As of this past weekend, I have officially lived on the Balboa Peninsula for one year. A lot of people have misconceptions about what the lifestyle, cost of living, and etc. amount to in a place like the Balboa Peninsula, so I thought I would provide a case study.
With the disclaimer that my living scenario may not be typical, I don't think it is so much of a stretch that other such scenarios would be impossible to find. In any event- here is the breakdown of my fixed annual costs:
Living Expense: $865/mo
Utility Bills: $80-85/mo
Total Annual Fixed Expenses: $11047.95
Obviously, this doesn't include any meal, entertainment, vehicle, insurance, phone or gas bill spending, but those vary wildly amongst people and are not correlated highly enough with geographical location for me to divulge the details of my finances, but it should give you a baseline of what is needed to live here. So that is the price.
But what is the value? Well... that gets me a 2 bedroom in the lower half of a duplex, 50 yards from the boardwalk, two blocks south of the main cluster of eating and entertainment venues on the Peninsula. I can walk to just about anything I need, and am generally surrounded by like minded individuals, although I will say that the tourist crowd from June-September can get a bit annoying at times. But its nothing that can't be cured by a run on the boardwalk with the ocean breeze giving you the energy to keep going. I can walk or bike to a number of different harbors, to hop on a sailboat or yacht with my more aquatic-minded friends. And lastly, there is no shortage of hole in the wall eateries that only residents would know about, and I am discovering new ones all the time.
So if you care to find out more about this place, whether you're thinking about renting or buying, I'd be happy to share my knowledge. Get in touch with me however you see fit, and we'll chat.
-Jake
Email: jkucheck@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/OCPro
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