r/Moving2SanDiego

What’s up y’all,
I’m a senior in college down here in South Carolina and lately I’ve been thinking pretty hard about moving out to San Diego after graduation. I know it’s about as opposite from the South as you can get, but every time I’ve been out there I honestly loved it.
Here everything’s slower, everybody knows everybody, college football is basically a religion, and people think you’re crazy if you move across the country without family out there. But something about California just seems cool to me. The weather, being near the water all the time, mountains, palm trees, being able to be outside year round, just seems like a completely different life than what I grew up around.
At the same time though, I wonder if I’d get out there and realize I’m just some southern dude that doesn’t fit in at all. I’ve heard San Diego is laid back compared to LA, but I still feel like it’d be a culture shock going from South Carolina to Southern California.
I’m planning on getting into commercial real estate after school, and part of me thinks moving somewhere totally new while I’m young would be pretty cool before life gets too serious. Worst case I guess I move back home eventually. Anybody here make a similar move from the South to California? Was it worth it or did you regret leaving home? Welcome to throw any advice or suggestions if you think they’re worth sharing. Thanks

Okay, so my husband and I are planning to move to San Diego from Texas. In our late 40s, married for a gazillion years. I've done tons of research and have visited plenty of times. We'll be visiting again in a few days. I definitely understand that housing is expensive. Buying and renting. But can someone please give an example of other things? I know groceries are more expensive. I've bought them while we were there visiting. Restaurants, etc. I get those.

I see a LOT of people talk about the electricity is extremely expensive. Can you give an example? During the summer in TX, our electric bills get pretty high so I'm wondering how much of an average difference it is since you don't have to use the A/C much in SD. I know the rates are higher, but isn't usage much lower? We also have an electric car, so gas won't be a thing for us. What else am I missing? I know it's probably 100 things I'm not thinking of. Please be specific. I don't want to have to call you all to come live with you after 6 months of living in SD. 😉

I live in Kansas, my son lives in Pacific Beach in his van. with his gf and two dogs. I don’t know what I can do for him, I am only able to send money when I can and that’s not often. I am desperately trying to get him off the streets but idk what I can do for him. he does get a bit of food stamps. they do door dash some but gas is so expensive I don’t know how long they can keep driving. I have called the Compass Station and the lady said they don’t offer much assistance, just point people in the right direction. does anyone have any suggestions or is anyone living in that area that could offer my son a job? he has done construction and landscaping with his dad. he’s only 21 but he’s a hard worker and fast learner. he’s had a rough life and just needs someone to give him a chance. please I am begging anyone to legitimately help me.

I cannot decide between SF or SD. Just turned 30, newly single, been a nurse for 7 years mixed ICU and pacu. I know how over saturated the market is in both places and that it will be difficult to land a job (0% chance I’ll be taking a nights position anywhere btw). SF clearly pays substantially more. But SD is so much more my vibe and what I’m looking for, and honestly, I just wanna be by the beach and lay in the sand as much as I can atp in my life.

So to the nurses, what’s your hourly wage? Are you inpatient or outpatient? What rent can you afford? And are you actually accruing any savings? I’d absolutely love to live here but I’m so done feeling so financially stressed. I currently make $70/hour but I’m per diem and have a hard time clearing more than 20 hours a week most of the time and I also just want out of where I’m living/current situation. Staff jobs in my current town are less than $50/hour and rent is honestly similar to SD.

Hi Everyone,

I am about to sign a lease on this apartment complex and I wanted to know if anyone had any experience with them within the past few months? I 26 (F) am coming from NYC with my two dogs. And currently I do not have a car. So it is important that the area is dog friendly, walkable(ish) and easy to get to my job that I will be starting.

My new job is going to be in Kearny Mesa, so since I dont have a car yet, I will need to be near public transportation. This apartment is only a 40min ride on public transport (which coming from NYC im used to 45minutes so I dont mind at all). The other apartments that I found felt sketchier and also were an 1hr & 30 minutes from my job which is too far out.

With that said, since I am a single female, I wanted to know from other women in the area too how safe they felt, things I should look out for, and if I should sign the lease at all. To be fair, I do have a smaller budget as well. $1600, so I also know my options are not vast at the moment.

Its a one bedroom, one bathroom at that.

Also, for the financial gurus, I will be making 65k at my new job as well. I know reddit says you cannot exist in San Diego under 100k, but until I can get a job thats paying that, I have to make due lol. So I would love to know those who are making money in the 55-70k range and living in San Diego as well!

Any and all tips are very much appreciated!

Thank you!!

My wife and I (and dog) are moving to SD from Georgia in August. We both work remote, combined around $200,000. Want to live close to the beach as we can without completely blowing up our budget (which I’m not totally sure of…thinking $3500 would be safe?)

We’re looking for a 2bd 1ba (although we’d make a 1bd 1ba work too), that is within a 5-15 min bike ride or walk to the beach. Beach access is our number one desire, with walkability to groceries and restaurant/bars the other.

From what we’ve read, OB, Encinitas, or maybe Bird Rock sound like where we should be looking. We considered PB too but people say it’s young and has PCB vibes? We’re 28-29 and feel like we are too old for that scene, but I’m curious if you can still enjoy the PB neighborhood.

Thoughts on where we should try to live? Also are open to a couple of month long airbnbs to see which areas we’d prefer

Hello everyone! I am planning to move to San Diego in about a year from now, and I will have time to rent air BnB's in different areas over the next year before I finally decide, but it would be helpful to have some feedback from those who know the area!

Info about me: 30M, single, enjoys yoga, getting into salsa dancing, learning spanish, walking along the beach or just looking at the water from my apartment/house. I will be working mostly remotely, and income will be 400-500k/year.

I would love to live somewhere that is nicely kept, near water, has other 20's-30's young professionals that are health conscious and mindful. I don't tend to go to bars or drink much but do enjoy music festivals/dancing, going to restaurants, doing fun activities on or off the water, pickleball, yoga, etc. I just genuinely love the sun and being near water!

I have tended to live in places where there are mostly older people or families and would ideally like to be near more single people my age and have more organic social interaction. I feel like it's so hard to find a place with young single people that also is nice and not too gritty.

When looking at places it seems like North Pacific Beach may be a good spot, perhaps near Tourmaline beach?

Are North Park and South Park more downtowney/urban with a more grittier vibe? Since I'm not too into bars I'm not sure if those would be good spots but open to hearing more.

Banker's Hill/Hillcrest seem like they could be good but the idea of hearing airplanes over head and apparently a large unhoused population make me very wary and want to avoid it.

Any information would be greatly appreciated thank you!

Title sums up the question. I'm a 30-something, male, bachelors level mental health worker/program manager on a wage of about 65-70k with what can be a remote job for now (I will be looking for work in the area, as well, however, as remote stuff isn't for me.) I wouldn't be bringing much, a paid off car, small assortment of household things, and my three favorite people, me, myself, and I. Budget wise I have about 1800 per month rent wise. Could be slightly higher, but that's what'd be a "comfortable" spend.

That being said, I've only been a visitor, both as a regular tourist and for some work related conferences. Hung out in La Jolla and at nice hotels, know that's not the reality for the vast, vast vaaaast majority of people (or me, at all, at my wage.) But I need a change, and I want to try in San Diego. Is there a bedroom community that allows reasonable access to the city and is (comparatively) affordable? Are there places I should avoid if possible? I'm happy to have a roommate, no pets, no crazy habits, not a drug user or smoker, so hopefully that'd help find a place.,

Hi All! I’m looking into moving to SD next spring. I’ve visited a few times in 2019, but it was for college parties lol and I’m sure the city has changed a lot in the last 7 years. Would love to get an idea of how I should go about exploring the idea of moving to SD, should I just take a few trips and check out different neighborhoods? Is a car really necessary? How’s the nightlife (for context I’m 25M), any good neighborhoods that are best for fitness junkies? best neighborhoods for young professionals? Would a max budget of 3k per month be sufficient for a studio or 1 bed + utilities? I travel for my job so I don’t have to go into the office but it’s located in the Carmel Del Mar area, Any insights will be helpful! Thank you!

Have a job offer for a private practice that has location in both Mid-City Santa Monica, or UTC San Diego area. Have gone through the rabbit hole of ChatGPT to help with pros / cons, and was even out in LA for 3 days and then San Diego (PB / Crown Point airbnb) for 5 days) hoping it would help... and my husband and I still came back unsure of which was the right decision. A little about us:

My husband and I are deciding between Santa Monica / Venice (LA) vs Pacific Beach / Bird Rock (San Diego) and are honestly very torn.

A bit about us:

• Married gay (if that matters lol) couple (late 20s/early 30s) with a dog
• I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner
• My husband works in tech/operations and is looking for a new role (ideally in tech/startups); does have a job (remote) so it is not a immediate need / financially we are thankfully ok
• We have ~5–7 close friends in LA and 1 cousin in San Diego
• Budget: ~$4k–$4.2k for a 2BR

What we’re looking for:

• Walkable, bikeable, close to the beach
• Clean, safe, and comfortable walking around (especially at night with our dog)
• “Calm but not boring” — relaxed lifestyle but still some energy
• While we don’t want constant chaos, we do want access to some “city energy” (restaurants, events, things to do when we want it)
• Ability to build real community and long-term friendships (not super transient)
• Access to pickleball leagues, run clubs, and social activities for people our age
• Good restaurant scene (more quality/sophisticated vs party/bar-heavy)
• Some culture (concerts, museums, sports occasionally)
• Strong job opportunities (especially important), particularly in tech/startups for my husband
• Travel access:
  • Good airport access (domestic + international nonstop preferred)
  • Road trips are a big priority (California, Tahoe, Yosemite, Vegas, Sedona, etc.)

Neighborhoods we’ve loved:

• LA: Montana Ave (Santa Monica), Abbot Kinney, Main St (Ocean Park), Manhattan Beach
• SD: North PB, Bird Rock, La Jolla

Our dilemma:

• San Diego feels cleaner, calmer, and easier day-to-day
• LA feels like it offers more opportunity, variety, travel access, and we already have a social base

Additional context:

• We like PB, but when we were there recently and went out at night (we love a good dinner + cocktail), it felt a bit fratty/rowdy in certain areas
• If we chose PB, we’d likely live in North PB or Crown Point to avoid the Garnet Ave party scene
• If we chose LA, the plan would likely be to spend a few years in Santa Monica/Venice and eventually (financially permitting) settle longer-term in the South Bay (Manhattan/Hermosa Beach), which we love

We’re trying to figure out:
Which place actually leads to a better overall life long-term
Where it’s easier to build both routine and community without feeling bored or overwhelmed

Would love honest opinions from people who’ve lived in either (or both). What would you choose and why? Also if not in film or entertainment industry - will that be a large part of LA no matter where we live or is that more Hollywood and east LA?

Hey everyone,
My partner and I are from the Midwest getting married soon this fall and planning to move to San Diego right after. The only issue is we both need to wait on our dental licenses, which should take about 2 months after our wedding before we can officially start working.We’re trying to figure out the best living situation during that gap and wanted some advice from people who’ve done something similar.

Right now we’re considering a few options:

Get a short-term lease in our current area for 6 months, then fully move to San Diego once everything is cleared and stable.

Move to San Diego right after the wedding and stay in an Airbnb for ~2 months while we wait for our licenses, then find a long-term apartment once we’re settled.

Has anyone been in a similar situation moving right after school or licensing delays? What would you recommend—staying local short-term first or going straight to San Diego with temporary housing?

Hi all!

My wife (25) and I (25) are looking to move to San Diego in July of this year. Been looking a lot at Zillow and Trulia (etc.). Can't quite get an idea of the best place to try to lock down. Looking a lot at North Park, that seems to be our favorite, unless we can find something affordable near-ish the beach.

We have a dog. Looking for walkability and "things-to-do" as vague as that sounds. Cafés, markets, shops, things like that. She is a teacher, and at the moment I am WFH, but looking for a position somewhere in SD.

Budget is somewhere between 2,000 and 3,200 if we want to stretch to make it work. Would love 2bd but can make 1 work.

We are also concerned about safety and it's hard to get a vibe when we aren't able to visit between now and then (we live in Northern Virginia). So any tips there would be appreciated to.

But if anyone has recommendations for where to look or if there is a good rental agent we could use to bounce ideas off of, it would be super helpful! Thanks all!

We are looking at moving to SD from Orange County and were recommended to look at Del Sur area. We have 2 young kids so good schools is a must. We are priced out of Carmel Valley which is why Del Sur was recommended to meet other young families, etc. I’m wondering if anyone has insight about the area as well as being what seems far from the beach. Is it about 20min or realistically more? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all,

I wanted to come here and say I am excited for my move on 5/19. I have visited San Diego a few times as some of my family has lived here for decades. I finally bit the bullet and booked my one way ticket from Philly.

As excited as I am, I am nervous. I have never physically moved out of Philly before but I have been dying to do so. I got this opportunity and took it!

What are some things you wished you knew when moving to San Diego? What are some experiences or tips that helped you settle into your new environment and new life?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments!

Also - any recommendations on nails salons around Mira Mesa would be much appreciated! Thanks lol

Hi, there is the potential I will be moving to San Diego later this year for family reasons. I will be making about 120k/year but work overseas for half the year so hopefully food and utility costs will be lower:) I spent a lot of time here as a kid mostly in the Point Loma area so I'm moderately familiar with it. Just wondering if there's a scene for people around my age (22) and if there's any advice you could give? I don't really know what else to ask but any general wisdom would really help. Thank you in advance:)

My friend and I are visiting next month for a long weekend to see if this is a place we'd want to move to. We are just deciding on where to stay. Context: both girls in our young 20s and looking for a fun time. We were debating staying in hostel to be around other folks to potentially meet, but want it to be in a good area. We likely will just Uber or maybe rent a car for a day or two, so location is important on this. I have a lot of Marriott points I can use on a hotel stay, so if anyone know any in a good location that would be awesome so I can save $$.

From research I've heard good places for young people are PB, Little Italy, and a couple other places. Would love any recommendations on where to stay, or also some affordable (for SD lol) activities to do!

We both have never been so would love to hear any ideas, and I bet we'll love this city! Thanks!

TLDR: Young 20s women looking for hotel or hostel recommendations for long weekend without a car, and looking for a fun time.

Hello! I've been trying to break the healthcare system in california within the health admin realm and its a lot harder than expected coming from the midwest. Wanted to see if anybody knows how many follow ups are too much? I had my first round of interviews 4/28, loved me and moved me to the second round immediately. I am meeting a total of 6 program directors, 2 are general physicians and the other 4 are sub specialties. I met the 2 general the thursday of the same week, 1 sub specialist, and another sub specialist friday. Monday i follow up asking for an update when i will interview the last two and they let me know that they were wrapping up mid that week and they would let me know once they get their schedules. It is now Tuesday the week everything my last follow up and i still have not heard back. Should i follow up again?