San Diego, CA

Lived here for a while back in early 90s. Although we liked it, it just never felt like home. We missed having four seasons. The drama of thunderstorms, sparkling icicles hanging on trees, snow and more drew us back to the midwest.

Balmy, flawless, beautiful, idyllic, heavenly, romantic, you get the idea. This city mesmerizes both young and old with its beaches, palm trees, warm ocean breezes, and well-groomed people. Nothing bad happens here because the weather is perfect and makes people happy. This place has a good bar scene, a beautiful city skyline, friendly people, and clean, clean streets.

San Diego is a great city. I like it much better than LA. I found the people to be really friendly, and the beaches in the area are very nice! I would skip LA and head to San Diego!

For about 10 years or so, I had a friend living and working in California, and I'd travel out there at least once a year to hang out rent-free and travel to different esoteric locations that interested me (the Bugsy Siegel death-house, the Sharon Tate mansion, the Black Dahlia gravesite, the Peoples Temple, movie star cemeteries, bookstores, old-time restaurants, etc.). I never wanted to live in California (too many earthquakes, rampaging fires, riots, landslides, weird serial killers, etc.), but I grew to love the state as a visitor, just in terms of its natural beauty and sometimes kitschy history. At various times, my friend lived in L.A., La Jolla, Pacific Palisades, the city of San Diego, and then a rural area about a half hour outside San Diego named Valley Center. Initially, in San Diego, he lived in an apartment on Grape Street (I think that was the name of it) with his then-girlfriend, later-wife. Nice location (he did mention that crime could be a problem in the area), although planes from the nearby airport flew by...perilously close, in my opinion...constantly. The waterfront was lovely, although he mentioned it probably wasn't a good idea to go swimming, thanks to the water coming up from nearby Mexico. I don't know whether that was true or he was having some fun at my expense, but considering what I remembered from my time in Mexico as a child, I stayed far, far away from the water. We had a delicious brunch at the historic Hotel Del Coronado, where they filmed "Some Like It Hot". We drank at an English-themed bar (it was the first time I had "Black-and-Tans" and, after consuming several of them, I was nearly transformed from an Anglophobe into an Anglophile...at least as long as the buzz lasted), ate several times at a wonderful, small French restaurant, and had a filling meal at a Sicilian restaurant, that...while it didn't taste like any Sicilian food I had eaten back in NY/NJ...still hit the spot, in its own unique way. When my friend worked, I rented a car and drove up the coast to L.A., a drive of several hours, but do-able. Once, we flew to San Francisco for a few days. More than once, we drove a half hour south to Tijuana, where, the first time we went, I got hellaciously drunk. Naturally, my friend and his girlfriend had an explosive argument while we were there-- he went one way, she another, leaving me, a total stranger to Tijuana, swaying in the breeze. Somehow or other, I found my way back (I was tempted to buy some of the easily obtainable pharmacy pain-killers while there, but didn't want to tempt fate trying to get them across the border). As my friend moved up in his business, he bought a very nice home in Valley Center, about a half hour outside San Diego. Valley Center is a dry, rural landscape, but quite beautiful, in its own bleak fashion. San Diego was still readily accessible. I remember the one section where there were a lot of bookstores was the Hillcrest section, which was also the city's "gay" section. I can't say San Diego was the best city I've ever been in, or even the best city in California that I've been in, but I had a lot of fun there, and do miss it (my friend and his wife moved back to the East Coast some years ago).

San Diego is a very nice city and the climate is so fantastic, that the 'outdoor cialis bathtub' can be used year-round.

San Diego is a great city and offers a lot.  There are many universities, the biotechnology center in Torrey Pines is amazing (Kimberly-Clarke, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen).  The streets are lush with flowers and plantings.  Downtown is alive with many great restaurants and 35,000 residents who live downtown.  The beaches are beautifully maintained as well.

My homeland

  kinda nice, i was there for a short amount of time so id give it 3.5, i cant really judge too much

didnt seem like a real city though, i dunno, but the beaches are great

This is the best city in north america.

full disclosure, i havent been back to San Diego in about 6 years, so things might have changed some. but, when I was there, I was stunned by the beauty of the area. not only the beaches and shoreline, but the city is really hilly, moreso than I thought. plus, how can you beat 68 degree weather every day?   a bit expensive, though. and maybe a little too military. but other than that, a fine city.

Loved the San Diego Zoo.

This is a fun place to vacation. There is a lot for a family to do here from sporting events to entertainment and great dining. San Diego has some of the best mexican cooking in the west. Though not as culturally enriched as San Francisco, this city has a lot to offer. I would reccomend it as a place to see. The famous San Diego Zoo should be on your list of must see.

I spent summer of 06 at an internship in San Diego,and the city itself was nice,and the area attractions were plentiful,such as the zoo,and La Jolla beach and Pt Loma. I don't think I would want to live there. It's a huge military town with 3 navy bases and a marine base as well.

I've been to SD several times, and enjoyed it very much, though I always hit a point after a few days when I can't wait to leave. What always bored me was the glazed look in everyone's eyes, and the lack of a stimulating environment. One explanation for the glazed eyes might be that beauty is a curse: the city is astonishingly pretty. But it might also be the consequence of a culture that's half super-rich surfer kids, and the other half underprivileged military officers. Unless you're in one of those categories, you won't find all that much here. At least it's better than living in L.A. because you don't need to drive two hours to see a friend, or worry excessively about what you look like before you drive out to buy some milk.

San Diego is a very stimulating place to visit. It's a fantastic city to go on vacation with much to do. Sea World is great fun and very kid friendly, the zoo hardly needs any introduction. San Diego has a number of beach communities each with their own atmosphere. La Jolla is very scenic locale with trendy shops and restaurants, rocky and sandy shores. The cliffs of La Jolla are stunning, great place to relax and watch the surf roll in and break on the rocks.  Downtown is decent and fairly clean and Balboa Park is very impressive with nice archetecture, a lot of vegetation, the world famous zoo, and a nice collection of museaums. It blows my mind how lush and green this city is.  I much prefer San Diego to Los Angeles as this is the part of Southern California I would come back to visit again.  Not so sure I would live here though, unless I was a millionaire.

The only major city with perfect year round climate. I give it 3 stars because the city is better planned, cleaner, more educated than LA. However, it is Socal so it has a fake made up look to it the beaches are nice but outside of the beach and further inland its desert. Again another car-oriented city where the public transportation seems to be more novelty than an actual benefit. There is air pollution not to the level of LA and water again is an issue. San Diego is making strides in developing a viable urban core which will help reduce traffic and congestion. Very republican/military/retiree oriented culturaly. Not as vanilla as say Phoenix but not that far off.

San Diego is quite an attractive city. pretty clean. the beaches are the main attraction here, along with the zoo of course. insanely expensive, though. also a little too military. but overall a good place to live or visit.

Extremely nice weather for the majority of the year. A lot nicier than the large city to the north (LA).

San Diego probably has some of the best weather in the nation if you are looking for a primarily sunny, dry climate without an almost non existent change of season (a good example - around Halloween people were on the beach in the bathing suits when most people in the nation are cozying up by the fireplace and watching the gorgeous changes of Fall colors and falling leaves). So it can become pretty monotonous for people who like seasonal change. I have lived here now for about 2 1/2 years and plan to move soon for a variety of reasons but bottom line is that I've never really felt a connection with the city. Hard to describe, but there is an odd, artificial feel to it... Certain areas are quite pretty, but remember that San Diego is actually a coastal desert and would absolutely NOT look the way it does if not for massive irrigation. The downtown is extremely planned out (the Gaslamp District) and lacks character and a "soul" like other cities of it's size. The people are not particularly friendly and many are extremely obsessed that San Diego is the most wonderful place on Earth. There appears to be a huge discrepancy between people who have money and those who don't - not much of a middle class. Again, some pretty areas to live (if you have the BIG bucks - a million $ home here looks like an average house) but still lacks the charm and character many people would prefer. Lastly, the city is in MAJOR financial trouble (pretty much bankrupt) which will inevitably have an impact on the citizens! Since I have pointed out many negatives, wanted to end with some of the best things about San Diego - Balboa Park, the Zoo and the cliffs in La Jolla.

Today is July 16. On this day in 1769, Father Junipero Serra founded Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the first mission in California. The mission later evolved into the city of San Diego.

All in all SD is still a nice place to visit, but I suppose living there is becoming a chore unless you are a zillionaire.

One of the most beautiful places to live!

Great city! Can't beat the weather! I would not want to live anywhere else!

San Diego may have some great landscapes, but the cost of living is way too high. It is not as ethnically diverse as many other major U.S. cities. And being of an ethnic minority, I can say the attitudes of the people reflect that fact, especially in the beach areas which everyone talks about (i.e. Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, La Jolla).

San Diego is a great place to vacation, but it's only an OK place to live. The weather is pleasant year round except for about 2 weeks of intense heat. But the sun starts to get boring if you like change. When it does finally rain (drizzle), newscasters freak out and everyone gets into car accidents. The beaches are nice, but during tourist season (summers and holidays), expect to have a difficult time finding parking. The traffic is intensely bad all over San Diego, and you have to drive because depending on local transit is almost impossible. San Diego is for the wealthy, so expect to feel out of place if you're driving an economy car or don't play the part well. Housing prices are so high that you'll find yourself paying $600,000 for what looks like a 15 year old generic cookie cutter home in the suburbs. Almost all of San Diego is broken up into various suburbs, so unless you stick to the tourist areas, you'll find yourself driving 45 minutes just to look at another Costco or Target. But the overall feel in San Diego is relaxing, the sun is usually out, and there are a lot of touristy things to see...and that's why it's a good place to VISIT.

A truly beautiful city, so much to do and see, incredibly Beautiful year round and somewhat like living in a giant air condition room your whole life. If you like the occasional "weather" go somewhere else. One of the most ergonomic areas too, every type of store and resturant is a short drive away... hands down best mexican food in the country, but could use more Indian and southeast Asian. What other place in the world can you play in a 3+ feet of snow winter wonderland in the mountian forest, then drive down and enjoy 65f+ winter weather when you've had enough?

I lived in San Diego for 25 years and just loved it. The only problem is the cost of living and the low wages. I never would have left, but I just couldn't afford it anymore. Moved to Tampa and let me tell you, there is no comparision(but they are doing a lot of building and improvements here so I still have hope) San Diego is a very clean city compared to other cities,the beaches are great,the weather is to die for, love the Gaslamp distict(downtown) and there is so much to do in that city, you don't know where to start. I miss it!!! Planning a trip back soon and taking my Tampa girls. It gets 5 stars in my book.

Ive lived right outside of San Diego for more than 13 years. I came from the southeast and lived in the northeast before then. Ive traveled through many major cities and San Diego (mostly because of the constant pleasant whether and abundant recreation, not to mention beautiful people) is in the top 2 or 3. Southern California is, in my opinion, the best place to live in the US.

San Diego is loaded with people who are rude, arrogant, condescending, bullying and aggressive--so insufferably pretentious yet so overweeningly provincial. The police are trigger-happy, sadistic thugs, the suburban sprawl is endless and beyond the standard touristy places, there isn't really that much to see or do. The salaries are substandard, the quality of housing so-so and the cost of living is astronomical. America's Finest City? I don't think so.

San Diego is a great place to visit. The one thing I noticed is that the drivers are very well mannered. In fact the people are great, there is lots to see and do and the restraunts are out standing.

I just visited San Diego for the second time last week. It is a wonderful city and a welcome change of pace after enduring a summer in the hot desert. The beaches are amazing and not all that cold once you stand in the water a little while. The scenery is lush and green and best of all the weather is lovely, even in October (about 75 degrees). I'm considering moving there! The only drawback is the cost of living and the low pay. A friend of mine lives in a 2-bedroom shack which he shares with two others. His portion of the rent is $500 a month (about half his salary after taxes) but he is a stone's throw from the beach. As for the roadways, there are fairly crazy drivers but the traffic wasn't too bad ( I expected much worse). However, it is easy to get lost without a map since the roads don't lead you where you'd logically expect them to go. Overall the place grew on me, even though the narrow streets felt a bit cramped....the city has virtually no parking available and is getting more crowded by the minute.

Highly overrated, too expensive to live here and boring overall.

Nice weather but that's about it. Too expensive to live there, jobs pay no where near enough o live there and a lot of people are phony, nice looking women but they are too uppity for my tastes.

You would have to be ready for lots to do in this town. Fine sunshine, though humid, but great beaches and other indoor/outdoor activites. Nice hillsides and great views from any of them.

San Diego's weather alone warrants a 4-star rating. Only passed through twice but was very impressed.

I've lived in San Diego most of my life. The military gave me the opportunity to be here when SD was ranked about no.20 in population. Now we're about no.6. One has to be well off to really enjoy this metropolitan city. A car is a must! The public transportation is not very good. Many lines stop running before midnight. And weekends leaves one waiting and waiting for the bus to arrive. Why stop so early? It could be because of the increase in crime. A young Honduran immigrant woman was just murdered by someone who threw a big rock into her car. And racism! It's not only white people who are afflicted.Many Hispanics, Filipinos, et al.,are afflicted by this odious evil. They should teach, in school, about the evils of judging an individual by their skin color, culture, history, etc! Also, I've observed people of color suck up to the redneck types, while denigrating another ethnic group. A devious way to feel better about themselves. I worked in a boat yard which hires illegal aliens. And the latter gave me a hard time without provocation. (They bring their racist baggage with them over the border). I understand, but don't condone, why they do it. This is not to generalize! One meets great people of all types. But I cannot deny it's presence. One has to observe, really observe, to realize its here. Racism comes in ALL COLORS! Some practice it overtly, some do it covertly. The media calls San Diego, America's Finest City, which I find totally ridiculous, because they don't add, if you have the money! I call it AMERICA'S BIGGEST SMALL TOWN. The city is fairly clean, except for the pollution from the sewers of Tijuana, Mexico, and the increasing smog. There are plenty of churches. San Diego seemingly takes good care of its seniors and handicapped. For the gay people, there is a haven called Hillcrest. The rents are driving businesses away, however. The weather is not as great as it used to be. Sometimes, it's similar to San Francisco. You know, the old saying, that if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes, and you'll see a change.

Positives are great beaches, San Diego State, La Jolla, Del Mar proximity to Mexico, LA & Vegas, women, and beautiful temperatures year round. Negatives are cost of living, poor public transportation, the desert-like soil, downtown lacks vibrance.

Best weather in continental US. GREAT beaches, laid back attitude. Housing prices have gone nuts in last 5 years. Not affordable anymore, especially considering the jobs in San Diego don't pay squat relative to the cost of living. Also they overdeveloped the North Counties- it's kind of sad to see compared to what it was 10 years ago. Still, a great place to visit and I wish I could afford to live there (comfortably).

Fabulous city. Lots of fun and sunshine.

My favorite city in CA. The whole place feels so laid-back and fun, more like a really big resort than a city. There's a beach area for any mood, from Pacific Beach (which to me seems livelier than any beach in L.A.), to the more gorgeous and sedate La Jolla and Coronado. And while it's not exactly the most urban city, San Diego has a great downtown - the Gaslamp District has perfected the restaurant as nightlife destination and outdoor seating concepts and can only get better with Petco Park opening next door. In short, SD is the ideal getaway. I need to get down there more often...

A great city in California, although the city itself isn't as good as the suburbs. I agree, the beaches are okay, because although they can be quite pretty the water can be cold. And some are cleaner than others. But San Diego's true attraction is our weather. Sunny and warm all year round! The winters are about as mild as you can get! Also we have a zoo that is world-famous for their work with endangered species. One of the few hitches is that it is extremely expensive to live there, since the number of people traveling there has increased.

Beaches are just ok. Weather is nice but the city sort of sprawly and way too overpriced. Population not that diverse. Too slow paced and laid back. Reminds me of a small town.

Very beautiful city, with a nice oceanfront, some gorgeous scenery, one of the best zoos in the country, and lots to do. The weather is fantastic. My only concern about the place is that it is slowly becoming another Los Angeles. The sprawl is catching up to it. The city doesn't have the smog or the incredible traffic problems of Los Angeles yet, but they really need to get a hold on the sprawl now, before it turns into that much less interesting city. But I think of the big three - San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego - San Diego is clearly the most liveable and most interesting.

When I lived in San Diego from 1998-2004, I took it all for granted. Though I loved the weather, I wasn't a big fan of its traffic, the people were kind of snobbish, and everything was kind of costly. Since I moved to Houston, I wanna go back. The quality of radio stations in SD are much much better than Houston.

Totally overrated city. The weather is nice enough the city is nice enough, but just not a substance of anything there. It's so overpriced that any housing bubble should start there. Don't expect to be able to buy a 200 square foot dump for less than $400 K.

The weather is overrated, the people are jerks, traffic is a nightmare, downtown is contrived, the beaches are polluted, a one-bedroom house costs half-a-mil, and the zoo just burned down. There, maybe that will keep you Zonies away !

Once upon a time (before the late 80's) there was a beautiful young woman - San Diego. She was an earthy girl self confident and innocent at the same time. She had luxierient long hair, lovely eyes and a golden smile. This young woman had two older sisters San Francisco and LA. Her older sister San Francisco told her to cut her hair. The young woman listened and did as she was told. Her other older sister, LA told her to start wearing sun glasses and stop smiling. The young woman listened and did as she was told. The same girl is still there but now she aint what she used to be.

Kind of clicky/preppy. The weather is sunny, and it isnt hell on earth like los angeles, but i think hot and dry all year would get old after a while, i like a change in seasons!

San Diego and San Francisco are definately naeck and neck for the best West coast cities. San Diego has the perfect climate. San Diego also has great historic buildings and a beautiful setting. A far better vacation choice than Los Angeles!

This place is delightful..the Mission Viejo, the zoo, the coronado hotel on the bay, La Jolla...I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here. More upmarket than L.A. and very friendly.

I've been forunate enough to travel the globe. In my opinon, this is the finest city in the US. It's weather, natural beauty (coast/beach/ mountains), low crime statistics and the healty attitude of it's population, make it as close to heaven on earth as possible. Perfect city? No. Just the best US city to visit, or live in (if you can afford it).