In this article we'll explore the residential areas surrounding the downtown commercial area of Encinitas, which, happily, is also just a few blocks to the beach. Thus Encinitas buyers in this area can acquire a home that offers walking distance to the downtown area with more than 40 restaurants and 200+ eclectic stores, as well as a short jaunt on foot to the beach - Moonlight Beach in this case at the north end of town, but some folks may walk south to famous Swami's Beach, the best surfing beach in the area (so I've been told).
Downtown Encinitas offers a wealth of shopping (clothing, home and garden, second hand clothes, galleries, jewelry, gifts, bookstores, etc.) and dining, with a broad mix of eateries - Italian, Japanese, Thai, California, to name a few - with a trend toward the casual. You can enjoy breakfast or brunch at a number of coffee shops, and some restaurants offer sidewalk dining areas.
READ MORE:
Downtown Encinitas Dining and Shopping Extravaganza
Top Ten Reasons to Love Encinitas
There are a number of other appealing reasons to select a home within walking distance of the downtown Encinitas area.
- The train station is here, so folks can take The Coaster north (as far as Oceanside) or to downtown San Diego for the theater, sports events at Petco Park, and a wealth of dining and shopping in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. The Amtrak trains come through but stop a few miles south in Solana Beach.
- The Encinitas Civic Center and the newly built Encinitas Public Library are just a block from the train station and two blocks (east) of the main road through town, the Coast highway/Route 101.
- The well-known La Paloma Movie Theatre is in the heart of town; this theater has been an icon in Encinitas since 1928.
- Shoppers will also appreciate the large outdoor market on the weekends at the north end of town just before Encinitas Boulevard.
- Folks who need to commute or simply want easy access north to Los Angeles or south to San Diego have an entrance ramp to the 5 freeway less than a mile from the heart of downtown, and of course the coast road provide a more leisurely way to enjoy a drive along the ocean.
- Lastly, but not least, is the appeal of being within walking distance to some of the nicest beaches around. Moonlight Beach is a activity oriented beach with something for everyone, and one of the rare beaches along the coast here where there is a snack bar, showers, and changing rooms/restrooms. You can play volley ball, listen to the drum circle (or join in), have a picnic lunch or dinner with tables and fire pits, surf, or simply enjoy walking along this beautiful stretch of beach. If you buy a home closer to the south end of town the walk to Swami's Beach for the best surfing and wonderful views is easy.
So what is the Encinitas real estate market like in this area? You can buy detached homes or condos, with a broad range of styles from contemporary to bungalow to Spanish, with some hard to classify.
There are brand new construction condos that will be ready for occupancy in January 2009 (The Lofts at Moonlight Beach), waterfront and water-view homes and condos, and vintage beach bungalows and renovated cottages. Living near the town and the beach is not inexpensive.
Detached homes (as of this writing) start at $670K for small properties just east of the 5 but still walkable to town (there may be noise due to the closeness of the freeway). There are 17 homes that fall within walkable scores of Very Walkable to Walker's Paradise using the Walkscore system. These homes (which include oceanfront and water-view properties) go up to $7.995 million; only 4 of the detached properties are under $1 million.
Attached homes (condos, townhomes) cover a broad range as well. There are 8 Encinitas condos within a very walkable distance to downtown, ranging in price from $599K to $3.9 million (only 2 are under $1 million. In addition, there are the new contemporary loft condos at Moonlight Beach start at a bit over $1.4 million and go up to $2.5 million (there are 18 residential homes).
READ MORE: Encinitas Real Estate Market Report
OTHER WALKABLE COMMUNITIES:
The Walking District in Cardiff by the Sea
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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
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ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com
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Jeff my friend you have to be kidding me, they actually built those buildings on the edge of a cliff like that. WOW you would never get me to go into one of them. No, No, NO, not in a million years :)
George -well when some of these things were built the bluffs were a bit larger. Erosion is takin care of some of them to the point where the one building you can see (to the left) is now not occupied. Yes, bluff top living has great views but there are environmental hazards to contend with.
Jeff