Neighborhoods

Picking a neighborhood in SD is like participating in an NFL draft. Weigh your options: if you use that early-round selection, make sure it’s for something that can deliver. Alternatively, hold out for something still available in a later round—something less flashy, but nevertheless team-oriented and solid beneath the surface.

Downtown. This is your star wide receiver. He’s consistently a first-round pick. He’ll make some beautiful catches—but he’s fragile, high-maintenance, and pricey. We reckon you’ll be hard-pressed (and that doesn’t have to do with wine… or olives) to find a studio in the Gaslamp District for less than $2000/month.

Hillcrest. The market hits the national average in this area. Think of Hillcrest as the first-string center. He’s well built. He’s got the quarterback’s back if poop hits the fan. But no one notices him until the dog pile clears. If you can manage being more than fifteen blocks from the water, consider a 1BR for $850/month or a 2BR for $1250/month overlooking Balboa Park.

Point Loma. A running back is your most diverse player in football; quick to adapt to new circumstances, he can ensure success—but he takes a serious beating along the way. That’s Point Loma. From the yachts of Harbor Island to the strip of Midway, this place has extremities in spades. Dig diversity? Move here. 1BR/1BAs start at $1000/month, 2BR/1BAs at $1500/month. Oh, and you’d better board that Pomeranian.

Mission Bay and Beaches. Every team has its special element. The fireworks component, let’s call it. In football, that means the kicker. These guys send up that gorgeous arc to score the final meager—but crucial!— field goal. You get the analogy, right? Mission Bay and Pacific Beach bring the funky boardwalk culture to SD. It’s not necessarily an all-the-time kinda sector (well, unless you’re a street mime), but it would be sweet to say you live two blocks from Shamu. Studios can be found for under $1000/month, but you’re more likely to see 1BR/1BA condos ($1400/month) and 2 and 3BR beach houses ($1800/month and $2100/month, respectively).

Old Town. Aha! Finally. The quarterback. Where all (offensive) plays begin and end. Old Town claims SDSU, Qualcomm Stadium, major shopping complexes, and historic architecture. Downtown has glitz; Old Town has all-around charm. The lack of oceanfront real estate makes this central sector of town a bit less expensive: expect studios and 1BRs for under $1000/month and 2BR/1BAs for around $1500/month.

La Jolla. Yeah, yeah—we know we gots to say something about La Jolla, but what? Hmm, let’s see. There’s some beaches there? UCSD? What do you want, people? La Jolla is your second-string kicker, alright?! More of the same funky beach stuff. (But without Shamu; drat!) The market’s gutted here because everyone and their mom think LJ is synonymous with SD. The students help, though: one can find some decent 1BR condos around the university for under $1000/month, but head toward the water and you’ll easily double that.

Got your pick? Terrific. Now pick garage parking or street. Then upstairs or ground level. Then full bath or 1 1/2. Keep going and you’ll have your fantasy league in no time. Just remember to bring your sunscreen. Congratulations, Herr Captain!