re: Why is San Diego such a nice "big" city?

SD is a great place to visit, but if quality of life means more to you than the weather, enjoy your visit.

I have lived here for over 20 years and watched the growth for this period continue from either weather seekers or that border below. This place is filled with people not from here, including myself. The population of born and raised is far outweighed by those who come here for a week, lose their shite over the weather and pack their trash for little need of an A/C. The weather is legit, but there are other places in this world that share the same distinction for far more quality of life.

If you got bank, come on over. If you are willing to pay 1.5 mil for a property you can get anywhere else for 450K...for the weather, have at it. Highest gas prices in the country, grocery cost that will make you shake your head and out of control rent. Fire season and no rain. That weather tho. Drive 30 minutes east and add 15 degrees. Another hour and some of the hottest deserts on earth are waiting. Pretty in the spring tho.

No denying that there is plenty to do here, but the schools are questionable, your kid will likely wear a mask and remember, no one is from here. There is zero sense of community, some of the worse HOA's on the planet ran by libs. I wouldn't blame the person who came here with a short-term plan to live for a minute, but do yourself a solid by spending 10-20 here before declaring retirement in SD. You will however, have access to the largest crawfish boil on earth, so there's that. Pretty decent size of alumni here, but half are assholes just like anywhere else.

Give and take, but this place is more take than give. I have hit my time here and moving to NE Georgia in a couple of weeks. I will remember the good times on the way out, but I really look forward to what is to come. Perks of the job, I get to come back to visit.