Best communities of San Diego?

[sdrebear]

RightSide,

There are actually so many factors that are personal to you in making that decision, that I hesitate to recomend any one place over another. If you really love off-road racing, rodeos, etc. then Santee/Lakeside is your thing. Where you work can have a huge impact on where you want to “sanely” live here. I personally love some of the small homes in Hillcrest north of Adams Ave, but from where my wife and I live, it would just be horrible traffic every day (both ways), so its charm could never overcome that reality. Plus, there are better schools around that I’d like our son to attend, so for me and my family (despite loving the unique homes and interesting area) it just doesn’t work.

There are many other examples of issues you need to consider, but I’d honestly suggest making a list of all the major needs/desires you have for your family and put together a small scoring system for each; weighing the most important factors the most and then getting as many of the other things in as possible. San Diego has so many awesome communities to choose from, that there is no way I could personally recommend just one (or three!). Carlsbad/Encinitas are excellent choices for many reasons, but if you work downtown, it will be quite a difficult commute every day and could be a major factor against those areas.

Anyway, if you really want good advice on San Diego areas, feel free to provide more information about your situation and likes/dislikes and you will no doubt get many great ideas from people on this board that are directly relevant to your needs.

Good Luck!

[nin_sis]

Seniormoment…

I live in the Mira Mesa area, used to live in Carmel valley and know what you are talking about in regards to the illegal immigrant situation. There are a bunch of them living in the Penasquitos reserve (the canyon between Mira Mesa and Carmel Valley or Torrey hills). They come up the canyon in the mornings and hang out at the nearest 7-11 all day looking for work. I only see about 30 of them each morning, so who knows where the rest of them go. Most of the time they walk about carrying 12 packs of beer headed back to the canyon at night (no joke). On more than a few occasions there have been police cars lining the canyon with a helicopter flying around the area. At one point last summer, there was a row of homes that were broken into that line one of the canyons (not saying there is a connection to the illegals). When I lived off Sorrento Mesa in a condo complex, there were several burglaries, car prowls and our car was involved in a hit and run in a parking lot. Needless to say, I would not recommend this area to live in. It’s overcrowded and there is such diversity that more often than not, rude behavior and disorder is bred.

[zk]

Sounds pretty scary. I couldn’t find the article, though. The oldest article on that page is from 3/16. Maybe the article is from before then. Do you know how I can find it?

[seniormoment]

Article about the Carmel Valley by Will Carless:

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=euLTJbMUKvH&b=312131&ct=2139965

[powayseller]

I read the article too, but Will made a point of saying the illegals had not caused any crime. Perhaps some have. I’m sure there are many areas of Carmel Valley which are not next to this Canyon.

Overall, this is a great place to live, and each of us is fortunate to love our home turf.

While I do appreciate reading all these insights about other areas of the County, let’s stick with facts and keep it positive when assessing other people’s turf. It’s been upbeat so far, let’s keep it there.

[nin_sis]

“While I do appreciate reading all these insights about other areas of the County, let’s stick with facts and keep it positive when assessing other people’s turf. It’s been upbeat so far, let’s keep it there.”

Part of the idea of this forum is to express opinions and views about San Diego. While some people think San Diego is the best place on earth, others don’t happen to share this view. I grew up in San Diego and think this city has turned into a mini-LA over the past 15+ years. Yes, I’ve also lived in LA, San Fernando to be exact so I do have experiences to compare to. I’ve lived all over San Diego, from Hillcrest to the college area all the way up to Carlsbad and Escondido with stops in Carmel Valley and UTC along the way. Not all of San Diego is roses and for some of us, it’s been tough getting by. Let’s appreciate the not-so-upbeat comments as well as the “upbeat ones”. Some people like to know the pluses and negatives about a city especially from more than one person on this board. I realize powayseller posts a lot, but isn’t it nice to hear from others?

[powayseller]

The post labeling Carmel Valley as a crime ridden immigrant shelter didn’t seem fair to zk, who presumably lives there. Any negative views about a city not our own must be treated respectfully. But then, maybe I’m the only one who makes a point and ends up offending?

[zk]

Powayseller, I’m not sure what you mean by “didn’t seem fair to zk.” Since I didn’t even read it or comment on it, I assume that you didn’t mean that you think that I found it unfair. I figure you meant that it seemed to you to be unfair to me.

Thanks, I truly appreciate the sentiment. But I wasn’t offended by that, nor have I been offended by anything that’s been said on this blog. I’m all for hearing data no matter how it’s presented. I’ll separate the wheat from the chaff, the noise from the data, the real from the fake. If a guy thinks he’s jabbing me, fine. If a guy wants to put down CV, fine. That’s just less competition for a house when I decide to buy again in a few years. Not that seniormoment was doing those things. Just a general point. I think perhaps most of us could do a bit better at ignoring the jabs and focusing on the information.

[docteur]

I live in Carmel Valley. I love the view into the Canyon and open spaces off the back of my house north into Cielo, Rancho Pacifica, Santa Luz, Fairbanks Ranch and Carmel Mtn. Ranch in the distance.

In the last few years two beautiful new high schools have been built – Cathedral (replaces University High School) and Academy. They are stunning schools.

Carmel Valley is safe, clean, has great schools, highly intelligent residents and fantastic weather.

My neighbors are wonderful and we watch out for one another (not that it’s necessary).

Where I live, an 8,000 SF lot with a 3600 SF home (with a pool and nicely landscaped) goes for $ 1.7 to $ 2.0 million, depending on the view.

Yes, illegals live in our canyons as well as most canyons in San Diego. It has been estimated that as many at 10,000 illegals live in the canyons of north San Diego county – this came to me from an unnamed source working in the Immigration Department).

Drive through Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos or Vista (or Del Mar or Rancho Santa Fe) some day and you will see them standing by the side of the road, hoping to find work.

Late in the evenings you sometimes see them returning from shopping, walking or riding their bikes back to their makeshift homes. I have never seen or heard them in the canyons but one day on a walk, my neighbor discovered an entire community under some thick bushes, about a half mile northwest of my home.

It was basically several homes outdoors – furniture and all. He called the Immigration Department and they did nothing. Then he realized the land was open space owned by Pardee, who came out and cleaned out the encampment.

Are illegals dangerous? Not to the residents but maybe to each other (I know of one murder several years ago that was committed in the canyon). Does their presence impact home prices in this area? Not one bit as it doesn’t impact prices anywhere else.

But believe me, illegals are everywhere in San Diego. No community is immune from their presence. Anywhere there is a canyon, you will find them living there. And San Diego has hundreds and hundreds of canyons.

I am fortunate in that I can live anywhere in the world (and have traveled extensively) but choose San Diego and Carmel Valley specifically because it is convenient, clean, organized, not stuffy and has great schools (I still have a teenager at home who attends Torrey Pines).

My child’s friends are Indian, Chinese, Russian, European and Latino. They are highly intelligent and mature young adults, just the kind you want your children to associate with as they grow up. Their parents are highly educated, successful people, interesting and diverse in their customs and occupations.

Carmel Valley is a great place to live and is expensive (relatively speaking) for a reason. Overall, all factors considered, it’s the best place to live in San Diego.

Oh, one more snippet about crime in this area. I have a friend who is a policeman and he said the department sends all the rookies up to Carmel Valley because nothing scary ever happens up here. A few wild teenagers, a cat stuck in a tree, a toilet papered house after a football game is about as exciting as it gets. So my crime meter is the ages of the police men and women who patrol our community. As long as they stay fresh faced and look like college kids, I know our community is safe from major crime.

[powayseller]

My realtor friend sold several homes in Rancho Sante Fe, and during her transactions, spoke w/ various homeowners, appraisers, inspectors, etc. She told me she met 3 families who took their girls out of Torrey Pines High School and are home schooling them, due to the high promiscuity and drug use at that school. I’ve also heard of many kids who are materially spoiled, getting a brand new luxury car, sometimes more than one, in high school. However, I have read only about high test scores, and about the kids from TP who won at science fairs and went to the best colleges. What do you think about the personalities and child rearing results of the kids at Torrey Pines?

[an]

I think those 2 problems are in every schools. Drugs might be more of a problem at TP because the kids tend to have more $ for drugs. I think those problem have alot to do with the way the parents raise their kids than where they live. If you go and buy your HS kids luxury cars, that has nothing to do with the schools, but the way you raise your kids.

[docteur]

I think the kids are a reflection of their parents values. Sure, with a “wealthy” school like Torrey Pines you are going to have the typical “rich kids” but my experience of my child’s friends are that they are responsible, hard working, young adults with parents that care deeply about their futures.

Like Asianautica said, you can find evidence for all types of children in just about any school. Again, it’s the values the parents impart to their children that matters.

I could easily afford to live in RSF (I have developed lots of land there) but I like the values of the parents in Carmel Valley better (that’s why we live here).

Most folks here earn great incomes but are not super high net worth individuals with big egos to match. They are solid hardworking people with high levels of intelligence and strong family values. Lots of doctors, business owners and PhDs on my street and all of them maintain conservative values.

Again, I agree with Asianautica, the values of the parents are manifested in the behavior of the children. And by the way, I have never heard of a drug problem at Torrey Pines High School, at least not with any of the kids my child associates with and as far as promiscuity goes, its on the increase at all schools.

Again, I must state how impressed I am with all the kids I have met from Torrey Pines, most of them through the swim team (my child is a varsity swimmer). Two sisters in particular came here from England with their parents, who heard this was a great place to raise kids. And so far, all their parents can do is praise the area and never miss a chance to tell me how happy they are living here.

I think the key to the essence of a place is to spend some time there and get a feel for how you are treated. Go to the grocery store (a great place to get a “feel” for a community), hit a few restaurants, go to a movie. Observe the people and how they relate to one another as well as to “outsiders.” It will tell you volumes of the mindset in that community…

[powayseller]

It sounds like Carmel Valley is an ideal place to live, and after the housing bubble bursts, hopefully I can afford a house there. My husband really wants to live closer to the coast.

[docteur]

I’d be delighted to have you as a neighbor. And if your husband surfs, there are some great beach breaks just minutes from our community…

[an]

I agree, CV is very ideal for me as well. It’s also where I’ll be looking at, when the bubble burst. CV and Sorrento Valley will be my top 2 choices.

[Author]

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