House Hunting in coastal North County (Carlsbad, Encinitas: short sale, apartment complex, renting) - San Diego - California (CA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Lena10 · 05-08-2011, 09:32 PM

we have a lot more explorations to do before we decide

where do you go in Encinitas for casual walk? downtown? which beach do locals go to there? where's the place for restaurants/bars etc? I can drive around btu since I don't know where I'd be going most, it's difficult to determine if I like it now! I know that where we're at now feels nice and two plazas with restaurants/groceries etc. are within walking distance as well as a couple of playgrounds and parks. Would be nice to explore a different area the same way but we can't rent a month here, a month there and so on

mom2move · 05-09-2011, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lena10

we have a lot more explorations to do before we decide

where do you go in Encinitas for casual walk? downtown? which beach do locals go to there? where's the place for restaurants/bars etc? I can drive around btu since I don't know where I'd be going most, it's difficult to determine if I like it now! I know that where we're at now feels nice and two plazas with restaurants/groceries etc. are within walking distance as well as a couple of playgrounds and parks. Would be nice to explore a different area the same way but we can't rent a month here, a month there and so on

Lena10,

All you need to do is walk down the 101. If you come down (head West) via Encinitas Blvd. then simply head south on the 101. This is what we ("out-of-towners") felt to be the heart of Encinitas. You will come across fabulous shops and restaurants - all a block or two from the beach. We went to Moonlight beach and Swami's - both terrific. The town has its own special vibe. We love it and hope to settle very close by! The meditation gardens at the SRF are breathtaking. Definitely a big surfer scene, but much more than that....it is truly a beautiful town by any measure.

There is a great dog park, I think it is by the Coaster, that my kids loved visiting. We came across many friendly, warm, laid back people.
I don't live there (yet!) so I will leave it to the locals to give you better, more precise feedback.

loveautumn · 05-09-2011, 01:58 PM

If you drive El Camino thru Encinitas that is basically the business/strip mall area...cross streets of El Camino and Encinitas Blvd with lots of traffic (although seeing the wetlands and mountains on Manchester is beautiful I think). I was going to suggest Village Park as well as a starting point for you. I've lived here for 23 years, Encinitas is a unique place that has something for everybody. From Encinitas to Del Mar the commute time should be about 15-20 minutes.

lrmsd · 05-09-2011, 02:34 PM

re

JExpress:
unless you have kids; and then i'ts not just TP High, but a safe, clean community with wide sidewalks, some trees, lots of parks, etc.

I never thought I'd live in CV either...but after 3 years here, I am loving it for the above reasons. [prior to that lived in normal hghts and PB-plenty of families in both, but man did it get old for us as far as just letting your kid have kid experiences....my spouse is a SD native, and yes the whole city was amenable when he was a kid. Nowadays, you are harder pressed to find a place where kids can go to the store themselves, play at the park, ride their bikes around town, etc.]

That said, OP, have you considered Poway? schools also great, though hotter climate....and I know you did mention not wanting to move out of north coastal, but just a mention re: more house for the money, potentially.
Otherwise, good luck!

Lena10 · 05-09-2011, 10:20 PM

Thank you all for the suggestions where to go! We're going to see some houses tomorrow so I'm sure we'll see more of the city. I'm very excited!

About CV - we've only lived here for two weeks now but I love it so far. Very walkable (from where we are to where we want to go). But i'm sure there are tons places like this in encinitas and la costa - i just don't know it yet!

As for Poway, we don't want to go inland... because of the climate and because we just lose the feel of san diego once the beach becomes too far...

On a slightly different note, does anybody know of anyone who'd rent a studio/one bedroom to my parents for 3 months (June-August)? I just can't imagine us all in the small apartment we're renting now... Their budget for rent is very limited - no more than $500/month but I'd like then to stay within 20 minute drive from us (I'll need to do the driving all the time...) Please please please help me! I can't find any rentals for less than $1200 around here.. I've even looked in Poway and Escondido. What am I missing?

loveautumn · 05-10-2011, 11:20 AM

You're not "missing" anything...this is San Diego. $500 per month in North County, especially during race season...I think no way. $1200 is actually pretty reasonable.

photobpilot · 05-10-2011, 03:07 PM

I have been looking at rentals in the area as well. Look on Craigslist. Learn how to use the filtering options in the search function and you can narrow down your search to exactly what you want. All the property management companies list their places on CL as well. They also usually have a link to their complete list of properties available.

Be prepared to double your budget though. We set a limit of 2200 for a 2br or more home (no apartments or condos) and nothing ever came up in Encinitas, or Carlsbad but had some options in Oceanside.

deuterdu · 05-11-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lena10

Hello!

We've just moved to SD from Tucson, AZ and are now renting an apartment in Carmel Valley. We love the area and my husband's job is only 2 minutes away! Yet, we don't like renting and definitely don't like apartments (in general, not the specific ones where we are). So we plan on buying asap.

Currently our search includes Del Mar (there's nothing there in our budget...), Carmel Valley, Encinitas, Cardiff and La Costa in Carlsbad. We drove through them and talked to people and spent some time there but we're not locals by any means and I would appreciate your input and advice on these areas (or any other ones we're missing). We'd like to stay in Del Mar/Encinitas school district and our budget is 600-650K for a 3bed/2bath (it's doable, there are listings available...)

Any advice on the areas for us or just descriptions of how you see them would be great!!

Thank you!

One thing to think about (I know-thanks for adding more wood to the fire!) As much as I love being near the beach the salt water will cost you a lot of maintenance/repair expenses on your home. Inland a little ways should reduce this problem and in Grey May and June gloom you have a better chance for sun inland

Encinitan · 05-11-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deuterdu

One thing to think about (I know-thanks for adding more wood to the fire!) As much as I love being near the beach the salt water will cost you a lot of maintenance/repair expenses on your home. Inland a little ways should reduce this problem and in Grey May and June gloom you have a better chance for sun inland

Unless you live on the beach in Del Mar, the salt damage from the ocean to your property is minimal at best. I've lived at or near the beach for many years and have never incurred "a lot of maintenance/repair expenses." Try driving around on salted freeways and see what that does to your vehicle, for example.

photobpilot · 05-11-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deuterdu

One thing to think about (I know-thanks for adding more wood to the fire!) As much as I love being near the beach the salt water will cost you a lot of maintenance/repair expenses on your home. Inland a little ways should reduce this problem and in Grey May and June gloom you have a better chance for sun inland

From what I've been told there is a sweet spot as far as location. El Camino Real is where the June Gloom stops or at least burns off at noon or so. As you go further inland you loose the coastal cooling affect. So 3-5 miles from the coast is the sweet spot.