SR vs 4s/Del Sur/Carmel Valley

[serendipity4]

We are a dual-parent working family with 1 2-year old kid (and planning one more).We currently stay in Scripps ranch and were wondering if we should move to 4s/del sur/CV in a few years by the time our kid is in school going age? Are schools in above areas really better than Dingeman/EBS in SR? Also, isn’t it true that is better to be a top student in a decent school than scramble or be average in a very top-rated high competition school? We like SR proximity to sorrento valley(work) and miramar/la jolla areas. 4s/del sur are more inland and higher mello roos but only slightly better schools? Del sur is very high mello roos and brand new schools..we are looking at house >2500sqft and our current household annual income is ~250k. We feel 4s/del sur has little greenery compared to SR and feels more clustered and gets very hot in summer. CV is great, its closer to coast but we get much less house for the same amt as compared to 4s but still lots of places also have mello roos. Please suggest.

[FeistyNumerate]

Personally, I’d stay in Scripps Ranch. No MR’s and amazing schools. Amazing community, climate is more ideal (if only marginally compared to 4S) and the location! CV would have a slightly cooler climate (and annoying Marine layer) although wins in location. Although the traffic and the split make it a headache…

When we first returned to San Diego, in early 2011, we settled in Carmel Valley. I did so based on the recommendations for schools and the proximity to an employer in Carlsbad. Hands down, the elementary school and neighborhood have been the least pleasant experiences so far. Full disclosure, we were a younger family (mid 20’s) and I was often mistaken for my sons nanny or babysitter… so I don’t really feel like we fit in with the demographics, so to say.

We moved two years later to University City. Enrolled our son in Curie Elementary, and no real complaints about the school and or area. However, this isn’t on your radar, so I won’t go into details here.

I now reside in SR with my son, and have for the past two years. I absolutely LOVE Scripps Ranch and the schools. Love the community and I really like that the small “city” feel that the area provides.

In regards to schools, my son tested into the GATE program, and Miramar Ranch Elementary, is one of the few SD schools which offers seminar. Awesome program if your child scores high enough on the GATE test. Your little won’t even test until 2nd Grade, so may not even be worth factoring in at the present moment. Overall though, the schools and the PTA are amazing.

Plus, if you really want to enrich the kiddo, Jing Institute, will pick up your kid and take them for after school care. The costs are almost identical to SAY and other after school programs (They were actually less when I initially did my analysis) and the child will learn Mandarin & Wushu, along the typical homework and play agenda.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find anything over the past two months in this area and are now in escrow for a place up in Carmel Mountain Ranch. My employer is over in Rancho Bernardo, boarding 4S. This was a huge perk as far as commute (although my current 10-15 minutes isn’t bad at all) and the ability for the kiddo to walk to HS/MS kind of sealed the deal. If I could have found something in SR, I wouldn’t be moving.

If you can afford it here, I’d stay. Hands down.

[serendipity4]

Thanks. We can afford all these areas..our budget is upto 800k at this time. We are just trying to determine which is better overall.

In 4s,del sur lots of homes are walkable to elementary schools/parks and that is a huge plus, not so in our current home in SR, our assigned schools is EBS.

Older homes in SR but closer and no melloroos. Still so confused. I really still dont know why 4s/del sur schools are considered better than SR schools?

[millennial]

[quote=serendipity4] I really still dont know why 4s/del sur schools are considered better than SR schools?[/quote]

I would like to know where you found this info, because my research when I was shopping told me otherwise. Regardless, Marshall Middle and SR High School tests are among the highest with an API of 934 and 913 respectively. In contrast Carmel Valley Middle and Torrey Pines High was 976 and 895.

http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2014/apiavgCty.aspx?allcds=37&c=R

For me above 900 was a qualifier and Scripps Ranch fits both. Also my wife and I both work downtown and it’s only a 25 minute commute for us.

[millennial]

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[Essbee]

Hi there, I am a south 4S resident. I like it very much here. We considered Scripps Ranch as well when we were househunting in 2012. We mostly liked the south of Pomerado area. However we were concerned about fire danger and possibly even uninsurability of some of the properties in that area. We were also concerned about traffic along Pomerado Road and our commute to the UTC area. It seem like any commute along surface streets thru Mira Mesa would be a nightmare, but it would also not be optimal to take 52 or 56.

I’m a little confused about your assertion that 4S and Del Sur are more inland compared to Scripps Ranch. Scripps Ranch is obviously east of 15, where as 4S and Del Sur are west of 15. Thus I would consider Scripps Ranch to be more inland. ??

As for the schools, I don’t know whether the schools in 4S and Del Sur are really considered “better” than SR, but I will say that they’re very good. The Mello Roos on the south side are less, and there are also some areas with more mature trees.

[flyer]

Please don’t shoot the messenger, because I have no skin in this game (we’ve lived in CV, still have rentals there among other locations, and reside in RSF) but several of our friends who have relocated here, and are younger families, chose CV, 4S, Del Sur and Santaluz to name a few communities.

In the final analysis, for some of the reasons mentioned above and others, they ruled out anything east of I-15, but that is an individual choice, and you’ll certainly have to evaluate your own needs and wants in order to make the final decision.

[Myriad]

Have you looked at PQ or CMR?
PQ homes are older but no mello roos. CMR is early 1990’s but the mello roos and HOA are much lower than 4S/Del Sur.

[all]

It’s a good problem to have, trying to pick between BMW and Audi.

I believe SR is hotter in the summer. As somebody mentioned already the southern half of 4S is greener and it gets some breeze. 4S/Del Sur are closer to your workplace.

MR terms keep you insulated from some of the issues other schools might be facing. You do have to pay for that, unfortunately.

There is exactly 1 SFR in 4S with asking price of <$800K ($799K).

[serendipity4]

Thanks, well I am talking about commute to Sorrento Valley/UTC(via miramar road) takes just 15 mins from our house in SR during our work hours. Whereas, from Del Sur/4S it would take longer, ~25-30 mins, as we have seen from our friends’ commutes. I currently working in SR itself, so its really close.

CV is quite close to Sorrento valley. I heard from friends who stay in 4s/del sur that api schools are higher there marginally and newer schools and facilities, hence better. Plus, with lots of more higher income people in those areas, better coaching/academics, I dont know if its true, but its what I heard.

SR schools have choice program and hence influx from Mira Mesa and other low income areas. I dont know if it matters, so thats why I am asking here, to clarify.Also, some friends told me that extracurricular and coaching classes are more abundant in 4s/DS areas as are the quality of montessori/preschools in the area.I know of residents who moved from Stonebridge to 4s because of this.

Basically, more higher income families prefer 4s/del sur over SR for this reason, if they can afford it.

Also, schools are mostly walkable from several homes in 4s/delsur area but not the case in SR.

We are in no hurry to buy as our son in not yet school going age, we are just trying to figure out options. We can go upto 1mill if we find the right house and everything else fits.

[plm]

I would argue that SR is just as inland as 4S if you measure the distance from the ocean and not relative to I15.

According to google maps, SR is closer to SV than 4S.

Purely my opinion but I think SR is cooler than 4S.

[millennial]

I live in Scripps Ranch and used to commute to my office in UTC area. Morning rush hour coming down Spring Canyon Rd and taking Mira Mesa and exiting Pomerado took me about 25 minutes. Coming home on the other hand can take up to an hour depending on when you leave. People that I used to work with in CVR and 4s/DS could take 15-25 minutes more on average.

Regarding the higher income and better coaching/academics, I’m pretty happy with what my daughter gets at Dingeman since they offer Gate Seminar program and the children there seem to come from very good backgrounds. Also parent participation at the school is very good. Regarding Montessori, check out Scripps Ranch Montessori. Similar program to the one in Mission Bay which is very good.

Like someone said earlier, regarding education and neighborhood you can’t go wrong with either; it’s probably more of a personal choice. Personally I went with SR because I really enjoyed the house we bought; we can walk my daughter to the elementary school; minimal HOA and no MR; closer to my office and many places we go to on Mira Mesa. Also not sure if it is more East than 4s/Del Sur, but the climate seemed a lot cooler when we were house hunting a couple years ago. Maybe cause we live on a plateau.

Does anyone know which area was more recession resistant during the last one? To me it seemed like we were able to find more inventory in 4s and Del Sur and pricing was more reasonable when we were shopping. It seemed like for the $850-$1MM price range we could get around 500-1000 sq ft. more.

[FeistyNumerate]

You can choice into Poway schools as well and they accept intradistrict and interdistrict transfers. This includes people who only work in the area and there are quite a few big companies over there. Mine specifically!

I did this for my son, based on my employers location. I actually received a call with a spot available for him but we declined as we ended up moving to SR. I have quite a few coworkers with kids who have done the same.

Also the Boys & Girls Club and YMCA in 4S has an awesome summer program. I’ve utilized both for a week or two of summer camps/care and the kiddo is always excited to go back.

As far as commutes – 15 North bound is a parking lot after 4pm on most afternoons from about Scripps Poway until the 78! Same can be the same for Southbound in the mornings, as it seems to slow down around 56/Camino Del Norte on down south. Often times the express lanes are 3/1 to accommodate, but if you’re not driving into work with your spouse you’ll have to factor in the cost of the pass.

I do agree with who ever said SR is further inland. However access to 4S/Del Sur is much more limited. With SR you can go North or South to the 56/52 and then you also have Mira Mesa Blvd & Miramar Road and the sniper roads that feed into both, to get around.

Lastly, personal opinion and may not apply to your scenario in the least bit. As a single mom, with only one kid, finding adequate before and after school care has always been a chore. His current school allows for a 730 drop off which is the first time we’ve been able to avoid before school care. However, my company works a 9/80 schedule, thus my days are long and I never opt for a lunch! So sometimes, I even cut it close to a 6pm pick up. That’s a HUGE factor in where I decide live. I always assumed having a kid would get easier (and cheaper haha!!) once he was school age! Instead we’re busier and I have much less flexibility! Most school programs have wait lists and many programs do not offer coverage for the minimum days and holidays, and if do, also have a wait list! So for me, adding 15-30 minutes daily for a commute isn’t an option. May not be an issue if you’re electing for in home or family to assist. However, there’s always a class event or performance or “something”, that comes up every week or so that I don’t want to miss. Rarely do these occur at the start or the end of the school day, either. So I’m typically skipping in and back out of work to attend. Take a gander at the school calendar and you’ll see… there’s always something going on and most kids, especially in highly active and engaged schools, don’t want to miss a beat!

I really think you’ll find the two are comparable and you just need to go with what makes you and your family happier. I’m going to miss SR and would shank someone if it meant staying here was in the cards for us! Good luck!

[ltsddd]

All 4 communities the OP mentioned are great communities.

The sweet spot in 4S is on the south side. I would say 4S is probably the only community among the 4 mentioned that kids could walk to all the schools Stone Ranch, Oak Valley, Del Norte (and that new school adjacent to DN – if your kid can get in). Youth sport activities is also great in 4S.

[njtosd]

[quote=yamashi][quote=serendipity4] I really still dont know why 4s/del sur schools are considered better than SR schools?[/quote]

I would like to know where you found this info, because my research when I was shopping told me otherwise. Regardless, Marshall Middle and SR High School tests are among the highest with an API of 934 and 913 respectively. In contrast Carmel Valley Middle and Torrey Pines High was 976 and 895.

http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2014/apiavgCty.aspx?allcds=37&c=R

For me above 900 was a qualifier and Scripps Ranch fits both. Also my wife and I both work downtown and it’s only a 25 minute commute for us.[/quote]

The API scores haven’t been updated in 2 years. Just for arguments sake, Canyon Crest Academy (San Dieguito Union High School District – same as Torrey Pines HS) is ranked 85th in the nation, whereas Scripps Ranch High School is 471st. Torrey Pines is #231 – all according to US News and World Report. Canyon Crest is also ranked 15th in the state and historically has had the highest API in the county since about 2011. It’s a great school and in my opinion worth trying to get in – but it’s a lottery, so no guarantees.

[Author]

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