Generally speaking, in San Diego, the motivation to live near a freeway or some other less than desirable element is the opportunity to be in a certain school district. I give people credit for being willing to put up with high prices and road noise for the chance (and not the certainty) that their children will be surrounded by interesting classmates that motivate them to do their best. For example, a kid who just graduated from Canyon Crest Academy in CV won the Intel (formerly Westinghouse), Google and Siemens science competitions (complete with $250,000 in prizes). That school is packed full of kids doing amazing things – and I think a lot of parents would sacrifice their own happiness or comfort to expose their kids to that kind of influence.
