Posted on 04/02/2007 12:12:15 PM PDT by tabor
My 22 yr. old son and his friend are planning on moving to San Diego in a couple of weeks. Son has been living here at home in NYS, working full-time and has saved approx. $7,000.00. He just sprung this on us two nights ago, and I have many concerns. I understand the cost of living there is high, but what are the job prospects for a kid who left college at beginning of junior year and plans to continue to take college classes as he is able? Can an apartment in a decent neighborhood be found for the two of them? Is San Diego a place where 2 good kids, without much, can get a decent start in life and career? Any and all info and advice from you SoCal Freepers(and others) is heartily welcomed and appreciated! From a very concerned Mom-Tabor
I'll be checking in here later, and thanks in advance for your replies:)
My step-daughter (in the military) lives there with her family. Nice place, but very expensive.
Tell him to move 3 hours east to Yuma, AZ and his 7,000.00 will get him a nice down payment on a house...otherwise, he'll pay more for gas (about 3.15/gal in CA), more for milk and groceries, much more for rent (average atleast $1200 for a small 2 bedroom inland San Diego proper). If he has his heart set on San Diego, atleast have him check out Escondido which is off I-15 about 1/2 hours drive inland from downtown San Diego.
22, I am glad he is seeing the world. SD is a nice city, there are, like all cities, good and bad parts he will learn as he gets around.
There are lots of job opportunities to work at the navy yard in a variety of jobs and always bartenders for beach hotels.
Here's some recent info on rents.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/sddt/20070322/lo_sddt/reportshowssandiegorentalvacancieshighestin12years
I have lived in San Diego for the last 20 years and I'm originally from Westchester County, New York. I teach at a San Diego Community College.
San Diego is a huge area, it streches from the Mexican border to the southern suburbs of Los Angeles. The county is just a bit smaller than the state of Connecticut. It includes beaches(of course), deserts, mountains and inland valleys, four separate and distinct environments. The daily temperature in the county can vary by 30 degrees depending on where you are at any particular moment. You can find a wide variety of prices, environments and job prospects depending on where you live.
I would advise your son to make his very first stop in San Diego at the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish legal residency on his first day. Then he can get in-state tuition one year from his arrival. California's community college system is the largest educational system in the world and one of the least expensive. Classes are currently $20 per unit or $60 per class. Not bad!
Jobs are readily available, the unemployment rate is around 4.3%.
San Diego is the 5th most expensive place to live in the US but on the East Coast, Manhattan is the most expensive and Boston is ranked higher than San Diego.
When I first moved here, I slept on a friend's couch for a month and drove around every town and every neighborhood in the county till I knew the area and where I could afford to live and wanted to live. My advice is pick a nice part of the city of San Diego proper and rent month to month and do the tour. I would recomment the North Park neighborhood, the Clairemont neighborhood or the College neighborhood by San Diego State University as three good starter choices. GOOD LUCK!
Your son makes me wish I was 22 years old again and with such free spirit and all that stuff.
He will be fine. I moved out of my parents home at 21 and my mom died suddenly shortly after my 22nd Birthday. I came back home to look after my Dad and my teen brother for about a year.
I could go on and on and on but nothing will ever compare to that moment when I moved on and into my own life.
Of course you shall worry ( my kids now are 11 and 15) but know you raised him well and he can make proper choices.
He will always come calling for Mom, and for that you should be proud.
He's hosed. The place is a overpriced anthill. Why people like it is beyond me.
Do you have a Kalifornia ping list to help this person out?
Great place. Too many other people think so, too.
There are cheapER places but doubt any cheap ones worth living in. Should be some jobs but depends on lots of factors. Current locals would be better about that.
I’m more concerned about the hordes of Mexicans storming across to reclaim CA with China’s help . . . but some would consider that paranoia.
Few places are going to be wonderful at some point. Sigh.
Hand in hand with the Man from Galilee
I am worried about the 7,000 dollars which won’t last long. However, I do think it is a good idea to let them give it a try. Please let your home be open if they give it a valiant try and don’t succeed and perhaps tell him how proud you are of him to give it a try (success or fail). I think this will be a great learning experience for him and you will see him grow up pretty quickly. Your a great parent and know you get to see your hard labor being successful or at least a learning experience. San Diego is awfully expensive, but many people have moved there and live a nice life.
San Diego is awesome - whatever age you are.
He and his buddy will be able to find a decent place for 500-800 bucks a month (each) and he’ll be able to find a job that pays the rent and still keep savings and have some fun.
Escondido is great for families - for single guys North Park is good - Pacific Beach is fun, and Ocean Beach is cheaper and maybe a little more of a walk on the wild side depending on the neighborhood.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Spent my days with a woman unkind,
Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine.
Made up my mind to make a new start,
Going to california with an aching in my heart.
Someone told me there's a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.
Took my chances on a big jet plane,
Never let them tell you that they're all the same.
The sea was red and the sky was grey,
Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today.
The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake
As the children of the sun began to awake.
Seems that the wrath of the gods
Got a punch on the nose and it started to flow;
I think I might be sinking.
Throw me a line if I reach it in time
I'll meet you up there where the path
Runs straight and high.
To find a queen without a king;
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings.
La la la la...
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Trying to find a woman who's never, never, never been born.
Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,
Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems...
Thanks a bunch for the replies thus far. I’m having son read them, and hope more SoCal residents chime in.
Any and all contacts would come in mighty handy.
Does the public transportation system in S.D. stink, or is it tolerable? Gang activity is probably a given, right?
I worry most about them running out of money quickly and, of course, being so far from home. ( but, I have a bit of envy, too!!)
We’ve mentioned AZ to him and he says he could well end up there one day, but for right now it appears to be San Diego.
I’m glad he is, too, and hope he can get a job as soon as he lands there. Or two jobs!
Excellent advice! One of his biggest reasons for the move is the education reason, and he already researched and found out about the residency requirement. Your added advice re: heading to Motor Vehicle right away is helpful, as is the renting month to month.
Would you know of job availability at the colleges there(maintenance, whatever)?
Someone else mentioned the Navy Yard. Jason was in mechanical engineering in college, but realized it wasn’t for him even though he had begun his junior year:( He’s done construction work for the past year, as well as pizza delivery and also worked at a state park for two seasons. He’s a hard worker at whatever job he has. Thanks again.
“It streches from the Mexican border to the southern suburbs of Los Angeles.”
It only goes to the Pendelton Marine base, e ine all of Orange county is between SD and LA.
when I was 22 I got out of the navy, I knew I wanted to live on Balboa Island in Newport Beach so I went there and looked in the roommates wanted section of the paper. Spent 3 years with 4 people in this house and I met tons of people and really enjoyed life.
Hope he enjoys the ride.
I lived in San Diego while in college near SDSU. The utilies are very high but I still kept my share of the gas & electric bill under $15 a month for two people. I never turned the heater on and the AC only a few days of the year. It is the best climate I have ever lived in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.