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On the plus side, San Diego is BEAUITFUL! It's really a gorgeous place to live with perfect weather year round. I would look closely into the job market and also home prices have really hit rock bottom there, so I'm not sure I would buy something in case you want to sell it and move back home. You may be better off renting. Good luck!
@RR: We're planning on renting for a while, that way we'll know we want to stay, plus we'll know what neighbourhood we'd want to buy in :)
I've never been to San Diego, but I've heard amazing things about it. Only drawback may be that houses are $$$, at least in some parts of California. But SD has just about perfect weather all year round... I say go for it!
@OttawaBride2011: Sounds great! Pacific Beach (PB) is very cool and I think Mission Beach, too. I have never been there, but family has lived there. You may find a great deal on a rental, possibly even a house/TH/Condo because a lot of people are renting them out instead of taking a loss and selling it because of relocation/downsizing, ect.
I'm from LA but went to college in San Diego, plus I've spent a lot of time there (vacations, etc.) I would think with the Naval Base and such there would be demand for engineers. And it definitely has the best weather in the U.S. As far as where to live, I would avoid Mission Beach and Pacific Beach-awesome to hang out but really noisy and crowded, no parking etc. Take a look at neighborhoods near Balboa Park, check out Loma Linda and La Jolla too. Just for starters. Have fun researching and good luck:)
I don't live there but I think San Diego is beautiful and yes, the weather is nice all year! I have friends that have lived there and I have never heard complaints. The only thing that I would caution you of is the job market. California (in general, although some places are better than others) is a pretty terrible job market right now. I don't know the stats for engineers, but I would definitely make sure at least one of you will have a decent job before moving! Other than that, yeah, go for it! You can always go back if you don't like it!
It is really nice but I know the engineering market is so tough right now!
I grew up in San Diego. My parents, grandparents, and friends still live in San Diego so I'm there several times a year. I love it there. We would move to San Diego if were we guaranteed stable jobs. My brother is an electrical engineer with a masters degree. He's working but his assignments in the defense field has not been stable in the last few years. His fiancee, was also an electrical engineer (they met in grad school) and is now a patent attorney. She lives in LA and my brother lives in San Diego because of the job market. They really want to be together in San Diego. I also have a few other friends who are engineers and they have been working on and off (mostly contract positions).
Home prices have come down but I still don't think it's cheap. During the boom, my parents house would have sold for just under a million and they purchased it about 25 years ago for 110k. My parents love it so much in San Diego, they refused to sell their home like many of my family and friends who sold their smaller homes in San Diego and bought larger homes in Temecula and Arizona. I'm not sure what the rental market is like.
I'm from San Diego!! Born and raised. Go, you'll love living there. Say hi to the beach for me... in the middle of winter. =)
Let me know if you have ???'s I can answer.
@Ayslinn87: I will definitely let you know! It's still in the early stages and it seems like such a huge decision, so it might take some time!! I'd love some advice on neighbourhoods though!
@everyone else - Thanks so much for the advice and thoughts!
I dont know if your thinking about other places but if you are look into Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose areas all about 40 minutes from San Francisco. All of these areas are known as Silicon Valley which is mainly engineer jobs. Apple, Facebook, Home to Steve Jobs. You can google Silicon Valley and find more info. most places to rent are about 800-2000 depending on area and size. Jobs are very good and as engineers great pay. My FIL brings home 4k + a month. If you want to own a home your are looking at anywhere from 500k up.
@PutABirdOnIt: I think you mean Pt. Loma... : )
I have lived in SD for nearly 30 years. Ask me anything!
How old are you and your husband? That would really affect where I would choose to live. Pacific Beach (PB) and Mission Beach are both very early 20 something heavy drinking type areas. If that's what you are looking for, PB is great. If you want to sleep at 10, not so much. Mission Valley is a good central area to start. Tierrasanta is very close to there but a bit cheaper. Little Italy or downtown are trendy and more expensive but with lots to do close. Or you can go more north (away from Downtown) to beach cities, Solana Beach, Torrey Hills... I also really like the UTC area near UCSD. It's close to La Jolla but cheaper. Lots of grad students (esp. in science) live around there.
I'd say average rent is 1800 for a 2 bedroom depending on the area. Home are basically impossible to find under $300k (except for condos). Average in an average area would be in the $450-$550 range.
Love, love the city!!
Not to be a downer, but I think it's pretty difficult to get an H-1B visa. A friend of mine from England who went to a really great grad school in the US. She got an interview at a top marketing firm in a big city and they were going to sponsor the visa for her.......but the H1-B visa cap had been reached for the year (and this was in like, February.
There is another type of sponsorship type visa for Canadians and Mexicans called the Nafta visa. Similar to requiring sponsorship but no caps, a lot easier to get, as I understand it.
@maggierose: I know they're hard to get, I think part of your friend's problem is that she applied too late, they accept 65,000 each fiscal year, which starts in October, and they start accepting applications for each fiscal year the April before it starts! But trust me, I know it won't be easy. I'll check out the NAFTA visa, but I'm not sure I qualify!
@maggierose: I eat my words! I found a website on the TN visa, and we would qualify! This is great news!!! Thanks :)
I love love love San Diego! I actually go tmarried there, in La Jolla. I lived in Del Mar and Tierrasanta as a kid. My favorite place to live there would probably be Del Mar, but it is $$$. The PP that listed out the neighborhoods gave a really good description - and her price ranges were pretty spot on. Good luck! I hope you get your visa!
Here's a question for you: are you going to TTC soon or at all? I ask only because maternity leave is better in Canada than here. Six weeks is not enough. That's my only thinking. I've visited San Deigo and it was gorgeous, but have no ideas about living there.
@OttawaBride2011: I am, I am! I absolutely love SD! We decided to settle down in Sweden and I miss San Diego so much! The weather is perfect - not too hot, not too cold --- but make sure you don't live too far inland, east county gets hot!
I've heard that housing prices have lowered and it's a lot more affordable now. As for where to live, I suppose it depends on how far you'll willing to commute - but there are a so many nice neighborhoods, it just depends your lifestyle. San Diego has so many beaches and the beach towns all have a cozy feel. As for PB (Pacific Beach), it's a nice place to be out and about, but keep in mind of the weekends - that place is packed with college students and traffic's a problem at night. Living downtown is convenient, but really expensive. People usually think of Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, and La Jolla as the affluent neighborhoods but there's gorgeous, new and well-managed communities found throughout the county.
Qualcomm is headquarted in SD, it's usually included in Fortune's best companies to work for list (ranked 33rd this year). I know this because the company my husband works for is Qualcomm's top competitor and I always long to go back home!
Have you seen the average yearly temperature? When I was younger, every once in awhile, I'd run into a "foreigner" in a cafe and hear how they just came to visit and ended up staying ... or came after they saw the average temperatures.
Sigh ... I miss SD!
I am from Quebec. Moved to the Boston area with a TN visa 5 years ago. I finally got my green card this year through work, not by marrying my honey, who happens to be American.
You need to convince the employer that it is easier than H1B. there's no quota. You only need a letter describing the job, salary. Cross the border, get the visa good for 3 years...I probably have sample letters somewhere... that employers need to write in order for you to get your TN visa if you're interested...
We are 25 and 26 but we like to go to bed at 10! Lol! We would love to live somewhere fun and trendy, but not where there are tons of college kids. Are there any up and coming areas where the rent would be a steal?
Thanks so much for responding!! I will definitely let you know if I need more help when the time comes.
Hey Ottawabride!
I'm actually from Ottawa as well but I have been living in Sweden the last few years.
For me, it's important to live in a country with health care provide for all for free. ... so I could not imagine leaving Canada for the US for that reason.
... but that's just me!
I'm a San Diego native and LOVE it here! I agree with the previous posters, the beach areas are great to visit but I wouldn't want to live there- plus parking and traffc can be a nightmare during the summer!
We live in a little pocket neighborhood near downtown that we love! We got our house for a really great deal, because it needed a lot of work. Homes are really expensive here, but if you don't mind buying a fixer you can get a really great deal in some wonderful neighborhoods!
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Hey!! My new husband and I have been throwing around the idea of trying to get visas and move to the USA. We've asked around and a lot of people have said great things about San Diego!
It's a little scary because it's a lot further from home than I am now, and also it's a totally different country! We are both professionals so would qualify for the H1-B visa if we can find sponsors. My dad is contacting someone he knows in SD to find out what the job market may be like for engineers.
Any advice ladies?? Should we do this?? It would be such an adventure, but it's scary.