Interesting thread. Although I was born and spent my early todler to early grade school years on another continent, I have lived in a few places in the states, New York City, Connecticut, Florida, the Bay Area (for over 25 years on and off), and San Diego (twice during those same 25 years and in now a third time). My wife is from LA. In the Bay Area, I have lived in Palo Alto, San Jose, San Francisco, Mountain View, and Berkeley (went to Cal for undergrad and a couple of my grad degrees).
I also periodically work out of my employers’s offices for weeks at a time in LA, Orange County, Chicago, Paris, Frankfurt, London, and Tokyo. Of course I have been to visit or worked in many more places globally and lived for 6 month stints in Italy and along the Swiss/French southwestern border. The foreign place I spent my early life in, still is beyond beautiful to me, but not a safe place to live. It is the Lion Fish of countries.
When I was in Berkeley, I loved it. Great school, eclectic city with great diversity. I did not agree with its political climate, but hey, I am open to new ideas. I think New York is the greatest city in the U.S. I think San Francisco is the most beautiful city in the U.S. Chicago is a great city. D.C. a center for power. LA a great melting pot of variety. Paris and Florence are the most beautiful cities in the world to me. But I also love Tokyo and Barcelona and would enjoy living in either I think. Seattle is a nice city, but I hate the weather. I like to say to folks:
I used to think it was cloudy every day when I lived in New York, until I went to Seattle . . . I used to think it was sunny every day in San Francisco, until I went to San Diego.
I did not like living on the East coast, but I love going to NYC. I love California and don’t ever plan to leave it. If I do, it will be to another country to live, not another state. The more south I go, the more I love it. Yes it is the weather and the beach, and the Spanish inspired architecture etc.
I think people enjoy different places at different parts of their lives. When I first lived in SD, I was on a Naval base and loved it. I hung out in PB and other hip places. A decade later I lived in Del Mar and CV. Again I loved it, but for different reasons. Now I am about to live in RSF. I am older and have a large and growing family. As your needs change so does your perspective.
No SD is not SF or NYC or Paris. It is SD and won my heart when I was stationed there and never lost it. I did not leave my heart in San Francisco. I left it in San Diego.
Here is a cut and paste of a top 25 reasons I love SD I have posted twice previously on this board. Just for kicks.
Top 25 Reasons why I love San Diego.
25. I hate the cold.
24. I hate clouds, of any kind. Even nice clouds. They just bug me.
23. Not much for rolling hills comprising 99% elm trees, comprising 99% of a state.
22. Never been into Tudors, Cape Cod, Craftsmen, French country, or country architectual styles.
21. Yes, I grew up in Connecticut.
20. I hate humid tropical weather.
19. Not a big fan of hurricanes and thundershowers so dense you have to pull over immediately to avoide geting clobbered on the interstate.
18. Not much for flat, flat, flat countryside where the highest point is a highway overpass.
17. Not much into Plantation or Victorian architecture.
16. Yes, I have lived in Florida.
15. Not into weather warm enough to dress down for, but too cold to dress down for.
14. Not into beaches you can only look at unless you want to freaze to death, get eaten by a Great White, or be pulled to your death by a rip current.
13. Not into Ranch Style Homes at all.
12. $3.5-$4.5 mil will get me 3,500-4,500 sf of 50 year old never updated Ranch home in an area that people here think as bling, unless they have been to La Jolla, RSF, Beverly Hills, or Bakersfield.
11. Yes, I live in the Bay Area
10. I love warm and dry weather with ocean breezes.
9. I love beaches you can actually swim in.
8. I love palm trees and tropical flora.
7. I love 320 sunny days a year or whaterver it is.
6. I love diverse landscape.
5. I love Spanish Mediteranian, Spanish Revival, Spanish Colonial, Spanish Mission, Spanish Hacienda, and Tuscan architecture.
4. I served our country there
3. I met my wife there and married her there.
2. Yes, I have lived in San Diego.
