San Diego likes to call itself America's finest city, but is it a good place to live? If you considering it, here is the shakedown on the city from someone living there.
Many people see the sunny weather in San Diego and think moving to the city is a slam dunk. Having lived here for 30 plus years, I can tell you it certainly used to be. These day, unfortunately, there are some issues that counter the beautiful weather.
The advantage of living in San Diego is the weather. Frankly, it is huge. San Diego gets about 12 inches of rain a year and it usually all comes in bursts. Other than that, it is usually dry. A cold day in the dead of winter results in a temperature in the mid sixties. It is not uncommon for it to be 70 degrees on New Year's Day.
Another advantage to living in San Diego is the lifestyle. Along with the weather, we have the beaches. If your idea of a good time is loafing on the beach, jogging on it or whatever, it is pretty hard to beat San Diego. Ah, but there is much more.
San Diego also has plenty to do when you are done with the beach. There are museums, the famous zoo, parks, entertainment areas, restaurants, and NFL and MLB teams to mention just a few. Outdoor concerts are really popular, particularly during the summer.
It probably sounds pretty good to this point, but there are some definite downsides to living here. The biggest is the cost of housing. The real estate market has pulled back, but the average home still costs over $500,000. That is a big chunk of change and can be shocking for people moving in from out of the area.
The second issue, ironically, is people moving into San Diego. Simply put, there are a lot more people than there used to be. This has resulted in traffic grid lock in a lot of areas and some serious urban sprawl. When you see homes burning in the fire storms, it is because many of them have been built in the boonies where fires have always occurred as part of the natural process.
So, is living in San Diego worth the price? If you get outside a lot and are active, the answer is that it definitely is. If you find yourself hanging out at home more often than not, you could probably spend your money more wisely in another area.
