Take it with me or????
 

I'm moving to San Diego in a few months to finish up and college and more then likely stay there and not move back to Sacramento. I heard having a car there can be a hassle and I don't know what to do with my Boxster,seeing that I've never driven in San Diego before,my friends and family have always driven around. That being said I will more then likely be living near the 'college area'. I need some San Diegoins advice-

-Is a Boxster a car I can keep outside without worrying? How bad is vandalism in San Diego? Keep in mind my car will probably be around a ton of college people almost 100% of the time.

-How bad is traffic and parking in San Diego? I hated the LA freeway when I've driven on it.

-Should I sell my Boxster and downgrade to a Z3? Z3s can be had for only $5-8k in great shape.

-Is it worth having a car there as a student?

San Diego's great place to have a convertible and I don't know if a Boxster would be subject to more vandalism than a Z3. It sounds as if you're looking at the area around SDSU. There are quiet college areas and others that play host to a lot of parties. Your lifestyle will be your guide. Good luck and welcome to San Diego!

Blink,
Two of my kids just finished school at UCSD. Both had cars that were always left on the street and both had break in issues. The Honda Civic Dx was stolen and recovered three times in Mira Mesa. :mad: The last guy was caught and is now doing 3 years.

The number one reason cars are broken into or stolen there... Aftermarket stereo. We put the stock radio back in and no one touched it again. If you must leave your car on the street just put on a car cover at night so the bad guys can't see inside. Too much trouble and they will just move on. Also carry insurance.

Very active PCA in San Diego with driving events every month at Qualcomm Stadium.

You can read up a thread that I started called "The Fear" for some encouraging words, but sometimes there's not much choice as to how much you can do, don't take night classes and try to live in some gated apartments.

I think I posted about not worrying in the 'fear' thread,but I was assuming that was under different circumstances.

I can careless in Sacramento,where my car goes,where it's left because it's not a problem getting a decent sized parking spot where I can leave my car for 10+ hours. But just from what I've heard and seen in SD,it's seems very crowded,parking would be a pain(with moving it every two hours and what not) and wondering if having a car there would be worth it,considering I'll mostly just be going to school,the gym and work.

Hey Blink,

welcome to SD in the near future. My little brother goes to SDSU .. and he complains about the traffic/parking situations. I'll talk to him and find out the best and safest parking lots or areas to park in . Sd is great for the Box ! .. considering where in the college area and rooming/living situation is.. i hope you bring it out.

If you don't bring it down.. you are welcome to take mine for a spin to take care of any cravings


Patrick :cheers:

Yeah you're right it was a little bit of different circumstances but I think if it's going to cause you more worry, stress and grief to have it there, than it might not be worth it. But also weigh in how you'd feel not having it anymore... tough decision! As I stated before try not to take any night classes and finding a gated community/apartment complex would easily help you sleep better at night.. one with a personal garage would be even better, but prices would go up too, and as a college student it's best to keep costs down, trust me I know!

Tip-
Get an on campus parking pass and just park in one of the structures. They are expensive but totally worth it. You will want a car to get around SD easily.

SD Region PCA is one of the most active and fun regions I've been in. Or at least as of 86 when I left.

As was posted it is great top down country, and if the beach and PCH are too cold or froggy you can head east into the hills for severe great driving and much warmer/hot/hotter weather.

The beach cruising is great up PCH all the way to Santa Barbara and beyond.

I hope you are able to take PCH on your way south. Incredible near Monterrey, Big Sur, and Carmel of course all the way to Malibu and points south.

Good luck with your studies. SD is a fun, fun place. Traffic has gotten a bit much for me, but the area is still a threat to students that cannot focus despite the attractions.

There's no way I'd live in SD area without a car. There's just too much to see and do to have to rely on someone else for a ride. Sure, the public trans is there but who the heck wants that when you have a Boxster.

There's hardly a better car to own in that area, not to mention cruising up and down US 101 or even taking some of the most scenic twisty roads found anywere heading up to the moutains (Julian, Mt Palomar, and even over the mountains into the desert. Its your call, and your priority is to finish your degree, but I'd take the car.

Hopefully you'll find a parking area on or near campus that will minimize risks.

Hey, Robert! Good luck on your move and study @ SD.

TAKE YOUR CAR TO SAN DIEGO!!!

You CANNOT live in San Diego and NOT have a car!

I was born in San Diego
I went to college in San Diego (UCSD)
I went to grad school in San Diego (USD)
I now live in Temecula, 40 min north of San Diego - some consider it a San Diego "suburb"..so many San Diegans moved up there...
I am in San Diego every other weekend as I have countless relatives and friends still living there.

Where are you going to school? UCSD, USD, SDSU, downtown, somewhere else?

If you have your boxster you can:

Take a cruise along the coast from La Jolla through Torrey Pines, all the way to Carlsbad on the PCH! Beautiful. Stop off for the views and lunch anywhere...

Take a drive from San Diego out through Ramona/Poway to Julian for apple picking season - homemade pie, bread, etc etc etc. The roads to Julian are like a nonstop autocross course..

Take a drive to Palomar - anothe set of roads that are frequented by car clubs and motorcyclists..

Head slightly north to Temecula and take the backroads all the way to Palm Springs - the "Palms to Pines" freeways is a roller coaster ride - and when you get to your destination - Palm Desert - you stop off at the Riverwalk mall where you have your choice of Cheesecake factory, teh Yardhouse, Flemings Steakhouse, PFChangs, Babes Ribs, etc - oh they have starbucks, winetasting, and Cohiba cigar lounge - I could spend the whole WEEKEND at this place.. :)

i could keep going on ...

take the car man! besides, you know you're going to hook up with some hot chicks at school - and you need to have a cool top down car to take them with. If I was going back to college (that actually sounds like fun!) I'd want the box - it certainly won't hurt you with the ladies. and that's half of what college was about..... at least it should be.....

and if for no other reason - life is short. enjoy it. if you still like your car, don't get rid of it because of some practicality issue. i mean, if y ou have to get rid of it due to a financial hardship or some other life changing event - then you do what you have to do. but if you are going to swap it for a Z3.... blech..... keep the boxster.

when you get down here look me up. we'll take one of those drives!

Hey Patrick!

Nice to see you still visit this forum.

I'm not sure Sarah would be too happy about you loaning your car to a stranger :)

James

23109VC, you really put goosebumps on my arms. Those were some of my favorite routes. The last time I really hung the 914's tail way out was on the way up Mt Palomar.

Man, I'd forgotten about Julian. I hope it still the quaint lil spot it was in my day.

Now that you tickled my memory I'd add taking the bridge to Coronado and then down the Silver Strand stopping for the expensive-but-worth-it date impressing Sunday brunch at the Hotel Del and then on southward past the Amphib Base back to the mainland.

Blinkwatt, let 23109 be your spiritual adviser! :cheers:

If I was downtown and a student I would probably just have a bike. SD is a wondeful place to ride a motorcycle. They are cheap to buy, cheap to run.

Nothing like tooling up the Coast highway on a bike.

If you get a nice second hand bike, no one will bother it. Of course, you need a secure lock and a nice strong sign or tree.

Think about it.

That is not an option for me. I spend countless hours on my physique. The probability of my body being damaged permanently are a lot higher in a motorcycle compared to a car.

Thanks for the thought though.