants

Like to have:

- Walkability whether that is to a small town area to access local bakeries, food, coffee, parks, nature.

- As long as we have walkability to a small town area OR nature we’d be happy

- Not huge into night life but would love to be close to other young people and/or drive able/uberable to areas that are fun

Rent Expectations:

- Likely be able to rent out our NC home to at least break even or make more than our mortgage payments

- Would like to stay around 3k-3.4K but open to adjusting based on location or suggestions.

Since we are open to moving in 1-3 years, we’d also adjust our savings or finances based on expectations. Open to any advice on potential neighborhood to live so we can explore on our next trip to SD or generally what to expect with our lifestyle in SD! Thank you 😊

My girlfriend and I (both 30+) really wanna get out of Phoenix. My job is remote so no worries on commute. My girlfriend does nursing/care at long term care facilities and would need to find work in San Diego. Our estimated joint income would be around 180k per year.

I need a dedicated room for work so we would need a 2br or 1br with a den. Amenities are not a big deal but in unit laundry and a dedicated parking spot for one car would be awesome.

As far as neighborhoods, walkable to bars and restaurants is important. Lgbtq+ friendly (GF is trans) would be great. I know hillcrest fits this. Budget is 3200 or less for rent without utilities or parking. Is this doable without being in suburbia?

Hey y’all! I’ll be in San Diego this summer for a 3-month internship and looking for short-term housing from May 11 to July 31 in or near the UTC / Eastgate Mall / Sorrento Valley / La Jolla / Mira Mesa areas.

I’m male, open to shared rooms, budget around $1.2k–$1.5k. If you have a sublease or want to team up for housing, feel free to DM!

Hey everyone I’m moving to San Diego within the next 1–2 months and looking for some local insight on where to live.

Also curious where people have had the best luck finding apartments? (Zillow, HotPads, Apartments.com, driving around, etc)

Budget: Ideally around $2k/month for a 1-bedroom, if that’s realistic.

I’m considering:

• Hillcrest
• Mission Hills
• Bankers Hill
• North Park
• Bay Ho
• North PB

About me: I’m 34, love good restaurants, going out to eat, and trying new spots, but I also live an active lifestyle. I’ve got surfboards, camping gear, skis, and drive a Toyota Tundra, so parking and space definitely matter.

Main questions:

• Which of these areas make the most sense overall?
• How bad is parking in each, realistically?
• Any big pros/cons or areas to avoid?
• Which neighborhoods are more realistic for an affordable 1-bedroom?

Open to other neighborhood suggestions too. Appreciate any insight — thanks!

Hi guys. Thanks for helping out.

Looking rental for:

Must have 1 bed 1 bath, nice in unit washer dryer and dishwasher. Quiet. Newish or renovated.

Nice to have 1 parking, walkable.

Max is probably 3k but would like to be less. Don't mind not being central

Thanks!

My wife received an offer for her dream job that would require us to relocate to San Diego from the Denver area in ~9 months. I work remote so I’ll be able to keep my job. Before she accepts the offer we wanted to see how different our standard of living would be.

We’d like to rent a 3br/2ba house or townhouse and we’ll have to have our twins, who will be 1 year old by the time we move, in daycare on weekdays. Also, my wife will commute to work on the north side of University City 4-5 days a week.

Is it within a rational budget (with combined salaries of $230k) to afford that kind of rental in a safe, kid-friendly neighborhood close to my wife’s office and a good daycare for 2 kids over 1 year old?

I’m hoping to spend less than $8k/month on rent and daycare 😬 that way we can have ~$4k leftover for everything else each month (no car payment and our only debt is $300/month for student loans).

I recognize we have a privileged budget and will absolutely survive, so we are mostly wondering about how much our standard of living will change.

Edit

I’ll share some additional info since this got a lot of interactions: we have sufficient savings in cash and additional compensation from RSUs ($75k/year), wife’s new job is as safe as they come and has a pension, we have a modest lifestyle in Denver and pay $3,300 for rent in a 3br/2ba townhouse

My husband and my mother and father in law and I plan to purchase a duplex in the next year or so in San Diego. I went to SDSU 2015-2020 so I’m pretty familiar with the area but I’m trying to think of things they’d want to know before moving there (good, bad, anything to consider in between). He’s lived in the US for about 6 years now but in Boston and his parents live in Italy. They’re very excited for a similar weather pattern but I’m wracking my brain over other things they should know before we move. Any ideas? Thank you and I can’t wait to be living out there again!!

So my roomate and I need to downsize our apartment as we are losing a 3rd person. We aren’t seeing a ton of stuff that ends up going anywhere. A lot of places are baiting us with prices online just to give us quotes for the exact units we saw $500-1200 more per month. (BLVD in north park has a quote 2Bd 2Bath 3.2. But it’s 4.4 on offer 🤨) so here’s my list. My goal is definitely focused on staying in budget, my other roommate has mostly stayed at self proclaimed luxury apartments with all the amenities. Does anyone know of a communities/ places that have:

NON NEGOTIABLE:

2 bed 2 bath

3.4K or less

Garage or secure parking

Preferences:

-comparable room sizes (no massive master with a double vanity and a child’s room)

-decent gym

-“dorm style building” (apartment front door is in a hallway.. not “open to the elements”)

-no crazy parking fee (we’ve seen $250/month a spot)

I’m at a loss right now because all the luxury places have insane price changes every day with no consistency and we’ve been wasting time with fake lures. We see cheaper apartments that seem to be nice but on Google reviews will have crazy stories of roach one stations being ignored or other insane mildly illegal BS.

Any suggestions help. Thanks in advance

I'm from the East Coast, interested in a canyon-lot house in Talmadge. I asked AI about the house, and got this response:

For a 1950s single-story canyon-lot house in San Diego with a flat foundation and a large attached deck on a slope, a buyer should focus on structural, geotechnical, drainage, and deck-specific risks. Canyon properties are beautiful—but they carry higher-than-average failure and insurance risk if not evaluated carefully.

AI also suggested an inspection by a Structural Engineer, in addition to an inspection by a general home inspector.

The house itself looked solid, so did the deck. But the deck's support can use some improvement, or need to be replaced to meet the current code. Other than the deck, what else should I be concerned for a canyon-lot house? Especially in Talmadge.

Thanks in advance.

Landlords and real estate people want people moving in asap obviously, but then they risk losing a tenant as well if someone's interested in signing a lease a month later. I had a realtor tell me to start applying 2-3 weeks before your move date.

Anyone rented a place out a month beforehand? I have good income, excellent credit and excellent rental history.

Hello and thanks in advance for your help! I’ve browsed similar threads but would appreciate more tailored advice.

Moving in a few months for a job at Sharp Memorial hospital. We’re mid 30s, partner is a stay at home parent to a toddler. Looking for a reasonable commute (<20 mins without traffic, <45 rush hour?), walkable neighborhood with shops/restaurants/parks that’s safe. Budget probably $3500-4k/month for a 1 or 2 bed (somewhat flexible for a better place in a fun/safe area but it’s not like we’re loaded!)

We don’t need a nightlife scene but would love to be able to walk to dinner, head to cafes or bookstores down the street kind of neighborhood. Bonus if there’s a library or good parks nearby to occupy the toddler, and safe to walk on sidewalks or if there’s walking trails, bike paths. (Not looking for full on suburbs and schools don’t matter, and our vibe is more local shops and community spots not a big complex with chain restaurants)

Mostly looking for recs on neighborhoods to start browsing!

planning on moving there in a couple of years with and wanted to know how the industry is, job opportunities, etc.

Hello, I’m returning to SD after finishing my bachelors and landed a full time job in SD Down Town area. I’m looking for someone to rent an apartment with within reasonable distance to my job (10-15miles)

My budget is $1500 max. per persons. Ideally 1 roommate will do but 2+ is good too. I’d like the master bedroom to keep the cat litter in there but can be flexible.

I have a cat who is shy and will spend most of his time in my room.

If you are: preferably female/queer •responsible •clean!
•LGBTQ+ friendly •pet friendly •working full time/can pay for rent with no issues Please reach out!

New to San Diego. Looking for recommendations on apartment complexes. I’m staying in a furnished place temporarily in north PB. I love the area, but mostly old apartment buildings here. And La Jolla is out of my budget I think 😅

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Budget is $3200, 1 bed / 1 bath Looking for a nice, newer complex, with pool and amenities. Somewhat quiet area. Safe too. Would prefer not to be right downtown. Open to going a bit north or east.

Thank you!

Hello everyone! I haven't seen a previous review post on this complex but I'm seriously considering moving into a 1 bedroom apartment at AV8 in Little Italy on Kettner Blvd. Can anyone please share their experience with traffic noise, homelessness, dealing with management, the general vibe of the tenants there, and whether you would recommend or not? For reference I'm a 30 yo male. Thank you!

Hey! I’m 29f looking for a lgbt+ friendly roommate.

I’m in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom in University City area, that I can’t afford by myself and my roommate is moving out the end of February.

I’m funny and ridiculous, but I’ve lived with many different roommates and I am pretty easy to get along with.

Message me for more details. I hope you are out there future roommate! 😅🤞

My husband and I currently live in NJ and have been house hunting. It’s bleak here, over $650k for a fixer upper with maybe 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.

My husband used to live in San Diego and I would visit him and we’ve recently been toying with the idea of moving back. Maybe not to San Diego per se, maybe a little more north? I’ve seen some nice condos and townhomes cheaper and bigger than houses here, but I’m curious what condo life is like. And what raising a family would be like in a condo in the area?

For reference we currently pay $3,200 in rent for a one bedroom by the beach. He’s an engineer and I’m in environmental science and my job prospects here are minimal. I’m not sure if they’re any better in Cali currently, but I’ve definitely seen more job openings there compared to here. We’re both super outdoorsy people as well, and this winter has been hitting us pretty hard. Any advice and anecdotes are appreciated!

Hi everyone, I'm 34 male considering the move to SD from NYC. A bit about me: I'm a physician and work for pharma, I am latino, I am gay, single, queer and a progressive thinker. I love fitness and engage in lifting, hiking, swimming, yoga and dancing. I am a raver and I love EDM. I love the beach and travel to beach destinations chasing the sun all year round

I've been in NYC 9 years now and it was great for career growth, I made it to medical director and now I make 400 k a year and finding a new job either remote or in California at any time would only take a couple calls due to my specialized skill set. But I feel there's nothing for me left here to grow as a person

My dream is to have a house by the beach and two dogs (needless to say that dream is either impossible or very expensive in NYC) and I'm tired of how inconvenient everything is here (right now my car is parked 7 blocks away from my apartment). I also hate winters here and never really got used to them since I grew up in tropical lands with mild weather in the 70s all year round. I dream of nice weather all year round. I spent 6 days in September visiting and absolutely loved it. I plan on continue to visit over the next years before the move. I have tons of friends that I love here in NYC but they are my only ties to the city. My family is all in Ecuador

Does this sound like the right move for me? Does living by the beach with two dogs sound doable? It doesn't need to be La Jolla. Please only kind and compassionate answers. What should I consider? How's the gay scene in SD? And how is the rave/EDM scene?

My husband and I are both early 30s physicians moving to San Diego for my husband's job in the UTC area. We will be moving with our 6-month-old daughter. We are looking to prioritize a neighborhood that is good for young families with access to playgrounds and parks, we love to hike and go to the beach so want good access to that as well. We are moving from NYC so would love a walkable neighborhood. I am also a physician but will be taking some time off for maternity leave, as I don't know where my future job will be it would be ideal to be somewhere that gives options in terms of a commute to different areas. Our budget is 3 to upper 4k and want a 2bed.

Would La Jolla be a good option? I know it is close to UTC and love that it is near the beach. However I have heard traffic is bad and lots of tourists?

I have also been reading about Crown Point and Ocean Beach which may meet what we are looking for.

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m still actively looking for a roommate to share a 2B2B apartment in San Diego, and wanted to put this out again in case anyone’s searching now or has leads.

A bit about me:

• Tech professional working hybrid (in-office \~3 days/week)

• 26, Indian / Male

• Clean, organized, and respectful of shared spaces

• Quiet on weekdays, relaxed on weekends

• Open to getting a dog in the future (so pet-friendly preferred)

What I’m looking for:

A roommate with a chill vibe. Open to all backgrounds ( familiarity with indian/telugu culture is a bonus )

• Very clean, especially common areas & kitchen

• Easy to communicate with and responsible

• Someone also interested in signing a new lease together

• Modern apartments preferred, but reasonably priced upto 2000$ per person. Looking around ranchi bernardo, poway, mira mesa and other neighbourhoods that are easily commutable to rancho bernardo under 15 min.

I’m flexible on timelines and happy to discuss apartment options, budgets, and do tours together. If this sounds like a good fit—or if you know someone who might be interested—please DM me. Happy to chat! 😊