Yeah, San Diego’s weather really can’t be beaten, though it’s been getting hotter in the summers. I don’t even own any clothing warmer than a hoodie. And, yeah, it’s expensive, but if you look in southeast San Diego or one of the east county areas (e.g. Lemon Grove, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Escondido, Ramona), or in Chula Vista, you can find a 3/2 for under $300k. You probably won’t get a 1/2 acre (except maybe in real desert areas like Descanso, Alpine, Jamul, or Campo), but our high prices are really mostly along the coast, in the rich suburbs in north county (Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo) and in the walkable mid-city neighborhoods (where I live: the Heights neighborhoods just south of the 8, any of the downtown neighborhoods, and neighborhoods surrounding Balboa Park.)
We also have a (very) thriving craft beer scene, lots of live music all the time. We attract cultural events like broadway shows and big band tours. Beaches are relatively accessible if you know where to go. You can drive 30 minutes to (high altitude) snow in the winter, and do hiking above 10,000 feet within a couple hours. The major issue here (besides housing prices) is that it’s California. We have a population larger than, say, all of Canada. If you want to do some activity, it’s guaranteed that a dozen (or several hundred) other people have the same idea.
I don’t think that’s really a thing anymore. Certainly there are still strip clubs with pounding music lining Avenida Revolución from Arco y Reloj to La Vuelta where it turns into Agua Caliente. (And some really good restaurants along that street too.) But TJ’s reputation has been turning around. It’s got a burgeoning art scene, and trips from San Diego to TJ for food, soccer games, and shopping are pretty common. The food scene in the Rio district and along Paseo de los Heroes is pretty awesome, and there remain some very very good (and justifiably famous) hole-in-the-wall places throughout the city (e.g. Tacos Salceados on Calle Ermita.) My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Boy, San Diego does sound nice after nearly falling on my ass trying to navigate the iced-over parking lot this morning. Wonder if there’s any reasonably priced condos?
Even as basically a native Californian this caught me by surprise. My wife’s aunt and uncle had a cabin not to far from SD that was in the snow country. To the northeast.
West coasters are all about driving to snow. Every time I visit Portland they want to take me into the mountains to see the snow. I have less than zero interest in this.
Last time we drove up to this ski lodge at Mt. Hood, really old building, built during the New Deal or something. So we drive for over an hour up a mountain on winding roads that weren’t properly plowed or salted, risking our lives, no chains on the tires because it’s a 4-wheeler and thus “safe”, and then make it up to the lodge where we have to park about 1500 feet from the entrance and walk up an incline, which again was not really plowed or salted, so basically packed snow and ice. Then when we get there, they all exclaimed about how old and cool it was, we walked up and had a cup of coffee, went to the gift shop but didn’t buy anything, and then we left.
First of all, more often than not, the cars in the ditches during winter months around here are 4x4 that think they are invincible. Those people are stupid. They should get chains and studs like everyone else. I am not in to skiing but sledding can be so fun.
I live in NYC, snow isn’t a novelty for me, and unlike most people who live in areas with seasons, we have to walk through it. And it turns grey in like an hour from the pollution, where it isn’t yellow or brown from dog shit. At least you hope it’s dog shit. I hate, hate, HATE, the snow.
There really isn’t much to do but nature look, but man, it’s beautiful, incredible… like a natural wonder kind of thing. They put subs in there! the umm smaller ones of course.
Well I don’t know how you could live in NYC and also be a nature guy. Those two states would war with each other constantly, probably take years off your life.
I love deep deep snow. I have snow shoes and only get to use them once a year and I go out of my way to do so. I have an urge to buy an ATV and put a plow blade on it and plow all my neighbours long driveways (I live in a neighborhood with short driveways). I like the exercise that comes with shoveling. I like researching a snow blower - there are cordless electric ones now that are decently powerful, at least for home use. I love driving my car with decent winter tires on packed snow - love the feeling of security of going 50mph on snow. I like skiing cross country and downhill. I like watching the kids skate though I’m not a huge hockey fan. I like dressing up warm and going on a long walk giving an FU to mother nature.
I get tired of winter too though.
If I were to live in the US, I would go for North Carolina. They have real winters that you can enjoy and go skiing, but they’re short. It’s within a convenient drive of nature, ocean, road biking, history, hills, Washington DC, and (could be wrong here) relatively left-leaning.
