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Northern San Diego

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From surfer havens and small-town neighborhoods to rural locales and the nation’s wealthiest community, Northern San Diego offers enough residential variety for every taste.

Northern San Diego’s neighborhoods include:

Bay Park
Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Carlsbad
Carmel Valley
Clairemont
Del Mar
Encinitas
Escondido
La Costa
La Jolla
Leucadia
Mission Beach
Oceanside
Olivenhain
Pacific Beach
Rancho Santa Fe
Solana Beach
University City
Vista

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Bay Park
Perched at its 125-foot elevation, Bay Park looks out passively over the tourist activity in downtown San Diego, SeaWorld, Mission Bay Park, and Fiesta Island. Life proceeds at a slower pace in this residential neighborhood, which features condos and single-family homes.

Housing ranges from two-bedroom bungalows to large, custom-built homes. Some of the first middle-income tract housing was built in Bay Park in the 1930s, when the community created the precursor to the modern homeowners’ association.

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Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Did you hear the one about the farmer, the painter, and the musician? Together, they established the rudimentary identity of Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

Moving here with his family in 1875, Hector Mackinnon proved, by planting barley and corn, that coastal farming was indeed possible. Painter-turned-developer J. Frank Cullen arrived in 1910, bought the Mackinnon farmstead, laid out his idea of a coastal playground, and then sold plots. He named the community after the homeland of his wife, a native of Cardiff, Wales. German musician Victor Kremer, who developed an area of Cardiff-by-the-Sea and named streets after composers, is credited with having added the “by-the-Sea” to Cardiff, recalling the song, “By the Beautiful Sea.”

Now part of Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea primarily is a laid-back bedroom community of houses, duplexes, apartments, and condominiums. The high-end houses, with their sensational ocean views, lie west of Interstate 5, while more modest housing can be found east of the interstate. Locals take advantage of good schools and shopping at the Seaside Market and Cardiff Town Center, and enjoy an elaborate Greek festival each September.

The community’s assets attract plenty of outsiders as well. Surfers come for Cardiff State Beach’s reef break and the annual Rob Machado Surf Classic competition (named after the long-time Cardiff resident and professional surfer). Nature lovers come for swimming, fishing, and scenic camping at San Elijo State Beach and to observe the hundreds of species that flock to the San Elijo Lagoon bird sanctuary. The hungry come to the seaside Restaurant Row for picturesque sunset dinners. And tourists from Cardiff, Wales, come to see their American counterpart.

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Carlsbad
Although the Germanic name means “Charles’ watering place,” it was a John, not a Charles, who discovered the water in this community. In 1882, while digging a well for his farm in present-day downtown Carlsbad, John Frazier struck an aquifer of mineral water. Analysis proved the water was similar to the mineral water at Karlsbad, a 19th-century health spa in Bohemia. Once the water was attributed with healing properties, a marketing hook and a community name were born.

From the mineral well sprang a bottling factory, a hotel, and the community of Carlsbad. The original well remains today, but if you want water of the recreational kind, it’s everywhere—Buena Vista Lagoon to the north, Batiquitos Lagoon to the south, the Pacific Ocean on the west. In the middle is Aqua Hedionda (“stinking water”) Lagoon, so named by Spanish troops due to a nearby fishing camp. If you’d prefer water of the spa variety, check out the renowned La Costa Resort and Spa, complete with Roman pools, saunas, and steam rooms.

Carlsbad doesn’t skimp on its claims to fame. It’s home to the Legoland theme park, two world-class golf resorts, and more than 30 golf-related companies, such as Callaway Golf, Taylor Made, and Cobra. The flowering Bird of Paradise plant, which was developed in Carlsbad, can be seen amid bright floral displays each spring. Runners sprint here during the Carlsbad 5000 and San Diego Marathon. Popular gathering spots in this “Village by the Sea” include its street fairs, jazz concerts in the park, beaches, the strolling path of the Carlsbad Seawall, and the shopping and dining promenade.

San Diego is 33 miles away (drive the I-5 or go by train), and Los Angeles is as close as a commuter flight from the local McClellan-Palomar Airport (the nation’s busiest single-runway airport). While Carlsbad is considered a delightful spot to retire, the median age is only 37.7. Homes range from older single-family houses to new custom-made dwellings. Duplexes, apartments, and condos also are on the housing menu.

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Carmel Valley
Business managers and professionals began replacing farmers and ranchers in this neighborhood in the 1980s. Single-family properties are rare but there are a few available condominiums and townhouses. Residents, however, realize that Carmel Valley’s quality of life does not come cheaply.

This bedroom community offers respected schools; upscale shopping centers; hiking, biking, and equestrian trails; and organized youth sports. Area parks host free summer concerts and an annual chili cook-off. The Carmel Valley Community Park boasts playing fields, swimming pools, water slides, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, and playgrounds. Adults and kids can learn to swim, dance, paint, and play bridge at the local recreation center.

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Clairemont
Taking the name “Claire” from one of the developers’ wives, this middle- to upper-middle-class community mostly features homes and condos constructed in the mid-20th century. Predictably, the areas with the higher-end homes tend to be the safest.

Some residents enjoy canyon-side homes, thanks to an arm of the Tecolote Canyon Natural Park that pushes through Clairemont. Strip malls, taverns, and clubs congregate along Genesee and Balboa Avenues.

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Del Mar
The county’s smallest city is big on appeal. Affluent and exclusive, this community “of the sea” (as its name translates) nevertheless opens its arms to visitors by offering various attractions.

Many of Del Mar’s mass gatherings take place at the fairgrounds, site of the Del Mar National Horse Show and the San Diego County Fair. Summer months feature races by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (which Bing Crosby helped establish). And the fairgrounds become a haunted landscape for Halloween and a festival of lights at Christmas.

The city’s two parks host summer concerts and are popular spots for summer weddings, while the local beaches offer surfing, snorkling, diving, and swimming. A farmer’s market sets up wares by City Hall on Saturdays. Shoppers flock to Camino del Mar for pricey merchandise and gourmet cuisine.

San Diego’s highest percentage of college graduates live in this two-square-mile coastal community. Del Mar features homes built mainly between 1950 and 1980, with a few condominiums along the ocean.

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Encinitas
Although most of the Beach Boys never rode the waves themselves, they immortalized the local Swami’s Beach with a mention in their song “Surfin’ USA.” In fact, the waves and laid-back lifestyle of Encinitas prompted Surfer magazine to crown it as one of the nation’s 10 best surfing towns. But “surfer central” is mainly the area west of Interstate 5, because Encinitas is a conglomeration of five neighborhoods, each with its own personality.

Incorporated in 1986, this community consists of old Encinitas, new Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, <anchor to article above> Leucadia, <anchor to article below> and Olivenhain. <anchor to article below> Stretching along the Highway 101 corridor, the historic section with its rustic cottages appeals to retirees, artists, triathletes, and surfers. New Encinitas, which centers on El Camino Real, exudes a suburban aura with its modern homes and shopping centers. Condominiums, villas, and townhouses also can be found there.

The community’s six miles of beaches include the surfing action of Swami’s Beach, the swimsuit-optional seclusion of Boneyard Beach, and the weekly summer concerts on Moonlight Beach. Formerly the “Flower Capital of the World,” Encinitas remains one of the world’s largest producers of poinsettias. One can commune with Mother Nature amid the country’s largest bamboo collection at Quail Botanical Gardens, in the meditative gardens of the Self-Realization Fellowship, or on the 175 acres of the Encinitas Ranch Public Golf Course.

For more urban pleasures, head to First Street (historic Highway 101) for antique stores, unique boutiques, coffee houses, surf shops, varied cuisine, and a farmer’s market. The cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show inspires audience participation at the single-screen La Paloma Theatre every Friday at midnight. Recreationalists enjoy the community’s 11 parks, trails, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, skateboard park, Little League, and organized sports program. Additional entertainment options in downtown San Diego are just a 25-mile, commuter-rail ride away.

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Escondido
Its name translates to “hidden valley” in Spanish, yet folks have discovered Escondido for their business, pleasure, and residential needs. Just look at the revealing facts: It contains the area’s largest shopping mall, North County Mall, with more than 180 stores and restaurants. It offers two annual street fairs, as well as a roster of park-based youth sports and adult recreation leagues. And Escondido is Northern San Diego’s largest city, incorporated in 1888.

Pepping up Escondido’s downtown is the $85 million California Center for the Arts, which has hosted performances ranging from Itzhak Perlman and Faith Hill to Mikhail Baryshnikov and Les Miserables. The Iceoplex Ice Center features two Olympic-sized ice arenas and a full-service health center. Other assets include antique shops and restaurants, golf courses, plenty of parks and playgrounds, a farmer’s market, and a host of public and private schools.

Residentially, Escondido is relatively middle-class, with its townhouses, condominiums, and single-family homes. While older, neglected sub-neighborhoods exist here, many of the streets feature up-to-date underground utilities.

Escondido, honored as a good place to retire, provides terrific youth programs and has a well-run city government.

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La Costa
A spa built this upscale community—the La Costa Resort and Spa. Constructed in the late 1960s, the resort offers more than 400 rooms, championship golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, restaurants, lounges, a movie theater, and an 8,000-square-foot ballroom. No wonder it has attracted Hollywood luminaries.

For the sake of all that spa traffic, La Costa began offering luxury homes, condos, and townhouses, many of which have become second homes for residents. Some single-family homes can be found here as well. The master-planned community also features parks, reputable schools, community recreation facilities, and ocean views.

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La Jolla
In San Diego’s most prestigious community, not everything has a price tag. No-cost sights include the legendary sunsets, the brilliant blue water, the cave-riddled cliffs, the seals sunbathing at the Children’s Pool, the nudists sunbathing at Black’s Beach, and the 360-degree view from 800-foot-high Mt. Soledad with its 43-foot-tall white cross. If you bring your own surfboard, you also can catch some awesome waves. No wonder “La Jolla” (pronounced la-HOY-ya) means “the jewel” in Spanish.

And for a small fee, you can sample the culture here. Experience the art film houses; La Jolla Chamber Music Society’s concerts; the La Jolla Community Theater, founded by Gregory Peck; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, in the home of newspaper heiress and philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. Ms. Scripps also is responsible for the community’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (including the Stephen Birch Aquarium), Scripps Park, and Scripps Memorial Hospital. And located near the University of California, San Diego, is another health-minded facility—the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Sports enthusiasts appreciate the Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla Underwater Park (for snorklers and scuba divers), the Torrey Pines Gliderport (for hang gliders), and La Jolla Cave (for spelunkers). In the “village” (that is, the downtown area) you may see celebrities patronizing the businesses—gourmet restaurants, galleries, specialty boutiques, antique shops, dance clubs, jazz bars, and the venerable Comedy Store nightclub.

As you might have guessed, living in “California’s Riviera” can cost plenty, but residents feels it’s worth it. Most of the single-family homes were built between the ’50s and ’70s, although some early 20th-century structures still stand. Also offering townhouses and condominiums, the relatively quiet La Jolla has an acclaimed public school system and is a 14-mile trip from downtown San Diego.

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Leucadia
Blending the concepts of “funky” and “Old World,” Leucadia is comfortable in its own skin. Part of Encinitas, the quiet seaside community was founded in 1885 by British immigrants. They gave it the Greek-isle name Leucadia and named many of its streets—like Vulcan and Hermes Avenues—after the gods of Greek mythology.

The neighborhood owes its rural feel to its fruit trees, lush landscaping, open tracts, and home gardens. Giant eucalyptus trees line Leucadia’s main thoroughfare, along which are quaint shops, sidewalk cafés, and businesses. Neptune Avenue draws walkers, runners, skaters, and an annual Independence Day parade. Surfers flock to the local narrow beaches.

Dominated by single-family homes on large lots, Leucadia also features small apartment and condominium projects.

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Mission Beach
It’s a narrow spit on the west side of Mission Bay, but Mission Beach is best known for its classic roller coaster. Dating from 1925, the wooden Giant Dipper still induces screams from thrill-seekers as the centerpiece of Belmont Park, San Diego’s only seaside amusement center.

But don’t overlook the fee-free entertainment in this laid-back surfer community, where residents tend to be young and single. The beach is popular for surfing, in-line skating, bicycling, swimming, volleyball, and people-watching. Mission Beach is one of the less costly beach communities in which to live, but its houses could be considered small and tightly packed together.

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Oceanside
World War II and the opening of a military base jostled this formerly sleepy community into rapid growth. Oceanside’s military presence is obvious; its Camp Pendleton is the nation’s second largest Marine base. But the city derives its identity and popularity from its locale.

Oceanside’s 3.5 miles of beaches attract inland families each summer. (In the 1920s, Hollywood stars, like Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, came to the city’s shores.) Sights to see include Mission San Luis Rey, built in 1798 as the state’s largest mission; the 1,900-foot wooden pier at Buena Vista Lagoon, which features a wetlands preserve with hiking trails; and the California Surf Museum, showcasing vintage wooden surfboards. Popular activities include sport fishing, whale watching, surfing, and sailing.

Downtown San Diego is a 36-mile commute from Oceanside, although many Oceanside residents commute north to Orange and Riverside Counties for their jobs. Residents here appreciate the single-family homes, condos, and apartments; the organized recreational activities; and the shops, restaurants, lighthouse, and mooring slips at the Oceanside Harbor complex.

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Olivenhain
When it was integrated into the community of Encinitas in 1986, Olivenhain had over 100 years as an independent neighborhood. It was 1884 when 25 German immigrants established the colony of Olivenhain, which means “olive grove” in German. And indeed, farming played a major role in this neighborhood’s growth until the decline of agricultural activity in the 1950s.

Yet Olivehain retains its rural atmosphere of open country and horse trails; and scouting groups and 4-H clubs are popular with local youngsters. Residents live primarily in single-family homes, including some large estates on hilltops.

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Pacific Beach
As San Diego’s most popular sand-and-surf spot, Pacific Beach belongs, predictably, to the younger set. Those aged 25 to 34 years old comprise the largest population group here. Beachside bars and nightclubs along Garnet Avenue, the community hub, can get a bit wild and rowdy. Surfers and sailboarders hang out and “hang ten” at Tourmaline Surfing Park all year ’round.

Although you might assume P.B., as the locals call it, also stands for “Party Beach,” the community has its quiet, tree-lined residential areas, especially inland. Housing options include apartments, condos, beach cottages, and bungalows from the 1930s and 1940s. Businesses in the commercial district include ethnic restaurants, coffee houses, and trendy clothing shops.

First established in 1887, Pacific Beach is known for its Crystal Pier, where cottages look out over the waves. Scooters, bicycles, and in-line skates can be rented for use on the beach’s long boardwalk. Thousands attend the area’s biggest free bashes—BeachFest, with food samples, competitions, and live music; and Block Party, featuring multiple music stages and arts vendors.

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Rancho Santa Fe
How does an über-prestigious community grow out of a supplier of railroad ties? We’ll never know. The railroad-tie destiny of Rancho Santa Fe wasn’t realized, thanks to a failed plan in the 1920s. What remains of the plan are eucalyptus trees, originally planted for eventual use as railroad-tie material. They now shade the haciendas and ranches that rank as California’s most expensive property in the nation’s wealthiest community.

Covenants, codes, and restrictions guard the distinctions and privacy of Rancho Santa Fe’s subdivisions. The minimum lot size is 2.5 acres, sidewalks and streetlights are banned from residential areas, and only residents are allowed on the 26 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. You might expect such extreme regulation from a rural community where Howard Hughes once owned property and Bill Gates still does.

A Spanish colonial revival theme unites the architecture here, where home prices average in the multi-millions. The few condominiums and townhouses carry quite a mark-up as well. Locals have access to golf courses, a tennis club, and a croquet field. Rancho Santa Fe’s upscale shopping includes art galleries, clothing boutiques, and antique dealers.

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Solana Beach
Originally called Lockwood Mesa, this community ended up with a brighter name: “Solana” translates as “sunny.” With its sunny skies as a marketing attribute, Solana Beach experienced its biggest growth spurt in the middle of the 20th century, and incorporated in 1986.

Blue water and green grass color the vistas from almost all sides of this small, upscale town. The Pacific lies to the west, a lagoon and ecological preserve to the north, and a country club and golf course to the east. One finds older homes along the hillsides, canyons, and ocean bluffs west of I-5, while east of the interstate are the condominium complexes and newer, larger-lot homes.

The Cedros Design District supplies consumers with antiques, art, clothing, and specialty items. Less-organized shopping, complemented by restaurants, can be found along Coast Highway 101.

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University City
Sometimes dubbed the “Golden Triangle,” University City takes up the space formed between the intersections of Highways 5, 805, and 52. Hotels, office buildings, restaurants, and shopping malls occupy the triangle’s northern point; its southern base is filled with older homes and open space. Townhouses, apartments, and condos round out the residential options in this middle-class community.

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Vista
Avocado and citrus trees once gave this community its worth, and remnants of those old orchards abound. Vista is still growing avocados and citrus, as well as nuts and flowers, but some of that agricultural acreage has given way to subdivisions, strip centers, and parks. (Vista has six times the national average of parklands.)

Vista has held fast to its small-town ambience. Most of its downtown buildings date from the early 20th century. Still, the community has its metropolitan moments, as with its Moonlight Amphitheatre, its Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, and its Japanese Cultural Center (an active Buddhist temple).

Incorporated in 1963, Vista was given a name that means “view,” which you’ll see is an obvious choice when you hike to the top of one of its rolling coastal hills. Vista’s quiet neighborhoods represent the housing styles of Mediterranean, Victorian, New England, Tudor, and California ranch. Single-family houses, apartments, and condominiums all can be found here.

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Healthcare facilities in Central San Diego:
Palomar Medical Center
Scripps Clinic
Scripps Green Hospital
Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
Sharp Memorial Hospital
Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital
Sharp Vista Pacifica
Thornton Hospital
Tri-City Medical Center