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Top 10 Reasons To Move to San Diego

Nicknamed “The birthplace of California,” San Diego is ranked #1 as the “most pleasant” place to live in the US by Zillow for its incredible climate, impressive beaches, spectacular natural scenery and diverse culture. Located just a few hours south of Los Angeles, San Diego is a rich, diverse, and blissful place to live. Read on to find out the top ten reasons why San Diego is a fantastic place to relocate and settle in as your new home.

 

Perfect Weather All Year Round

San Diego Ocean Boats

Photo Cred: SanDiego.org 

San Diego is known for having unbeatable weather in all of the US. With year round consistent temperatures ranging between 50 to 70 degrees with a coastal breeze, minimum temperature above 45 degrees with no significant rain or snow, it never gets too cold or too hot. This perfect weather allows residents to lead an active outdoor lifestyle. 

 

Beach Living

San Diego Beach View

San Diego sits on 70 miles of coastline with its gorgeous beaches that gives the city a laid-back and relaxing vibe. The Pacific Ocean waves provide the perfect condition for surfing, kayaking, windsurfing, jet skiing, paddle boarding, and other fun ocean activities. Whether you’re a surfer looking for excellent waves, or simply looking for calm areas for playing, swimming, and sunbathing, every beach community has its own unique personality and attraction for everyone. Some of the most popular beaches include Ocean Beach, La Jolla Cove, Coronado Beach, Carlsbad, Mission Bay, and Torrey Pines State Beach.

 

Friendly Environment 

Group of Friends having Fun

Although San Diego is a relatively large city (1.42 million people), it has the qualities of a tight-knit community. The locals are warm and welcoming and there are plenty of newcomers from other states who are looking to explore the city and get to meet new people. San Diego has a great social scene thanks to its friendly and laid back culture combined with its vast options of things to do. Whichever industry you’re in, it’s easy to find an upcoming networking event to make great connections, personally and professionally.

 

Diverse Neighborhoods

San Diego Downtown

Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown 

San Diego is home to a wide variety of cities, each highlighting different lifestyles that will cater to your needs. Whether you’re seeking a beach city, urban or suburban environment, the expansive landscape in this coastal city has plenty to offer with its diverse neighborhoods. 

 

Here are some of the top neighborhoods to live or invest in San Diego: 

 

Poway – Located in a northern suburb in San Diego County, Poway is beginning to have a more urban outlook with development in neighboring regions. One of the reasons families like this area is because of the large number of educational institutions. Poway Unified School District is one of the best in the state of California. 

Carlsbad – Unique lagoons with beautiful sandy beaches. This location is also the home of Legoland California.  

Rancho Bernardo  – Home to some of the best pro-golf courses and outdoor hiking trails.

Carmel Valley – Prestige high-end residential neighborhood that provides excellent educational opportunity. Torrey Pines High School was named one of the top 100 high schools in the nation. 

Oceanside  – One of the most affordable coastal living in Southern California with a strong military community. The oceanside pier is also perfect for boating enthusiasts to set sail. 

Chula Vista – The second largest city in San Diego and deemed an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Chula Vista means “beautiful view” with over 52 square miles of the coastal landscape, canyons, trails, and dozens of parks, golf courses, and marinas for boating and ocean tours. 

San Marcos – Home of CSUSM (California State University of San Marcos), this neighborhood provides great educational opportunity and great diversity. 

Vista – A great mixture of different lifestyle, cultures, and historical sites. Vista, CA is home to many coffee shops and outdoor parks. 

Otay Ranch  – New upcoming neighborhood with modernized community. Nice community developments with great school districts. 

La Jolla – An upscale beach town that is home to the University of California, San Diego and many fantastic schools. You will find higher-end luxury apartments surrounded by college students and tasty restaurants. 

Del Mar – The renowned home of the San Diego County Fair and the Del Mar Races, Del Mar contains classy homes, attractive beaches, and is surrounded by luxury hotels and beach resorts.

Little Italy – Ideal for urban families that enjoy family-friendly activities, dog parks, playgrounds, pedestrian areas. It’s filled with great breweries, designer shopping, and a tourist-attracting farmer’s market.  

Pacific Beach – Surfer vibes combine with exciting nightlife that is particularly popular among young people. This is the place to be if you find yourself doing a different water sport every day and dining beachside.

Downtown – Known as the “Gaslamp Quarter”, Downtown San Diego is a trendy, upbeat community filled with speakeasies, piano bars, and nightclubs where young people gather for tons of dining options and nightlife.    

El Cerrito – El Cerrito is the next up-and-coming neighborhood in San Diego, with historic homes and walkable streets close to freeways and transport. Cute bistros and traditional ethnic restaurants increase the appeal of this neighborhood.

East Village – Filled with new luxury lofts for rent, you will find tons of galleries, bars, and live music venues surrounding this area. Sports fanatics tend to gather here since it’s home to PETCO Park and the San Diego Padres (MLB).  

South Park – A small urban tight-knit community where locals pride themselves in the neighborhood’s farm-to-table restaurants and boutique shops. 

North Park – North Park is the craft-brew center of San Diego where foodies indulge in the diverse restaurants in this neighborhood.

 

Amazing Food and Drinks 

Beer Tasting At A Bar

San Diego has an incredibly strong food culture and has some of the best restaurants in the world. There are endless options of different cuisines, most notably Authentic Mexican Tacos, Seafood, Asian, and Italian. With over one hundred craft breweries, San Diego is known for its hoppy IPAs and is home to Ballast Point and Stone Brewery. Many breweries also offer food trucks, live music, and kids and dog-friendly areas for the entire family to enjoy.

 

Vibrant Outdoor Living

San Diego Balboa Park

Balboa Park by Kevin Baird

Being a coastal city with glamorous weather all year round, San Diego is packed with many great outdoor attractions to reconnect with nature. Aside from its pristine beaches, San Diego has over 30 parks, with Balboa Park being the most well-known park that features special attractions including 17 museums, gardens, walking trails that span over 1,200 acres. There are also many hikeable mountain trails within city limits including Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, Cowles Mountain, Black Mountain, and Mount Soledad.

 

 

Family Attractions 

Legoland in Carlsbad

Legoland in Carlsbad 

San Diego offers an assortment of quick day trips and family-friendly activities. Two of the most unique experiences include the safari adventure tours at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, and Carlsbad’s Legoland that provides a creative interactive experience for the kids and adults alike to enjoy. Other top attractions include La Jolla Cove, SeaWorld San Diego, and Disneyland. San Diego also has over 75 museums and many educational attractions that are perfect to bring your kids to explore. A few favourites include the New Children’s Museum, the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, the California Surf Museum, and Maritime Museum of San Diego

 

 

Top Rated Education 

University of San Diego

University of San Diego 

San Diego has some of the best private and public school systems in California, boasting a high 85 percent graduation rate and a 19:1 student to teacher ratio. There are also 23 diverse higher education options to choose from, including University of San Diego, University of California – San Diego, and San Diego State University. A few of the top school districts in San Diego include the following: 

 

San Dieguito Union High School District

Poway Unified School District

Coronado Unified School District

Spencer Valley Elementary School District

San Marcos Unified School District

Carlsbad Unified School District

Chula Vista Elementary School District

Grossmont Union High School District

 

Traffic

Traffic Sunset

Like any other major cities, San Diego roads are used heavily during rush hours. However, the traffic in San Diego is quite predictable and tolerable compared to Los Angeles. The county reinvests in its roadways and is constantly expanding and making good use of the space for traffic. On a typical day, most areas of San Diego can be reached within 20 minutes or less using the main freeways, which include I-5, I-805, I-15, and I-8. 

 

 

Weekend Getaways 

Las Vegas Night View

Las Vegas 

San Diego is conveniently located with close proximity to a lot of other incredible places, which is perfect for weekend getaways and road trips. Tijuana is just a short 45 minute drive across the U.S.- Mexico border. You can get to Los Angeles in less than three hours and explore the nearby popular areas such as Catalina Island, Big Bear, Ojai, Las Vegas, and Santa Barbara, Solvang, Joshua Tree in just less than five hours.  

 

Not only is San Diego “America’s Finest City”, it is one of the best places to live on the West Coast. If you’re looking to purchase a home at an affordable price, it is important to hire an experienced real estate agent who can help you stay informed on the fluctuations of home values in different areas of San Diego. With over 25 years in the real estate market, Melissa Huk has the extensive knowledge, resources and experience to help find your dream home in San Diego. 

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