HHH

Hi all

First post here, although have found this site extremely useful over the last year or so while considering various options.

So, I've been offered a job in San Diego (office is based in Mission Valley East). We have 2 kids (7 and 9) and obviously want to find the right school district to live in. The job's reasonably well paid so I guess we could spend between around $2500 and $3500 (possibly slightly more although that would be pushing it) or so on rent, ideally to find a 3 or 4 bedroom place with a reasonable garden (will start saying yard when we get there ).

On my brief recce I liked all the northern coastal areas (Solana Beach and Encinitas especially), but I keep reading that the commute can be a killer. I'm not too good with the heat, so areas like Poway (which I read have the best schools) might be a bit hot. Also very keen to avoid nasties like rattlesnakes, black widows and other terrifying beasties that will freak out cowardly Brits like us. I definitely preferred the feel of the places nearer the beach to those more easterly. Wouldn't want to live in too urban an area though as we're used to living on the edge of a small town in the UK right now.

We're going for a family trip out there for a few days shortly, to see if everyone's happy to go and work out where to live. Areas I'm thinking of are:
Encinitas (assuming the commute can be under 1/2 hour)
Solana Beach (although seems a bit expensive) and all that area downwards
Clairemont (never been but seems like a good choice from what I am reading)
La Mesa
Del Cerro
Poway (although I suspect will be too hot and desert-like from my brief drive around there once before)

Not hugely important that we're massively close to the beach, although the places near them do seem nicer. Would prefer to avoid identikit housing estates (much better somewhere where the houses look different from one another), crime, scary beasts and searing heat.

Can anyone suggest any other areas we should be checking out?

Thanks in advance

caleyjag

My best mate grew up in Alpine. That seems like quite a nice place from what I can see. Lots of space for the kids to run around, and the village center has a bit of atmosphere to it. Added bonus is that you could get a property up in the hills with a really amazing view.

Fair drive to work for you though. Prob looking at 30-40mins each way. Incidentally in SoCal that's not bad! Not sure how the traffic works on that route.


The difference is that Alpine is pretty rural, which I think is nicer. Once you start hitting La Mesa and so on it gets really suburban. Hourses for courses, I guess.

Alan17

Take a look at the house prices first, that'll probably dictate where you can live. Encinitas and Solana Beach are nice, even Carlsbad is an option. Your commute is going to suck some days (especially during the fair or racing at Del Mar) but thats a fact of life in SoCal. At least with the beach towns you have the option of taking the train, and then maybe the trolley (tram) in Mission Valley.
Driving down the 5 can be bad depending on the mood of the rain gods, or whether someone's changing a tyre by the side of the road which can induce a 10 mile tailback with people gawking at it. I'm in San Marcos and commute to Sorrento Valley and that takes about 40-50 mins.

No idea about schools, although I've heard Poway is overrated. Carmel Valley, just north of the 56 corridor, is supposed to be good with now reasonable house prices (again, for SoCal). I'd think about that as an option.

Alan.

Rete

You've been offered a job but which visa will you be using to emigrate to the US?

penguinsix

This is a relocation messageboard that is pretty popular. You might want to look at their recommendations

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-diego/

dave2702

You do have a visa?

HHH

Don't know yet, have a call with immigration lawyer tomorrow. Am told that it should be straightforward - I'm guessing an L1-A visa but not quite sure.

Englishtart

Good luck with that!

Rete

So you are already work for this company and have been done in a managerial position for a year. Great.

HHH

Yeah kind of. They bought my company last year and I have been consulting to them since then. So I think I comply with the L1-A criteria.

Duncan Roberts

Don't know if consulting counts, I think you have to be directly employed by them.

Socal Local

I don't have kids so I am not an expert on school districts, but I have heard that Encinitas and Carlsbad have good reputations. Also Carmel Valley, which might be a good option as it is a bit of a shorter commute.

For areas a bit closer to where you will be working University City and Clairemont are both worth checking out - in both cases they are fairly large areas with different sides to them - the northern end of University City is very densly populated and mostly condos/apartments, but if you could find something in the 'west end' of University City, there are some very nice homes there and it strikes me as a very family oriented neighborhood - I think their schools are pretty good too. Clairemont is a real mix from really scrappy old houses to million dollar mansions depending on the street. There are some very nice places on the canyons and as you get into the Bay Park and Bay Ho neighborhoods - not sure about schools though.

Bob

yup, I think so too...but on the plus side if the OP gets it, the other half can get a EAD and know....kids won't, which might be a problem in a few years time when their friends are doing paper rounds or going to college etc, but then again hopefully by then they'll have greencards.

Definately have that in writing that the company will pursue them, asap.

Anyway, welcome to BE

HHH

Thanks - I was employed in a management capacity by the company before it was bought though, for more than a year in the last 3 so fingers crossed

Anyway, will find out more tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your advice.

N1cky

When my hubby got his L1 visa last year, I seem to remember the rule was you had to be employed by the company for 1 year out of the last 3 years.

Be prepared to move quickly HHH, you sound in a similar position to us, where we were hanging around waiting for the immigration lawyers to sort things out. We then had 3 weeks notice to move.