Nice area to live near San Marcos, CA?

Question

Hi

My work is in San Marcos, CA.
I am looking for a nice area to move around San Marcos / Carlsbad.

I'm single and 23, so a young dynamic area would be great... any idea?

Thanks

Answer 1

San Marcus is ok. Oceanside or Carlsbad are better but a little bit more expensive. There is a little town n the beach called Leucadia that is very laid back and cool. The further you go inland the worse the weather is. Stay away from Fallbrook, Escondido, and Bonsall. If I were 23 again I would live anywhere close to the beach. Also check out the North County Transit System. There are buses, trains, and trollies that will get you all around San Diego county al the way down to Mexico. It's cheap and faster then getting stuck on the freeways. Night life is in San Diego in an area called GasLamp. Lotsa of clubs and great nightlife. Just as a useful tip get a roommate. It's pretty expensive to live in the area but it is the best place there is to live.

Answer 2

If you are 23, I don't think Escondido is for you. Very much not an area geared for young adults.

I'd recommend the Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas areas, within a couple of miles of the coast.

The area of Carlsbad close to Carlsbad Village Dr., within one mile of the coast, has it all...restaurants, bars, beautiful beaches, weekend Farmers Market, lively village atmosphere. A very walkable town. Twice a year they have a street festival which is the largest one day festival in the US with hundreds of vendors. And the Coaster train, which you can take to the Gaslamp area in San Diego, has a stop right there in town.

Encinitas would be another good possibility in terms of having restaurants and entertainment plus a funky beach atmosphere. I'd rate that as second to Carlsbad Village Dr. area of Carlsbad. Even though it's a few miles from San Marcos, you'd be traveling against traffic patterns so I think it'd work well for you.

Neither of those communities are prohibitively expensive. You can always go a mile or two inland to get good deals, or get a roommate. Better that than live by yourself in the more-affordable Escondido but have a limited social life.

(Not sure if you're in town already versus heading this way, but here's a suggestion. Hang out at Pizza Port in Carlsbad - 571 Carlsbad Village Dr - on any football Sunday. Toss down a few of their choice microbrews, gobble down a few slices of their awesome pizza, chat with some locals while you watch the game, and then, maybe stroll down a few blocks to the beach and watch the world pass by and the panoramic coastal view. If you aren't thinking that this is good living, I have no idea where you'd really want to live.)

Answer 3

Hi, the proble is that the entire San Diego county area is way expensive, like 6 to 8 times that of other states. A one bedroom apartment for example in the San Marcos area rents for over $1200 a month on the low side while the national avarage would be only about $475 a month. For the slightly better value, consider Escondido.

Answer 4

The worst possible areas in San Diego are El Cajon, Southeast San Diego, San Ysidro, and parts of Oceanside. As far as your list: * Encinitas- Very nice city * Imperial Beach- Poorer neighborhood; not the greatest * Lemon Grove- Decent * Poway- Decent as well * San Marcos- Not the greatest, not the worst either * Santee- Good neighborhood, but its on the outskirts. * Vista- Has some nice parts, also some bad All in all, Encinitas is the nicest one on the list, and probably one of the best in San Diego =)

Answer 5

Encinitas

Answer 6

I would also recommend Escondido. Carlsbad is on the coast so rent is still high.