Carlsbad Real Estate News and Views

In this San Diego real estate series we are exploring the options for buyers who are looking for homes for sale within walking distance of amenities.

While walking distance is rather personal, in general we are considering Solana Beach real estate that is within about a 15 minute walk, and to bolster my own perspective on walking distance we are using Walkscore to calculate walkability. You will find the earlier articles in this series below.

Solana Beach is a charming seaside town about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, sandwiched between affluent Del Mar and south of Cardiff-by-the Sea.

READ MORE:  Solana Beach Real Estate

Solana Beach has roots as a casual beach town, with early development around the turn of the century, but the majority of its growth starting in the 1960s. Approximately 13,000 people call Solana Beach home. The community, for the most part, is west of the 5 freeway, with much of the residential area clustered on the hills to the east of the coast road (Route 101) and a smaller more congested area west of the coast road along the ocean bluffs.

The commercial area of Solana Beach, as in other coastal towns, has been built up along the coast road, and the town offers an eclectic mix of new and old, traditional and funky, inexpensive and upscale.  There are shops galore, ranging from surf to home furnishings to art to jewelry, and just about anything else you could want. This is NOT, however, a town of gaudy strip malls nor an over-run commercial zone, but a pleasing mix of everyday services, upscale shops and small business, and a wide range of restaurants (from the most casual to high-end - Blanca and Pamplemousse Grille being prime examples) including Italian, Thai, French, Japanese, Chinese, California and many more.

Want to work out? There's Frog's Fitness on the 101. Need a hair cut or want to pamper yourself? There are a number of salons and day spas. Solana Beach also has a train station a block east of the 101 with access to the Amtrak trains (running between LA and San Diego) and The Coaster.

A popular shopping area 1 block east of the coast road is the Cedros Avenue Design District. The Cedros Design District offers a wide array of shops, many having to do with designing and furnishing your home and garden (e.g., bath, flooring and carpet, art), with a range of styles (asian, south pacific, contemporary, to name a few) represented among the various retailers. You will also find jewelry stores, a specialty shop for pets with a focus on dogs (Muttropolis), well-known galleries, a weekly farmer's market and much more. Leaping Lotus, a collection of about 100 vendors under 1 roof, is an amazing place to shop.  There are several charming cafes, one of which is the Wild Note Café attached to the very popular and well known live music venue, The Belly-Up Tavern.

And of course there are the Solana Beach beaches below the bluffs. Fletcher Cove is a beautiful beach park with steps to the sand and wonderful views up and down the coast. There is a playground for children, reasonable parking and a large grassy area at the top of the steps to enjoy if you are not inclined to plop on the beach below. Tide Beach Park and Seascape Surf are two other popular and beautiful Solana Beach beaches.

The Solana Beach real estate market has a reputation of being expensive, with the median price YTD in 2008 of $1,190,000 (average price was $1,554,000 and $620/SF, with 76 DOM) for detached homes. Currently, there are 14 Solana Beach homes for sale (detached) ranging in price from $1,190,000 to $5,385,000 (two of these homes are oceanfront) that are in the Somewhat Walkable to Very Walkable categories 

There are 18 Solana Beach homes for sale that are attached and in the Somewhat Walkable to Very Walkable category (to the shopping areas along the 101). The majority of them are located west of the coast between and near the ocean, and several are oceanfront condos. Prices range from $480K (for a condo in the Somewhat Walkable group) to $1,950,000; the ocean front homes, as expected, are in the upper end of the range.

Here are the previous articles in the Walkable Neighborhood Series:

Del Mar Real Estate Near the Village

 Carlsbad Village Real Estate in Carlsbad, California

Downtown Encinitas

Cardiff Real Estate in The Walking District in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Carlsbad Homes for Sale in La Costa, Carlsbad

In this next installment of my Walkable Neighborhood Series we explore the residential area adjacent to the famed La Costa Resort in South Carlsbad. While this area is not within walking distance to the beach (it's about 2 miles, a reasonable bike ride), the area offers a number of amenities to enjoy within walking distance of a number of real estate options.

Here are the previous Walkable Neighborhood Series articles: 

Walkable Neighborhood Series: Carlsbad Village Real Estate in Carlsbad, California

Walkable Neighborhood Series: Downtown Encinitas

Walkable Neighborhood Series: Cardiff Real Estate in The Walking District in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

First, the resort itself. Certainly La Costa Resort and Spa may not be the place to hang out daily, at least for many folks. There is a fabulous spa, the Chopra Center, and a handful of boutiques, plus two restaurants (both with indoor and outdoor dining - BlueFire Grill is my favorite but it's expensive). And of course if you are a golfer this is the place to be. You can read more about the resort here.

At the intersection of El Camino Real and Alga Road/Aviara Parkway (just north of the La Costa Resort) you will find two good sized shopping centers offering several casual dining options (Tuscany is a favorite of locals) and a host of retail offerings - home furnishings, clothing, business services, shoe repair (Tiny's) - the VONS grocery store (a major grocer in Southern California), several hair salons and banks, a UPS store, pet foods center, coffee shop, and a movie theatre, among other things.

South of the resort (adjacent to the property) is the Alberstons Shopping center with the grocery store, several fast food places (El Pollo, Bruegger's Bagels), Tommy V's Restaurant and several other retail stores.

The Carlsbad Library is here as well - one of the best in the area - plus the Cannon Art Gallery, a city-owned gallery with shows throughout the year. The US Post Office is next to the VONS Shopping center.

Carlsbad real estate in this part of La Costa is fairly diverse. Currently there are only 6 La Costa homes for sale that are really walkable on east side of El Camino Real, although while they are close as the crow flies, by street they are a little longer walk (Somewhat Walkable). These homes are all in the old La Costa neighborhood built right after the resort was created; they are custom single story homes, ranging in price from $1,150,000 to $2,495,000 (some are direct golf course frontage homes).

On the west side (towards Aviara) there are 3 detached homes that are Somewhat Walkable, ranging in price from $629,000 to $1,150,000. Because there are more limited amenities in this area in general, the walkability scores are lower even though some services are only .2 miles away. I have a new listing coming on in this area around January 2, 2009.

On the west side of El Camino there is only 1 attached Carlsbad home for sale that is Somewhat Walkable, priced at $376,500. On the east side there are 6 attached homes for sale that are Somewhat Walkable, priced from $269,000 to $390,000. These are all older homes.

And of course there are the new La Costa Villas on the grounds of the resort itself. These are whole ownership villas that operate somewhat like fractional ownership prperties - owners can use them 120 days out of the year and the balance of the time they can be rented, offering a terrific income-producing investment.

If I can provide more detailed information about the homes in this area and the community, please free to let me know.

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If I can provide more information about Encinitas, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits

As we continue our walking journey in North County San Diego we uncover yet another area in Carlsbad where you can find real estate within walking distance to amenities like shopping, dining and other things to do (bookstores, beaches).

Other Walkable Neighborhoods:

Walkable Neighborhood Series: Downtown Encinitas

Walkable Neighborhood Series: Cardiff Real Estate in The Walking District in Cardiff-by-the-Sea  

Carlsbad Village is a charming community on the ocean about 30 miles from downtown San Diego. Carlsbad has long been regarded as a popular tourist destination year-round, and retirement spot due to the many amenities, terrific beaches, fabulous weather and the wonderful Southern California lifestyle.

Carlsbad Village has numerous restaurants with a broad diversity of food styles and budgets, from very casual to more upscale (favorites of mine are Le Passage, and Fish House Veracruz). Some are located near the ocean with a few having ocean views (e.g., Dini's Bistro, and the Vigiluci's by Tamarack Beach).

There are plentiful shops of all persuasions - clothing (new, second-hand), home and garden, jewelry, antiques (individual stores as well as small antique malls just north of Grand Avenue), beads, beach wear, surfing, and much more. Want ice cream? Pottery? Newspapers? Books? Got all that. Enjoy art? There are several galleries too. Small business services are found throughout Carlsbad Village to meet every need - glass repair, home design, tax preparation. You can even buy mineral water from the Alt Karlsbad building on the main drag.

The Coaster stops in Carlsbad Village, so you can head to Oceanside via this commuter train or take it downtown to enjoy all the shopping and dining San Diego has to offer in the Gaslamp Quarter and nearby.

Carlsbad Village has two Farmer's Markets, too. One is Wednesday afternoon from 1 - 5 PM, the other is on Saturdays from 9 - 2.

And of course there are the wonderful Carlsbad beaches - for surfing, watching sunsets, enjoying beach picnics, swimming, and walking. There is also a boardwalk along the bluff (well, it's concrete) for strolling and enjoying the waves, sunsets, and the pelicans flying by.

Folks seeking retirement options have a number of places to choose from. There are several retirement communities in the village, some very close to the ocean along the Coast Road and others a few blocks inland (near the Senior Citizens Center on Oak Street). Carlsbad by the Sea is perhaps the best known, and largest, community. They even have their own art gallery, The Front Porch Gallery.

Carlsbad real estate near Carlsbad Village is, as one would expect, fairly pricey given the proximity to the ocean. There are homes and condos with ocean views, and on occasion an ocean front property. But there are some reasonably priced options as well if you are not too fussy.

Carlsbad real estate in the detached home category near the village ranges from $599,000 to $1.4 million with 10 homes currently on the market; most of these are small cottages, some of which have been remodeled, and they fall in the Very Walkable to Walker's Paradise categories. At least one is more suitable as a development site. A little further out (Somewhat Walkable) one can spend up to $4.25 million for a home on the Buena Vista Lagoon.

The 10 available attached homes range in price from $399,000 for a small condo (2 BR 2 BA, 925 SF) to $3.5 million for an ocean view (not frontage) townhome, all in the Very Walkable category.

If you would like more information about this area, or a customized list of properties meeting your criteria within walking distance to Carlsbad Village and/or the beaches, please let me know.

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Subscribe in a reader

If I can provide more information about Encinitas, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits