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What Are San Diego’s 17 Top Residential Areas?

San Diego is full of mesmerizing locations, and every year, a large number of visitors come to this place. It has a great climate, lots of sandy beaches and much more.

This place is popular all over the world as it is one of the major states in the USA. It is probably impossible to find a spot better than San Diego for families. Read on to find out about the best places to live in San Diego.

Your Dream Home City – San Diego!

Fun and happiness calling right from San Diego! It’s time to answer the call now, so go ahead and plan a major family visit there, rest assured, you will never regret it!

Many people think of moving to San Diego due to many reasons. It is one of the most attractive destinations for visitors that has everything for everyone. With natural trails, amazing beaches, and the happening nightlife, this spot is ideal for one and all.

San Diego is known to be California’s second most populous destination that leaves no stone unturned to keep the people coming there content and satisfied. Therefore, it becomes essential to know about the best places to live in San Diego to explore it all.

17 Top Places to live in San Diego – Find Your Next Residence!

1. Little Italy

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Little Italy is the ultimate one-stop solution for all foodies. The unique variety of cuisine and weekly Farmer’s Market has both locals as well as visitors coming here. The number of modern restaurants serving international cuisine is opening at an increasing rate.

Some of these include Juniper and Ivy born and brought up, Ironside Fish and Oyster.

Also, Little Italy is one of the most expensive areas. Despite this fact, the tradeoff here is sure to benefit the locals residing here with regard to food and all sorts of other fun stuff. However, the nightlife here will seem to be extremely quiet.

Nevertheless, you are sure to be within a walking distance of all the places in Gaslamp Village and beyond. All these factors make it one of the best places to live in San Diego.

2. Mission Valley

Mission Valley is not just any San Diego area, but a lot more than that. It has a pleasing and refreshing environment bordering the San Diego river. The place is also home to many luxurious apartments, resorts, and fashion malls.

These resorts, apartments, and malls have many premium amenities to offer including large, spacious gyms and resort-style pools.

Mission Valley is not a walkable spot but it is more of a quiet zone. Still, a perfect place and is at a minimal driving distance of 10 to 15 minutes from the majority of beaches of San Diego.

A perfect place to relax, refresh, rewind, and rejuvenate. It also has a good location close to the action.

3. Oceanside

Best Places To Live In San Diego
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Places like Oceanside are known for their artistic vibrations and also for providing reasonable coastal living to the residents of South California. The place ranks at the 3rd spot for being the largest city, right after Carlsbad and Vista, in the list of the best places to live in San Diego.

The place is also famous for its huge choices of activities that one can choose from, thus making it one of the best places to live in San Diego. The residents here not only come for its never-ending sunshine rays but for a lot more that it has to got to offer.

One of the favourite locations of visitors here is Oceanside Harbor Village. One can surf, swim, fish, shop and simply admire the scenic beauty of the harbour in the locality.

Once upon a time, Oceanside was also well-known for creating a cultural scene that was the most remarkable element, thereby enhancing its beauty.

4. Point Loma

Being a prominent residential spot in San Diego, Point Loma is your go-to place for searching for a quaint location having delicious seafood. One can enjoy year-round views and the beauty of sunset cliffs there.

Also, there are family boat rides happening there during weekends around the bay. Point Lomas restaurants and shopping centres and Liberty Stations are yet other options to visit and explore.

Visitors can also enjoy the oceanic views that are situated right behind Mission Beach. The place has got other accommodation facilities like apartment units and older condo apartments and other small apartments.

5. North Park

Best Places To Live In San Diego
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North Park has vibrations that feel similar to an urban mecca. On the streets of this spot, there are a large number of establishments offering a huge variety of craft beverages.

Special convenience is offered by this culturally-rich location found in California, therefore one can get close proximity to almost everything needed. North Park also is an artistically rich place that serves North Park’s nightlife and entertainment.

The place also has a commercial centre that is situated at 30th Street and University Avenue, where there are a large number of bookshops, coffee and luxury outlets that are owned independently, and the best part is that all of these are within a fairly manageable distance.

6. Pacific Beach

Pacific Beach, which was initially known to be a night destination has now turned out to be an ideal mixture of amazing nightlife and relaxed coastal paradise with some mind-blowing views.

The Oceanside has a 3.2-kilometre Oceanwalk Boardwalk that leads to Crystal Pier reaches 8772 feet above the ocean and is also piled with rentable chalets, the boardwalk also consists of numerous boutique shops, bars, and restaurants to satisfy some of our hunger pangs.

The Garnet Avenue Area also consists of many local businesses. The location is quite serene and is known to be one of the most relaxed locations in the city having a larger laid-out population it also is home to several charming residential districts.

7. Del Mar

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The village has many majestic steep rocks that are quite picturesque that overlook the Pacific Ocean which is specifically designed to meet each and everyone’s needs.

Del Mar is a viral location among the rich with many beaches situated there.

Colonel Jacob Taylor was the one to acquire the neighbouring area in the year 1885 and soon the area turned out to become a major attraction for famous personalities.

Every year, thousands of people are attracted to visit the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Del Mar Antique is also a huge event held on a large scale.

8. Hillcrest

Hillcrest is known as San Diego’s LGBT community. It has a large number of bars and restaurants making it yet another one of the best places to live in San Diego.

It is a fantastic place having a wide surrounding area with activism roots and an active history, which makes it one of the best places to live in San Diego.

In case any repeating food scarcity arises, one can visit the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market.

Hillcrest has numerous tiny yet charming apartments with peaceful atmospheres, thereby proving to be a perfect place to relax and unwind.

9. La Jolla / University City

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A full-fledged San Diego Guide can be devoted to La Jolla or University Town, by whatever name called. The area of this location is immensely vast and it also contains numerous sections.

The campus here consists of many upscale to modest campuses. The elegant restaurants and dainty, posh boutiques here are worth discovering. People who enjoy outdoor activities are fond of heading over to La Jolla Cave and having a glimpse of sea lions.

If it is not possible to visit La Jolla Cave, one can alternatively visit La Jolla beaches and grab some munchies at eateries or spend some chill moments at the bars.

La Jolla is a top hub for many UCSD students. It is located near University City, along with a lovely Torrey Pines park, hence making it on the list of best places to live in San Diego.

10. East Village

Another one of the best places to live in San Diego is East Village provides a Culture Center containing art facilities. This place has the San Diego Padre Stadium for some exciting games and Petco Park.

Also, it has a Central Library. The renting customers have a wide variety to choose from new and upscale apartments and buildings or warehouses that are converted in the city centre.

Several numbers of bars and restaurant openings constantly occur here. Here, a number of craft beer bars are open at each and every corner.

11. Coronado

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The beaches of San Diego have their very own unique lifestyles to offer and Coronado is one among them.

The beach strip that is spread over 1.5 km is an island that offers easy accessibility through Coronado Bridge from Downtown San Diego. The spot was originally created as a resort city and the word literally means ”crown” in the Spanish language.

Coronado Hotel is many years old and soon, turned out to become the best residential area in San Diego. The island cum town consists of 3 diverse communities that offer different advantages for the inhabitants residing in the area.

12. Gaslamp District

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Gaslamp District is a popular neighbouring area situated in San Diego. This place is an attractive spot for tourists. A bar, restaurant, or nightclub are some of the places worth visiting and exploring. The nightlife here should also never be missed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In a place like San Diego, the neighbouring localities are never quiet. One can also think of spending their leisure time during weekends at a lively nightclub or a bar.

Gaslamps are accessible in the San Francisco area as parking becomes a major issue for tenants on the streets. Nevertheless, it is still considered to be one of the best places to live in San Diego.

13. South Park

Attractively unusual home alternatives to the packed nightlife are offered by the southern boundary of Balboa Park.

South Park has become a desirable neighbourhood since the 1906 streetcar line connected South Park to San Diego thereby leading to an economic boom and making it one of the best places to live in San Diego.

At South Park, the tree-lined streets are famous for their Colonial Revival-style homes and striking craftsmen displays, out of which many were constructed and established many years ago, in the early to mid-1900s.

14. Solana Beach

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Photo by 12019 on Pixabay, Copyright 2022

Solana Beach is known to be the Malibu of San Diego. It is constructed on steep cliffs that overlook the sea. How enchanting it would feel to open the windows in the early morning to enjoy and embrace the sweet smell of sea breezes or hear crashing waves!

Solana Beach has many cafes and restaurants, therefore it is one of the best places to live in San Diego. The place has an excellent blend that beautifully combines the urban vibes and the suburbs, and good schools.

The median cost of homes in La Jolla is around $1 million whereas, in Solana Beach, the cost is comparatively lower. However, the average rent in the La Jolla area cost slightly lower than $4500 per month.

15. Pacific Highlands Ranch

Amongst many other surrounding alternatives in San Diego, Pacific Highlands Ranch is quite easy to get to. Around 50% of this area is covered by natural habitats.

This location is pure bliss for all nature lovers. Visitors can experience a never-ending display of unique paths full of natural habitats.

It is also to be noted that the living costs here are tremendously high since it is one of the most demanded neighbourhoods with an average monthly rent of about 2500 and a median home price of 1.4M.

16. Carlsbad

Carlsbad is a famous urban spot situated in San Diego and one of the best places to live in San Diego. This place is ideally suited for those people who are looking for a great place in order to change their life-pace without compromising on coffee outlets and amazing restaurant alternatives.

Talking about the average home cost and annual rents, the estimated figures are about $800000 and $3500 respectively.

Also, in recent times, Carlsbad has started restoring the outdoor recreation facilities and also getting their children familiar with the brilliant educational hospitalities of the city.

17. Torrey Pines 

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Photo by Jameshayes1111 on Pixabay, Copyright 2022

Many golf enthusiasts are from Torrey Pines. Also, there are many golf legends who have played the famous Torrey Pine’s Golf Course.

The reason why Torrey Pines is so loved in California is the Torrey Pines state-owned Natural Reserve. This place is a paradise on earth for those people who like to be in close proximity to nature.

Key Takeaway

Well, that was all about the best places to live in San Diego. According to me, the ideal place to reside and start a family in San Diego County is Carmel Valley. The people residing here have a majority of positive reviews.

Residing in Carmel Valley offers its residents a rich, luxurious feel and a majority of the residents there own their homes.

At Carmel-by-the-Sea, a lot of bars, parks, coffee shops, and restaurants are situated. There are also many retirees living there that tend to have moderate political opinions.

Carmel Valley also has a good ranking within the local school system.

Anyway, everybody got their own preferences and thus it is better to have full-fledged information from this article and then head on to find your next space.

Also, read—10 Best Things To Do In Southern California

FAQs

  1. Which is the best area to reside in San Diego?

Ans. Some of the best areas to stay in San Diego are – Encinitas, East Village, and La Jolla.

2. Is San Diego worth living in?

Ans. yes, it is one of the best places to live in California. San Diego offers the best climate, society, food and school so undoubtedly it will be a great place to reside in.

3. Which is the coldest month in San Diego?

Ans. December is the coldest month in San Diego.

 

Last Updated on June 11, 2023 by somya909