I like most of the recommendations on here. If you are looking for non cookie cutter then yes Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe are nice places but range in prices and while you have a lot of money to spend, you may find that the IDEAL place you want exceeds the budget. Personally I love the area east of Encinitas, known as Olivenain. To me it represents some of the best San Diego has to offer.
My strong advice to you is to come to San Diego and rent. Rent for awhile and go see all the different areas San Diego has to offer. The diversity of neighborhoods is really cool and it is nice to get advice from the people who LIVE here. However personal tastes vary and you may find that once you have lived here for awhile you may find some quite unique areas that people may not consider for themselves…
