lake compounce: Shops meaning grocery stores, post office, banks, etc. able to walk to/from. Considering either Balboa Park, or National City, somewhere near the Navy Base in San Diego. Which neighborhoods should I avoid renting? Thank you.|||If you'll be working at the naval base you'll want to aim for living in Point Loma. It can be pricey, but not always. It's a great community--safe--and you can walk to the post office, bakeries, grocery stores, etc easily. My other favorite neighborhoods are Mission Hills and Hillcrest. Very community-oriented. Avoid renting in South Bay, Chula Vista, Lincoln Park area, as well as along the majority of University Ave.|||If you're just going to be using the base for services (gas, groceries, etc) then I might recommend Imperial Beach OLF. It has a lot of services that people go to military bases for (including work), the public transit is good in the area, and it has a fair amount of the things you're looking for. I lived in IB most of my young life (until about 7 years ago) and I LOVED it. It has a small-town feel, it's close to the ocean, and it's generally pretty quiet (except during Sand Castle Days!). Otherwise, none of the other bases (Miramar MCAS, North Island NAS, Coronado NAB, 32nd Street NS, Point Loma NTC/ASW, or Fort Rosecrans Military Station) have the resources you need within walking distance. 32nd St. is near National City, but the city is HUGE in and of itself and not necessarily the best neighborhood in some sections, and the base is actually split into two sections (dry side and wet side). It would help to know what it was you needed the base for.....|||hillcrest is your best bet for that there's so much in a small area there stuff everywhere and its right by downtown and two freeways and there's even a hospital and a dmv in the same neighborhood.