OB, PB, La Jolla?

These are hardly the 9 best neighborhoods in San Diego. I could name 9 beach communities and others that are $2 million to $10 million. These are formerly low rent neighborhoods that are vaguely affordable. I lived in Santee for 15 years. Being able to commute on the trolley is a huge plus if it works for you. Not particularly near anything. I would strongly suggest renting in any of these neighborhoods for a year before you buy. Buying and selling a house costs tens of thousands of dollars. You don't want to make mistakes. I looked to buy rentals for 10 years. There are individual blocks that are much cooler than the surrounding neighborhood, but you would never notice if you didn't live there. Hence, be a local who conducts an extensive search before you buy. Beach area property is a competition bought by the highest earners who are willing to shell out the most, the top 10%.

You didn’t include much for a young couple moving to SD

Tierrasanta is one word lol my family used to live there in the 80s