re: #7 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel
You mentioned California. Lots of crowded (relatively speaking) neighborhoods in San Diego. Housing here is outrageously expensive - it’s as if we’ve decided the past decade or so that we have to catch up to SF in housing prices.
For you I’d recommend the following neighborhood, in which years ago I’ve had friends reside and a mentor too. Considered highly desirable for the young professional, a lot of retired people too: zillow.com
It’s one of the neighborhoods in which many houses were built before WWII and are scaled smaller than today’s McMansions, but at the time were considered nice.