[UCGal]

I’ve heard of buyers requesting NOT to list on the MLS. I don’t understand why they’d do it, but I’ve heard of it.

[UCGal]

I’ve heard of buyers requesting NOT to list on the MLS. I don’t understand why they’d do it, but I’ve heard of it.

[UCGal]

I’ve heard of buyers requesting NOT to list on the MLS. I don’t understand why they’d do it, but I’ve heard of it.

[UCGal]

I’m with sddude (that seems to be happening a lot lately) – Clairemont, UC, Tierrasanta seem to offer a good match between affordable and close in. I’d toss in Mira Mesa as well.

I lived in University Heights and Normal Heights and love the neighborhoods – but the schools are not so good. There are some really nice pockets with medium size houses (2000sf ish) on bigger lots, on the canyons… but they’re priced accordingly – too expensive.

My friend who lives in Kensington sends her daughter to a charter school to get around the less than wonderful schools.

I also agree with the downtown La Mesa suggestion. I have a couple of friends that are in that area – you can find a nice balance between lot size, neighborhood infrastructure, and price.

One pet peeve of me of mine regarding some exurbs/suburbs… Sidewalks. If a neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, I’m not living there. I want to be able to walk the ‘hood and not be in the lanes of traffic. But that is just a personal preference.

[UCGal]

I’m with sddude (that seems to be happening a lot lately) – Clairemont, UC, Tierrasanta seem to offer a good match between affordable and close in. I’d toss in Mira Mesa as well.

I lived in University Heights and Normal Heights and love the neighborhoods – but the schools are not so good. There are some really nice pockets with medium size houses (2000sf ish) on bigger lots, on the canyons… but they’re priced accordingly – too expensive.

My friend who lives in Kensington sends her daughter to a charter school to get around the less than wonderful schools.

I also agree with the downtown La Mesa suggestion. I have a couple of friends that are in that area – you can find a nice balance between lot size, neighborhood infrastructure, and price.

One pet peeve of me of mine regarding some exurbs/suburbs… Sidewalks. If a neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, I’m not living there. I want to be able to walk the ‘hood and not be in the lanes of traffic. But that is just a personal preference.

[UCGal]

I’m with sddude (that seems to be happening a lot lately) – Clairemont, UC, Tierrasanta seem to offer a good match between affordable and close in. I’d toss in Mira Mesa as well.

I lived in University Heights and Normal Heights and love the neighborhoods – but the schools are not so good. There are some really nice pockets with medium size houses (2000sf ish) on bigger lots, on the canyons… but they’re priced accordingly – too expensive.

My friend who lives in Kensington sends her daughter to a charter school to get around the less than wonderful schools.

I also agree with the downtown La Mesa suggestion. I have a couple of friends that are in that area – you can find a nice balance between lot size, neighborhood infrastructure, and price.

One pet peeve of me of mine regarding some exurbs/suburbs… Sidewalks. If a neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, I’m not living there. I want to be able to walk the ‘hood and not be in the lanes of traffic. But that is just a personal preference.

[UCGal]

I’m with sddude (that seems to be happening a lot lately) – Clairemont, UC, Tierrasanta seem to offer a good match between affordable and close in. I’d toss in Mira Mesa as well.

I lived in University Heights and Normal Heights and love the neighborhoods – but the schools are not so good. There are some really nice pockets with medium size houses (2000sf ish) on bigger lots, on the canyons… but they’re priced accordingly – too expensive.

My friend who lives in Kensington sends her daughter to a charter school to get around the less than wonderful schools.

I also agree with the downtown La Mesa suggestion. I have a couple of friends that are in that area – you can find a nice balance between lot size, neighborhood infrastructure, and price.

One pet peeve of me of mine regarding some exurbs/suburbs… Sidewalks. If a neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, I’m not living there. I want to be able to walk the ‘hood and not be in the lanes of traffic. But that is just a personal preference.

[UCGal]

I’m with sddude (that seems to be happening a lot lately) – Clairemont, UC, Tierrasanta seem to offer a good match between affordable and close in. I’d toss in Mira Mesa as well.

I lived in University Heights and Normal Heights and love the neighborhoods – but the schools are not so good. There are some really nice pockets with medium size houses (2000sf ish) on bigger lots, on the canyons… but they’re priced accordingly – too expensive.

My friend who lives in Kensington sends her daughter to a charter school to get around the less than wonderful schools.

I also agree with the downtown La Mesa suggestion. I have a couple of friends that are in that area – you can find a nice balance between lot size, neighborhood infrastructure, and price.

One pet peeve of me of mine regarding some exurbs/suburbs… Sidewalks. If a neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, I’m not living there. I want to be able to walk the ‘hood and not be in the lanes of traffic. But that is just a personal preference.

[UCGal]

Chiming in late on this thread…

Your rule of thumb prices are very good. I try to keep the gift around $15 before tax… that way if you do a card or gift bag you’re still under $20.

I’ve got two elementary school age kids. Like sddude my kids social network ranges from clairmont to carmel valley – and there’s a different price range among the two groups… Clairemont tends to be a little less, CV tends to be a little pricier. I assume it’s a keeping up with the Jones thing – and the Jones in CV spend more money. My rule still applies – $15-20/gift.

On a semi-hijack… when did it become requisite to have elaborate parties at places like Pump it Up, that Laser tag place, etc? What happened to back yard parties? And when did it become requisite to have a big party for every year? I feel like the old guy yelling “Get off my lawn” but back in the old days we got birthday parties every couple of years – the entertainment was pin the tail on the donkey, and it was pretty low key.

(Oh – and we walked up hill, both ways, through the snow to school!)

[UCGal]

Chiming in late on this thread…

Your rule of thumb prices are very good. I try to keep the gift around $15 before tax… that way if you do a card or gift bag you’re still under $20.

I’ve got two elementary school age kids. Like sddude my kids social network ranges from clairmont to carmel valley – and there’s a different price range among the two groups… Clairemont tends to be a little less, CV tends to be a little pricier. I assume it’s a keeping up with the Jones thing – and the Jones in CV spend more money. My rule still applies – $15-20/gift.

On a semi-hijack… when did it become requisite to have elaborate parties at places like Pump it Up, that Laser tag place, etc? What happened to back yard parties? And when did it become requisite to have a big party for every year? I feel like the old guy yelling “Get off my lawn” but back in the old days we got birthday parties every couple of years – the entertainment was pin the tail on the donkey, and it was pretty low key.

(Oh – and we walked up hill, both ways, through the snow to school!)

[UCGal]

Chiming in late on this thread…

Your rule of thumb prices are very good. I try to keep the gift around $15 before tax… that way if you do a card or gift bag you’re still under $20.

I’ve got two elementary school age kids. Like sddude my kids social network ranges from clairmont to carmel valley – and there’s a different price range among the two groups… Clairemont tends to be a little less, CV tends to be a little pricier. I assume it’s a keeping up with the Jones thing – and the Jones in CV spend more money. My rule still applies – $15-20/gift.

On a semi-hijack… when did it become requisite to have elaborate parties at places like Pump it Up, that Laser tag place, etc? What happened to back yard parties? And when did it become requisite to have a big party for every year? I feel like the old guy yelling “Get off my lawn” but back in the old days we got birthday parties every couple of years – the entertainment was pin the tail on the donkey, and it was pretty low key.

(Oh – and we walked up hill, both ways, through the snow to school!)

[UCGal]

Chiming in late on this thread…

Your rule of thumb prices are very good. I try to keep the gift around $15 before tax… that way if you do a card or gift bag you’re still under $20.

I’ve got two elementary school age kids. Like sddude my kids social network ranges from clairmont to carmel valley – and there’s a different price range among the two groups… Clairemont tends to be a little less, CV tends to be a little pricier. I assume it’s a keeping up with the Jones thing – and the Jones in CV spend more money. My rule still applies – $15-20/gift.

On a semi-hijack… when did it become requisite to have elaborate parties at places like Pump it Up, that Laser tag place, etc? What happened to back yard parties? And when did it become requisite to have a big party for every year? I feel like the old guy yelling “Get off my lawn” but back in the old days we got birthday parties every couple of years – the entertainment was pin the tail on the donkey, and it was pretty low key.

(Oh – and we walked up hill, both ways, through the snow to school!)

[UCGal]

Chiming in late on this thread…

Your rule of thumb prices are very good. I try to keep the gift around $15 before tax… that way if you do a card or gift bag you’re still under $20.

I’ve got two elementary school age kids. Like sddude my kids social network ranges from clairmont to carmel valley – and there’s a different price range among the two groups… Clairemont tends to be a little less, CV tends to be a little pricier. I assume it’s a keeping up with the Jones thing – and the Jones in CV spend more money. My rule still applies – $15-20/gift.

On a semi-hijack… when did it become requisite to have elaborate parties at places like Pump it Up, that Laser tag place, etc? What happened to back yard parties? And when did it become requisite to have a big party for every year? I feel like the old guy yelling “Get off my lawn” but back in the old days we got birthday parties every couple of years – the entertainment was pin the tail on the donkey, and it was pretty low key.

(Oh – and we walked up hill, both ways, through the snow to school!)

[UCGal]

In college I lived in University Heights (Park at Madison), then Normal Heights (first Felton just south of Adams, then 36th, just north of Adams.) Then I moved downtown near the El Cortez.

All of the neighborhoods had an edginess – especially downtown. But this was 20 years ago, LOL. (Horton Plaza came online while I was living down there… it was before the convention center, etc.)

I think in Normal Heights the key is whether you are north of Adams or not. It gets pretty nice north of Adams… It gets sketchier the further south of Adams. University Heights, west of Park, has very nice pockets… I have several friends who live there.

I like Hillcrest a lot. Again, location is everything… Lots of nice little pockets. Lots of restaurants and shops.

All three neighborhoods are urban – which is not a bad thing… it makes for walkable neighborhoods. But it also means more people, more challenging parking, more noise.

[UCGal]

In college I lived in University Heights (Park at Madison), then Normal Heights (first Felton just south of Adams, then 36th, just north of Adams.) Then I moved downtown near the El Cortez.

All of the neighborhoods had an edginess – especially downtown. But this was 20 years ago, LOL. (Horton Plaza came online while I was living down there… it was before the convention center, etc.)

I think in Normal Heights the key is whether you are north of Adams or not. It gets pretty nice north of Adams… It gets sketchier the further south of Adams. University Heights, west of Park, has very nice pockets… I have several friends who live there.

I like Hillcrest a lot. Again, location is everything… Lots of nice little pockets. Lots of restaurants and shops.

All three neighborhoods are urban – which is not a bad thing… it makes for walkable neighborhoods. But it also means more people, more challenging parking, more noise.

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