DZ
The 30 minutes was to the high tech employment centers from Carmel Valley to Sorrento Valley. Agree that downtown is another story but I just dont know more than a handful of people who actually work there. Those are mostly lawyers or financial types who often work from home also.
On a good day (non rush hour) I can get to the airport or downtown in 30 minutes and have done so many times.
Lots of people around here fly out of Palomar. When you factor in that you dont pay for a week of parking (close to $100) or a R/T shuttle (close to $100) that makes the costs very close in most cases. Throw in the convenience of checking through security at such a small airport and the time savings (checking in and getting home) and you would understand why folks up here try to use it as much as they can. When I land at Lindbergh it takes me about 90 to 120 minutes to get through the airport, find luggage, shuttle to parking lot and drive home. No thanks.
BTW, most people arent regular travelers and proximity to an airport is something they require once or twice a year.
Taking a train and a cab for a night out isnt an incvonvenience to me, its a luxury. It frees me up to enjoy myself as much as I want without worrying about a DUI.
Yes there are restaurants in La Mesa, just not great ones. Show me a single highly rated place in Zagat located east of SDSU?
As for cultural points of interest, thats a pretty infrequent thing for most people. The biggest culture in SoCal is beach/surf culture and we are at the epicenter of it. One of my best friends describes living here as equivalent to a ski bum living in Breckenridge or Steamboat.
