So today we are going to go local and talk about 7 neighborhoods that are amazing places to live in San Diego. I admit, I went a little blog heavy the last few weeks on all the real estate market stuff happening right now in San Diego because its borderline crazy and fascinating but… it’s time to go local and hop back into some local content on the fun side.

The top seven neighborhoods in San Diego:

Kensington

So let’s get this started with neighborhood number one which is going to be Kensington. If you are looking for the type of neighborhood were people wave to each other, say hello, watch out for each other, know each other by name, then Kensington might be the place for you. Every time I go to Kensington, I cannot get over how clean and how quiet it is. Many of the homes are red tiled white stucco Spanish style.

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I think the neighborhood looks fantastic. It also has its on downtown area located off Adams Avenue. Here’s the best part: You don’t get the automobile traffic like some of the other neighborhoods nearby because Adamas Avenue dead ends in Kensington. It’s like a giant cul de sac. Living options are going to be mostly houses but there are some condos and some apartments available to live.

Leucadia

So for neighborhood number two I picked one that I have been spending a ton of time in this year. It’s also the place I usually mention when anyone asks me about up and coming San Diego neighborhoods. It’s going to be Leucadia. Leucadia is confusing to a lot of people, even a lot of San Diego natives. Leucadia is technically part of Encinitas but it is so distinctly its own neighborhood. It’s first and foremost a beach town located right on the coastline. The surf spots here are world class. The shops and restaurants along coast highway are incredible. No big name big box types of places. Mostly locally owned smaller types of places.

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Spending time cruising around feels like you are somewhere else. I get tropical Hawaii vibes. I love it down there. Most options to live here are going to be homes but there are some apartments and condos available.

Little Italy

For number three, let’s talk about Little Italy. If you are looking for a place to live that is full of energy, is the place to be, the place to be seen, that type of stuff, Little Italy is going to be for you. India Street and Kettner Avenue are lined with some of the regions best restaurants, shops, ice cream shops, wine bars, actually speaking of ice cream shops. One of the biggest lines in the entire Little Italy area is not going to be for a show, it’s not going to be for a bar, it’s not going to be for a restaurant. The longest line hands down 7 days a week is going to be the line to get ice cream at salt and straw on West Date Street and India street. Why? It’s good, real good. What’s the second longest line? It’s going to be the wait to get on the waiting list for breakfast favorite Morning Glory. Try them out, super good.

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The best part other than the activity and energy is going to be walkability. That’s a word we don’t use that often in San Diego to describe a neighborhood but Little Italy but Little Italy is highly walkable. There is an amazing farmers market twice a week on West Date Street right through the famous Piazza Della Famiglia. Living here, expect to live in  condo or an apartment. There are a few homes around but just a handful. And for the ones that exist, I’m not sure anyone lives in half of them. The other half seem to be vacation rentals.

La Mesa

Number four on my list is going to be La Mesa. It is popular with millennials, families, retirees, and pretty much has something for everyone. It has great schools, parks for the kids, amazing hiking trails, Lake Murray for water sports (actually it kind of shares lake Murray with San Carlos), it’s very own downtown with amazing restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and everything in between.

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It has a farmers market each week. It’s an older community but it’s growing like crazy right now. For living, expect regular homes to be an option, condos, and apartments. The prices on condos are actually pretty reasonable for San Diego standards.

Normal Heights

Number five on my list is going to be Normal Heights. It’s amazing how many times I hear people confuse Normal Heights with North Park, maybe Kensington, or even City Heights. It is it’s own neighborhood. It has its own strip of restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, salons lined along Adams Avenue. Adams Avenue park is an awesome place to relax at. Or even catch a show since they have their own outdoor amphitheater. If you like craftsman style homes and Spanish bungalows, this is going to be your place.

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Besides being conveniently located between two major freeways, the walkability factor here is high. You probably don’t need a car that much. The real estate here tends to be slightly less than its more expensive neighbors as well. At least for now. If you are looking at North Park and Kensington, don’t forget about Normal Heights.

San Carlos

I went back and forth on neighborhood number 6 because it’s right next door to my pick for number four La Mesa. It’s going to be San Carlos. San Carlos is an amazing little community. It often gets confused with La Mesa because they are right next to each other but they are not the same. The schools are amazing. There is an awesome family friendly environment, close proximity for all the hiking at Mission Trails and all the recreation available at Lake Murray. Hiking at Mission Trails is amazing by the way. Give their 5 Peak Challenge a try. San Carlos is not as walkable as some of my other picks but it has the restaurants, shops, shopping centers, and everything else you could possibly need. They are just a little more spread out. It’s also a great location for commuters, very close to the freeway system.

Check out San Carlos homes for sale: https://bit.ly/3cpLcXG

It’s a very low key community driven neighborhood. Living options here are going to be homes, some condos and some apartments. Most of the homes are 1950’s and 1960’s builds. Some are what you might consider a fixer but many have been renovated or refurbished back to their original glory days. Amazing little community.

Poway

Drum roll, ok not really but number 7 is going to be Poway. People often think of Poway as being in North San Diego but it’s really not, it’s located in between the north and east central San Diego, right around the 15 freeway. Great schools, phenomenal shopping centers, low crime rates, a very suburban type fell. Poway is incredibly popular. There are parts that feel extremely rural and after about 2 minutes in a car ride they turn into modern suburbia in a heartbeat. This surprises a lot of people when I tell them: Do you know where a lot of the professional athletes live, the famous celebrities, even a few famous youtubers live. If you said Rancho Santa Fe that would be correct! but what a lot of people don’t know is they also live in Poway. There is a very specific part of Poway. I don’t want to spill the beans on here but if you see me out, ask.

Check out Poway homes for sale: https://bit.ly/2GrqxWr

Poway also has a huge project coming up called The Farm in Poway. It’s getting a ton of attention right now. I think it sounds pretty amazing myself. Poway is very clean, people tend to be very friendly. It’s also very close commute for many of the large companies nearby such Sony, Qualcomm, Apple, and so many more. One quick tip. Poway is considered a severe fire zone for just about all parts. Take that into consideration when moving here. It’s a real thing, just check your Poway insurance quotes if you don’t believe me.

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