Information provided by: Yours truly
Base size: Home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, with 7 subordinate units
On and off-base housing: I do not know what on base housing is like, we lived off
base. For a couple years we lived at La Mirage right down the 15 about 10 minutes from base. The place was nice but the hike in rent every year was not, by the time we left we were paying over $1700 in rent. We then moved to La Mesa to the Reserve on Baltimore, we were paying around $1400 a month for a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment. To get cheaper rent, you'd have to go far out of San Diego up closer to Escondido. Your commute might not be worth it, traffic is horrible around rush hour so it might take you more than an hour to get home.
Neighborhoods to avoid/seek out: Make sure to look at crime rates around San Diego, there can be a good neighborhood on one street and a bad one right next to it. Most parts of La Mesa are nice, we even looked at moving to Alpine but the drive was about 40 minutes in normal traffic.
Exchange and commissary: The exchange is pretty small compared to others we have seen, it's more like a small department store. The commissary is a little older but still ok, just do not go on a payday or you'll be waiting in line for 30-40 minutes to check out. But always did our big grocery trips there because it was $15-$30 cheaper than shopping in town. Vons is the expensive grocery chain, Ralph's and Albertson's are the "cheaper" side but still more expensive than shopping at the commissary. Make sure you get club cards for any grocery store you go to, including the commissary, because it will really help bring the price down.
Attractions/things to do: San Diego is full of things to do, if you have the money to do them. Sea World is free to military one time a year, so is the San Diego Zoo but any dependents only get 10% off their ticket price (which is pretty expensive actually). There are beaches galore, including a great dog beach. In downtown San Diego there's the Gaslamp Quarter, that's where all the nightclubs and high end restaurants are. All of the museums are in Balboa Park, you can get through most of them in one day. Balboa Park itself is pretty, Old Town is pretty nice too and you can take a tour of the famously haunted Whaley House. And of course the Miramar Air Show, definitely check out the Air Show. It lasts all weekend, tickets are free for military usually only on the first day. But it's a fun time!
Pros and cons: Like the rest of San Diego, most of the people are pretty rude. Everyone is in a hurry and no one really seems to care about anyone but themselves. If you're not an aggressive driver, you're going to have to learn quick to be one. Drivers are HORRENDOUS and have no regard for anyone's safety. You'll see people driving on the shoulder during rush hour, motorcycles passing between cars because they can in California, people going 90mph, people cutting across 5 lanes of traffic at 80mph to avoid missing their exit. It's dangerous to drive if you're not completely aware of your surroundings and what other people are doing. The base is pretty but the surrounding area is all businesses and car dealerships.
Important numbers:
Housing Office: 619-556-1803
ID Card Center: (858) 577-9172 or 1421
IPAC: (858) 577-4722
JRC: (858) 577-6602
Miramar Lodge: (858) 271-7111
School Liaison Office (K-12): (858) 577-8625 or (858) 577-6633
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