Ive been a resident of La Mesa for the last 8 years and love it. Great community, good public school options and it has a small community feel in the midst of a large city.
I grew up in 92107/92106 as well and loved the ocean and culture but once we had kids we were priced out.
My only cons are the traffic and the heat. I grew up b the coast so I was spoiled by the low to mid 70’s weather all year. Out here it gets pretty darn hot July-Oct. Get solar and fake grass and you’ll be good to go. Also consider the orientation of the house and the topography. We live on a nice hill and we get a great breeze that definitely helps on the hot days.
