Living in and around San Diego

The people who live in Downtown and love it are very passionate about the benefits. They talk about not ever getting in their cars from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, since everything’s so close. They talk about their kids getting a more cosmopolitan upbringing. They talk about the social scenes in their buildings. No doubt, it requires finding the right circumstances, but living Downtown definitely has its boosters. One popular neighborhood is Little Italy. Considered very family friendly, this is an active neighborhood with an association that organizes community events with the kids in mind. There are also dog parks, free bocce ball courts, a park with splash fountains and playground equipment. Granted, you’ll pay for the privilege, with a median home price around $400,000. But if you like the idea of urban living in sunny southern California, this could be the place.

For a younger vibe, East Village is popular. The area has undergone a serious overhaul from a few years ago. Just know that Petco Park is right there, and things can get crowded on game day. If you’d like to look at a neighborhood ranked by Forbes as one of America’s best hipster neighborhoods, check out North Park. Coffee, culture, cuisine, and (wait for it)...Craftsman homes. With a reasonable median home price for the San Diego area, it has good restaurants, half a dozen breweries, and is pedestrian friendly. If you like the idea of an urban village, but want to be away from the downtown scene, consider La Mesa. Calling itself The Jewel of The Hills, it has a small-town feel and a high median home price, though there are some more affordable areas in the town. Bonus feature: close to Qualcomm Stadium.

Up the coast, affluent Carmel Valley is one of those California towns that’s very nice as long as you don’t mind spending time in the car. Little crime, a high cost of living, high median home prices, good schools—and the driving. Equally desirable and equally car-dependent is Encinitas. A quintessential SoCal beach city, it offers a high cost of living, high median home prices and high rents. The upside is great weather, good schools and—hey, you get to live in Encinitas. Much closer to the action and even more expensive is Coronado. An island resort community right in the city, the median home value is approaching a million and a half. Great schools, of course. And apparently, with its excellent bike paths, the only San Diego community awarded a silver rating from the League of American Bicyclists. And no discussion of wealthy San Diego is complete without La Jolla. As they say, it’s a great place to be if you’re rich. Top marks across the board for everything—housing, schools, crime, amenities. But the cost of living is double the national average. Median home price is just south of a million and median rent is under 2,000.