On such a winter's day ...

[NewHampshireDem]

Hello All!

After a year in Christchurch, NZ, my wife and two boys (ages 3 1/2 and 6) are back in New Hampshire. The warm weather is a way away yet and cabin fever has already set in. While NZ was less than ideal, we really enjoyed the mild weather, the city life, and the outdoors. We were minutes from the beach and could see the snow-capped peaks from our street.

The cold, snowy days--and the week without power, thanks to a pre-Christmas icestorm--has made my feet itch and So Cal, San Diego in particular, has caught my fancy.

Any DU'ers out there in SD who can give me a little insider perspective?

[AsahinaKimi]

1. Speaking as a Californian...

Its not as warm as you think. Someone from Atlanta, I talked to, surprised me thinking that California has weather like Florida. No..No. NO! In San Diego it was 55 degrees during the Chargers Football game..and while that's not exactly cold, like a Upstate New York Winter, its not exactly hot either. Especially in San Francisco where we have fog mixed in. That foggy cold chill penetrates the clothes, the blankets and the bones. Maybe I am spoiled now, but and I have been in places with Ice and Snow. California is not supposed to be like those places with ice and snow. Not like Florida weather either. Its supposed to be moderate. But the temperatures have been dipping lately. Nights in the 40's and even 30's.. with some strong ocean winds.. brrrrrr.

Samui desu ne!!. I'm cold now!

[NewHampshireDem]

2. Better than highs in the teens and twenties!

Actually, the presence of some seasonal differences is one of the attractive things about SD. Miami, which I don't like for a variety of reasons, just seems too monotonous in terms of weather. (Yeah, I know, who would complain about 80 and sunny, but you know what I mean.)

When we were in NZ, the weather was probably quite like that in SD. Fall and winter mornings meant walking the boys to school with a jacket, which could be abandoned on the walk home most days. We rarely had days when it was just too cold to go outside--some too windy, some too sunny, and some too rainy, but never too cold. I don't mind pulling on a fleece and a cap once in a while, but here in NH, winter is loooooong and summer--which I absolutely love, especially June--is too, too short. :sigh:

I've read about So Cal's 'May Grey-June Gloom', but it seems a little ride to the west can shake that ... and, believe me, I've seen worse. Where I went to college in western PA, near the shores of Lake Erie, it would rain for a solid two or three weeks every spring.

Anyway, thanks for the insight. I do admit that when I first learned about the So Cal weather, I was surprised. I, too, thought SD and LA were more like Texas or Arizona weather, rather than the more moderate climate it has.

What else can you tell me about the area? It seems so expensive--how do people manage?

[Juneboarder]

3. Hi From San Diego

I was born in Los Angeles, grew up in San Diego (Encinitas Area), lived in Vegas for 3 years after high school and went broke just to get back to CA; San Diego in particular. My wife and I now own a home in Vista and absolutely love where we live. After living within 2-3 blocks of the ocean for five years, we have found that Vista (and other cities more than 5 miles inland) does provide a sunnier, warmer weather pattern than the coast.

When the beaches have their "May Gray / June Gloom" we, here in Vista, have sunny skies. When it gets socked in with fog at the beach with less than a mile visibility it is sunny at our house. I'm not trying to sell you on Vista or any city in particular, but did want to let you know how much I love it here in comparison to the rest of southern CA.

Yes, it does get cold at night, maybe even get a frost or two every year, but for the most part, the high ranges from 60-90 in the daytimes throughout the year and nights can range from 32-75 throughout the year. It's so funny to hear people born and raised here complaining about our cold, blustery 55 degree weather, because when it's 55 here, it's close to 0 in the northern midwest. I'm not laughing or pointing fingers at the previous poster at all; as a matter of fact, I am notorious myself for complaining about how cold it is, when in actuality the rest of the country would die for our "cold" temps.

The cost of living is expensive; but it just takes a little adjusting. The big adjustment when I came back to CA from Vegas was that NV didn't have state taxes and so when I came back to CA I noticed a smaller paycheck and higher taxes; but not by too much. Gas is usually 20 cents higher than the national average and it seems food isn't too much higher than other places as well. One misconception is that with a higher cost of living comes higher pay, but like just about everywhere else right now, there are no jobs out there. I have a hard time in looking for a p/t job that mays more than $9-10/hour, and have been looking for over a year now.

Cool communities I would consider living in here in San Diego County:
1. North Park;
2. Mission Hills;
3. Downtown (by little Italy...);
4. Bay Park;
5. Ocean Beach;
6. Linda Vista;
7. Encinitas;
8. Carlsbad;
9. Oceanside;
10. Vista (Of Course!!); and
11. San Marcos

[NewHampshireDem]

4. Thanks, Juneboarder

It is true--when it comes to weather, everything is relative! ;) We complain about it being 'too hot' here when it hits 90.

Thanks for the tips with regard to the communities. I notice most (all?) of your recommendations are north of the city. I haven't done a whole lot of digging, but what little I have done seems to indicate that except for the multi-million dollar homes in the hills (which we will *not* be buying), some of the areas to the south--Chula Vista and El Cajon, in particular--can be a little rougher. Others, though, seem to indicate that their reputations aren't well deserved; that those areas are working-class and besides the 'crackheads and homeless' (their words, not mine) downtown, the residential neighborhoods are not so bad. What's your take?

[Juneboarder]

5. Yes, I'm definitely spoiled in San Diego

It's cold when it's below 55 and it's hot when it's over 85... :)

I am definitely more partial to the North County part of San Diego and even more partial to the beaches. I personally wouldn't want to live in El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, Spring Valley, east of downtown (Market St area), National City or Bonita. I hear Chula Vista and Eastlake are nice, but it's a little too close to Mexico for me (there's something about the smell in the air...). Downtown is really starting to spruce up and anything up to 10th and west is probably in a decent neighborhod or anything surrounding Balboa Park.

I would also stay clear of La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach and even parts of Encinitas now (as sad as I am to say). Those areas are snooty as hell and I definitely don't fit in with their beamers and porsches. I would also stay clear of the 15 corridor as that is just too far from the beach!! :)

A cool, funky community also to consider would be Elfin Forest.

[NewHampshireDem]

6. Again, I thank you!

I'll probably bug you again before too long. ;)

[mackerel]

7. The East Bay was 34 this morning and the tule fog was

thick driving into the valley. Norcal is not at all warm this time of year and the Central Valley hardly sees sun all of January.

[NewHampshireDem]

8. What is it they say?

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." ;)