| GoThere.com/Carlsbad |
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| Carlsbad
is located a few miles north of San Diego, along the Pacific Ocean.
Carlsbad is known for its many antique
stores, shops, restaurants,
hotels, white sandy beaches,
Legoland,
and flower
fields. 
Also, visit GoThere/San Diego Don't be left out..... ©
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Carlsbad is a coastal resort-town in northern San Diego County,
California. According to the state Department of Finance, the city had a total
population of 90,271 in 2003. Carlsbad was incorporated in 1952, in large part
to generate sufficient funding to connect with the water pipeline running
through San Diego County, but also to avoid being annexed by Oceanside.
Environment is of great concern to the city. Thus, the city has drafted
ordinances protecting sensitive wildlife habitat, one of the first such
ordinances within the state of California. The city has also promised to protect
a certain amount of land within city limits from development of any kind, along
with spending significant funds to restore habitats destroyed by newer
development projects.
Because of its location, relatively low population density and high performing
school districts, the city is seen to have a rather high quality of life. Thus,
real estate tends to be rather expensive compared to most cities. In the annual
Forbes Magazine ranking of "Most Expensive Zip Codes" in the U.S. the city of
Carlsbad placed as one of the top most expensive zip codes. In a recent article
published in San Diego's "Riviera" December issue, the magazine reported San
Diego counties priciest neighborhoods, stating that "Rancho Santa Fe is the most
expensive with the average prices just over $2 million. La Jolla's average is
$1.4 million...and Carlsbad is just over $1 million."
History
Carlsbad's history begins with the Luiseño people who located one of their
villages, Palamai, near what is today Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Modern-day Carlsbad
came about when in the 1880s a former sea captain named John Frazier dug a well
for water. He began offering his water at the train station and soon the
whistle-stop became known as Frazier's Station. A test done on a second
fresh-water well found the water to be chemically similar to one of the most
famous spas in Europe in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), Czech Republic.
To take advantage of this find, a partnership named the Carlsbad Land and
Mineral Water Company was founded. It was founded by a German-born merchant from
the Midwest named Gerhard Schutte, Samuel Church Smith, D.D.Wadsworth and Henry
Nelson. The naming of the town followed soon-after along with a major marketing
campaign to attract visitors. The area experienced a period of growth, with
homes and businesses appearing in the 1880s. Agricultural development of citrus
fruits, avocados and olives soon changed the landscape, but Carlsbad no longer
is a farming-centered community.
But by the end of 1887, the real estate bubble had burst and land prices slid
all throughout San Diego County. The community survived though, due to the
agricultural opportunities available. Even today, Carlsbad has a German-American
population estimated at 20 percent of residents, among other ethnic and racial
groups made the city a diverse one. The site of John Frazier's original well can
still be found at Alt Karlsbad, a replica of a German Hanseatic house, located
on Carlsbad Boulevard.
Geography
Carlsbad is located at 33°7′19″N, 117°17′49″W (33.121990, -117.296811)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.6
km² (40.8 mi²). 97.0 km² (37.4 mi²) of it is land and 8.7 km² (3.4 mi²) of it
(8.24%) is water. most of which is contained within three lagoons and one lake.
The northern area of the city is considered a part of tri-city, which consists
of northern Carlsbad, southern Oceanside and western Vista.
Carlsbad neighborhoods
Northwest quadrant
The northwestern quadrant is Carlsbad's oldest and most densely populated
region. The quadrant is located north of Palomar Airport Road and west of El
Camino Real and is concentric with the ZIP code 92008. Though there are some
newer developments, the area features many more established single family homes,
and in some cases, apartments and condominiums. The fact that many areas in this
quadrant existed many years ago is apparent by the fact that some streets
(notably Highland Drive) lack sidewalks and/or street lighting. In the case of
Highland Drive, however, the city has made the decision to omit improvements to
preserve the street's country-like feel.
Hosp Grove, a grove of trees relatively untouched by development and now
designated by the city for recreational use, is located in the northwest
quadrant, along with the Buena Vista and Agua Hedionda Lagoons. The Buena Vista
Lagoon is one of three the subject of controversy. The Concerned Citizens of
Carlsbad is currently floating a Petition to stop the city council from rezoning
the fields into new homes and a state of the art City Hall complex. San Diego
Union Tribune article
The village, or downtown Carlsbad, is generally located along Carlsbad Village
Drive east of Carlsbad Boulevard (also Pacific Coast Highway or U.S. Route 101)
and west of Interstate 5. It is currently in a process of ongoing redevelopment,
and features many antique shops, clothing stores, and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the village is likely a place where crime is most concentrated,
and thus may play a role in driving Carlsbad's crime rate misleadingly upward.
In 2005, the village gained a reputation as a place to "have a good time," which
caught the eyes of city officials who did not want their city to be associated
mischievous activity. Occupancy of bars late at night sometimes were triple the
maximum, which concerned local law and fire authorities. Drafting of legislation
is currently underway to attempt to solve recurring problems in the village.
Regular events in the village, which include a farmers market held on Saturday
mornings 9am-1pm and Wednesdays from 2-5pm (see External Link below), and a
marathon, draw many people from throughout the region to downtown Carlsbad.
The Barrio is a small neighborhood south of the village. It is densely populated
by Latinos and is the site of the city's Centro de Información, a Spanish
division of the Carlsbad City Library.
Olde Carlsbad is essentially a catch-all term to refer to all other areas
besides the aforementioned two south of the Buena Vista Lagoon, west of El
Camino Real and north of Cannon Road. The area generally features older single
family homes. Streets in this area often lack sidewalks and lighting. It is
perhaps the most socioeconomically diverse section of the city, where homes
range from enormous mansions to modest, one story homes. Architectural styles in
the area vary widely as well. A number of elementary schools are located within
the area, as well as Carlsbad High School and the current site of Carlsbad
Seaside Academy, Magnolia Elementary School.
Terramar
Northeast quadrant
The northeastern quadrant is located north of Palomar Airport Road and east of
El Camino Real. With the exception of one shopping center, the area is almost
exclusively residential. Because of the city's increasing population, the area
was recently assigned the ZIP code 92010 by the U.S. Postal Service. The
quadrant has many condominiums and single family homes. Some of the units are
quite established while others, particularly in Calavera Hills, are currently
under construction.
Calavera Hills is one of many of Carlsbad's planned communities located around
the intersection of College Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive (the community
is bordered on the north by the Oceanside-Carlsbad city boundary). The western
portion (phase I) was constructed mostly in the 1980s and the eastern portion
(phase II) is currently under construction. Calavera Hills features two
elementary schools, one middle school, a very large community park, numerous
pocket parks, trails, an artificial lake, and single family, attached, and
apartment units. Calavera Hills is subdivided into neighborhoods, each of which
are maintained by a homeowners association. Some, especially condominium
developments, feature community pools. Calavera Hills Middle school is located
in the area. Much of the community, especially around Calavera Lake, is
designated open space. Numerous trails exist near Calavera Lake for public use.
Because of strong opposition to the partial draining of the lake, the city is
currently considering other alternatives for the removal of a concrete object
that protrudes from the lake's surface, which some consider to be an eyesore in
an otherwise picturesque area.
Summerhouse is a residential area built in 2005 and bordered by College
Boulevard to the west and the to Calavera Natural Preserve to the east. Many
home feature views of the preserve, and cool ocean breezes in the summer create
desirable weather conditions.
The Colony is an established residential neighborhood located just south of
Calavera Hills community park. Homes in The Colony are greatly desired due to
unique cottage style homes with shingle facades, large front and backyards and
quaint street names (named after Scottish towns).
Tanglewood is a condominium complex located between Carlsbad Village Drive, El
Camino Real and Avenida de Lousia. Homes, landscaping, and a community pool are
maintained by a homeowners association. Although all units in the neighborhood
are townhomes, all residents benefit from separate garage units.
Robertson Ranch is a proposed development bordered by Tamarack Avenue, College
Boulevard, and El Camino Real. Development is anticipated through 2010. It will
most likely be the site of three schools. Many Carlsbad residents are opposed to
this development which will most likely bring severe congestion to the area.
Preserve Calavera website
Sunny Creek is a smaller single family development centered along College
Boulevard east of El Camino Real. A shopping center is proposed for the area,
construction of which has been delayed numerous times. When completed, it will
be the only shopping district in northeast Carlsbad outside of the Tri-City
area. Among the residents the oppose construction are the original residents of
Sunny Creek, who live in a somewhat rural area near Rancho Carlsbad.
The Summit (north) is a townhouse development currently under construction,
located east of Marron Road and west of the unimproved Haymar Drive. One of its
main purpose is to alleviate pressure to develop land on or near the Buena Vista
Lagoon, which seen as highly undesirable to most residents.
The Summit (south) is a residential area built on a series of small hills,
bordered by El Camino Real, Tamarack Avenue, and Carlsbad Village Drive. It is
made up of several developments, including Tamarack Point, Falcon Hills, and
Carlsbad Meadows, that were completed in the late 1990s.
Southeast quadrant
The southeastern quadrant is located east of El Camino Real and south of Palomar
Airport Road. It is Carlsbad's newest quadrant, containing many Master Planned
Communities (MPC), most notably The Villages of La Costa, which includes the
completed MPC of La Costa Valley, the nearly completed La Costa Oaks, the
half-completed La Costa Greens and La Costa Ridge, still in the grading phase of
construction. The ZIP code of the southeast quadrant is 92009.
Bressi Ranch is a very large mixed-use development southeast of the intersection
of El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road. It features a village core with
areas set aside for retail businesses surrounded by dense residential tracts
(over 800 units) sprinkled with parks and tied together with trails. There is an
income restricted section featuring a group of small apartments segregated from
the mostly single family detached houses starting at well over $1 million with
estates well over 6,000 square feet large. There is a commercial and light
industrial buffer zone along the Palomar Airport Road boundary and an open space
buffer along the western El Camino Real boundary. This is a true new urbanist
style community although the retail and commercial components are not yet built.
There is a new independent school under construction. Pacific Ridge School will
open in the fall of 2007 and will be home for 7th - 12th graders. The Alga Norte
community park has been approved for construction on the southwest corner of
Bressi Ranch and will contain ball fields, a picnic area and a water park
including pools, diving boards (low and high), slides, and a 'lazy river'
feature.
La Costa Greens is a residential development built on the hillsides east of the
La Costa Resort North Golf Course between the proposed Alga Norte Park and Alga
Road. La Costa Greens is anchored by The Presidio Club, which aspires to provide
a spa-like experience with a concierge on staff. The community amenities include
a pool, spa, workout gym and two tennis courts. The houses being built here are
about 3,000 to 5,000 square feet large and the project is over halfway built out
as of April 2006. With the exception of 24 houses in La Costa Greens, the
community is served by the La Costa Meadows Elementary School, the newer San
Elijo Hills Middle School and the refurbished San Marcos High School.
La Costa Oaks is the second in the Villages of La Costa and is located mostly
east of Rancho Santa Fe Road at the end of La Costa Avenue. It's an upscale MPC
with home sizes of about 3,000 to 5,000 square feet that were built from 2003 to
2006.
La Costa Ridge is the final of the Villages of La Costa and is currently being
graded. The top of a local mountain was shaved flat to enable construction of
large ocean-view homes in this private gated community to be served by the La
Costa Meadows Elementary School, the newer San Elijo Hills Middle School and the
refurbished San Marcos High School.
La Costa Valley is an MPC that was built between 1998 and 2001 near Carlsbad's
border with Encinitas. The first of the Villages of La Costa planned and built
by master developer Arbuckle Development. The builders included Kaufman and
Broad Homes (later to become KB Home), Shea Homes, Standard Pacific Homes,
Greystone Homes (later acquired by Lennar), K. Hovnanian and Centex Homes. The
Valley Club is the centerpiece to La Costa Valley that was sold with the slogan,
"Beverly Hills meets Mayberry", and is home to mostly upper-middle class
families. The Valley Club has social activities, a large swimming pool and two
tennis courts. The El Camino Creek Elementary School is located in La Costa
Valley. The middle school is the older Oakcrest located in central Encinitas and
older students are served by the newer La Costa Canyon High School.
Rancho Carrillo is a community centered on a picturesque canyon surrounding the
historic Leo Carrillo Ranch Park. Over half of the canyon and hillsides are
dedicated as preserved open space and a yearround stream flows through the
canyon. Rancho Carrillo offers a balanced mix of about 1,500 residences from
condominiums and townhouses to large estates. Rancho Carrillo was designed in
the theme of 'Old California' to match the park and is densely landscaped and
laced with walking trails. There is an active social activities calendar with
clubs and events offered in all seasons. The development has the Carrillo
Elementary School in the neighborhood and is part of the San Marcos Unified
School District.
La Costa
La Costa refers to both a residential community of Carlsbad and the world-class
golf and tennis resort and spa that thrives at its center. The community is
located primarily south of Alga Road, east of El Camino Real and north of La
Costa Avenue. The La Costa Resort & Spa consists of two 18-hole golf courses,
resort hotel and condominium units, 19 tennis courts and related retail
businesses. Dr. Deepak Chopra operates the Chopra Center located at the resort.
La Costa the community is mostly residential, with shopping centers, upscale
boutiques and fine dining restaurants. Because of overlapping district lines,
schools within the community may be located in one of four school districts. La
Costa Canyon High School serves residents of Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe and
other surrounding communities, along with the southernmost portion of Carlsbad.
The popular San Elijo Middle School and San Marcos High School serve students on
the north side of the golf course. Real estate in La Costa is priced well above
the average for both California and San Diego County.
La Costa's development began in 1965, when Irv Roston and a partner of the
Desert Inn hotel in Las Vegas purchased 3,500 acres (14 km²) of the scenic area.
A golf course was developed and homes began to be sold. The 90-room Rancho La
Costa Inn was built to accommodate the visitors. Then, the Spa was added and
ultimately, another 2,000 acres (8 km²) were purchased as the Inn grew in size.
Sports Shinko, a Japanese company, bought the Resort in 1987. After years of
decline, it was purchased in 2001 by KSL Resorts, a California resort hotel
group.
Each February since 1999, La Costa Resort & Spa has hosted the Accenture Match
Play Championship, one of the World Golf Championships events. The 2006 edition
of the event will be the last at La Costa. The Acura Classic is the largest
professional women's tennis tournament (WTA) in the world and is also held at La
Costa.
Demographics
Total housing units: 14,489
Population: 27,445
Area: 3 mile² (8 km²)
Median age: 41.2 years
Median family income: $104,850
SFD Average Price: $910,371
Zip code: 92009
Southwest quadrant
The southwestern quadrant is located west of El Camino Real and south of Palomar
Airport Road. Due to the city's increasing population, the area's ZIP code,
92011, is one of two new ZIP codes that serve the city.
Ponto is a single family and mobile home residential community. While the mobile
homes are quite established, the homes located in the neighborhood are very new
and some of the only new homes close to the ocean in the entire state (one of
the few other areas with such housing is Newport Beach). A plan to redevelop the
older portion of the area is currently awaiting approval, although the plan is
drawing opposition by environmentalists. Among the new community types proposed
for the area are live-work units, where a business owner is able to live one
story above an establishment, eliminating the need for a commute. It is located
near the city's southern border with Encinitas, west of Carlsbad Boulevard.
Aviara
Aviara is a resort community in the hills of southern Carlsbad, overlooking the
Pacific Ocean and Batiquitos Lagoon. The community has a total area of 1.6
miles² and is just north of Encinitas and west of La Costa. Just outside of
Aviara at El Camino Real lies a movie theater, restaurants, jewelry boutiques, a
branch of the Carlsbad City library, U.S. Post Office, and a slew of saloons.
Aviara is located at 30°3′20″N, 117°17′49″W (33.121990, -117.296811).
At the heart of the 1,000 acre (4 km²) Aviara community is the Four Seasons
Aviara Resort, a 331-room, five-star hotel. Guests enjoy spectacular views,
famous lush tropical grounds, a popular Lobby Bar, personal services, shops, a
renovated spa area and a world-class golf course.
Aviara features a championship 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf course, which is open
to the public as well as to hotel guests. The golf course meanders through the
Aviara neighborhoods offering views to visitors of Aviara homes. Gated
communities feature large estates.
Aviara is characterized by miles of sidewalks and tree-lined streets. Hikers,
runners and bicyclists use the Batiquitos Nature Trail. It overlooks the
Batiquitos Lagoon and the Aviara Golf Course.
Well known residents of the area include the Pulitzer family.
Younger children attend the Aviara Oaks Elementary and Middle Schools while
Carlsbad High School and La Costa Canyon High School serve the older students.
Demographics
Population: 5,050
Area: 1.6 mile² (4 km²)
Median age: 42.8 years
Median family income: $105,899
Total housing units: 2,025
SFD Average Price: $960,635
Zip code: 92011
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 78,247 people, 31,521 households, and
20,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 806.9/km²
(2,090.2/mi²). There were 33,798 housing units at an average density of
348.5/km² (902.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.55% White, 0.96%
African American, 0.42% Native American, 4.24% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander,
4.65% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 11.72% of the population.
There were 31,521 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 24.8% of all
households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average
family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.2%
from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there
were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $65,145, and the median income
for a family was $77,151. Males had a median income of $54,826 versus $39,415
for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,863. About 3.4% of
families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3%
of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Current estimates
According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median
household income of Carlsbad in 2005 was $89,364 (not adjusted for inflation).
When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the
median household income was $72,566.
According to estimates made by the CBRE Demographic Report in 2005, an estimated
average household income for Carlsbad neighborhoods were as follows: $106,459,
$108,364, $111,483 respectively when compared to the 2005 estimated national per
capita income of $44, 805.
Sister Cities
Carlsbad has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International,
Inc. (SCI):
Futtsu, Japan
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Trivia and famous residents
Carlsbad is the birthplace of professional skateboarding pioneer and resident
Tony Hawk. Carlsbad High School features as a location in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
2 software game.
Carlsbad is the hometown of professional snowboarder, skateboarder, and Olympic
Gold Medalist Shaun White.
Molly Bee, country western singer and actress resides in Carlsbad.
The Army and Navy Academy is the only military Academy in California
Carlsbad also served as a filming location for the FOX original series Point
Pleasant.
Gary Hardwick, Guinness World Record holder for "Fastest Skateboarder" makes his
residence in Carlsbad.
Carlsbad is home to race car drivers Boris Said and Brian Simo.
Carlsbad is the location of the headquarters of the Gemological Institute of
America.
Carlsbad is the home of Blacksky Corporation, a supplier of small-scale rocket
propulsion research hardware to NASA.
Carlsbad is home to children's book publisher Big Guy Books.
The alternative band, Switchfoot, lead singer Tim Foreman lives in Carlsbad with
his family. His brother and fellow band member Jon Foreman also resides in
Carlsbad.
Carlsbad is home to the Carlsbad 5000 - the world's fastest 5K run
Carlsbad hosts the annual "Junior Carlsbad" - a running event for kids 12 and
under
Carlsbad was once the site of the controversial "Split Pavilion" that was
scraped eight years after it was built.
Attractions
Legoland California
Army and Navy Academy (Red Apple Inn)
Flower Fields of Carlsbad Ranch
Carlsbad Beaches
Carlsbad Skatepark
Batiquitos Lagoon
Carlsbad Lagoon
Museum of Making Music
Carlsbad Village Farmers' Market
The Carlsbad Premium Outlets
Schools
Carlsbad Unified School District
Public High
Carlsbad High School Home of the Lancers
CHS Marching Lancers and Wind Symphony
La Costa Canyon High School
See also CHSTV, the student run television station of Carlsbad High School
Public Intermediate
Calavera Hills Middle School
Valley Middle School
Aviara Oaks Middle School
Public Interlevel
Carlsbad Seaside Academy (Independent Study)
Private Schools
Army and Navy Academy: Military Prep
Pacific Ridge School
St. Patrick School
Montessori Arts and Sciences School
Beautiful Saviour Lutheran Elementary School
The Academy by the Sea: Camp Pacific
Palisades Point Christian Academy
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