If you live in San Diego, then you know how important wellness is here in our city. I love sharing all that I've learned as a resident and real estate agent here, so I was more than happy to be quoted as a San Diego real estate expert by Travel + Leisure in their article that ranks the 9 Best Cities For a Healthy Lifestyle. Check out my contribution here.
What makes San Diego stand out as a place to live, both in terms of lifestyle and the housing options available? Are there particular neighborhoods, home types, or price points that are especially popular?
"San Diego stands out from other cities because of its outstanding weather and beautiful beaches, obviously, but what really makes life here different is the laid-back lifestyle. This is a place where people really slow down in their everyday lives. It's not a hustle-bustle city like Los Angeles or New York -- surf culture here is a very real thing. Dog culture here is a very real thing. We get a lot of transplants from LA and the Bay Area looking for a slower pace, and San Diego is their city of choice. No matter what your favorite recreational activity is, you can do it here practically every single day of the year, and practically anywhere. There is a focus on fitness, wellness, farmer's markets, and being outdoors. It's very common to see yoga classes in the park and at the beach, and even parasailers launching from a beach overlook. Boating culture is very big here, with people from around the world maintaining slips in our marina.
"San Diego stands out from other cities because of its outstanding weather and beautiful beaches, obviously, but what really makes life here different is the laid-back lifestyle. This is a place where people really slow down in their everyday lives. It's not a hustle-bustle city like Los Angeles or New York -- surf culture here is a very real thing. Dog culture here is a very real thing. We get a lot of transplants from LA and the Bay Area looking for a slower pace, and San Diego is their city of choice. No matter what your favorite recreational activity is, you can do it here practically every single day of the year, and practically anywhere. There is a focus on fitness, wellness, farmer's markets, and being outdoors. It's very common to see yoga classes in the park and at the beach, and even parasailers launching from a beach overlook. Boating culture is very big here, with people from around the world maintaining slips in our marina.
Metro San Diego is filled with micro-markets, so where you live is strongly tied to what your lifestyle will be. If you are near the coast, you'll be spending a lot of time at the water, and you'll be paying a hefty premium for that privilege. If you are further inland, your outdoor time will likely be more hiking and trail focused because that's just easier to access. What's unique about San Diego is that, instead of having everything centered in one downtown area, most neighborhoods here already have a small downtown of their own, so it's easy to walk to coffee or a meal. On top of that, we have a lot of historic homes, so each neighborhood has its own architectural flavor. For urban style and high-rises, you have Downtown San Diego, which is a haven for second-home owners. For easy access to Balboa Park, which is where you'll find our famous zoo and museums, you have Banker's Hill, Hillcrest, North Park and South Park, all of which wrap around the park. These are very popular areas filled with Craftsman-style and Spanish-style homes, with newly built modern structures tossed in here and there. The detached homes in these areas tend to be smaller because of when they were built, and the living is dense, with smaller lot sizes and limited parking. A bit further north and east in the city you have the popular areas of Normal Heights, Kensington, and Talmadge. There you will find more historic homes of all styles, from Tudors to Spanish-styles to ramblers. These are all high-demand areas because of their charm and walkability. The median sales price for a single-family house in these areas is well over a million dollars, so any property that comes with an accessory dwelling unit that can be rented out will be especially popular.
If you head north up the coast away from San Diego proper, you'll discover what's known as "the jewel of the sea," which is La Jolla, world-famous for its beaches, shopping, luxury homes, and stunning natural beauty. Here you can find everything from small, beachy cottages to multi-million dollar estates. Because of its desirability, it's not surprising that the median price for a condo in La Jolla is $1.3M and for a single-family home it's over $3.3M. People from around the world buy real estate in La Jolla, and these are often second, third, fourth homes for those purchasers."
What aspects of the San Diego community make it particularly supportive of a healthy lifestyle—like parks, trails, fitness centers, or access to fresh food markets?
"It's very easy to have a healthy lifestyle in San Diego, particularly because life really takes place here outside. The communities in and around the city offer a year-round, nonstop array of festivals, activities, and events for residents, almost all of which encourage people to be outdoors and to be social. Virtually every neighborhood in metro San Diego has its own weekly farmers market, and there are usually additional music festivals, cultural celebrations, and community gatherings throughout the year in each neighborhood. You can hardly go anywhere on any given weekend where there isn't some type of special event happening. Even if you plan to do something simple like go to the mall, that mall is very likely going to be an outdoor one, with people walking their dogs in and out of the stores."
Kimberly Schmidt, San Diego Real Estate Expert
Here is a link to the article: Travel + Leisure Ranks the Top 9 Cities For a Healthy Lifestyle