HELP FIND - Apt in San Diego

[zhuzhu]

Hi SoCal Girls,

Would you all please do me a big favor and help me look for a place to live in San Diego? I will be moving there from PA in May to start a job at UCSD. My ideal place is less than $1000 in rent (less the better), a studio is fine but 1 bedroom is better, within $20 driving from UCSD, a safe and convinient neighborhood.

I would also be happy to rent a small portion of the house off some nice people if that will save more rent.

I have only visited SD a couple of times and really get confused with the geography of it. PLease please help me with recoomendation and any pointers you could provide. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

 

[zhuzhu]

Hi SDL, Thanks you are such a sweetheart!!!! Yes I will email you when I find a few things. BTW do you know what "region" Hillcrest is in? Thanks!

 

[KimberlyH]

zhuzhu,

As SDL knows, I''m directionally challenged (Little Italy and Hillcrest are not the same place!) but Hillcrest is near downtown SD. Here''s a link about the area, http://www.hillquest.com/index.htm. Lots of good dining and entaertainment,and while a busy area, not as much hustle bustle as downtown/the gaslamp area. Banker''s hill, which is right next door, is a bit more residential.

Banker''s Hill is also in the 92103 zip code, north of Laurel and West of 5th. It''s near Balboa park, which houses the SD Zoo, local theater and some restaurants. It''s mostly residential. A really pretty place.

Little Italy is also a great area with lots of revitalization going on, but rent has gotten fairly expensive there in the past 12 months or so.

I think you''ll may have a bit of searching to do to find a place under your price point in any of these areas. I have seen places advertised in your range, but it will take some leg work on your part.

You may also want to check out North Park (It''s north east of Balboa park). It''s a transitioning neighborhood. I know several people who live/have lived there and really like it''s proximity to downtown, but it''s not as expensive as Hillcrest and Banker''s Hill.

Kensington is a cute community, but I''m not sure how many apartment complexes exist in that area.

Finally you may want to check out Mira Mesa, which is off the 15, east of La Jolla, simply for proximity and $.

I don''t drive to La Jolla from any of these places, so I have no idea what the drive time would be during commuting hours.

 

[Scooba]

I may be looking for one soon too, I''m not familiar with the area at all but near USD, what kind of prices are you finding?

 

[ForteKitty]

Mira Mesa & Claremont Mesa will be your best bet. Everywhere else will probably be too expensive or too far. You''ll love San Diego... i miss it every day!

 

[zhuzhu]

I am really hoping to find a small but neat place for under $1000. If needed maybe I have to take a roomate but I prefer not to. Even studio apartments are that expensive in SOCal? WOW!

 

[ForteKitty]

You wont be able to find a single bedroom for under $1000 that''s within 20 mins of commute... sorry to say. When I lived there 3 years ago, our 2 bedroom apt was $1800. Studios were going for $1000. Rent has gone up significantly since then.

 

[KimberlyH]

It''s an extremely expensive place to live, zhuzhu. And the closer you get to the beach, the more you should expect to spend. Look for smaller places that are owned by individuals as opposed to large complexes owned by property management companies and you''ll be better off. I would highly recommend a trip to the area 3-4 weeks prior to your move to scout out locations, get a feel for what suits you and viewing of available apts.

 

[zhuzhu]

Thanks so much for all the helpful pointers! Would you tell me where private owners who rent out smaller apartments list their places? I am in PA until April end and can not physically do a lot to "see" the places.

 

[KimberlyH]

SDL''s suggestion to check out www.signonsandiego.com is a great idea. You might also want to contact your new employer and ask if they have an internal newspaper/informational letter/classifieds ad thing that includes a place for advertisement for employees. As you know, they''re huge here and you would probably be able to get some assistance from them. I''m a bit leary of craigslist, but if you''re not you could check them out.

 

[KimberlyH]

I just talked to DH, he''s lived in SD his entire life, and here was his input.

If you want to live in an urban area and are able to find a place w/i your price range Hillcrest and Bankers Hill are good choices. But you''ll have to do some searching due to price (they''ve become pretty expensive places to live in the last few years due to condo coversions and revitalization of the area).

His top 2 choices based on price range, safety and ease of commute are Clairmont and Mira Mesa. They are both nice areas with lots of units available. They are suburban communities, which makes them less expensive but you won''t have the same urban lifestyle as you would in Hillcrest/Bankers Hill.

A few places other nice areas are Point Loma and San Carlos, but they are more expensive than Clairmont and Mira Mesa.

Normal Heights and College area (near SDSU) are hit or miss, and a bit outside your commute I believe.
Avoid City Heights and Logan Heights.