r/asksandiego

To people who moved from the Bay Area to San Diego, how has your experience been?

I have a verbal offer from Apple in San Diego, but I’ve been in the negotiation phase for a few weeks now. I’m being downleveled, and if I accept, I’d most likely be taking a pay cut, at least on base pay, which may be a hard pill to swallow at first hoping I'll be better off in the future.

I’m trying to think through both the career and lifestyle side of the move. From what I’ve heard so far:

• San Diego isn’t much cheaper than the Bay Area -- the nicer apartments I looked at had a monthly rent a bit higher than what I pay now in the South Bay, which was surprising...
• salaries are generally lower
• limited job opportunities
• nature is not as diverse as the Bay Area (more desert-like than redwoods etc)
• beaches and weather are better, though I’m not sure how hot/humid summers actually feel
• unsure about how good the social/outdoor scene is (running/biking/sports/kayaking/hiking clubs etc)

For those who made the leap, do you have any regrets? Does the vibe make up for the career and pay hit?

Any suggestions for good places to eat that are near the zoo, and toddler friendly?

booked this hotel. according to reviews/map it’s in a great location. what’s your opinions??

Tomorrow marks a significant anniversary for our family and we’d like to take a road day trip leaving from San Diego. Maybe a cool beach up north? A neat mountain town? A quaint village with cafes? I’d be willing to drive 2 hours to get wherever. Obviously closer recommendations welcomed as well. Suggestions appreciated.

Is it true guys in San Diego are mostly playboys? Always clinging to a different woman and always with a different women every time they are around? That is what another woman told me that was born there and left to move to NYC and has not been to SD again since.

Now as someone from the Northeast I wonder why anyone would want to leave San Diego? But I know some other women originally from SD than moved to the Northeast and are married. So it got me curious to what that other woman told me.

Is that true about San Diego?

Hi! I’ll be visiting San Diego from July 12–18 for the Esri conference at the Convention Center. I’ll probably stay near the Convention Center/Gaslamp area.

I’d love local recommendations for things to do in my free time, good places to eat nearby, and any safety tips for walking around downtown/Gaslamp/East Village at night.

I probably won’t have a car, so walkable or easy trolley/Uber options would be ideal. Thanks!

Me and my buddies are all 21-23 and are looking for fun things to do this weekend while we are out in San Diego. We love raves, partying, the beach, and just going out. Looking for a young crowd to hang out and hopefully find some girls to hang out with. Looking for the best recommendations to have a great time.

Looking for an Airbnb/vacation rental for 30th birthday weekend ( a few months away) on the beach. We won’t be having a big party but looking to set up hibachi either on the beach in front of the house or on a patio area any recs would be highly appreciated! Also if there is a better way to do this please advise want to celebrate while being respectful

A highly social bar for people over 35.

coming this fall. where’s the best place to stay for the $?? looking for a more upbeat, busier hotel. not a party hotel but something more lively and maybe a younger crowd 30s-50s?!

Hi everyone! I’ll be visiting San Diego for the first time from India with my family(wife and a three year old) and I wanted to get some local advice before the trip. This is also our first trip to the States.

Would love to know:

1. Things tourists should definitely do
2. Common mistakes to avoid
3. Areas to stay away from
4. Local etiquette/tipping culture
5. Public transport vs Uber
6. Food spots we absolutely shouldn’t miss
7. Any scams/tourist traps to avoid
8. Tips for beaches, weather, parking, safety, etc.

Would really appreciate advice from locals or people who’ve visited recently. Thanks in advance!

Anyone know a good place in San Diego to repair headphones? My Bose ear pads are completely falling apart. Not sure if I should get them repaired or just replace the pads myself. Thanks

Anyone here moved from AZ to SD or just willing to share their experience moving to SD? I’ve lived in AZ my whole life and have had an itch to live somewhere else for a few years at least. I’ve visited plenty of times and love it but being on vacation and living somewhere are very different. I know there’s a lot to do but what are some pros and cons(excluding work/finding work)?

Has anyone had this done in San Diego? I had a consult with Clear Choice today, but I’m looking for a more reasonably priced option. I’m not at all interested in having this done in Mexico, as I have heard of many issues with full mouth implants that were done there.

I have lived in San Diego for 6 years now and I’ve grown to call it home. Im dealing with a career change (discharging from the military) where I will be making significantly less money than I do now I’m struggling to find options that work for me and my family. I currently in a nice place (1bd) for $2450 a month (secured 5yrs ago). It allows pets, in unit laundry and on-site parking. Every time I go looking for apartments it seems no one is renting at that price or lower. I’ve looked for about a year and have just lost hope seeing ads that say 3k+ that don’t even provide the bare minimum. I lose about 60% of the options because I have a cat and want a parking spot. I mean the parking spot wasn’t that big of deal up until recently the increase in tickets has been kicking my ass. I got my first ticket here in 2020 it was $40 I got the same ticket last week and it’s $90. Whats even more uncomfortable is how it’s a ticket to park outside of my home but there’s no meters or payed parking in mission hills or the La Jolla neighborhood. I get that all living expenses are high but this feels absolutely ridiculous. My partner makes $30 a/hr and still struggles to half the bills with me. I can imagine working in the civilian job market and being told that $30 is above average but it not being enough to live. If you guys have any recommendations please let me know or just share your thought on this mess.

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a bachelorette trip for two, and it’s our first time in San Diego, so I wanted to get all the local pro tips and tricks. We’ll be there for 4 full days and nights, staying mostly in the Little Italy area.

1. We’re trying to decide between Mission Beach vs Coronado Beach for a chill beach day with good food and activities nearby. Since we’re flying in, we also won’t have beach gear, so any recommendations for easy chair/towel rentals, beach setups, cabanas, or nearby hotels with day passes would be amazing.

2. We’ll also be staying at The Lafayette Hotel for 2 nights and want to spend most of that time enjoying the hotel/pool since it seems like there’s so much to do there. Any Lafayette tips, must-see spots inside the hotel, pool day advice, best timing, cabanas/chairs, or things you wish you knew before going would be super appreciated.

3. \*\*Would also love advice on:\*\*
   Which restaurants definitely need reservations,
   Best way to group these spots over the trip,
   Walk-in friendly places vs harder reservations, and
   Hidden gems or must-do spots nearby.

The bride’s #1 must-go is InsideOUT, and here’s the rest of her list:

The Vibe
Leila
Seneca Trattoria
Saya Brasserie
InsideOUT
Landini’s (Pizza)
Morning Glory
Born & Raised
Lillian’s

Thanks so much! 💕

Hi all, we were in town for a conference and tented a car, drove to the tide pools, drove up Coast Blvd S, which is at an incline.

As we pulled up we saw the lines for a parking spot, which i parked our car. Because of the angle (see pic from Google maps), and because we were driving uphill, i didnt see the red curb.

There are zero No Parking signs that would further clue me in and i got a $128 parking ticket.

I dont for a moment believe ill get out if paying, but am going to appeal anyway because the angle of the street making the nose if my rental car, a 2026 Nissan Sentra (kind if looks like a muscle car w a long hood), and pulling into the parking space lines, even made sure i was parked straight and not like a douche, and not once noticing red curb (my bad, did i mention I’m a dummy for this?)

My Q is- has anyone fought this ticket and won? Im already practically signing the check to pay the fine, just wondering. Pic in comments.

We've lived in SD for a long time but now we have a toddler, so priorities and activities have certainly changed. We know the beaches get crowded as well as Balboa Park, the zoo, aquarium, etc. But does anyone have recommendations about not-so-crowded places to have fun with our little guy? I'd lean toward things not related to Memorial Day per se, since those are easy to find.

Edit to add: We're in central San Diego but happy to drive further out

Hello everyone, my family from New England is currently visiting me down in San Diego and I wanted to bring them to get some authentic Thai food as there aren’t really any Thai restaurants where we come from. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated