Why I Moved to San Diego: A Transplant Interview Series
When I moved from San Francisco to San Diego in 2023, the first question everyone asked was why? Since then, I’ve met so many transplants, and every one of them has their own answer. I hope anyone considering a move to San Diego fins this interview series helpful.
Why I Moved to San Diego is my interview series with people who chose San Diego. Amy left San Francisco, tried rainy Seattle, and landed in San Diego for the ocean.
Karen: Tell me a little bit about who you are, what you do, and how long you’ve been in San Diego.
Amy (name changed): I’m a 33-year-old woman who’s spent about 11 years in California. I’ve been in San Diego for three and a half of those years. Before that, I lived in San Francisco and worked in the tech industry, and I had a brief stint in Seattle, but it was way too rainy. I’m married, and we have a dog.
Karen: So you were in San Francisco, then Seattle, and three and a half years ago you moved to San Diego. What made you decide to leave, and how did you choose San Diego?
Amy: If you live in a city where the main industry is super homogeneous, you might relate to this. I went to San Francisco to grow in the tech world and do the rat race. After a while, it got really tiring that everyone I met had similar hobbies, similar interests, and similar conversation topics. Not to be stereotypical, but there were a lot of high-achieving people who loved board games and hiking. I like those things too sometimes, but I like other stuff as well, and I didn’t always want to be around people who make over $200K. It started to feel really homogeneous, and that was one of the things that pushed me away from San Francisco.
It’s not that I came to San Diego looking for people who make less money. I wanted to explore the ocean more, I wanted a place where tech wasn’t the only focus, and after a year in Seattle, I wanted somewhere sunny. That’s what drew me to San Diego.
Karen: A note for readers: I met Amy through diving. We connected originally through mutual friends, but we really connected through the hobby. I also used to live in San Francisco and found it pretty similar. Amy, since you’re married, how did that decision come about? Were you and your husband on the same page about where to go?
Amy: I was the one with the strong opinion. I said, “Let’s leave San Francisco,” and we actually bought a house in Seattle, which was kind of a dumb 27-year-old decision. We weren’t married yet at the time. My husband went along with it: “Okay, fine, this is what you want.” Then he ended up hating it. He was a full-time triathlete back then, and biking in the rain sucks. I could see his misery forming. I was trying my best to enjoy it, but I found it a lot harder to make friends there.
Seattle is even more tech-obsessed than San Francisco, except their tech is basically three big companies, so there aren’t even cool startups. I was at a party once and someone said, “He got promoted to L6 at Microsoft.” I asked, “What’s L6?” and they said, “You don’t know what L6 is?” I don’t need to know your company’s level system!
Eventually my husband said, “I cannot live here anymore, Amy.” He pulled what we call a “Malala,” from the movie Booksmart, where one friend gets to tell the other, “I need you to do this for me.” So we left. It was a big deal to sell a house after only a year and a half, so since he was the one making us leave, I got to choose where we went. All in all, it turned out great. We’re both happy.
Karen: When you researched San Diego, did you talk to people living here, or go online and figure out whether it had what you wanted?
Amy: I had total tunnel vision on the diving scene. I’d bought diving gear in Seattle, but there you need a 7mm open-cell wetsuit, which is really hard to get into, and the water is murky and cold. I kept looking up spearfishing and freediving courses, and they were all in San Diego. At first I just wanted to take trips down, then I realized I couldn’t keep flying somewhere every time I wanted to dive. Let’s just move there.
That was really the only research I did. We rented an Airbnb in Oceanside to check out the scene, and we really liked it. I’m glad we didn’t end up in Oceanside, but it had such a nice vibe. My husband and I are both very impulsive, so after one good weekend we said, “Let’s do it.”
Karen: So you didn’t even stay in central San Diego, you stayed in Oceanside! Did you rent first, or buy right away?
Amy: Oh God, no, we bought, Karen. First we sold our Seattle house in a rush. Our realtor there was thrilled: two transactions from the same couple. Then we lived in Tucson for about three months while my husband trained there, and during that time we decided, against everyone’s advice, to buy. I don’t know why I was so obsessed with buying.
Karen: What year was that?
Amy: 2023. Interest rates were around 5.8%, not pandemic-low, but we figured, why rent when we could own? Everyone said, “Why don’t you try living there first?” which was probably smart advice, but we were impulsive. I don’t regret it. We did end up moving again within San Diego, but only because we were family planning. Otherwise we would’ve stayed. We really enjoyed our place in Bay Park. It’s a really central location.
Karen: And which neighborhood do you live in now?
Amy: On the edge between Point Loma and Ocean Beach, in Point Loma Heights.
Karen: So you would have been happy staying in Bay Park, but you found a place that fit your needs for the future?
Amy: Yes. We wanted more space, because a kid will need more room. And I figured if we were looking anyway, let’s find somewhere walkable and close to the ocean.
Karen: Who is your neighborhood best for, and who should skip it?
Amy: It’s best for people who actually want to get to the ocean regularly, just for a walk or a swim. A lot of people live in San Diego and rarely make it to the beach. If the ocean matters to you and your mental health, this is the place. There are a lot of dive bars, which aren’t my priority, but if you like them, great. Most importantly, it’s very walkable. You can get to a grocery store, tons of liquor stores (haha), and lots of good restaurants, except for Chinese food. Don’t move here if you need that close by.
Karen: Chinese food isn’t too far, though! It’s about a 20-minute drive.
Amy: True. I used to live 12 minutes from Convoy though (when in Bay Park) so I definitely miss that. Now it’s about 20 minutes if you don’t hit I-8 East traffic. I’d also say OB is great for laid-back people. It’s much less hipster than North Park, so you won’t find as many artsy events or low-key performances nearby. You’ll drive to those.
Karen: And you’re into that scene too, so you’re fine with the trade-off: you get to the ocean easy and drive to places like North Park for artsy / music activities and events.
Amy: Totally. And I’m actually in a jazz ensemble that meets in Liberty Station, which is only a seven-minute drive, so that’s very convenient.
Karen: I have to ask about the airplanes over Point Loma. How bad is the noise? Are you used to it?
Amy: Our windows are thick, so with them closed, you barely hear the planes. One’s actually passing over right now, and it’s pretty mild. I’m used to it, but sometimes we complain. It’d be nice to open the windows or sit on the balcony without thinking about noise. When we’re watching a movie at night with the windows open, because AC is expensive, I sometimes have to turn the TV up. And if I’m on a phone call during a walk, I have to mute when a plane goes over, so I feel bad for the person on the other end. When I’m walking with my husband, neither of us notices anymore. You get used to it, but as soon as outsiders come into your space, you suddenly feel self-conscious about it.
Karen: That’s funny. How has moving to San Diego changed your lifestyle and your day-to-day?
Amy: On an intellectual level, I’m no longer in an environment that tricks me into burning myself out at work or being hyper-ambitious. I have the freedom to actually have interests and not feel bad that all my friends are getting promoted and exiting startups. I get to pursue my own hobbies with no judgment.
The people are also so diverse, both in careers and ethnicity. I know many cities have ethnic diversity, but I love it here. I have friends who are military veterans now, which I’d never had before, and friends who are yoga teachers or accountants. Those are normal jobs, but it was genuinely hard to meet people like that in the cities I lived in before. I really enjoy my social group, and everyone is super active. It’s easy to stay active in San Diego because everyone around you is doing it and is always down. I’m healthier, happier, and less burnt out.
Karen: That’s great. And is it okay for readers to know you’re a product manager in tech?
Amy: Yes, and I’m lucky to work remotely. I always feel a little superior when I tell people on work calls I’m based in San Diego. They all say, “I love San Diego!” and I’m like, “Yeah, I live here.” Meanwhile they’re in Fremont.
Karen: I got that a lot on Zoom calls back in my tech days!
Karen: Last question: your top three restaurants anywhere in San Diego?
Amy: Am I blowing up my spots? This isn’t going on TikTok, right? Okay. Sushi Yorimichi, which I love for affordable sushi and great udon. For Chinese, I love Szechuan Chef. It’s right next to Shanxi Magic Kitchen, which gets all the hype, but go to Szechuan Chef for the sour fish soup, lion’s head meatballs, and standard Chinese dishes. And for Mexican, one everybody knows: Tacos El Gordo. The al pastor is really good.
Karen: I went there when I first visited, too. Sushi Yorimichi is great! I’ll have to try Szechuan chef again to see if I like it more (lol).
Karen: Anything else you want to add for readers?
Amy: Yes, on making friends. A lot of my current friend group came from Bumble BFF, which I highly recommend. I think it’s super active in every city. The rest I met through hobbies. Both are great ways to build community. Just don’t use Reddit. I see people post “I want to make friends” there and I think, who are you?
Karen: Thank you so much for your time, Amy!
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