r/Moving2SanDiego

Young married couple (25M and 26F) thinking about moving to SD county next year. Here are our priorities:

- Proximity to urban amenities (not necessarily needing to be in a metro urban area, just typical amenities that urban areas offer)

- Proximity to beach (ideally a 15-30 min bike ride, but I know that’s a lot to ask for; definitely flexible on this, and just excited to be able to drive to the beach anytime we want!)

- Safe and diverse neighborhood (we are both ex-Mormon if that says anything about us; progressive beliefs; I’m white but speak fluent Spanish and love Hispanic culture)

- Good walkability

- Great food selection (big foodie and coffee aficionado)

- Affordability

- Not planning on having kids for the next 3-5 years and would love to be able to find a community of people in the same stage of life as us

Planned dual income next year is $160-$175k before taxes. Both of us work remote. Not planning on buying a house anytime in the near future. Would love to find a 2 bed apt, budgeting for MAXIMUM $3200 in rent. Where are some cities/neighborhoods to consider?

Places we’re currently considering:
- Oceanside
- Ocean Beach
- Point Loma
- Golden Hill
- Little Italy

*not opposed to going a bit more inland

I'm a 2026 graduate, and I've been looking for a Software Engineering job for more than 6 months now.

I've spent years learning DSA, competitive programming and development. I have a decent profile, built projects, solved a lot of problems, and genuinely tried to improve myself.

I've applied through company websites, LinkedIn, referrals, cold emails, job portals, pretty much every route I could think of.

But the hardest part isn't getting rejected.

It's not even getting the chance to be rejected.

It's applying again and again, putting hours into applications, seeing hundreds of other people applying, and then getting absolutely nothing back.

At first, I was confident that if I kept working hard, something would eventually work out.

Then months passed.

Now I'm at a point where I'm still trying, but the motivation isn't the same anymore. It's difficult to keep convincing yourself that the next application might be different when you've already sent so many.

I'm only 21, so I know I have plenty of time. But watching months go by without being able to start my career is genuinely depressing.

I don't want sympathy. I just wanted to know if anyone else has been through this phase and eventually managed to turn things around.

Because right now, I'm slowly running out of hope.

Hi! I recently moved to San Diego and am looking for some advice on jobs/career paths in the criminal justice or court system. I have a master’s with a focus in criminal justice and a couple years of experience working in the court/probation world.
I recently applied for a Deputy Probation Officer position with San Diego County and was wondering if anyone here has gone through the hiring process? How long did it take, and what was your experience like?
Also very open to other job ideas if anyone knows of roles in San Diego that might be a good fit for this kind of background! :)

Hey folks, I’m currently staying at my friends extra room in san Diego for a couple weeks while I apartment hunt. I am looking to meet some compatible people to go into a house share with. my budget for me alone is 1300 or less but ideally less. ideally I would live with 2 other people.

i am happy to live near the beaches, north park, or really anywhere west of El Cajon.

if you know of any rentals you recommend and/or roomies let me know!

About me… I’m a remote worker in UX design in tech as well as an artist. I am super outdoorsy (moving from Boulder, Colorado), liberal/LGBT friendly, and super artsy. I’m also outgoing, not a partyer, clean, and friendly. I have a small car so I’ll need parking and I’ll be bringing my friendly and low maintenance cat named Banana.

Feel free to comment or dm if this is relevant to you.

My wife and I and our 3 year old son are planning a big move from Rochester, NY and looking at both Los Angeles and San Diego. We’re going to be heading out to both later in the fall to check out potential landing spots, but looking for neighborhoods that fit the following criteria:

- Diversity, inclusivity, culture (we are a mixed race Korean/white family).
- Solid education system (our son receives a lot of services through our current school district for speech therapy, physical therapy, and OT so quality of available services are a key consideration)
- Walkability and things close by (grocery stores, coffee shops, entertainment)
- Safe neighborhoods

Welcome any and all feedback!

EDIT: We will not be commuting as we will be self-employed, so that is not of major importance. We are looking to be in an area where there’s a good amount going on, trying to get away from the primarily suburban lifestyle.

Several of my coworkers and I were laid off a year ago from remote jobs (I was working as a project manager at a San Diego SaaS company that was bought by private equity). A few of us were lucky to barely survive a round of layoffs the year prior, but after we trained a couple teams in the Philippines and India to do our work, they finally closed down our teams stateside.

With all the layoffs we keep hearing about in tech, how are you all faring? Have you had to pivot to different types of roles? Any advice?

Edit: fixed typo. Philippines, not Philippians

Relocating from Spain with my wife for work (2-3 years) and looking at apartments in Little Italy / nearby downtown.

We’ve seen a bunch of buildings online — Current, Allegro Towers, Instrata, Acqua Vista, Simone, Vici — but reviews and websites only tell you so much. For people who actually live (or lived) in the neighborhood:

1. Which buildings would you recommend or avoid, and why? Management/maintenance horror stories welcome

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2. How’s airplane noise in different parts of the neighborhood, honestly? Does it actually bother you day to day?

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3. Anything you only learn after living there — parking situation, street vibe at night, hidden fees, which blocks are better?

Any real-world input appreciated. Thanks!

Short time lurker, first time poster.

I’m looking to see if anyone moved to San Diego from Los Angeles and how that felt for you? I am debating making a switch and trying to figure out if I would like it considering that I’ve only been to San Diego during weekend time and not during the work week.

Is there anything that you regretted about being in the move and have you considered moving back to LA?

Hey everyone — San Diego has been the dream for a while now and I’m finally starting to seriously plan a move. I run a small video production business making content for contractors (painters, roofers, remodelers, that kind of thing), so part of what I’m trying to figure out is whether there’s actually a big enough market here for that kind of work, or if it’s already saturated.

here in Northern Virginia I only have a couple of clients and the seasons are changing so it’s not like I would be uprooting my entire livelihood

But honestly I’m also just trying to get a feel for the place in general — what it’s actually like to live there day to day, best areas for a single guy on a budget, stuff you wish someone told you before moving, vibe of the city, and business opportunities for my work, all of it.

San Diego seems like a place i’m gonna love, but I want to make sure that there’s a good market for my business.

Not in a rush, just doing my homework. Would love to hear from anyone who’s made a similar move or just knows the area well. Thanks!

Moving to San Diego soon and saw that Andia, a new condo building, is now selling. Anyone know much about it? It's by Bosa development and the architect is JWDA. They built Simone, 525 Olive, and Diega. Any what thoughts are on these condos and even those apartments I just listed?? Debating between buying a high rise condo vs just apartment living for a year until there’s a house we like. Doing apartment research too so would love any reccs. Thanks!

Hey! I live in Brooklyn, NY and I’m planning to sublease an apartment in San Diego sometime between January and May 2027 for two months or so (while I sublease my apartment in New York). One to avoid much of the New York winter, I am originally from the Bay Area, and they are quite brutal for my fragile Californian body! Two, I love San Diego and often think about and dream of moving out there. I’ve visited more than a few times, have friends who live there and have always enjoyed my time in San Diego, it feels like home in many ways and I would love to truly experience life in Southern California. So I think subleasing in San Diego for two or three months would be a great way to experience the city and see if what I imagine in my head matches what San Diego is really like.

I am very open to any advice from folks who have moved to San Diego from New York for similar reasons or have sublease in San Diego for a couple months. Any good and trustworthy platforms to find a sublease? I probably won’t have a car with me so any logistical support or neighborhood? Suggestions would be great. Thank you in advance!

Especially with utilities included? And accepting males?

Hello all! I’m moving to San diego soon for college, but I’m going to be moving into an unfurnished apartment a week before my studies start.. So I want to get a head start on settling in.

Does anyone know of a place where I can order things online and have them shipped and held until I arrive? For example, I’d like to order some furniture and appliances from Amazon ahead of time. Is there somewhere I can have the deliveries sent and stored until I’m able to pick them up? And how would the pricing of that be?

Thanks!!

Hi SD folks, I'm looking to find a roomate in my 2bed2bath apt in the Carmel Mt./Poway area. Any tips or advice on the search? I made a craigslist ad and a roomies post and have crossposted on a handful of FB groups. Wondering if there's a more efficient method i'm missing.

Hey SD!

So I am preparing to buy my first home in San Diego and I wanted would love to hear people’s thoughts on the best neighborhood. I have been living in East County to save up but am ready to move west.

I was thinking of North Park/ golden hill area as I am currently in my late 20s and think I would thrive in a walkable community. Additionally, if I start a family in the next 10 years I think those would be great neighborhoods to be in at least to start out.

I am planning on buying a small home (2 bedrooms max). I don’t mind having a smaller space. I plan to own my first home for about ~10 years.

What other neighborhood should I consider? Anyone In North Park/ Golden Hill have any advice?

Thanks so much :)

Hi i already moved here but still bored af. How come i cant meet cool ppl. and back to schooll and still the same. so far SD sucks. hopefully it gets better tho. oh and i feel like the weather is supposed to be better here but tons of clouds whats up with that?

I just got a new role in the Sorrento Valley area, and I am not sure where we should live. My SO will be working in the UTC area on a night shift schedule, I will be working a typical 9-5.

We are worried about being too isolated from people our age (we're both 26) and not having access to the city. However from what I have read commuting in and out of Sorrento can also be a big pain.

Initially I thought I would be working in Kearney mesa (see my post from like 48 hours ago lol) so we looked at Civita in Mission Valley, but now that I know it'll be Sorrento Valley I am not sure if that commute is still viable. According to google it looks like my morning commute wouldn't be too bad but the 5:00 traffic home could be up to 40 min. I am trying to keep it below 30 for both of us.

We also looked at the Vive apartments in Kearney Mesa, they're a bit closer but we can't tell if it would actually help much in reality. It does seem like after you go north of Kearney Mesa you get a lot less for your money when it comes to apartments.

Would either of these options be realistically viable as a commute or do we need to be looking closer to our actual jobs to not be miserable and just accept we may be further from the city.

Hello! My partner (25M) and I (24M) are seriously considering moving out of NM w/ 3 cats (within a year)- We’re both born and raised here- After visiting SD (my 3rd time)have recently decided we wanna move. Currently we pay $1300 with utilities on top for about 800sqft and a sizable back yard (shared space with family) Iso something similar size hopefully!

I am a hairstylist with 3.5yrs- 2 years experience at a highly profitable salon. My partner currently works for the state, We are also involved w the LGBTQ scene and have worked in nightlife consistently going on 2 years (gogo, bartending, ect)

Neither of us have ever made a move out of state- Just looking for advice & suggestions on where to start!

I have looked into salons I am interested in, Scoped potential bars
some things that are stumping me
- safe yet affordable areas of town?
- Alternative commission pay salons?
- The thought of having roomates is 50/50