The Cardiff Kook Run in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA On Superbowl Sunday February 5th!

The 1^st Annual Cardiff Kook Run will be held on Sunday February 5, 2012.

The 5K and 10K run is named after none other than the infamous surfing statue in Cardiff on the Coast Highway, the Cardiff Kook (named the “Magic Carpet Ride” by the sculptor).

The Kook, as it is affectionately called has created quite a stir over the years for the numerous and varied costumes it adorns at holidays and for special events. There is a Cardiff Kook website where you can enjoy the Kook at its best, including a ton of photos, and there is even now a Kook’s Café in Cardiff (formerly the Beach City Café)

The Cardiff Kook Run is sure to attract some great athletes but also should be quite a bit of fun, even if you are just watching. No doubt a bunch of runners will be in costume in honor of the Cardiff Kook. There is even a costume contest!

The 10K race begins at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and heads down the coast through Encinitas, past the Cardiff Kook, to a turn-around at Cardiff State Beach and back. The 5K is a portion of this course.

You can still register on-line for the Cardiff Kook Run.

The Cardiff Kook Run begins at 8:30 am so you will finish in plenty of time to enjoy the Superbowl!

Let’s Talk Trash in Carlsbad – It’s Gonna Cost You More to Get Rid of It

Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14^th is the day in Carlsbad for the public hearing to discuss the proposed solid waste rate increases over the next 5 years, proposed by the City of Carlsbad.

The new rates, if approved, will be effective on July 1 of each of the next 5 years, beginning July 1, 2012.

Residents should all have received the flyer describing the proposed changes but you can review it below and download the flyer if you like.

The City’s solid waste hauler, Waste Management, will have a new contract that includes several new or enhances services so additional funding is needed.

The following are the general improvements offered by Waste Management in the new contract resulting in the proposed higher fees:

New “green” trash trucks mean less pollution

Single stream recycling – everything in one bin

Free rolling carts for trash/recycling/yard waste

Curbside bulky item/e-waste collection

New rates will vary with the size of the bins selected, and rates are proposed to change for multi-family and commercial customers.

Carlsbad residents/property owners have the right to complete and sign a written protest of the proposed rate changes for the City Clerk on or before the close of the hearing on Valentine’s Day.

For more information, call (760) 602-4646 or visit the City of Carlsbad website.

Public Hearing

City of Carlsbad, Council Chambers

1200 Carlsbad Village Drive

Carlsbad, CA  92008

Tuesday Feb. 14 beginning at 6 pm

4^th Annual Brasil Jazz Festa to be held February 26, 2012 in Encinitas CA

The 4^th Annual Brasil Jazz Festa 2012 will take place at the Encinitas public Library in Encinitas on Saturday February 26, 2012. Having been to all the prior concerts, I can tell you it’s great fun and the music is terrific.

Read More – Brasil Jazz Festa 2009 in Encinitas CA (check out the videos)

You can also learn more about the 4^th Annual Brazil Jazz Festa on their Facebook page.

The Brasil Jazz Festa 2012 will begin at 1:30 and last until approximately 4:15 pm.

The Festa will feature a number of San Diego notable jazz musicians/artists, including Allison Adams Tucker, the Danny Green Group, and the David Scheid Group featuring Mark Lamson.

Tickets are only $20 (and worth it) and can be reserved on-line. This is a small and intimate venue so you can really enjoy these musicians up close. And the views of the ocean in the distance aren’t too shabby.

Don’t miss the 4^th Annual Brasil Jazz Festa on February 26, 2012.

Encinitas Public Library

540 Cornish Drive

(a couple blocks east of downtown and Coast Road/Route 101)

Encinitas, CA

The Affordable Art Fair in Los Angeles, January 18 - 22, 2012

The Affordable Art Fair (I’ve never heard of an unaffordable one although some of the auctions you hear about certainly fit the bill) will be held in Los Angeles CA beginning TODAY, Wednesday January 18^th through Sunday the 22^nd.

I mention the Affordable Art Fair Los Angeles for all Southern California art lovers, and because I plan to be there Saturday. 

In our past lives as art gallery owners back in the Boston area we had a good artist friend, Peter Arvidson, whose works we have collected but who also sold very well in our gallery. He shows quite successfully at the Rice Polak Gallery in Provincetown on Cape Cod MA (one of my favorite galleries there), and the gallery, and owner Marla Rice who we know, will be there.

Time for a visit and to shop.

The Affordable Art Fair Los Angeles will feature a wide range of contemporary art work, likely to suit many tastes, and with prices from $100 to $10,000 (and most under $1000), most art lover budgets will be happy.

Tickets for the Affordable Art Fair Los Angeles can be purchased on-line for $20 for 1-day general admission (with other prices for special ticketed events).

Affordable Art Fair Los Angeles

Event Deck at L.A. live

1005 West Chick Hearn Court (parking)

Los Angeles, CA

Things to Do in Carlsbad - Carlsbad Marathon is this Sunday January 22, 2012

in Carlsbad CA

The Tri-City Medical Carlsbad Marathon will take place this weekend, on Sunday January 22, 2012 in Carlsbad.

The Carlsbad Marathons are always popular, with world class runners and plenty of viewers along the course, a significant portion of which is along the beautiful Carlsbad coastline on the historic Route 101/Coast Road (a.k.a. Carlsbad Boulevard).

And of course how many places can you run a marathon in January and not freeze your you-know-what?!

Take a drive with me along historic Route 101 (VIDEO)

In addition to the full marathon, there will be a Half Marathon, as well as a Kids Marathon Mile held at the world-famous Legoland in Carlsbad.

If you live in the area or are visiting, be aware there are some significant road closures for the event, beginning very early Sunday morning (to name a few - east bound lanes of Palomar Airport Road from El Camino to the Coast Road; Carlsbad Boulevard [the Coast Road] from La Costa Avenue all the way to the Buena Vista Lagoon).

Here’s the Spectators’ Guide so you can pick YOUR viewing spot!

Carlsbad Marathon is a qualifying marathon for the Boston Marathon.

The Health and Lifestyle Expo is Friday January 20 from 2 until 6 pm at the Plaza Camino Real Shopping Center off El Camino Real in Carlsbad (just south of the 78 freeway), both the Start and Finish lines are nearby. The Expo continues on Saturday from 10 until 5 and then on Sunday, race day, from 7 am until 12 noon.

Carlsbad Arts - International Guitar Night in Carlsbad CA January 23, 2012

The 12^th Annual International Guitar Night, sponsored by the Museum of Making Music, will be held in Carlsbad CA on Monday January 23 at the Ruby Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad Public Library.

The founder of International Guitar Night, Brian Gore, will be featured along with 3 other internationally-known acoustic guitarists for solos, duets, and quartets.

Lulo Reinhardt (son of famed guitarist Django Reinhardt), Adrian Legg and Marco Pereira along with Gore will showcase their talents in a variety of musical styles – Latin jazz, fingerstyle, and much more – and on a number of different instruments.

Tickets are $20 for general admission, and $15 for Museum Members. Tickets can be ordered on-line and picked up at the event.

International Guitar Night

Carlsbad Public Library – Schulman Auditorium

1775 Dove Lane

Carlsbad, CA

Enjoy some music from last year’s event which was stunning!! I’ll be there – will you?

Why I Like Living in Carlsbad CA

It’s easy for me to help buyers who are moving to Carlsbad, because I know the community well.

But I also really like living in Carlsbad so it’s easy to be enthusiastic about all the great reasons to live here.

So that, in many ways, is at the basis of how I choose what to write about - to share what I love, the things I enjoy doing, and what I think others will find interesting. If you were considering moving to Carlsbad, woudn't you want to know why people enjoy living there?

When I relocated from Boston to the West Coast we had lots of choices of where to live in coastal San Digeo, and after a bit of seaching we chose Carlsbad. So here are some of my reasons why I like living in Carlsbad.

WEATHER

What else can I say about the weather except that it’s great – not too hot and not too cold. They don’t calling living here “paradise” for nothing. Yes, it will get into the 40s at night in the winter but you will get days of temps in the 60s or even 70s. And in the summer it’s rare to get over 80 except when the Santa Anna winds blow.

EDUCATION

There are 3 school districts for children living in Carlsbad depending on where you live. School rankings are high in general (check out SchoolDigger.com) with a number of award-winning schools – Carlsbad Unified School District, Encinitas Union/San Dieguito Union, and San Marcos Unified School District.

DINING

There are numerous dining options in Carlsbad varying from budget and fast food to upscale/high end restaurants, with a broad range of food types, and places with some great views.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

You won’t run out of things to do and see in Carlsbad. We have 7 miles of great beaches so you can enjoy all that beach life has to offer – surfing, boogie boarding, kite flying, swimming, sunning yourself and al fresco dining. There are multiple arts and crafts fairs, golf, world-famous Legoland, the Flower Fields, the Museum of Making Music, 2 terrific libraries, the city-owned Cannon Art Gallery with multiple exhibits throughout the year, the free TGIF Jazz in the Parks 9-concert series in the summer, plentiful shopping, multiple art galleries, and the list goes on.

 PROXIMITY

Carlsbad is on the coast with a major north-south freeway providing access to San Diego (30 – 45 minutes) and Los Angeles (abut 2 hours). You can get to the California desert cities in about 2 – 2.5 hours, to Mammoth and Big Bear in less than 4 hours, and to Las Vegas in about 5 hours.

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

Car (with plenty of good commuting routes including easy access to the 5, 15 and 78 freeways); the Coaster commuter rail running between Oceanside and San Diego with 2 stops in Carlsbad; the Breeze, a public bus system; Amtrak (The Surfliner) to Los Angeles (the stop is in Oceanside). And of course you have your feet, surfboards, skateboards, in-line skates, bikes and even some horses.

AND OF COURSE HOUSING

There is a wide range of housing in Carlsbad to suit every taste and budget, from bungalows to condos to oceanfront estates, with prices ranging from about $110,000 for a small 2-bedroom condo to $29,000,000 for a gorgeous oceanfront home. Whether you want a primary home, a vacation home, or a rental property, you are sure to find it here in Carlsbad, our paradise by the sea in Southern California.

 READ MORE ABOUT CARLSBAD: 

  Carlsbad Village by the Sea 

 101 Things to do In and Around Carlsbad

 Carlsbad California and Historic Route 101 - The Coast Highway

SEARCH FOR HOMES

 Search for Carlsbad Homes for Sale

 Search for Homes with Views in Carlsbad

 Search for Waterfront Homes for Sale in Carlsbad

Take a tour of life in Carlsbad below!!

Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa in Carlsbad CA 

The landscape along the ocean and Coast Road in Carlsbad is changing, in a significant way.

The new Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa is under construction and due to open this June 2012. What was formerly vacant land for years in front of homes along the coast is now an expansive 3-story hotel with ocean views (across the road).

The Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa is supposedly one of the few hotels west of the Mississippi being built. And it certainly will make a significant impact here in Carlsbad, in many ways.

The Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa will offer fabulous ocean views, significant meeting room space (25,000 SF), a top-notch restaurant (I’ll be sure to check it out to see if that’s really true) called Chandler’s (with private wine room and 3 outdoor seating areas), the Ocean Crest Spa, a fitness center, pool, children’s splash pool and firepit, and ocean-view rooms.

I can’t help but think how nearby residents must feel. While plans have been in the works for years to develop the Ponto Beach area (the Ponto Beachfront Village Vision Plan was approved by the City of Carlsbad in 2007 – visit this link to see the full plan) with more retail, hotel and commercial areas to develop to the south as far as the Batiquitos Lagoon, some of the residents in the adjacent community (Hanover Beach Colony) now have lost their views, and others are now across a private street from a hotel.

While they were likely not ocean views because of the terrain, they were of open space and sky versus staring at a hotel – low rise, but a hotel nonetheless, with increased noise and traffic.

The Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa will provide jobs, increased tax revenue for the City of Carlsbad, and amenities for nearby residents to enjoy within walking distance, and is expected to become a popular destination spot along the North San Diego coastline.

Landmarks in North San Diego County – Carlsbad, Encinitas and Cardiff

Lots of cities and towns around the country become known for their landmarks, whether they are geographic features or human-made objects (buildings, statues, bridges).

Famous landmarks that come to mind include the Empire State Building, Flatiron Building and Statue of Liberty in NYC; the Liberty Bell and statue of William Penn in Philadelphia; the well-known monuments in Washington DC.; the St. Louis arch; the Sears and Hancock Towers in Chicago; the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz (you know where, right?); Mount Rushmore in South Dakota…the list goes on.

Some are landmarks historically, while others simply seem to become popular for a host of reasons – uniqueness, human interest, etc.

Here are my favorites in my area, with apologies to many others I have yet to see or simply did not include:

The WINDMILL, Carlsbad

ALT KARLSBAD, Carlsbad Village

The CARLSBAD VISITORS CENTER, formerly the Train Depot, Carlsbad Village

The BOATHOUSES in Encinitas

The SELF REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP in Encinitas

The CARDIFF KOOK Statue in Cardiff by the Sea – read more about the many costumes that have adorned this controversial surfing statue – The Royal Kook Celebrates the Royal Wedding in Cardiff, CA

The MERCANTILE BUILDING in downtown Cardiff by the Sea

A Visit to Kilauea Lighthouse in Kaua’i, Hawaii

We spent an amazing 5 days in Kaua’i for my birthday in early November – I am still enjoying looking at the photos.

Coming from New England, I am a big lighthouse fan. After all they are all over the place there, particularly in Maine and on Cape Cod.

Lighthouses are not so common here on the Left Coast, but we enjoyed a visit to Point Reyes north of San Francisco a couple of year ago to see that lighthouse (photo to the right).

It is amazing terrain with incredible views in all directions, and the drive there through Marin County is well worth the trip if you ever get the chance.

We were even able to see San Francisco, a distance of about 50 miles I think.

We could see the KILAUEA LIGHTHOUSE from our hotel room in Princeville, Kaua’i, about 5 miles I would guess across the ocean. It was great fun to visit and see it up close, and enjoy all the bird life at the wildlife refuge, including the national bird, the Nene (looks like a Canadian goose).