Separated by a bridge, Downtown San Diego and Coronado share the same weather and spectacular views, but offer uniquely different lifestyles. Downtown is high-density urban living at its best, in high-rise condominiums and loft apartments close to restaurants, museums, shopping, parks, libraries, concerts and major league baseball.

Across the bay, Coronado is an island town known for its quiet neighborhoods, stately homes, and world-class beaches and resorts. Comparing the two in terms of getting started in real estate can be informative for those buyers looking in both areas.

Whether one decides to purchase in San Diego or Coronado, residents of each community often visit the other to enjoy a change of scenery, shops, restaurants and activities.

To illustrate the difference of getting started in either market, let’s look at a typical entry-level condo in Coronado, and compare it to a property with similar features in downtown.

Coronado

Currently listed for sale in Coronado is an 805 square foot, 2- bedrooms, 2-baths condo with an asking price of $499,000. This charming Coronado condo is recently remodeled and painted, with hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, crown molding, and recessed lighting. The location is central to restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and schools, and is situated in a small, eight-unit complex without amenities.

Downtown

Downtown San Diego has a much larger inventory of properties in this price range, so for comparison purposes I limited my search to downtown condos with 600 square feet or more, 2 bedrooms, and a maximum price of $600,000.

Downtown San Diego has a larger inventory of properties under $600,000

While my search yielded 109 available properties downtown matching this criteria, I found only 6 such properties currently for sale in Coronado.
The closest downtown match to our Coronado condo is a 2- bedroom, 2-bath condominium with similar features listed for sale at $270,000 — almost half the cost!

This adorable home in the Porta d’italia complex has 911 square feet and is located in Little Italy, a desirable downtown neighborhood in close walking distance to restaurants and shopping, including the Saturday farmers market.

The building is relatively new, built in 2004. This condo features granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. It has an open floor plan from the kitchen to living room, and split bedrooms for privacy. There are amenities for residents which include a fitness center, common area patio/deck with bay views, and lovely, newly renovated entry/foyer.

If you’re considering buying in downtown San Diego or Coronado, or have questions about real estate or lifestyle in either community, please call me at 619-246-8400.