Best place to live (soccer wise) in So Cal

Surf Zombie said:
Hey All,

A move to So. Cal. from the east coast could be in our future in the next 12-18 months, depending on a couple of job realated opportunities.

Realistically, we could end up anywhere from Orange County to San Diego, so we started looking at different communities, school systems and of course soccer clubs.

We have a very strong 07 daughter and an 09 son, who is just learning the game. Both currently play for a very good club in our area.

From researching online I feel like I am starting to get a feel for the better clubs at the girls 07 age (SD Surf, SoCal Blues, Slammers, etc.)

Any thoughts on good places to live and raise a family in So. Cal? Won't be buying a ten million dollar house, but anything upper middle class-ish would be a consideration.

Thanks for any insight.
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I would look at a lot of things, and proximity to a good soccer team would be very low on my list. Finding the best school system should be #1.
 
If you are veering toward SD County, I would definitely consider Poway. It is a little further East from the Ocean, but I agree with Kicknit22, they have a great school district, great community for all sports, and probably the best bang for your buck in this expensive housing market if you want to stay somewhat central in the county. You can find some older fixer uppers or newer homes that are more move in ready, so lots of options and variety. If you are renting, the rental rates are typically pretty competitive. As far as soccer goes, there are a lot of different clubs within striking distance. This way you don't have to feel like you are limited to just the closest club.
 
Glad to see all the San Diego posts. I agree, Carmel Valley or 4S Ranch (Poway USD) are excellent choices. With one caveat, you have to like Suburbia. Most people are fine with that, but in case you are someone who likes a more urban, older, and maybe less sterile environment, I figured I would add another option to consider.

San Diego has some excellent upper-middle class urban neighborhoods. They include Bird Rock, Point Loma, Mission Hills, Kensington, and North Park. If your vision of southern California is palm tree lined streets full of Spanish bungalows, then these are the places to check out.

Your soccer choices are more limited unless you are willing to sit in traffic for hours. Basically you have Albion (http://albionsoccer.org/index.html). But it is an excellent, large club with lots of play levels for players of different abilities and when the kids get older, DA programs for both boys and girls.

The other issue with these urban neighborhoods is like all urban areas, the public schools suck at middle school and high school. You can find lots of great elementary schools. If you can afford private school, then you are golden. A neighborhood such as Mission Hills gives you walking access to a great private school, it is 5 minutes to downtown San Diego, has great, local independent shops and restaurants, and is a five minute drive to the Albion training fields which are a 200 yard walk from the beach. Which is probably the greatest advantage of Albion that I know of from a parent's point of view. Drop the kids at practice and then take the dog for a walk on the beach. There are much worse ways to spend an afternoon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Hills,_San_Diego

http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/June-2014/Neighborhood-Guide-Mission-Hills/

http://missionhillsheritage.org/districts.htm
 
OP here. Just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the thoughtful replies. Great information. Lots of reasearch to do.

Be glad you live where you do. We've got our first Spring outdoor tournament scheduled for this weekend and it's going to be in the 30's and windy.

Plus, the Surf has been flat for a week. Awesome!
 
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